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Chapter Text

 Please Read and Review. I'd like to know what I'm doing right (to keep doing it), and what I'm I doing wrong (to correct it).

GeoFront
NERV Detention Cells
2 Days After Shamshel

A cell. Somber. Lonely. Silent

Inside, a fourteen years old kid. Somber. Lonely. Silent.

His silence was the silence of a helpless creature, hiding from a predator. Hoping to not be noticed.

Locked inside for two days, with no other company but his thoughts.

He had defeated his enemy. The enemy of all mankind. But he had done so by disobeying orders. Risking death. And with his own death, the death of two other kids in the plug. And then, maybe, the rest of the world.

His mood went round melancholy, anger, and guilt.

I don't like to be alone, but it is better than being hurt by others.
I killed the Angel! That was the whole point! Wasn't it?
I should not have disobeyed Misato. She's trained for this sort of thing.

His thoughts went from one of these extremes to the other, constantly.

A sound distracted him. Footsteps. Somebody was coming through the long hall. But those weren't the heavy footsteps of the guards, with their military boots. Nor the agile walk of Misato, with her high heels. These where the steps of someone with a purpose. Almost like his Father's.

But they lacked something. These were deliberate steps. And at the same time... they lacked that rigid certainty that marked Gendo Ikari’s every step. They stopped in front of his cell. A few seconds later, a soft glow in the frame of the reinforced steel door, and the sound of the locks opening one after the other. The boy had been in the dark for so long, the light hurt his eyes.

A short while later, he was getting used to the light again. There was someone at the door of the cell, standing in silence. Not a guard. Nor Misato. Nor Father.

The stranger wasn’t in uniform, not of any NERV’s staff he knew, not even a guard’s. Shinji only saw a black silhouette, sharply defined by the light from outside. It was a tall man, wearing a hat; strangely, he wore a long, high collared cloak. The brim of the cloak almost touched the floor. But the weirdest thing of all was that, someway, despite being in the shadow, Shinji could see the man’s eyes. They were completely white, without iris or pupil. He felt like the stranger was looking right into his soul.

“Follow me”, said the man, and without waiting for an answer, turned around, leaving the door open. His cloak flared for a moment, and fell heavily around him.

Shinji discovered that he had no fear of this man. His voice was soft, almost melancholic, but determined. Shinji followed after him. Looking around, he noticed that something was very strange in the place, all the colors seemed washed out; except for himself and the strange man, everything looked pale, like an old photograph.

Once in the hall, Shinji saw more details on the man. The stranger’s cloak and hat were dark blue, his elegant black shoes shone, perfectly polished. The little he could see of his hair was completely white. The purest white. Didn’t look like the hair of an old man, nor the fragile hair of an albino.

A few steps ahead, Shinji was at the stranger’s side. The man had a strong profile. His features and the color of his skin were of western ascent. Although… he could not see the eyes of the man. The brim of his fedora projected a shadow so deep it was disturbing. The nose was long and straight. His mouth was a sharp line above a square and decisive chin .

The stranger walked without looking at his sides. Shinji didn’t dare to talk. He just walked alongside the man; watching him carefully, trying to find out something about him. He was dressed in a sharp dark blue suit, so dark it almost seemed black. Curiously, instead of a shirt and tie, he wore a white turtle-neck jersey. A golden medallion hung from his neck. A gold chain and clasps held his cloak in place over his shoulders. His hands were covered with white gloves that almost seemed a second skin.

The boy gathered his courage. "Uh… Sir..?" the man stopped suddenly, turning around towards Shinji. His face held no visible emotion. "Who… who are you?"

"I’m the Phantom Stranger, Shinji Ikari. I have come because a heavy load has been put upon your shoulders. An impossible task. And because those who did it, know you will fail."

Shinji felt like the ground had opened below him. "..I know… I’m weak. Useless." His voice cracked.

The Stranger put his hands on the boy’s shoulders. "You are wrong. You are stronger than you think. But you have been chained with doubts and fears. They want you to fail."

"What? Who? Why?"

"Come with me, I will show you. It won’t be an easy journey. But you will find the strength you need." They walked towards the EVA cages. To the observation deck.

There was no one there.

Professor Fujutsuki came in, accompanied by Shinji’s father, holding in his arms a boy, three or four years old.

But… Gendo Ikari was …smiling. Shinji couldn’t remember having seen him smile. Ever. And Professor Fujutsuki seemed younger.

"Watch." the Stranger was standing at the windows, looking down.

Shinji came closer. Down there, he could see the EVA-01’s head. Behind it, a plug, waiting to be inserted into the giant’s body. A brown-haired woman, wearing a tight plugsuit, was about to get in the plug.

Seeing her, Shinji’s blood froze in his veins. He turned around, and saw the boy standing by the window, waving his little hand at the woman. Shinji looked at the boy intensely, recognizing himself.

"Mom! That’s my Mother!" Desperate, he hit repeatedly the thick bullet-proof glass with his hands. Trying to get his mother’s attention, to keep her from entering that plug. To keep her from… dying. Everything had come back to his memory; he knew what would happen in a few seconds.

"I am sorry, Shinji," said the Stranger softly. "This is the past, you cannot change it. Only learn from it."

"Do something! Stop her, please! I beg you… don’t let her die…" Shinji fell on his knees, still beating weakly at the glass, his face soaked by his tears.

"We can’t do anything." There was a deep sadness in the Stranger’s voice. "Your mother is sacrificing herself on your behalf. And her sacrifice will be defiled in the name of ambition and pride."

He turned around, and went back out before the plug closed itself and entered the EVA’s body. Shinji looked at the smiling face of his mother for the last time; and said goodbye, as he hadn't done ten years before… He ran out before… it happened.

The Stranger waited for him at the other end of the hall. Once close by, Shinji realized the man’s fists were closed, with a lot of strength, but his face was still as blank as Rei Ayanami’s.

Shinji dried his tears. He tried to speak, but couldn’t. The Stranger rested a hand on his shoulder, in silence, waiting.

Finally, Shinji found his voice. "Why? Why her?"

"Because she once believed in the words of those who are willing to sacrifice the whole world."

Shinji stared at him. The Stranger opened a heavily reinforced door, and his cloak flared at a blast of freezing air. He crossed the threshold. Shinji followed him.

At the other side, Shinji felt another blast of cold air, it smelled like the sea, but his own breath didn’t mist before his face, nor the Stranger’s. It wasn’t actual cold, more like the memory of cold. He was thinking about that when a girl passed him by. She was wrapped on heavy clothing, and very angry.

She went right into a cabin, a short man followed her closely. It looked like he was trying to apologize. The girl simply ignored him, and locked herself inside the cabin. The man knocked helplessly at the door, until he gave up a few minutes later.

Another man came close, they spoke for a short while. Despite the heavy hooded parkas, Shinji recognized the second man. Gendo Ikari. Both men went away.

"What’s he doing here? Where are we?"

The Stranger didn’t answer for several uncomfortable seconds. "We are at the sacrificial shrine for half of Mankind. At this place, the most monstrous betrayal in history will take place. And only its engineers will know about it."

Shinji didn’t know what to say.

The Stranger and Shinji followed the two men to an office. Gendo Ikari received a lot of folders, notebooks full of data, and a box of computer files. He put everything in a suitcase. And then took another box, it looked like an ice-box. Both men came out the office, and after shaking hands, went each his own way. Gendo to a waiting helicopter.

The little man went to a big chamber. It looked like a hangar. The floor was a big expanse of ice. From their vantage point, Shinji could see a colossal silhouette under the frozen surface. It looked like a giant, with something long and narrow near his hand. Where his head should be, somebody had been chipping the ice off. There were several workers there, they looked like ants. Hours seemed to pass in a few moments. The little man shouted instruction at the workers. Curious, Shinji got closer to him. He noticed the patch on the left sleeve of the man, and read the writing. "Katsuragi Expedition. 2000-2001" Fifteen years back… Katsuragi! Back in 2000, Misato would have been about fourteen years old.

"Yes. That girl is Misato Katsuragi. Only survivor of the Katsuragi Expedition…" The Stranger’s voice jarred Shinji out of his thoughts. A horrible sound filled the air. "Adam has awoken."

Before Shinji could say something, a powerful light came from below. The ice cracked, and the workers started to run. They couldn’t get to the stairs before the ice blew up, and a giant made of light stood slowly. Horrified, the little man broke into a run, Shinji and the Stranger followed him closely. Behind them, the hangar fell to pieces.

At Misato’s cabin, the girl had opened the door; alarmed by the noise, she looked around. The little man took her brusquely by the arm, yelling something she didn’t understand, and both ran towards a group of tubes on the floor. An explosion made them fall, the girl was stunned, and the man was bleeding. A lot.

The little man dragged the girl, opened one of the cylinders, and dropped her inside. Clumsily, he took off a silver cross from his neck, putting it into hers. Blood stained the girl’s parka, it had been ripped open in the explosion. The man closed the capsule, and covered it with his own body. It was his last conscious act.

Behind them, the giant of light had come out of the hangar. His eyes looked like two wells to the deepest and coldest abyss in the whole universe. A howl pierced their ears, and a silent explosion of light covered them.

In the deafening silence, the Stranger whispered, "Second Impact."

When Shinji’s vision cleared, he realized they were back at the EVA cages, but instead of Units Zero or One, they were looking at a different EVA. It was blood red, and it had two sets of eyes, one over the other. All four eyes were round and green.

By the EVA’s side, a woman was writing data on a tablet. Her long blond hair fell behind her, over her white labcoat.

"Kyoko Zeppelin Soryu," said the Stranger. "Part of the team that took the remains of a god to create their own gods, made at their own likeness."

Soryu went away, and came back a few minutes later, dressed with a plugsuit. Shinji knew instantly what would happen. "S-she… She doesn’t know what happened to my mother?"

"She does. She has modified the systems, with safeguards to keep the EVA from absorbing her body."

Relieved, Shinji sighed, until the Stranger spoke again. "It won’t be enough."

Shinji followed the Stranger out from the observation chamber. They walked through a long hall. Shinji recognized the aseptic smell. A hospital. A small child overtook them, she was about four years old, her long red hair was tied up in two long pigtails. A grim looking man was with her. The girl went ahead, and opened the door of a room. The man remained outside.

A blond woman was sitting on the bed. Her legs were crossed, Indian-style. Her dead hair fell over her face. Shinji barely recognized her as Kyoko Zeppelin Soryu. She held a ragdoll on her hands. It had red string hair, button eyes, and a simple dress; on it, the name Asuka had been written with shaky hands.

Slowly, the girl got closer to the woman, trying to get her attention, but she turned around, with her back to the girl, caressing the doll’s hair, whispering. The girl cried and screamed, but the woman just tuned her out. Her eyes were lost, seeing something only she could see.

"She has lost a part of the soul, she can’t recognize her daughter anymore, and pours her motherly love into an inert object." Seeing the girl’s tears, Shinji’s heart broke.

"Can we do something?"

"No. Not yet." They went back to the hall. For a moment, darkness surrounded them.

When the light came back, the girl, a bit taller, ran by their side. A big smile on her face. She went directly to the room, opened the door, and stood paralyzed on the threshold. Her smile broke like a crystal.

Behind her, Shinji looked into the room, horrified. A body hanged from the ceiling. He didn’t dare to look at her face. Turning his eyes, he saw another object hanging beside her. The doll. Its head hanging loosely from a small noose.

Shinji would have given anything to comfort the girl. But he couldn’t do anything but cry for her. "Let’s leave, Stranger. Please."

The Stranger nodded, and walked to the stairs. As they went down, he looked at Shinji from the shadow that hid his eyes. "Asuka Langley Soryu will build a wall around her heart, to keep the pain away. That wall will be her prison. When your path and hers cross, you will see a young woman; proud, haughty, condescending. Her anger will flare at the littlest things. She will despise weakness in others as a way to keep her own weaknesses hidden and safe. All of that will be nothing but a mask, the way her wall is shown to the world. You have seen the fragile girl behind that mask. Only you can free her."

"M-me? Why me? I’m useless…"

"Because only you know what is like to stand prisoner behind such a wall. Because you know the same pain she does. Because you don’t want anybody to suffer." The Stranger stared at Shinji. "Not when you can do something about it."

They crossed another door, this time, to an office. Inside, his Father was sitting on a sofa, playing with a blue-haired girl with scarlet eyes. She could not be anybody but Rei Ayanami. Shinji felt betrayed, even more so than when he had been cruelly abandoned at a train station, when he was four years old.

But there was something weird here. Rei was… laughing…

Gendo Ikari whispered something at the girl’s ear. She nodded with all the seriousness only a child can express, smiled at Gendo Ikari; and then she went out, skipping away. A cruel smile oozed from the Commander’s lips. He picked up the phone, dialing a number.

The Stranger and Shinji followed Rei to the outside. A little while later, they found her; she was with a thirty something years old woman. She inclined towards Rei with a condescence barely disguised as courtesy. After a brief talk, her brow furrowed, first with irritation, and after a few words more from the girl, annoyance, and then, anger.

The Stranger whispered, "Doctor Naoko Akagi, Chief of Project E, Creator of the MAGI. Mother of Ritsuko Akagi. Lover of Gendo Ikari. Murderer and Victim at the same time."

Shinji looked back at the woman. Her furious hands squeezed Rei Ayanami’s neck. The girl’s eyes showed only the whites, her pale face was purple, and her tongue protruded from her lips.

"…It can’t be… Rei…" Shinji extended a hand towards the scene, despite knowing he wasn’t really there.

"She is dead, Shinji. And yet, she will live."

Horrified, Naoko Akagi looked at her hands. Rei’s limp body fell on the floor like a ragdoll. Naoko covered her mouth with her hands, stifling a scream. Trembling, she stood, ran to the handrail. And jumped.

The wet crack heard a few seconds later made Shinji feel sick. He felt the hand of the Stranger over his shoulder. The door opened, and a group of orderlies came in, followed by Gendo Ikari. He took Rei’s pulse, smiled satisfied, and made a gesture to his companions. The orderlies put Rei’s body on a stretcher, and hurried it away.

Gendo looked over the handrail with a mocking smile, and went after the others. Shinji went towards the handrail. The Stranger stopped him before he could look. They stared silently at each other for a moment.

They walked back to the observation deck. Gendo shouted orders at a microphone, starting up the controls. In the cage, the one eye of Unit-00 watched impassibly as the orderlies put Rei’s body in the plug.

"Are they… going.. to..?"

"Yes." The Stranger’s fists were trembling. "The EVAs are not simply machines. To work, they require something else. A soul. Or at least, part of one." Although he still spoke softly, Shinji could guess at the fury the Stranger felt. It was the same rage that invaded him.

The plug entered the Evangelion’s body. Ikari checked the dials, and started to push buttons. Unit-00’s eye flashed for a moment, and then went dark. A rumbling sound crossed the cage. It was like the growl of a savage beast…

The plug came out. The orderlies took the inert body out, and without any ceremony, dropped it into a metal box, taking it with them. Ikari turned off the controls, and left the deck. Shinji and the Stranger followed him to a lift. They entered behind him.

It was a long way down. No one spoke during the long minutes the lift took to arrive to its destination.

They walked along a long hall, lighted by a series of lamps too far apart one from the other. Behind a heavy door, full of electronic locks, awaited a cold room, with walls of glass at each side, and a dais at the center. Gendo pushed a couple buttons on the dais, and a long transparent cylinder rose from the floor. It filled with a clear, ambarine fluid Shinji knew very well. LCL.

Behind the walls of glass, lights were turned on. A group of small bodies floated in the liquid. Rei Ayanami looked at them from each one of those smiling faces. But their eyes were hideously empty. There was nothing behind those scarlet eyes.

"Clones," said the Stranger. "Copies without a soul. Made from an Angel and a woman." Shinji rested his hands on the glass, looking at the clones. He didn’t know what to say.

"The Rei Ayanami you know was created at this lab. Cloned from cells taken from an alien creature, known as Lilith, the Second Angel, a prisoner here in the Geo-front; and Yui Ikari."

Shinji chocked on his own breath. "…Then… Rei is… my… mother..?"

"No, Rei is Rei. No one else. In a way, she is family to you. But she has been maimed. The clones you see floating in those tanks horrify you because you can feel they have no soul. They are nothing but spares for Rei Ayanami’s soul. They haven’t had the chance to grow their own souls. Their creator has denied them that chance."

A body descended into the LCL cylinder. "That body now contains a part of Rei’s soul. The rest is in Unit-00."

Solemnly, the Stranger looked down. "Unit-01 took you mother’s life. She is a prisoner inside it. She can barely sense the world outside the Evangelion. The only thing she can feel is your presence when you are near. When Unit-01 goes berserk, that’s your mother acting to protect you."

"C-can we get her out..?"

"No. She is so integrated into the EVA she cannot be separated from it."

Meanwhile, Gendo was adjusting the controls in the dais.

The Stranger kept talking, "Unit-02 took part of Kyoko Zeppelin Soryu’s soul. Her motherly love. Without it, her mind fractured. That is the reason she could not recognize her daughter. When she died, her soul was reunited inside Unit-02. She is in the same condition as Yui Ikari."

Shinji nodded weakly, the Stranger kept talking. "Unit-00 took Rei Ayanami’s emotions. Her fear, her despair, are the predominant emotions in the EVA. That is the reason she has such a hard time synchronizing with it."

"And that’s why she’s so… cold." Shinji whispered.

"In part. Rei is still capable of feeling emotions. But they are very weak. During the next years, Rei will grow up isolated. Gendo Ikari wants a pilot who is absolutely obedient, one that won’t hesitate to die when he gives the order."

"WHY?" Shinji was surprised of his own anger, "WHAT COULD BE SO IMPORTANT TO JUSTIFY ALL OF THIS?"

"Apotheosis. The Ascent to Divinity."

They left the lab behind. Crossed another door. They arrived to a dark and cold room. Gendo Ikari and Professor Fujutsuki entered. Gendo sat down behind a heavy desk, tenting his fingers before his face; while Fujutsuki stood behind him, his hands at his back, still as a statue.

One by one, lights turned on. Each one shone over a desk, each occupied by a person. Each light had a different color.

"This is the Comitee for the Human Instrumentalization. A name that reveals nothing. As dark as the intentions of its members."

Shinji saw the men talking; all of them exuded an aura of both power and desperation. The one in the end of the room opposite to Gendo Ikari had a weird thing over his eyes. And from the deference the others showed him, Shinji guessed he was the leader.

In the center of the room, floated the image of a series of stone tablets. "The Dead Sea Scrolls. Not the version released to archaeologists, believed to be drafts or commentaries of apocryphal Scriptures. These are documents that precede Humanity, and even life itself, on this planet. They detail the Second Impact. The Coming of the Angels. And the Apocalypse that will be the Third Impact. These men are the Inner Circle of a secret organization called SEELE; a cabal that has guided the world from the shadows, ever since the texts were deciphered."

An unfathomable loathing was clear in the Phantom Stranger’s voice. "These are the architects of Second Impact. Aspirants to godhood. Architects of the complete annihilation of the human race."

The image changed, replaced by a series of pictures. Yui Ikari, Naoko Akagi, Kyoko Zeppelin Soryu. Then, they were replaced by the images of three children, Rei Ayanami, Asuka Langley Soryu, and Shinji Ikari. And then, by the Evangelions.

"At this moment, they are fine tuning their plans. They want to cause the Third Impact, controlling it so the whole of humankind cease to exist as independent, free-willed beings. Their souls will combine into a single consciousness, under SEELE’s control. According to the Dead Sea Scrolls, they must defeat the Eighteen Angels. Four of them have been defeated. Adam, almost destroyed at Antarctic by his own awakening. Lilith, crucified at a secret chamber deep below the Geo-front. Sachiel and Shamshel, destroyed by Shinji Ikari."

The images changed again. Crude images of Adam, Lilith, Sachiel, Shamshel, and other bizarre creatures appeared.

"Each Angel will be harder to defeat than the previous ones. For their own power and the obstacles SEELE and Gendo Ikari will put in your path. They want the last pilot standing at the last battle be so destroyed spiritually, that their only wish be death, taking the whole world to the tomb. That way, SEELE will be reborn as the consciousness controlling a composite being, made from the souls of the whole human race. This is the end towards which SEELE has manipulated the governments of the world, NERV, Professor Katsuragi, Yui Ikari, Kyoko Zeppelin Soryu, Asuka Langley Soryu."

Shinji’s legs buckled under him. He leaned against a wall for support. "Gendo Ikari won’t follow SEELE’s lead." Shinji looked up at the Stranger. "He will betray them and take control of Third Impact. To be reunited with Yui Ikari."

"That is the reason why he has manipulated your whole life. The life, death and resurrection of Rei Ayanami. The love and death of Naoko Akagi. The life and love of Ritsuko Akagi. The life and loyalty of Kozo Fujutsuki. The life and revenge of Misato Katsuragi. The lifes and futures of all your schoolmates, all of them potential pilots. All pawns he will sacrifice to recover Yui Ikari. Nothing else matters to him."

"HE IS A MONSTER! ALL OF THEM ARE MONSTERS!"

"Yes. They are."

Vehemently, Shinji slammed his fist against the wall. "NO! I won’t allow it!" His eyes were full of tears, but also of a fury and strength capable of turning mountains into dust.

A slight smile danced at the Stranger’s lips. "The road that now opens before you will be full of hardships."

"I don’t care." He wiped his tears with the back of his hand. "I don't know how, but I will stop them."

"You won’t be able to do so." The Stranger turned his back to Shinji, walking away to the center of the room.

"THEN, WHY DID YOU SHOW ME ALL OF THIS!?"

"You can’t defeat SEELE. That is a task no one can succeed at."

The Stranger raised his hand at SEELEs hologram. The other lights went out as one. In the column of light, new images appeared, the faces of Rei, Asuka, now a teenager; Toji, Kensuke, Hikari, Misato, Maya, Makoto, Shigeru, a badly shaved man he didn’t recognize, Ritsuko."

"On the other hand… ALL of you…"

"A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, a net without knots is just a group of threads. You, Shinji Ikari, are alone. And alone, you can’t face this task. Your friends are alone too, not knowing they are pawns in a deadly game."

"It’s up to you to break your chains of doubt, fear, loneliness. And to replace them with bonds of friendship, respect, and companionship. Only then will you be able to save yourself and save the world."

Shinji nodded.

The Stranger and Shinji walked back to the cell. He seemed taller now. Standing straight, his head high.

"Captain Katsuragi will be here in a few minutes. She will reprimand you, and ask you a few questions; then will offer you the chance to leave Tokyo-3 behind and go back to your previous life. She fears that, if you keep piloting like you did in the last fight, you will die in battle. Despite her anger at you after the battle, she cares deeply for you."

"I understand. I’ll stay." He entered the cell, and sat at the bench inside.

Outside the cell, the Stranger nodded back. Once again, his eyes seemed to glow in the dark. He was about to close the door when he heard Shinji’s voice. "Will I see you again?"

"Our paths will cross again, Shinji Ikari. I’ll be watching you. And I will be watching for you."

The door of the cell closed. Once again, darkness surrounded Shinji.

Once again, the cell was somber. Lonely. Silent.

But the young man inside wasn’t somber nor lonely anymore.

And his silence was the silence of a hunter, sharpening his knife. Planning for the hunt.

Author’s Notes:

I’m a big fan of both Evangelion and the DC Universe. And I wanted to see how they would merge, but instead of mixing Eva and DC characters into composite characters (which I enjoy reading about, the Superwomen of EVA are amongst my favorite fanfics), I thought it would be neat to use the DCU to guide and help Shinji to grow up.

Chapter Text

Katsuragi/Ikari Apartment
Two Days After Shamshel,
Early Night

“...Back home...” whispered Shinji. “This time, I have a lot to think about.”

He apologized to Misato, and locked himself in “Shinji’s Lovely Suite”, as Misato has named his room.

He laid in bed, and without realizing, his hand searched for his SDAT, as he always did to run away from the world. He was about to put the earplugs on when he remembered the Stranger. His hands stopped. The images the Phantom Stranger had shown him whirled around in his mind.

And angry look flashed on his face. The SDAT had belonged to his Fa... No, it had belonged to Commander Ikari. For a moment, he was about to throw the SDAT against the wall, but he stopped himself. “No. Maybe it will be useful later.” He took the batteries out, and carefully, he put it in a drawer.

Silently, he went out the room, and to the kitchen. Misato was there, nursing her second beer of the night. She seemed so... fragile. As if she had the weight of the world on her shoulders.

The young man gathered his courage, and went closer. “M-Misato?” The woman turned towards him, a bit startled. She was lost in her thoughts, and didn’t notice Shinji’s presence until she heard him sit at the table.

“Can we talk?”

The young Captain nodded.

‘She’s still mad at me.’ Shinji thought.

“I won’t make excuses. My behavior was dangerous. I realize that now.”

Misato raised an eyebrow, interested. “Go on.”

“I want to do my best. Being in the EVA, I should feel powerful, safe; but it really hurts when it gets damaged. I feel like I’m goint to... I don’t know... lose control. Do you think I could take a course or something? Maybe martial arts. I don’t want to be that scared again.” He rubbed his left arm, above the elbow.

Misato smiled. “YES! That’s my Shinji!” and ruffled his hair. “There are a few instructors in NERV, let me check with them. I’ll let you know tomorrow at dinner.”

“And gun practice?”

“Don’t push your luck, Shinji. You have to earn that privilege.”

“Yes, Misato, I will. Urm... Can we talk about something else?”

“Like what? You have a girlfriend and don’t know where to take her for a date?”

Shinji blushed immediately. “N-no, not yet. It’s just... we barely know each other.”

“I see. You want to ask me to be your girlfriend and don’t know where to take me for a date.” She was practically purring.

Shinji ‘s face was an interesting shade of purple. “I-it’s not like that!”

“Aww, you’re so easy to tease!” Misato gave him a big smile. “Well, OK, what do you wanna know?”

They talked a long while. About likes and dislikes. Music. All the trivia that is part of a person’s character. Neither went into too personal stuff. Shinji made some tea, distracting Misato from her beer.

By the time they went to sleep, they knew each other a little better

And they felt a little bit less.. alone.

Tokyo-3 First Municipal Junior High School
A few days later.

Shinji was about to fall asleep on class. He wasn’t the only one. Of all his classmates, the only ones who seemed to be immune to the Sleep spell their old teacher invoked everytime he started his reminiscences of pre-Second-Impact life were Rei Ayanami, who was looking out the window, very focused on her study of a tree, and Hikari Horaki, who stayed awake out of pure stubbornness, had she not being named Class Rep, she would have gladly joined the sleepers, but she wouldn’t dare to set a bad example. Although, frankly, at this hour she was the only one who cared.

Near Shinji, Toji and Kensuke both snored softly. At the moment, not even the class chat had any movement, every student had shut down his or her brain, waiting for the bell signaling the end of the school day.

The young pilot was trying to find a comfortable posture on his desk, when something in the old man’s voice claimed his attention.

“...men and women with strange powers. Most of them at the other side of the ocean, in America; or even in space. My own grand-uncle had a terrifying encounter with one, who killed the rest of his platoon like some kind of avenging angel.”

“What?” Shinji was instantly awake, paying attention. The old teacher kept talking.

“I myself saw one of them.” He went on. “I was visiting my cousin, in the old Tokyo; before it was destroyed, of course, beautiful city... Anyway, another city had just been destroyed by a living storm and a living tsunami, and they came to Tokyo to destroy it too. But we got very lucky that day. A man plant turned itself into a dome over the whole city. It was a sight to last to the very end of my days. He protected us all.”

The old man looked into the distance, lost in his memories.

“I don’t know what he was doing there, but I thank the heavens. For him and the man of fire, who when the sky and the sea calmed down, burned the dome, it was the finest ash you could imagine. It became dust in a few minutes. Then he told us to be kinder to the world, and left.”

He paused, while Shinji hurriedly took notes.

“We must never forget the help Aquaman and Tempest gave us years later. They were near Japan when Second Impact hit. Thanks to them, the death toll was much lower than it could have been, Aquaman’s sea friends helped many people to come back to shore after the tsunami had dragged them into open sea. And Tempest held back the tsunami itself. The cost for both of them was very high. To honor their heroism, I haven’t eaten a single fish since then...”

The bell rang then. The other students finally awoke, and began to get their stuff to go home. Hikari directed the daily ceremony, barking “Stand! Bow! Dismissed!”

Shinji hesitated between walking Ayanami home, as he had started to do since his talk with the Stranger, or ask the sensei for more information. He decided on the latter.

“Um... Sensei...”

The old teacher looked at him, surprised. Ikari was a generally apathetic student.

“Sensei, do... do you have any books about those people with powers?” The young man spoke in a soft, but very curious voice.

“No, I had a few, but I lost them when old Tokyo...” Shinji seemed to deflate even more than usual.

“But I remember the titles. Maybe you can find them at a library or book shop.”

Shinji beamed. “Thank you, sensei.” The boy bowed deeply.

“Take note.” And he gave him several titles. Shinji thanked him again, and ran out to catch up with Ayanami.

Tokyo-3

That weekend, Shinji hit paydirt. He found two of the books. One was a children book, about the Justice League of America, written by a reporter, Lois Lane. It was full of colorful stories, frankly unbelievable. The other book was the autobiography of a scientist, Dr. Thomas Thirteen, nicknamed “The Ghost-Breaker”, denouncing the shams and frauds committed by a series of supposed wizards and sorcerers. Despite its hostile tone, this book was the better of his two findings.

One of the latter chapters was a detailed account of Thirteen’s frustrating encounters with a charlatan who only answered to the alias “Phantom Stranger”. That man, according to Thirteen’s description, couldn’t be anybody else but the mysterious man who had shown him NERV and SEELE’s hidden story.

Thirteen’s book had only a few pictures, and the Phantom Stranger wasn’t in any of them. However, in the first book, a picture of the JLA during the so-called Satellite Age, had an astonishing reflection on a trophy case. It was the Stranger’s silhouette.

And the roster of the JLA listed him as an honorary member.

So, he hadn’t dreamed about his encounter.

Tokyo-3 First Municipal Junior High School
Next Monday

"Sensei, what happened to the metahumans?”

“No one is completely sure, Ikari-kun, Most disappeared during Second Impact, maybe they died then. Others were still active during the Post-Impact Wars; by the time the UN declared world peace, there was none left. Some say they all died, others say they are still among us, awaiting for some signal to return. Others say they abandoned us. Others believe they ascended to the heavens, and still protect us from invaders from others worlds. I think it’s a bit of everything. ”

“Thank you, Sensei.” Shinji bowed goodbye. The old teacher’s memories of the Second Heroic Age were as rambling as the ones from pre-Second-Impact life. Just knowing not all heroes had needed powers to make a difference encouraged him to do his best. Misato had enrolled him in combat classes at NERV, and he, remembering Green Arrow’s prowess, went at them with every fiber of his being.

The Second Heroic Age ended in the year 2000

Second Impact destroyed completely the delicate equilibrium existing between heroes and villains. The tsunami caused by the Antarctic ice being vaporized ended the lives of many metahumans who tried to fight it while saving as many lives as possible.

Most members of the JLA, JSA, and the Titans sacrificed themselves then.

The villains were not directly affected by the catastrophe, but their own selfish natures caused turf wars among them. They culled their own numbers fighting for power, money and resources.

The magical community was hit in a different way, most of the planet’s magic was channeled through the ley lines that crisscrossed the planet like mystical arteries and veins. The destruction of a whole continent, and the change on the axis of the planet destroyed or displaced many ley lines, and changed the effects of others.

Ra’s al Ghul was extatic. The death of half the world’s population fit perfectly in his plans to create a new paradise. He was about to cause a second catastrophe to kill half the survivors but Batman and his allies stopped him, at the cost of most their lives. Ra’s al Ghul died too. But the attempt of his last few followers to resuscitate him in a Lazarus Pit ended his threat forever. The energies of the pit had been altered by Second Impact, and instead of infusing his body with new life, the pit consumed him and exploded afterwards.

The only survivor was Dick Grayson, but his career as Nighwing was ended by his injuries. He still fought to the best of his capacity, now as the heir and successor of Bruce Wayne. His still sharp mind directed resources to where they were most needed. With the help of Oracle, he became Delphos; a new computer wizard.

In a place that’s not a place
Deep Under the Surface of the World

Here lies Maya, the spirit of the Earth, the very soul of the planet. She was terribly hurt during Second Impact, her wounds caused by human ambition. Around her, her children and avatars, the Elementals, care for their wounded mother.

Swamp Thing, the Earth Elemental, reduced in size and power by the destruction of most the Amazon Rain Forest. He is the last survivor of the Parliament of Trees, and carries their memories within him. With them, he still carries the memories of the man who was his template, Dr. Alec Holland.

Firestorm, the Fire Elemental, who came back to the planet of his birth. Now again a composite being, made from Professor Martin Stein, and his friend and partner, jock Ronnie Raymond.

Red Tornado; actually, Tornado Champion. A creature made of living wind, born in another planet. For years, the mind and sentience of an android created to destroy heroes, but that became a hero by his own right; and even adopted a human identity, John Smith, to understand and fit better in the human world. His human life weighted heavily on him, he missed his very human family.

Naiad, the Water Elemental. Mai Miyazaki during her original human life, an ecological activist, murdered in fire. By far, the most violent elemental; her power even more reduced than Swamp Thing’s, on account of the Dead Zone that poisoned the South Pole.

All four elementals have tied their own life forces to Maya’s, trying to restore her. This wouldn’t work normally, as their own essences are part of Maya’s, but they draw strength from a gathering of paraelementals, like Poison Ivy, Solomon Grundy, or even Killer Frost; all of whom know they can’t survive without Maya. The process is long and difficult, without any guarantee of success.

They aren’t the only ones; most mystic entities who walked the Earth at the time of Second Impact are here. Zatanna Zatara, Dr. Fate, the wizard Shazam, Dr. Mist, and many others, spin their spells trying to cure Mother Earth.

Some, like the Spectre, are mysteriously absent. Others, like the Phantom Stranger or Madame Xanadu, work in the mortal’s world, to stop another apocalypse. One that, should it happen, would mean the death of the entire planet.

About others, like Etrigan, better not to remember, at least for now. The Demon resented any attempt to ask for his help.

The Hellblazer... John Constantine was best kept very far from Maya. It was an unspoken agreement. He was better employed controlling or destroying minor mystical threats.

Tokyo-3

The Second Heroic Age became a minor obsession for Shinji. Any chance he had, he toured the used book stores in Tokyo-3, looking for any scrap of info about the metahumans. Sometimes alone, but usually accompanied by Toji, Kensuke, Rei, or Hikari.

Soon, he had a big collection of books and magazines. In some cases, in other languages. During his training sessions, their example was enough to galvanize him to greater efforts.

He was especially fascinated by the Bat-Family. More than once, he dreamt of being a Robin. Never Batman. The sour expression on the Dark Knight’s face made him feel insignificant. Subconsciously, the Batman reminded him of the Commander. He never thought that the Batman would have been deeply offended by such comparison.

But the most scarce info, was about wizards and sorcerors, especially, the Phantom Stranger. It was as if the man was a shadow, or smoke.

Tokyo-3 Katsuragi/Ikari Apartment

“Um... Misato? If Rei is the First Child and I’m the Third, who is the Second?”

Before answering, Misato poured even more instant curry over her instant soup. At the sight, Shinji’s tastebuds tried to hide themselves inside his tongue. Sadly, that night was Misato’s turn to cook.

“Ah! Much better!” Misato inhaled deeply from the steam rising from her soup. “Sure you don’t want some? It’s delicious!”

“Um... No, Misato, Thanks. I don’t think I could handle it.” Shinji resigned himself to his own bowl of instant soup, accompanied by a simple salad he had prepared beforehand, to at least compensate a bit for all the chemicals in their instant meal.

Shinji was perfectly aware of who was the Second Child. His trip with the Phantom Stranger had been very informative. But he wanted to hear about it from Misato herself. Maybe he could get some recent info, know a bit more about his future co-worker, know her character before actually meeting, and prepare himself for her arrival. Knowing they both shared some common problem was... well, encouraging was not the right word, but he thought they might click.

“Could you tell me something about him?” he insisted, adding a bit of misdirection.

“OK, for starters, the Second Child is a girl.” Misato answered, between sips of soup and beer. “I was her guardian for a while, back in Germany, before coming to Tokyo-3.”

“She’s German?”

“Not exactly, she’s actually American, raised in Germany; she’s a bit younger than you. And she has been training to pilot since she was a little girl.”

“How is she?” Shinji was really interested.

“What? You want another girlfriend? Rei is not enough for you, Casanova?” Misato smiled from behind her bowl. Inevitably, Shinji’s face was red as a tomato.

"Mi-Misato!"

She answered with a laugh. “You’ll meet her very soon. She and her Evangelion, Unit-02 should be on their way here very soon. The trip is very long, they have to cross the whole of Europe.”

“I didn’t imagine it would be such a long trip...”

Misato winked. “You better be ready for her. Asuka is veeeery competitive, and will try to knock you down to second place as soon as she arrives.”

“Ah.” Shinji looked down. He hadn’t expected that, altough he probably should have. ”Well, I actually don’t care much about who’s number one, as long as we make a good team.”

It was Misato’s turn to be surprised. She had not expected that from Shinji. The boy had adopted a leadership attitude towards Rei after the battle against Shamshel. The two days of lock-up had done a world of good to him, he had matured a lot. He had trained and studied with great enthusiasm ever since. Not only at NERV and with Unit-01; also in his classes at school and in his classes of martial arts. He had even developed some muscles. He was still skinny, but his muscles had started to look defined. But the most surprising change had been his social life. He actually had one! His phone rang, not all the time; but at least a couple calls everyday.

“Don’t you think language might be a problem?”

Whoah! It seems the kid is thinking ahead. “No, Asuka speaks several languages; her japanese is perfect, although she still has some German accent.”

"Hmm... Then I think I should learn some German, don’t you think?

Misato choked on her noodles. After clearing her throat (and wiping a couple of tears, caused by the curry up her nose), she asked, “Why do you want to learn German?”

“Courtesy? If I had to go to work at another country, I would like to speak my native tongue with someone.”

Misato remembered how alone she had felt those first few days at Germany, and conceded the point. “Very well, but I think you’re trying too hard.”

“How about I look for a self-taught course. We could practice during the evenings. You do speak German, right?”

Misato nodded appreciatively. ‘Yep, he is thinking ahead.’

Author Notes

The events in Old Tokyo, as narrated by Shinji´s sensei, were published as The Elemental War; a 4 issues saga in Firestorm, written by John Ostrander and illustrated by Tom Mandrake. I highly recommend their work in DC. Their run in The Spectre was so good, DC hasn´t managed to get anywhere near that high bar. BTW, the avenging angel who killed the platoon the grand-uncle of the sensei was with? That was ol´ Moonface himself, the Spectre, back in WWII.

Most non-EVA related events I reference in the story are, or were, canon in the DCU. Basically, if it happened before the year 2000, I left it as it was implied in the timeline published in Zero Hour (1994). There will be a few events that I´m modifying for my purposes, but I will post notes about them when necessary.

Unless the notes could be spoilers, of course.

Chapter Text

NERV's Base
3rd Surgical Wing

Shinji Ikari awoke, feeling a residual pain on his chest. Carefully, he touched the skin, discovering with relief he wasn't actually burnt. Even so, everything hurt.

He lied back down on the bed. 'What did that Angel hit me with? I had never felt so much pain.'

'At least we're still alive...' He took a few seconds to get his bearings. Once more, he was in the Geo-Front's Hospital, he recognized the design of the rooms. There was a bit of ambient noise, the normal level he would expect. Far away, he heard the squeek of a wheel. Probably a cart with medical stuff...

The door opened. Rei Ayanami entered the room, pushing a cart. There was a covered tray on it.

"Hi, Ayanami. What happened?" He sat up, moving carefully.

Rei put the tray on the moving table. "The Angel attacked EVA-01 with a high energy emission, causing grave damages to the chest armor, and raising the LCL temperature in the Entry Plug. You lost consciousness; Unit-01 suffered damages to its armor, and is being repaired down at the cages."

The young pilot uncovered the tray. Good news, it was food. Bad news, quite a good chunk of it was irrecognizable. Except for a fried egg and a piece of bread, the rest was a set of paste blocks; the only difference was the color.

Shinji was about to push away the table, when he noticed the tiny gesture of impatience on his coleague's (and in a way, sister) face.

"I'm here to brief you on the timetable for Operation Yashima. It will begin at 00:00 hours."

'Oh, crap...' Shinji's tiny hopes that the Angel had been neutralized while he was out crashed down. Rei sat on the chair next to the bed, and pulled a little book from her skirt pocket. She passed several pages until she found what she looked for. She read a series of times and events.

To be brief, a double operation. Him as sniper, Rei as defense, with a shield to protect him. Rei got a plastic bag from a side compartment of the cart, and threw it over Shinji's legs. "Oh, yes, your new plug suit, and don't show up like that."

It took Shinji a few seconds to realize what she had meant. Suddenly, he noticed that under the sheets, he was completely naked. He covered himself quickly. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize..."

Rei didn't seem to care. "Your food."

Shinji took a moment to think. On one hand, he wasn't hungry; on the other, he wouldn't let Rei face the Angel alone, and that would be several hours later. Hesitantly, he bit the bread. "I don't really want to do it, Rei." An expression of disgust flashed on her face, she took breath.

Shinji cut her off. "But I won't leave you alone," he exclamed firmly. Rei stared at him for a little while, and watched him eat for almost half a minute. Satisfied, she pushed the cart away. "I must go, Dr. Akagi and Captain Katsuragi are waiting for me at the base. We must leave in an hour. Goodbye."

Alone again, Shinji whispered, before attacking the food, "No. I won't leave you alone."

At dusk, a small group of student had gathered on the school's roof, cheering the Evangelions as they appeared, from a hidden door at the side of the mountain.

From the EVA-01's cockpit, Shinji saw them on the roof, he smiled at seeing Toji and Kensuke on the first line of the gathering.

"Hey, it's looking this way!" Unit-01 had turned its head a bit. It seemed to be looking at them. A little nod from the giant detonated a new round of cheers. The huge robot pointed at the door of a near-by refuge. The students got the hint.

Toji and Kensuke were the last to get down, still pumping their fists on the air.

Mount Futago
NERV's Temporal Base

Carefully, EVA-01 set down the positron rifle prototype. "This thing wasn't built for field operations, Dr. Akagi. Will it work?"

"We have no other alternative. We don't even know if it will hold on under stress. It's the first time it's used with such an amount of energy."

The last details of the plan were set. Shinji would be the sniper, Rei the defender. Shinji had a better synch score than Rei, so he would be a better choice. An extra problem was that the beam would be affected by a whole series of factors; gravity, planetary rotation, magnetic fields... Even so, he had to hit the core on the first shot.

At least, he would have a visual guidance system on. All he had to do was center the markers on the target, and pull the trigger. The aiming system would be managed by the MAGI. If a second shot was needed, he had to wait until the weapon's temperature went down, and change the fuses in the meanwhile.

At least the fuse changing itself would be simple. Almost like reloading a shotgun. Shinji asked a guard to show him how to do it.

The darkness was almost total. Only NERV's portable generators provided light at a tiny part of the country. The electricity from all Japan was channeled into titanic capacitators, holding the millions of kilowatts to be used in a single discharge.

From their two high platforms, Shinji and Rei watched as the last touches were finished, waiting for the moment to board their EVAs.

Shinji looked at his partner. "Could I ask you something?" Rei stared back in silence, waiting for the question. "Why do you pilot EVA?"

"I'm bonded to it."

"What do you mean?"

"It's a bond."

"A bond to whom?"

"To everybody."

"Me too?"

Surprised, Rei blinked twice. "Yes. You too. That bond is everything I have."

Shinji sighed. "No. It's not the only one. You have a bond to people through the EVA, but you have bonds to people without it."

Rei opened her eyes, staring at him. Shinji continued. "We met because of the EVAs, but we know each other without them. We have met in person. That is a bond that doesn't need EVAs to exist."

An alarm buzzed in the plugsuit controls at their wrists. Rei got up first. "It's time. We must go. Goodbye, Shinji Ikari." She stepped in her Entry Plug.

Over the Geo-Front, Ramiel still drilled. Soon, the last armored layer would be penetrated.

From all over Japan, millions of kilowatts were routed to NERV's temporal quarters. As the black-out expanded, towns, cities and whole prefectures plunged into darkness. From space, it almost looked like darkness was devouring the country.

Nervously, Shinji loaded the rifle, waiting for the order to shoot. Behind him, scores of machines he couldn't even guess their workings, buzzed and crackled, full of electric energy.

A screen over Shinji's face showed an image of Ramiel, floating serenely over the Geo-Front, drilling its way in. A triangle and a three points star shape danced on the screen, trying to converge over the target. Once they did, Shinji would shoot, and hopefully, destroy the Angel.

For a moment, the image on the screen covering Shinji's eyes dissolved into static snow. He almost hit it to try to recover the image. But the random pixels soon resolved into a shadow. A fragmentary silhouette. The silhouette of a man with a high collared cloak and a fedora.

The Phantom Stranger.

Surprised, Shinji inhaled a longful of LCL. A far away voice whispered, "The Angel's shot will ruin yours. Wait."

The screen went back to normal. Dots of light danced on Ramiel's borders. From the mobile HQ, Makoto Hyuga started a countdown. He was on 6 when Maya almost yelled, "Rising energy levels on the target!"

Shinji reacted, "Rei! Cover me!"

Rei obeyed immediately. Unit-00 jumped in front of Unit-01. A tremendous heat enveloped them. The light almost blinding them. A huge shockwave rocked the mobile HQ. Misato was the first one to recover. "Did we fail?" The energy from Ramiel's shot dissipated. Unit-00's shield had resisted for almost 15 seconds under the heat and energy. It smoked, and was starting to melt. But still held on.

Ramiel's discharge of energy stopped, it would need a few seconds to shoot again.

Makoto shouted, "The enemy has penetrated into the Geo-Front!"

Maya added "Energy rising in the target!"

"Shinji! Shoot!" Misato yelled through the comm.

Before Ramiel had the chance of a second shot, the targeting markers finally joined with each other. Shinji and Unit-01 pulled the trigger.

The positron beam hit exactly at the center of Ramiel's core, a firestorm exploded from the exit hole. The crystaline prism fell slowly over the city. The drill broke, and remained hanging from the Geo-Front's ceiling.

At Mount Futago, Unit-00 fell on its knees, dropping the half-melted shield. Around it, an expansive part of the woods had been either vaporized by the heat, or unrooted by the shockwave.

"Ayanami!"

The answer was slow coming, and painfully hesitant. "I'm... fine..." but the EVA fell down on its face.

Unit-01 ripped off the hatch on its partner's back. Carefully, it extracted the Entry Plug.

A few moments later, Shinji opened the emergency hatch, unknowingly mimicking Rei Ayanami's rescue by the Commander, a month or so before. However, the insulated gloves of his plugsuit protected his hands from the heat. Still, the LCL over them vaporized on contact with the scalding handles of the emergency hatch.

Desperately, he peeked into the plug. "Rei! Rei! Are you alright?"

The pilot had fainted for a few seconds. Her skin had a sickly gray tinge. Moaning, she raised her head. Her eyes focused slowly on him.

Shinji held her hand in his, smiling, but two tears shone on his eyes. "Please, never say goodbye before a sortie. It's like you don't expect to come back. It's sad."

"Is that why you are crying?"

Shinji wiped his tears. "No. Its because we're alive. And you are okay."

"I'm sorry. I'm confused; I really don't know what to say or do."

"I... I think smiling would be fine. Rei."

Surprised, the bluenette stared at Shinji's eyes, noting how alike his features and Commander Ikari's were. And just how different their expressions were.

A tiny smile appeared on her lips.

Shinji helped her to get out the plug. Ayanami felt dizzy and stumbled.

Shinji's reflexes kicked in, stopping her fall, and his catching her became, without neither knew exactly when, a hug.

They stayed like that, sitting, hugging each other, until the recovery team found them.

Geo-Front
Commander´s Lair

"Your attitude intrigues me, Ikari."

The Commander steepled his hands in fron of his face. A disgusting smile appeared on his lips.

"Manipulating the Third Child will be easier than it was foreseen. He starts to show a bond to EVA-01 and Rei."

"Don't you think a relationship between them will cause problems later?"

"Doubtful. Rei knows her purpose, and won't deviate from it."

Fujutsuki thought of answering. But he kept his council. They kept playing in silence.

 Neither realized invisible eyes watched them.

Chapter Text

Interludes After the Fifth Angel

Note , the parenthesis indicate languages other than Japanese, in this case, English and German.

NERV Berlin
Staff Quarters

"(Kaji? Who is this Shinji Ikari and why I just got a letter from him?)" Idly, Asuka Langley Soryu examined the envelope she had just received, along with her many packages containing shampoo and other beauty products

"(Haven’t you read the bulletins? Ikari is the Third Child, and he has several angels to his credit; two in solo missions and one with the First Child.)"

"(Pfft! Beginner’s luck, there is no way he could keep up with me. As soon as I arrive to Japan, he will be left behind, watching my dust!)"

Ryoji Kaji was already used to the young pilot’s ego. "(Don’t be so cocky, Asuka. The kid has talent.)"

"(Bah!)" A single wrist movement dismissed the Third Child’s achievements.

"(Ikari reached a synch rate of over 40% in his first time in an Evangelion. And his current score is getting close to 50%.)"

"(Meh. Impressive starting synch, but a very slow progress, don't you think? If it has taken him ten years for that bit of improvement, NERV Japan must be desperate for pilots.)", while Kaji checked his own mail, Asuka poured herself a cup of coffe.

"(Desperate is the right word. The day Ikari arrives to NERV, the Third Angel attacks, and the First Child is incapacitated to pilot. That first score is from his first battle, without a plugsuit; that was about eleven weeks ago. And remember, that was also his first time in an EVA.)"

Asuka choked on her coffee, it took her a while to stop coughing.

"(E-eleven… eleven weeks? Ten percentile points in barely eleven weeks? God…)" Asuka ran back to her room, slamming the door closed. Kaji opened another envelope. It would be useless to try to talk to her until she calmed down.

Asuka sat in front of her desk, and stabbed the envelope as if it was her arch-nemesis.

She emptied the envelope over the desk. It contained a letter and some pictures. The pics showed Misato Katsuragi, her previous keeper, and two teens about her own age, surely the First and Third Children. Hmm… not much to look at, a skinny kid with sad eyes, and an… albino? girl, with an inexpressive face. Hmm… she surely dyed her hair; but, blue? What a weirdo. Wait a moment… was that a… penguin? It looked like.

She put the pictures aside, and unfolded the letter; it was handwritten, carefully and clumsily. And the German was just as careful and clumsy.

"(Miss Soryu:

I hope you won’t think it’s too bold from me to write you this letter, my name is Shinji Ikari (Third Child). Misato has told me wonders about you and your work at NERV Berlin. I hope to meet you soon. I trust we will make a good team. Currently, NERV Japan only has two pilots, and we are not as well trained as you. I’m certain we will learn a lot from your example.

As surely you can tell, I’m only starting to learn German, Misato helped me to write this letter. I hope to have improved a little bit by the time I can meet you in person.

Could you tell me a little about you?

I’m enclosing a few pictures of our little operations group, Misato, Rei Ayanami (First Child), and yours truly; plus Misato’s pet penguin, his name is Pen-Pen.

Respectfully,

Shinji Ikari.)"

Asuka drummed her fingers on the desk. It was certainly not what she had expected. She had thought Ikari would be a boorish show-off, but the tone of the letter was quite the contrary. And Misato had no patience for fools, so he must have some quality that just didn’t show in a picture.

Wait a minute, there were two sheets inside the envelope. She recognized Misato’s scrawlings on the second sheet.

"(Hey, Asuka!

Shinji is really eager to meet you. As soon as I told him about you, he started to learn German; I think he wants to make a good first impression when you get to Japan. Do me a favor and write him a letter soon, will you? You can take the chance to practice your Japanese before arriving here. Send him a pic too, I want to see him turn beet red! He’s charmingly shy, especially around pretty girls. I bet you can blow his mind!

Ah, just between us, Shinji has a somewhat curious hobby, he collects info about metahumans, the ones from before Second Impact. He’s too considerate to ask you for something in a first letter, but I’m sure he would love to know something about german metahumans. I would consider it a personal favor if you could get him something.

See you soon!

Misato K.)"

Well... Asuka though for a while. The Third Child seems to know his place in the social totem; and, at least in a letter, he seemed sensible enough. Not as much as Kaji, of course, but that was a very high bar. And, if Misato was right, she could have a lot of fun playing with him.

In a much better mood, she put the letters and pics back into the envelope, and went back out to the kitchen to finish her breakfast.

Kaji was a bit surprised, he thought his young ward would be in a bad mood for the rest of the day, but she seemed strangely serene.

He turned a page of his paper, and waited. He wasn’t really interested in the cultural section, but trying to get Asuka to talk before she was good and ready was like trying to get water from a stone. It needed special tools, a lot of effort, and had no guarantees of success.

Finally, as Asuka poured herself another cup of coffee, the question arrived.

"(Kaji? Exactly what is a metahuman?)"

‘Not what I was expecting...’ He thought.

December the 16th, 2008
Spiritual Plane

For once in his existence, the ghostly acrobat was in no mood for his own eccentricities. No acrobacies, no sitting in improbable places, not even floating sideways.

No, not this time.

Since his death, Boston Brand had witnessed a lot of suffering. Murders, illness, accidents, wars. Thanks to the now absent Rama Kushna, he had been able to intervene and save scores of persons from death.

Even during the apocalyptic catastrophe of Second Impact he had been able to save lifes. Not as many as he would have liked, but that was part of the job, and he thought he had resigned himself to that.

He had made peace with the knowledge that, not only he had been unable to save more people, also that many of his friends had fought to save lifes. That they had lost the battle, and their lives. He had escorted a few to the Great Beyond. Those few were too many in his opinion.

After all, an apocalypsis caused by a little meteor moving at 10% light speed? Who could stop something like that?

Sure, there were a few heroes physically able to stop, destroy, or push an asteroid away, but not at that speed.

Deadman though he knew fury. At the beginning of his ghostly existence, he had been angry half of the time, over how unjust his death had been; and later, for the lives lost because of his mistakes and temper tantrums.

Tantrums. Yes, that was the anger of a child, compared to the rage now burning in his heart.

A little investigation on a murder had turned out to be the start of a tangled web of crimes like he had never imagined. Following the tracks had taken him months of spying and following a great number of agents from a secret organization that made the late, unmourned Kobra cult seem like a reunion of upstanding, mild-mannered citizens.

SEELE.

They had gotten away with murdering half of the planet, including most metahumans.

Patiently, Deadman had followed tracks, discovered drop points, observed agents, listening to conversations. However, SEELE’s leaders were frustratingly elusive. He could find no way to get to them, not even to get actually close.

At a certain point, he crashed against an unexpected barrier. An idiomatic barrier. It took him months of intensive study to learn enough French, German and Japanese to follow clues all over Europe and Asia. More than once, the track went cold, only to show up again in the most unexpected places.

Finally, the tracks guided him to Tokyo-3, where he found to his horror, that Second Impact had merely been, as they said in the circus, the sideshow.

The true three ring circus wasn’t even completely installed.

The Angels were coming.

After the Angels, Third Impact.

And after that, no more Mankind.

He had been lucky to find one of the ringmasters of this particular evil circus, Gendo Ikari. After watching him discuss his plans with his top flunky, Deadman was sure he had gotten right to where things would get interesting. Aparently, the Angels would come to Tokyo-3, eventually.

And even better, Ikari was in contact with the leaders of SEELE. It was through holograms, but at least now he was getting first-hand info about SEELE’s plans, instead of trying to make sense of bits and pieces.

"Boston, old friend;" he whispered to himself, "you’re gonna need help with this. Man, at moments like this, I really miss the old bat."

Quickly, he ran through a too short list on his head, trying to decide exactly to whom he could ask for help. "Well, I think I’ll have to go to a higher instance."

One after another, he crossed dimensional barriers, until he found the best candidate he could think of. He certainly wasn’t the most comfortable guy to work with, his manias for secrets and mysteries were terribly inconvenient, but if you needed someone to stop the end of the world, the Phantom Stranger was your man.

The Stranger seemed to be, to human eyes, standing in the black void of eternity, watching intently what seemed to be a remarcable copy of the Earth. Appearances were deceiving. That was no copy. It wasn’t the original either. It was... something like a mystical image of the world.

Deadman cleared his throat, metaphorically at least. Surprising the Phantom Stranger in his turf could be incredibly risky. "Hum… Stranger?"

The shadowy figure raised his head, taking a moment from his unending watch over the world. "Deadman." And tipped his hat at the ghost. He went back to his vigilance.

"Erm… I don’t want to interrupt… but we have a very big problem."

"I’m listening."

GeoFront
Evangelion Unit-01’s Cage

“OK, Shinji, let’s start with the synch test. On my mark, count down from forty, OK?”

“Understood, Doctor Akagi.”

“Start the countdown, mark.”

“Forty, thirty nine, thirty eight…”

He had done so many synch tests the countdown was now a natural part of the process. Technically, it wasn’t even necessary, but it helped him to concentrate.

Shinji got comfortable on the plug’s seat, and tried to relax. At the count of five, he was quite at ease. His heartbeat and breathing were slower than usual, but it was due to the oxygenated LCL, his body didn’t need to work so hard.

“Zero.”

“Perfect, stay relaxed and we’ll finish soon. Your starting score is 48.3%. Not bad. Try to imagine yourself as the EVA.”

“Yes, Doctor Akagi.”

Shinji obeyed. Mentally, he sighed, and readied himself for a couple of really boring hours. As he used to do in these cases, he started to remember what he knew about the heroes from the Second Heroic Age, his personal heroes. He knew many of them had a scientific background, like the Atom, one of the few heroes to reveal his identity, Dr. Ray Palmer, a great physicist. (Shinji had ordered his autobiography at a bookstore, but it would be a while until it arrived, the japanese translation had a short print run).

Physics was one of the hardest school subjects for Shinji, it was too rigid for his tastes.

Shinji smiled; the Atom had created his own powers, and learned to use them with amazing skill. At first sight, a six inches high man was insignificant, but Ray Palmer had a great intelligence , plus an astounding capacity for analysis and improvisation. All that was a great help during his heroic career. In fact, he was so good he was one of the most active members of the Justice League of America.

He wondered what could have Ray Palmer done, had he been in NERV’s Science Section. He might…

He might have found a way to rescue Yui Ikari from her prison in the EVA’s core.

“Shinji, try to fix that mental pattern, you went up almost 0.6% for a second.”

“I’ll try, Doctor.”

Shinji’s thoughts kept spinning around. The image of his mother, about to enter the plug came back to his mind. Immediately, he felt a deep sadness.

“No, Shinji, there’s something wrong, you went down 0.4%. Go back.”

“Mom…”, he thought “Why did you had to do it..?”

A warm feeling surrounded him. Not a physical sensation. More of an emotional warmth.

“That’s it, you’re climbing again. Try to keep it like that.”

Shinji nodded. Of course he would try. He closed his eyes and he thought he had felt a familiar fragrance. A perfume… it was a comforting smell, even amidst the metallic smell of blood the LCL had.

A memory surged to the front of his thoughts. A rainy day, he was jumping from a puddle to another, splashing the water as far away as he could. His mother was calling him, she put a small blue raincoat on him… and then he was back to jumping in the puddles. He remembered he had been so happy… just splashing water all around him.

He thought he had heard a voice calling his name. “Mom?”

A feeling answered, had he put it to words, the feeling said, “Here I am, Shinji, I am here.”

“…Mom…”

It was a small moment stretched into eternity. Doctor Akagi’s voice jarred him out of his memories. “Very good job, Shinji. You rose almost 0.8%, compared to the last synch test. And you kept it stable for almost an hour and a half. You looked like you were in trance.”

Slowly, Shinji blinked, an hour and a half? Had he really talked to his mother? Or had it been simply a dream? Everything had seemed so real…

“I think I fell asleep.”

This time, it was Maya who answered. “No, Shinji, I was monitoring your brainwaves. You weren’t sleeping. Just very, very relaxed. Almost like REM state, but completely conscious. I wish you could teach me to do that, some days I can barely sleep.”

“I… I don’t know what I did, Lieutenant Ibuki…”

“Ah, don’t worry.” Shinji almost could hear Maya’s smile; “But if you find out, please tell me.”

“I will.”

“Enough talk, kids. Shinji, you can get out, go to the showers; it’s all for today. Maya and I will analyse your results.”

On his way to the showers, Shinji was lost in his thoughts. He had, in a way, spoken to his mother again, not with words, but with feelings...

Could there be a way to really speak to her?

Tokyo-3
General Hospital

“You don’t have to do this, Shinji. I can take care of everything. You are not obligated or anything like that.”

“I know, but I wanna do it. I should have come before, but frankly… I was scared…”

“Well, I get that; and I really appreciate you coming.”

Shinji nodded. “Thanks. I just hope she’s not angry with me…”

“Pfft! After the way she got on my case when she got word… nah, she’s not angry.”

Both stopped in front of the door of a room at Tokyo-3’s General Hospital. Toji knocked softly at the door. “Sakura? You ready? Time to go to your therapy.”

“Come in!”

“I have a friend with me, he wants to say hi.”

“Is he handsome?”

Shinji blushed a bit. “Sure she’s only eight?”

“Eight going into twenty, bro.”

Toji opened the door, Sakura was already on her wheelchair, with the heavy harnesses that held her legs.

“Little sister, this is my friend, Shinji Ikari.” Toji gestured towards his friend.

The young pilot bowed deeply. “Good afternoon, Miss Suzuhara.”

The girl’s face brightened at hearing the name.

“You’re the pilot!” she was so excited she was almost jumping in the wheelchair. “You have to tell me how did you finished that monster! We couldn’t see that.”

Toji rolled his eyes. Without further comments, he went behind the chair and as he pushed, he mouthed a silent “Tol’ja so!” at Shinji.

“First, your therapy, squirt; Shinji will tell you everything once we finish your exercises.”

Sakura pouted, but didn’t argue the point beyond sticking her tongue at Toji. “Ok, brother.”

For the next two hours, Shinji and Toji helped Sakura with the exercises she needed for her rehab.

And as promised, aftwerwards, Shinji had to tell the story of how the battle with Sachiel had ended. He had to fill a few holes in the story with what he had seen later, in the debriefing. And left out quite a few things.

NERV Berlin
Staff Quarters

Asuka finished closing (forcefully) her last suitcase. She had packed an abundant amount of clothes, especially compared to the single suitcase Rioji Kaji had packed. And that was certainly not counting the many, many boxes which contained the rest of her stuff (mostly, more clothes and shoes), already sent for delivery in Tokyo-3; first to a warehouse, and after she had arrived, to her new domicile. In just a few more hours, both would get the order to travel to Japan, alongside Unit-02; and she was impatient to get to where the action was, and prove, once and for all, who was the top Evangelion pilot in history.

“(The mail, Asuka)”, Kaji’s voice flooded the apartment. The young pilot ran out of her room. And practically snatched the lot of envelopes from Kaji’s hand.

“(…Catalog… coupons… I may already be a winner… Ah! Here it is!)”, she threw the rest to the kitchen table.

“(Letter from Ikari?)” Kaji was already sitting, and about to open his own mail.

“(And Misato’s!)”, hearing this, Kaji raised his eyes from his envelope.

“(Misato? Misato Katsuragi?)”

Asuka frowned at hearing Kaji’s tone- “(Yes… she was my guardian before you, and now is the Third Child’s guardian. Do you know her?)”

Kaji recognized the jealous tone in the redheaded pilot’s voice.

He disimuled his thought by sipping his coffee. “(It was a long time ago.)” He shrugged and left it at that.

Somewhat satisfied, Asuka went to her, now practically bare, room.

Kaji smiled to himself. Asuka was extremely direct. Still, leaving aside the age gap, Asuka was too volatile for his taste, even compared to Misato. If Asuka got along well with the younger Ikari, maybe she would leave him in peace. He crossed his fingers for a moment. He lighted a cigarette, looking pensatively at the flame for a second. He closed the lighter with a quick wrist movement.

Sitting at her desk, Asuka attacked Ikari’s envelope first. It contained a letter and a few pics.

“(Miss Soryu:

Thank you very much for the magazines! I only had a very small mention about the Wild Huntsman, in an article about the Global Guardians, and no pictures of him. I would have liked to meet them all.

I also want to thank you for your picture. I’m sending you a few pictures of my friends at school, I think you will make friends with them too.

The pigtailed girl is Hikari Horaki, out class representative, very sensible and responsible. The tall kid in the track suit is Toji Suzuhara; a bit stubborn, but a great friend. The kid with glasses is Kensuke Aida, our resident geek; he loves anything related to war machines, especially ships (don’t let him close to your Evangelion! He would stick to it like paint. Just kidding, he would only try to videotape it.)

By the way, Misato suggested a visit to a little restaurant specialized in European food, she says their German selection is quite good. I’ll check it out as soon as I get some free time.

Your friend.

Shinji Ikari.)”

Smiling, Asuka put Ikari’s letter aside, and got the pictures out. It was a perfectly normal group of teens, clowning for the camera. Evidently, the other two kids were play-fighting with Ikari; she would have to demand a more mature behavior from the three of them, they looked like stooges.

Hmm… the Three Stooges… She smiled again as she filed that nickname in her memory; it would be fun to use. Ikari was too formal in his letters, he should try to relax a bit. At least he seemed a bit less stuffed this time.

Although, if she had to trust in the pictures, he might be somewhat fun in person. That would be interesting to find out.

She put everything back in the envelope, and opened Misato’s letter.

"(Hey, Asuka!

I knew you would cause an impact in Shinji! He really liked your picture (nice growth spurt, BTW!), and he asked me some questions about you; nothing too personal, I assure you. It seems you have an admirer here in Tokyo-3. Do me a favor and treat him nicely, he’s a good kid; I would put my life on his hands.

You really went the extra mile with the magazines, Shinji has read them several times; although he still has some problems with some words. BTW, speaking of that, He insisted on practicing German during the afternoons; from five to six pm, in this house only German is spoken. He had progressed a lot since he started; I bet in two or three years he might pass for a German-raised kid.

Just between us, you need a bit of practice with your kanji; take the opportunity! Shinji feels in debt to you, ask him to help you study. He is no teacher, but he is very kind and patient.

See you soon!

Misato.)"

Asuka drummed her fingers on the desk. Although Ikari didn’t mention it, it seemed the picture had the wanted effect. She smiled maliciously; yes, she could surely have a lot of fun playing with the Third Child.

She took a pen, and bit softly at the end. Now, she didn’t want the Third Child to get any wrong ideas, it was obvious he had a crush on her, and she would have to let him down before he made any problem. On the other hand, it was rare for her to find any people able to appreciate her as she deserved. And Ikari seemed to be one of the very few who could treat her without any envy/condescendence, so she didn’t want to alienate him. Mmm… what to do..? Ah! The perfect idea!

She went back to the kitchen, cell in hand, and as she ambushed a surprised Ryoji Kaji in a honeyed hug she took a quick selfie, taking care to show both of them in the image. “(Thanks, Kaji!)”; she took her purse, stole a couple of chocolate cookies from Kaji’s plate; and went outside, laughing. “(I’ll be back in a moment, I have to get a picture printed!)”

“(What was that?)”, her surprised guardian mumbled.

December the 16, 2008
Quintessence´s Dimensional Plane.

“That’s everything I know. We have a bunch of eldritch abominations on their way here, uh... I mean to Earth; and a crazy cult of crazies who want to destroy humanity. It’s personal now; I haven’t been able to even get close to the guys in charge.” Deadman floated in the air; as usual, sitting Indian style.

The Phantom Stranger took his time before answering . “Worrying.” He went back to the Earth’s image, passing his hands over the surface, until he stopped over Japan. “Here. A nexus of fates. A powerful one. Hmm… A fog, I can’t see clearly. But there’s a clear fate. Dangerous too. Very dangerous indeed.” With a hand gesture, an image appeared; a boy, six or seven years old, looking sad. Another gesture showed more, the boy was walking alone on a street; it seemed a little town at the coast, he was dragging an old bycicle.

“That kid? Doesn’t seem like he would hurt a fly.” Deadman was intently checking the image. “You’re not gonna tell me he’s the next Vandal Savage or Ra´s al Ghul, or something like that, will you?” his index traced a couple of circles in the air.

“No, his is a gentle soul; ill-disposed for violence of any kind. However, the weight of the whole world will fall on his shoulders, breaking both him and the Earth in the Third Impact.”

“Oooh, boy!” Deadman scratched his head. “Is there anybody left who could stop those Angels?”

“The ones who might have enough power are trying to save the world soul, or protecting the planet from alien invasions. They can’t interrupt their efforts.” At a significant look from Deadman, the Stranger added. “Most of my own power is compromised, hiding the planet from extradimensional invaders. We will have to act subtly.”

The ghostly acrobat floated around the world. “So… what’s the plan?”

Once again, the Phantom Stranger passed his hands over the surface of the globe, looking for any visible nexus connected to the child. As he got nearer to Europe, his hands started to tremble. A chill went down Deadman’s back. Anything capable of thwarting an entity as powerful as the Phantom Stranger had to be really powerful.

The Stranger started to sweat a little. “The fog is denser here, I can barely see a…” with a tense gesture, the Stranger changed his focus, and an image was revealed. A girl, six or seven years old, wearing a tight red suit. It looked remotely like a futuristic diving suit. Her features contracted in a determined look.

The Stranger went back a step. Another hand-gesture revealed a series of red lines, joining both kids. Most were semitransparent, except for a dark red line, that looked like a thorny vine, or maybe barbwire.

“Hey, what does that mean?”

“Their souls are connected. In each reincarnation, they meet again; they are destined to be together.”

“I’ve heard of legends like that. Sounds like a chick-flick.” Deadman rubbed his chin; his own experiences with love had been very painful, especially after his dead.

“There’s some truth in those legends. The best example would be the Hawks. Hawkman and Hawkgirl have been reincarnating as a couple since the Pharaohs´s times.” He paused, as if listening to a far away sound. “They are awaiting for their next reincarnation.”

“Just for a moment, you had me thinking the kids would be the next Hawks… And what about the thorns?” His face was very close to the tangled red lines. “I have the feeling that´s not exactly normal.”

“That means their souls have been intentionally damaged during this incarnation. They are not ready to meet. If they do, they will destroy each other.”

Pensatively, Deadman scratched his head again. “Back to my question… What do we do?”

For a minute, the Phantom Stranger kept silent. A minute that seemed like an eternity to Boston Brand.

“First, we must examine what you have found. As my vision has been impeded, we will have to investigate in other ways. Afterwards, we will have to observe the events. I’ll need you to go back to Tokyo-3 and keep a close watch on Commander Ikari. He is our only lead to SEELE. I’ll investigate on my own. I have to determine where, when, and how much intervene.”

“Count me in!” Boston Brand slapped his thighs, ready to do everything in his power to be the biggest, nastiest, and slippery fly in SEELE’s soup he could manage to be.

NERV Japan
Evangelions Cage Synch Test

´There they are again…´ Shinji looked through the Evangelion´s eyes, while he waited for the shut-off sequence to begin; and permission to leave the plug. The synch test had ended a few minutes before.

On the other side of the cage, Rei Ayanami waited for her turn to enter her own plug, she was busy doing some last minute checks on the systems. A few seconds later, the Commander walked to her, smiling. Rei jumped down to meet him, a big smile on her lips. For an instant, Shinji felt the sting of jealousy, immediately extinguished by the memory of the death of the first Rei, and the maiming of her soul to power Unit-00. The time they met at the Evangelion cages was the only time he could see them acting like normal people; smiling, animated, instead of the cold masks they showed the world. No, he really was that cold. Rei Ayanami simply had no idea of what emotions really were. Commander Ikari had trained her well... Trained... The word left a sour aftertaste in Shinji´s mind.

´I would like to tell her…´” he thought, ´ I wonder what would Ayanami say if she knew I want to stop what my… what the Commander plans on doing to all of us.

A wave of emotion enveloped him. He felt betrayed, abandoned, jealous, deceived, and angry. All those emotions… he could believe they were his own. He had more than enough reasons to feel like that. But, knowing Ayanami´s story, he recognized those emotions weren´t actually his.

´Is that you, Mom?´, he thought, trying to reconnect with Yui Ikari´s soul, trapped in the EVA-01´s core.

A warm feeling surrounded him. ´Listen. Mom, I don´t know if you can understand me, but it´s not Ayanami´s fault, she´s a victim too.´

The emotional whirlwind calmed down a bit, a moment of intense curiosity. Shinji focused on the scenes the Phantom Stranger had shown him. Two new emotions appeared in the emotional maelstrom. Pity and outrage.

´I want to save her… No one else but the Commander, and maybe Dr. Akagi know it, but Ayanami is the closest I have to a sister. She´s family too, like she was also your daughter.´ A wave of sadness, of loss, appeared. ´I can´t do much for her right now, if the Commander suspects I know more than they have told me, he… he probably would do something terrible to me. I have seen what he´s capable of.´ He remembered how the first Rei had died, and then put in the EVA-00.

“Shinji!! What´s going on there?!” Maya´s urgent voice jarred Shinji out of his thoughts. He heard a deep, vibrating, guttural growl, and realized it came from the EVA-01´s throat. The whole plug vibrated around him. A deep screeching noise came from the exterior. The EVA was pulling at its anchoring! It wouldn´t take much time for it to be free.

Scared, Shinji thought intensely. “No! No, Mom!! Stop!! Leave it to me! I´m taking care of her. I will protect her.”

Unit-01 stopped, hesitant, like waiting for something. Shinji continued. ´We will stop him. Him and SEELE. I have a friend who is helping me, but if you destroy NERV, the Angels will kill us all. I promise we will stop Third Impact. Just calm yourself, please.´ he sent images of his friends, and of the Phantom Stranger. This last image was answered with a new emotion that drowned all others. Shinji wasn´t sure if it was curiosity, recognition, or a mix of both.

Slowly, the Evangelion calmed down. ´That´s it, take it easy… calm yourself…´ The growl went gradually silent.

Quickly, he called the control box. “I-I´m sorry, Lieutenant Ibuki! I lost control for a minute. I-I-I have it back now. Everything is okay here, how are you?” Realizing he was babbling, Shinji shut up and sighed.

Maya´s relieved sigh was clearly heard. “Ok, Shinji, I think it will be best if we finish the synch test right now. I´m starting the shut-off sequence.” He barely heard Maya´s next words, before she cut off the line, “I just hope the Unit-00 incident won´t repeat…”

The emotions grew fainter and fainter, ´Just hold on, Mom, please.´ The flow of emotions ended.

Commander ikari´s Lair
A few hours later.

“Commander, here are the graphs of the synch tests.” Fujutsuki put two rolls of printing paper on Gendo´s desk.

Gendo Ikari examined the graphs, checking the timestamps. He smiled like a shark when he noticed the changes on the Third Child´s last minute of the test.

“The emotional response was as we expected. Although it took him more time than foreseen, the Third Child is jealous of the attention Rei gets from me. He will do anything to earn my approval.” Satisfied, he dropped the print-outs on the desk. “Everything proceeds according to the scenario.”

Commander ikari´s Lair (Spiritual Plane)
A second later.

´Everything procedes according to the escenario!´ A cackle echoes Commander Ikari´s office. A laughter no living being could hear, but lifted Boston Brand´s soul. ´It does, but it´s not your scenario anymore, you big rube! We are changing the game rules and you haven´t realized it yet!´

From behind the only chair visible in the office, Deadman grabbed Ikari´s shoulders, like he was about to shake him, and whispered in his ear, perfectly aware he would not hear a single word. ´That kid is gonna give you the ass-kicking of the Ages! And I have the best tickets in the whole circus!´

Ikari sat comfortably on his chair, with an ugly smile on his lips. He opened a drawer, taking a shogi board.

Fujutsuki said nothing. He just opened a hidden closet, and pulled a chair close to the desk.

´Man... I am so tired of watching you two play...´sighed an unseen ghost. ´If only you played something more exciting, like Go Fish...´

Tokyo-3
Katsuragi-Ikari Apartment

Shinji had picked up the mail at the mailbox on the reception of the building. As the lift went up, he started to classify the envelopes in groups. One for the bills they had to pay during the week, another for junkmail, another for Misato´s mail, and finally, his own mail. Ah! Two letters from Asuka! One for him and the other for Misato.

While he was preparing the food, he ocassionally eyed the little piles of mail on the table. Misato would take a little while to get home.

Once everything was in the right pot, cooking slowly, Shinji sat at the table. He was eager to read Asuka´s letter, but decided to do his homework first.

Misatto arrived as he was finishing the last subject. “Hello, Misato, dinner will be ready in about twenty minutes.” She sighed tiredly, but the smell of food reanimated her in a second. “Great! I´ll go change. Be back in a minute!”

Pen-Pen chose that moment to come out his fridge. He deposited his newspaper on the reciclable paper basket, and stared at Shinji. The kid put the Penguin´s plate on the floor, containing a generous serving of marinated fish he had prepared beforehand. The warm water penguin looked at him approvingly before digging in.

While Shinji checked on the food, Misato came back from her room, wearing a t-shirt three sizes too big, and her favorite pair of ratty shorts. She sat at the table, and opened the first envelope from the bills pile. Her face seemed to get longer and longer, as she added the bills in her head. “I think I will be broke by the end of the month... Oh... Shinjiiii!” The young pilot knew what would come next, he was very familiar with that sing-song tone.

He put an envelope on the table, and slid it towards Misato. “Here´s my part for this month. But that dress you have to pay it for yourself.”

“Thanks, Shinji! You´re the best roomie!”

Shinji smiled back at her.

Finally, Misato got to the last envelope. “Hey! A letter from Asuka! Didn´t she write to you? You´re too quiet.”

“Yes, she wrote me a letter, but I´m saving it for later.”

Right then, Shinji´s cell chirped. “(Time to change to German, Misato.)”

“(Okay, where were we.)”

“(Bills to pay.)”

“(Hah! Don´t try to escape, Shinji. Letter from Asuka. Have you proposed yet or will you wait until she comes to Tokyo-3?)”

“Misato!” Shinji was as red as a tomato.

“(Hey, a girl needs her fun. Now tell me.)”

“(Well... so far, we´re good. But we are just friends. Pen pals.)”

Pen-Pen raised his head, thinking he had been called. He shrugged and went back to his last fish.

“(So, what are you waiting for? Open your letter! I promise I won´t read over your shoulder. Much.)”

“(Not yet. Let´s eat first)” and he put the letter in his backpack.

“(Spoilsport.)” Misato pouted.

Once the meal was finished, Shinji took the plates to the kitchen sink. Misato awaited impatiently, while she read the letter Asuka had sent her. Hmm... It seemed Asuka was a bit curious about her future co-worker. Asuka was very reserved, but Misato knew how to read between the lines. There were a few questions implicit in the text.

“(Dishes done. Now, if you excuse me, I´m going to my room.)”

“(Hey! Are you going to leave me hanging here?)”

“(Yes.)”

“(You are no fun.)” Misato stuck her tongue at him, and went back to her letter.

In his Lovely Suite, Shinji opened the envelope.

“(Hey, Third!

My guardian and me are about to start our journey to Tokyo-3, we will arrive in a few weeks, so if you want to write me back, send your letter through NERV´s post; adressed to me, in Unit-02 Convoy; I´ll send you some postcards from the cities we pass through.

I got your pictures, I really hope your friends are smarter than they look. At least your friend looks sensible enough; Class Rep, eh?

I´m sending you a picture with my guardian, his name is Ryoji Kaji. I hope you learn a lot from him. Who knows? Meybe you will get a girlfrien one of these days! Good luck with that!

About that restaurant, I trust in Misato´s taste, but you should go and check the service. I´m very picky about where I eat.

Ah, and lastly, be ready to lose your Top Pilot title! :D

See you soon

ASL)”

Shinji took the picture, and felt as if a lightning bolt had hit him square in the chest. Along with Asuka, there was the badly shaved man the Phantom Stranger had shown him. Ryoji Kaji. Now he had a name for that face. And the time they would take to arrive to Japan would seem an eternity.

“(Misato, Asuka is on her way here.)”

“(At last! They should have mobilized them ages ago. Stupid bean-counters... What else? Has she surrendered to your suave Casanova charm yet?)”

Once again, Shinji´s face was red. “(¡Misato!)”

“(Awww!! You are too fun to tease! Now, seriously, what did she said?)”

Shinji just stared at her for a few seconds, but knew he couldn´t stay mad at her for too long. So he sat at the table and read from the letter.

“(Well, she and her guardian must have left Berlin by now. Any letters we send to her or his guardian should be sent through NERV´s delivery, she will be sending postcards on the way. She suggests I check that restaurant you told me about before she arrives…)”

Misato interrupted him, (“Be sure to ask for the private booth, its very romantic.”)

“(Knock it off already, Misato!)”

Misato pouted; well, she had covered her Teasing Shinji quota for the day... So, she opened a beer, smiling like a sphinx. “(Okay, okay, enough is enough. Go on.)”

“(She also sent a picture of her and her guardian.)” Shinji gave the picture to Misato.

She went suddenly pale. All her good humor drained away in a second. “(Oh, crap... It can´t be... Ryoji Kaji...)”

“(You know him?)”

“(Of course I know him! He is a complete idiot, a chauvinist pig, an egocentric jerk... a... a...)” Misato had run out of adjectives, “(Gah! I thought I had gotten rid of that idiot years ago!)”

Shinji didn´t know what to say, he had never seen Misato in such a foul mood. “(What will you do..?)”

“(Any luck and he will leave as soon as Asuka and Unit-02 are under NERV´s custody.)”

“(Oookay…)”

“(However, I have to be present during the transfer; and I´m almost sure it will be as soon as they enter into Japanese waters)”

“(Maybe it won´t be so bad. If that´s all there is, it won´t be more than a few hours.)” Inside, Shinji was wondering just what could have happened between them. Maybe Misato would tell him later; but for the moment, he thought best to deploy his own secret weapon. “(I have a chocolate cake in the fridge, freshly done. I had planned to give it to Dr. Akagi and Lieutenant Ibuki tomorrow, but I think this is an emergency. Want a slice?)”

“(Chocolate?)”

“(Double chocolate.)” Misato forgot her bad mood in an instant.

GeoFront
Transport Band to Science Section
A few days later

"Fifteen years ago, in the Antarctic, Mankind found the being that would be famous as the First Angel. Ritsuko Akagi spoke like a college professor during a conference. Shinji looked surrepticiously at Misato, noting how hard she was squeezing the folder she carried. She was looking anywhere but at them.

´Finally, they are telling me the truth about Second Impact...´ Shinji prepared himself to hide his knowledge.

“But, during the research, on unknown causes, the Angel blew up.”

Shinji kept silent, paying attention, comparing Dr. Akagi´s words to what the Phantom Stranger had shown him. ´Unknown causes, suuure.”, he snarked in the privacy of his mind. ´SEELE sent Professor Katsuragi to poke a sleeping dragon with a branding iron. Of course something would go wrong there.´

“That was the Second Impact.”

Shinji tried a naive question. “So, then our mission is..?”

“To prevent a probable Third Impact, Shinji. That´s the purpose of NERV and all the Evangelion Units. By the way, Captain, tomorrow´s event has been confirmed.”

Shinji realized his part in the conversation had ended, and wondered what event they were talking about. Misato seemed to know it already, and didn´t add anymore information. She just nodded, her lips tense with a deep dislike.

He hoped it would be something simple, like another parent/teacher meeting. No, on a second thought, it would be better if it wasn´t that. Misato´s appearance at school had put the gossip mill into overdrive, and he had more than half the boys at school asking for Misato´s phone number; and more than half the girls were sending him death glares because of that.

January the 5^th, 2009
Quintessence´s Plane

Deadman floated, sitting on the air, before the Phantom Stranger. “Any progress on your side?”

“A partial one. I haven´t been able to penetrate the fog that obscures my vision. But, thanks to your information, I have determined that at some point in the future Angels War, there will be a schism between SEELE and Gendo Ikari. He is not the faithful lackey he looks like. Their plans are compatible only up to a certain point. After that, Ikari will betray them to execute his own escenario. They are using each other.”

Dead man rolled his eyes, the effect would have been better had they not been completely white. “Just like supervillains. They never agree on anything. So, what about the kids?”

“They are merely tools for SEELE and Ikari. Shinji is barely a back-up plan for a contingency. Even so, Ikari has groomed him carefully to serve his designs.”

Deadman slammed his fist against his left palm. “What a jerk! Leave him to me; I´ll get him to a place he won´t be able to return from!”

“No. There are two reasons. To take him off the board now would leave free reign to SEELE. And two, the same fog that hides SEELE from me also protects the Third Impact conspiracy from any direct interference from us. Or any other magic being walking the Earth.”

A disbelieving Deadman stammered. “T-then... I can´t hijack his body?”

“No, Ikari and SEELE´s members are immune to your power and mine. That´s the reason your investigations couldn´t get you close to them. In fact, it´s amazing you could find out so much, even with such a handicap.”

Deadman beamed. A compliment from the Phantom Stranger was high praise indeed. The Stranger continued, “We have to act through indirect means.”

He extended a hand towards the globe. “Through the children they have marked as their tools.”

Deadman rubbed his chin. “I don´t like that.”

“You will like it even less. Event´s have reached an unstoppable momentum by now. We must allow the Angels Wars to proceed. The only thing we can do is guide the events. At least, until I can find a way to destroy or bypass that mystic barrier. I´m afraid our best bet might be Barter.” Next to the globe, the image of a man appeared. He appeared to be about fifty years old, portly; with a thick, neat moustache; a sharp tailored suit, a bit outmoded; surrounded by shelves with all kinds of knick-knacks. Some of the objects were recognizable mystic relics.

“Damn... I haven´t had the pleasure, but his reputation precedes him. He is famously mercenary.”

“Barter is absolutely honest and literal. That is the problem. He delivers scrupulously, to the letter of any arrangement done. No more and no less than was agreed. One must be very careful about what´s asked of Barter. He never accepts payments on any kind of money, only trades; that´s part of his curse. He must trade something equivalent in value to whatever is asked of him, be it an object, information or services. He can´t give nor receive anything unless those conditions are met.”

“I think I would prefer a card reading from Madame, thank you very much.”

The Stranger tensed at hearing those words.

Deadman added, a bit subdued. “Madame Olga? The furtune-teller back at the circus? Her tent always smelled to incense and tobacco. I felt sick everytime I passed next to it.”

“I see.” But the Phantom Stranger didn´t elaborate.

Author´s Notes

Being a tragedy, most problems in Evangelion could have been prevented by some simple communication, the characters were psychologically unable to open to each other; so, despite being even more guarded, the Phantom Stranger sets Shinji to do exactly that, establishing communication lines all around him.

According to the timeline I´m using, Deadman was murdered back in 1979, so, by the point he finds out about SEELE and NERV, he has been doing his job for almost 30 years! That´s a bit more than the time he was actually alive!

Ah, Deadman has known the Phantom Stranger for almost as long as he has been dead. The Phantom Stranger has been around for far longer than that. His earlier recorded appearance in the 20^th Century was in 1952 (date of his first appearance in print), although for some reason, he didn´t wore his better known clothes. At the time, he wore a suit and tie, with a black trenchcoat. So, yes, he is considered a precursor and founding member of the Trenchcoat Brigade.

I know Shinji is usually portrayed in fics as not knowing he does get a paycheck; but I think that, at least in this version, he gets some payment for his services. Though most of it is deposited in a trust fund for his education (even though both SEELE and NERV only do this to keep up appearances, they don´t really expect anybody to still be alive a year in the future); he still gets enough to help Misato with their apartment upkeep. And otherwise, where does he gets the money for all those books and magazines about the Second Heroic Age he buys? Some of them are rare, expensive, imported, or all three!

This time, Misato won´t be blindsided by Kaji´s arrival. At least not as badly as she did in canon.

Barter was a little used character back in the 90´s, he only had a few appearances before being forgotten by DC. I always thought he was an interesting character and liked how hard a bargain he could drive. He always fulfilled any deals to the absolute letter of the agreement. And he was very well connected for a guy who never set foot ouside his (moving) shop.

Chapter Text

ROGUE

"Lady, you are completely crazy! This plan of yours is mental!" Deadman shouted on Misato's face, unseen and unheard as always. He had been surprised by the Operations Director's plan as much as Dr. Akagi and Commander Ikari themselves.

Now it was too late to do something. She had stated her idea in so few words he didn't even had the chance to try to snatch her body to shut her up. Deadman facepalmed, trying to think a way to stop Misato Katsuragi from risking her life in a very heroic, but completely unnecessary, way.

"And you know what's the worst part? You don't even have to do anything! Your friend here has everything under control! Damn!" Over his shoulder, Deadman pointed at Doctor Akagi with his thumb. He had been present when the Commander had ordered Akagi to design a computer virus to hijack Jet Alone's control, making it seem dangerously out of control for a predetermined length of time, shutting itself off, way before it was a real danger to anybody; it would simply stop in the middle of the desert. The aim was simply to discredit NERV's main competitor and secure their own funding, not actually destroying a city.

A dirty trick, for sure, but effective. And Akagi was good enough to get away with it.

"Okay… Okay…", exasperated, the ghost threw his hands on the air, and then wagged his index finger right under Misato's nose, "I see you're determined to do this. I'll stick around, just to make sure you don't get… agh! There are so many things that could go wrong with this plan of yours it's not even funny!"

"Ok, Shinji, you have to get close to that walking boiler and drop me near the maintenance hatch. I'll shut it down from the inside while you keep it from reaching Atsugi."

Misato had changed into a heavy radiation suit that would protect her from the worst effects of both radioactivity and heat; underneath, she wore a form-fitting insulated suit, as an extra layer of protection. Still, she would not have much time inside Jet Alone to shut it down.

At her side, the ghostly acrobat was shooting her with what would have been a withering stare, had she been able to see it; at the same time, Deadman was, very deliberately, doing the old exercises he used to do before a show. Being a ghost, he didn't actually needed them, but they still worked well enough for his purposes, they helped him to focus and calmed him down.

Next to her, the kid was almost sweating bullets. As far as he could remember, Misato had been the first person to look at him as, well, as a person; not as a burden, an annoyance or a tool. He was, understandably, very fond of her.

Deadman was not the only one doing something to focus, Shinji Ikari had been mumbling a few words to himself. A new mantra instead of his old "I must not run away."- Knowing something about what was in store for him, his fellow pilots, and the world, he had chosen to defy the would-be puppet masters of his fate in the only way he thought possible at the moment; by denying them his weakness. "I will not break.", he whispered a last time. Once again, he found a measure of courage by thinking about the Batman, the Robins, Green Arrow and Speedy; mere mortals in a world of physical gods, who through courage, ingenuity and skill, measured up to them.

"Got it, Shinji?" Misato asked, looking at him.

"Yes. Let's stop this thing." Shinji raised his right hand and closed his fist, making the plugsuit glove squeak a bit. It was a noise he always found annoying, yet somehow, now it helped him to focus his mind.

In Unit-01's plug, Shinji watched Jet Alone walking towards Atsugi, if it wasn´t so big and dangerous, Jet Alone would have been comical; two long slender arms, two long slender legs, and a too big torso in the middle. Its head was just a flat protuberance in top of the torso, from wich six long control rods extended, forming a kind of frill (exactly the worst place for a set of control rods to be during a fight, on the outside; he thought). From the sky, the giant robot looked like a toy soldier a boy had wound up and let loose on a sandbox. Something about this image was itching at the back of Shinji's mind. He pushed the thought down; at the moment, it was just a distraction.

Unit-01 hanged from a complex drop mechanism. The plane Lt. Makoto Hyuga was flying was beyond any adjective Shinji had. Any plane able to fly an Evangelion Unit around was by necessity, impressive. Still, in case Jet Alone went into a meltdown, the plane was as vulnerable as any other flying machine. A stray thought crossed Shinji's mind, "Maybe Misato or Lieutenant Hyuga would get powers, but I wouldn't bet on those odds…" For a split second, he imagined the Parasite's hideous lamprey-like face replacing Makoto's face, or much worse, Misato's. He gritted his teeth, determined to do everything in his power to fulfill the mission just as Misato had planned.

In Unit-01's hand, Misato Katsuragi waited for the drop, sweating a bit in her radiation suit.

And next to her, Deadman counted the seconds to the drop, ready to act. Even after all these years as a ghost, he still wished he could crack his knuckles… Technically, he could still do the movements, but his knuckles just didn't were solid enough, or at all, to make any sort of noise.

In a colossal cloud of dust, Unit-01 touched the ground running. The transport plane, now free from the Evangelion's weight, shot up to the sky as if a giant had kicked it. Shinji controlled every movement of the behemoth with all the finesse he was capable of. A single mistake could either crush the fragile body of his friend, or drop her to a death like Naoko Akagi's. He felt both honored and worried sick about the trust Misato had placed on him, and was determined to not fail her.

Unit-01 ran after Jet Alone, overtaking the automaton in a few seconds, Shinji managed to equal its speed, and grabbed a structure at Jet Alone's back. It looked suspiciously like a handle, but it was actually for hooking the giant robot to cargo helicopters. Still, it would serve him as a really big and useful handle. Unit-01 grabbed it with its right hand, and dug its feet into the ground, stopping the robot cold for a few seconds.

Shinji raised Unit-01's left hand to the maintenance hatch, taking care not to drop Misato. With amazing precision, the big hand got Misato close to the hatch, and let her jump down.

"No!" Misato had slipped! And was rolling down towards the edge of the robot's torso, and from there, to certain death! Shinji scrambled to try to catch her, but she would fall several meters before hitting the EVA's hand…

"Oh, no, lady! You won't!" Deadman snatched Misato's body in a split second, twisting as she rolled down, managing to grab a ring of the maintenance stairs, Misato's body slammed painfully against Jet Alone's hull, but he held firm to the ring until he was sure Misato would not fall. He signaled "she" was OK to Shinji, and went up the stairs. The young pilot exhaled the breath he had been holding up.

Once inside the robot, Deadman released Misato. "Uh? I though I…" She didn't remember how she had gotten inside the robot, but she left that for later, right now she had to input the password that would shut the thing down.

"Hope", she wrote. An Error message? What? She wrote the password again. The same Error message appeared. 'DAMN! I'll have to do this the hard way.', she thought, as she looked around. There was a series of big control rods in the chamber. If only she could manage to push them manually into their places… "SHINJI! Keep it still! I'll have to insert the control rods by myself!"

"What?"

Outside, Unit-01 pushed against Jet Alone with all its might. The robot still kept walking as if nothing was on its way, its feet carving tracks on the ground. Once again, Shinji thought about a toy soldier. Inspiration struck him like a lightning bolt. "Misato, wait! Get hold of something! I have an idea."

"Wh…t? Repea… …at!", came a garbled answer.

"Hold on to something! I'll tell you when you can go on!"

"…kay! Whate…r you are going to do, it better b… …ood! I'm ready!"

Unit-01 released Jet Alone and stepped aside, letting the robot walk unimpeded a few steps. Then, Unit-01 grabbed the robot under the arms in a bear hug, lifting it above the ground, taking care not to break the control rods protruding from its back and shoulders. With a mighty yell, Shinji held Jet Alone's weight on the air, locking the Eva in position, just like he had during his improvised rescue of Toji and Kensuke, back when he had fought Shamshel. The colossus still moved as if it was walking on solid ground, just as Shinji had suspected it would. "Now, Misato! Hurry up!"

Inside, a desperate Misato was pushing a control rod into Jet Alone's reactor. She was barely strong enough to do it. Fearing the virus would take too long to run its course, Deadman snatched her body again, using all her strength in ways the captain had not yet thought of, and pushed her legs against the walls and her back against the first rod, slowly pushing it until it clicked into its place.

As they were pushing the second rod, the red emergency lights were replaced by white lights. The rod they were pushing slid into place, making them fall anticlimactically to the floor. The crisis was over, the other rods went inside without a hitch.

Jet Alone deactivated itself, the virus had run its course, and was erasing itself, leaving behind the original programing from Japan Heavy Chemical Industries, and zero evidence of tampering.

Deadman released the captain, and sat on the opposite side of the control room; knees high, and his forearms over them. "Lady, you got guts; I salute you." And he did.

Jet Alone stopped his crazy walk on the air, and seemed to relax. "Misato? Are you okay?"

The answer took a little while to come. "Yes," she panted, "I'm just really, really tired… I need a beer… a really, really cold beer…"

"I'm so happy to hear you." Shinji sighed loudly, relieved. "I'll get you a beer from Pen-Pen's stash. I may have to bribe him with a top shelf tuna can. Meanwhile, I think I should get you down before something else happens."

A weak "Okay…" answered.

"Just give me a moment." He pushed a button to change channels. "Lieutenant Hyuga?"

"I'm here, Shinji. Want me to evacuate you guys up?"

"No need, the robot has stopped. Just tell me where can I point this thing, in case it decides to go walking off again. I think it just got stuck into walking mode, and the city was just in the way."

"OK, turn it around… about 40 degrees to your right. There's nothing but desert for miles in that direction."

"Thanks!" careful not to jostle it too much, he put Jet Alone back on the ground. Soon, the maintenance hatch opened again, and a tired to her bones Misato appeared. A quick glance showed Shinji Unit-01 still had about half a minute of power, enough time. Unit-01 grabbed the handle, just in case Jet Alone decided to go for another stroll; releasing it as soon as Misato had dropped safely on Unit-01's hand. Shinji covered the hand Misato was on with Unit-01's other hand, both to keep her from falling and to protect her from any radioactive leak. He walked Unit-01 several EVA-sized steps away from Jet Alone before getting Misato to the ground.

'We did well, Mom. Misato is safe.' A feeling of satisfaction responded.

EVA-01 knelt, letting Misato jump down to solid ground. Shinji ejected the plug and released the folding ladder to get down too.

Once on the ground, Misato took readings with a portable Geiger Counter. Her suit was somewhat charged with radiation, but not over safe limits. Anyway, she took it off far away from her young ward, keeping the insulated undersuit on. After another check, she was satisfied she had not been exposed to radiation. Both she and Shinji were safe.

They sat by the Evangelion's feet, and watched as the sun set in the horizon, glad for each other's company.

Deadman lied lazily over Unit-01's foot, his head pointing at its toes, hands on his belly, ankles crossed high, resting over the cyborg's own ankle, smiling at the improbable pair of heroes. "I'll have to watch you closely, Cap. I just hope you don't get any more crazy ideas like this one."

While they waited for the recovery crews, Misato fell asleep, the adrenaline rush she had been riding on had been spent. Shyly, Shinji passed an arm over her shoulder, and held her to keep her from falling. It didn't take long for her to start snoring softly. Big difference from the way she snored/roared at home…

'I wonder… I was half-expecting the Stranger would show up…' he thought. "I hope he's okay."

He blinked slowly, and then smiled at himself as he realized he was more worried about the Phantom Stranger than of being abandoned. He rested his head against Misato´s, and thought about just how much his life had changed since he met him.

Chapter Text

Interludes After Jet Alone
________________________________________
Note, the parenthesis indicate languages other than Japanese; in this chapter, English, Interlac, and German. Not necessarily in that order
________________________________________

Gotham City (mid year 2002)
Iceberg Lounge, Secret Basement.

"(Gentlement, a little bird has confirmed the news. The chiroptera has flown to the Great Beyond.)"

A murmur crossed the room. Not even one of the present people dared to imagine it was true.

Two strikes of a gavel silenced the whispers. "(Order in the room! I demand order in the room!)" Two-Face pointed the gavel at the Penguin. "(Cobblepot, it's not the first time we think the Bat is dead, what proof do you have to show?)"

"(Personally? None at all, Harvey.)" The Penguin shrugged. "(But not only Batman hasn't been seen for more than two months, not even one of his birds has shown a single feather in that same time. Plus, my source is quite reliable. According to her, Ra's al Ghul was trying to finish the job Second Impact started, and he was stopped by the Bat's flock. And now, not only the Batman, but all his sidekicks are vulture food.)" He chewed the end of his cigarette holder, dropping ash to the floor.

New whispers from the astounded criminals. Two-Face called order again, twice, for good measure. "(I need a second confirmation.)"

"(Of course, but I won't be the one who calls my source a liar.)" Oswald Cobblepot replaced the cigarette, looking around. "(In my opinion, and even conceding it could be a trap, we could take the chance to...)" he took his monocle off, and carefully, cleaned it before putting it back in its place. The Penguin had always appreciated a good dramatic pause, he continued when he was sure he had the whole attention of everybody, "(move discreetly. No crime waves, no garish hits, waugh! Not even costumes! Let's be subtle for once in our lives, gentlemen. Let's be selective. After all, if the heroes are dead, we have all the time in the world; and if they are not, let's let them deal with other villains in other cities. Let's make our egg nests big and plump.)"

Most of the Gotham City Rogues Gallery was present, from rank-and-file gangsters, like Rupert Thorne, and their mooks; up to the most absurd costumed criminals. Mr. Freeze, Killer Croc, the Mad Hatter, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, Firefly, Catwoman, the Scarecrow, Black Mask, Harley Quinn, Clayface II and IV, Deadshot, Killer Moth, the Riddler, Hugo Strange, even Cluemaster were there. There were two notable absences: Poison Ivy, whom her closest associates Catwoman and Harley Quinn said didn't know her current whereabouts; and the Clown Prince of Crime, the Joker himself. Except for Harley Quinn, all the presents were actually relieved the Joker had not deigned himself to assist to the gathering.

The Joker had been invited, of course, no one wanted to offend him, as he always got even with any offense with a smile. A dead rictus on the face of whomever had offended him. It was also the reason all the criminals in Gotham reserved a cut of their ill-gotten gains for him.
To the relief, and dread of everybody, the Joker had not shown his face ever since his escape from the ruins of Arkham Asylum, knocked down in the aftershocks of Second Impact. Harley insisted that Mr. J. would appear when he was ready, and that he had a grand plan; but she had gotten evasive when the Riddler asked for any details. The Harlequin of Hate was unpredictable in the best case; and it seemed this time, he would play his cards very close to the vest.

By the time the meeting ended, and after long discussions, refereed by the Penguin and Two-Face, Gotham City's underworld had cut the city in pieces, establishing their own personal domains. Several of the more especialized crooks decided to not claim a territory, but work with the land-holders, or for them, if they had need of their services.

The next months were very profitable. Penguin's strategy had worked even better than they had thought. The last heroes had prioritized the rescue efforts, or were dealing with the villains on other cities. Ironically, had somebody taken the time to compile statistics, Gotham City would have seemed to be one of the safest places in the country. Of course, that would have been a mere illusion. Corruption and crime had simply imposed order onto chaos. The only thing going down was the number of criminal reports.

________________________________________
2013
A Nameless Dimensional Plane

A window floated in the turbulent air, showing the images of two children. A redheaded girl, belligerant, agresive, bold in word and action. And a chestnut haired boy, mild-mannered, protective, easygoing.

Two voices spoke in harmony, although they were completely opposite. One was guttural and wild, the other, cultured and deliberate. "(What do you think? They are the best candidates so far.)" The guttural voice was clearer.

The same voices answered a moment later; but now, the cultured voice was clearer. "(They will do, but they are not ready yet.)"
Both voices answered, both equally clear, "(We shall wait. In due time, the chance will present itself.)"
________________________________________
Present Time
Katsuragi Apartament.

Shinji studied the picture Asuka had sent him. Something in it was disquieting. Leaving apart the implications of her letter, there was something in the picture...

"You're gonna wear that out if you keep looking at it like that."

"Misato!"

"Ah, relax, Shinji." Misato took a beer can out the fridge, opened it wit practiced ease, and emptied in a single move. "I won't be needling you too much."

"Uh?"

"I must go back to NERV and check on Unit-02's trip here. It's because of the time difference with Europe."

Shinji needed a moment to understand. "Oh. I'll leave you dinner ready on the fridge, and set the microwave oven. You'll only need to take the containers from the fridge, put them in the oven, and push the button."

Misato sighed tiredly, and stretched like a cat. Shinji heard her vertebrae realign with a series of very unladylike popping sounds. "As I've said, you are the best roomie!"

Shinji smiled, and put the picture back in it's envelope.

"Uh... ¿Misato? I want to ask you something, but I don't want to offend you...

"I'm not going to be your third girlfriend, or is it fourth?” she tapped a finger on her cheek, pretending to be in deep thought, “I can't keep track anymore." She counted with her fingers. "Let's see, Rei, Asuka,

I think Hikari has been eyeing you..."

"Misato! NO! I haven't gotten a girlfriend! It's something else."

Misato pouted and looked at him with big, teary eyes. "Y-y-you don't want to be my boyfriend..?" And laughed happily at seeing Shinji stutter.
Realizing he had fallen into Misato's trap, Shinji huffed his indignation. "One! Rei is like a sister to me! Two! I haven't even met Asuka in person yet, and Three! Hikari likes Toji, not me!" He covered his mouth with both hands, realizing he had said more than he had intended. "...oh, crap..."

Misato laughed again. "Yep, I had noticed, I think the only one who hasn't is Toji himself. Aaaand Kensuke. And now that I think it, Hikari! Man, you kids are a mess! Now, what did you actually want to ask me?"

"Ah... yessss..." He took breath, "What happened with you and Mr. Kaji?" Immediately, he raised his hands in a concliatory gesture. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to!"

Misato looked into the distance. "Maybe I'll tell you one day. You wouldn't understand it now." She seemed... sad...

'Well, at least she didn't get angry.' he thought. 'I hope they can at least work together. If Mr. Kaji was in the vision the Phantom Stranger showed me, he might stay for a while. And I'll need him on my side.'
________________________________________
Present Time
Somewhere in Poland
Trans-Syberian Train Route

Asuka Langley Soryu closed her laptop. She had been comparing the performance stats of all three Evangelion Units, and neither Unit-00 nor Unit-01 held a candle to her Unit-02. Only the Third Child was a remote threat to her supremacy as the best Evangelion pilot. Good. She had hoped the Third would be a potential rival. She needed a challenge. And an easy victory just wasn't satisfactory.

Analysing the tapes of his battles, she was surprised to notice that Ikari seemed to have two very different sides. In his letters, he was always nice, kind and deferential. In combat, he seemed to change. Even from a battle to the next. In his first sortie, he was lucky to get out the plug alive.

Asuka grimaced at imagining just how painful Sachiel's attack must have been, with its energy spike going all the way through Unit-01's head! After that, Ikari had gone completely berserk! She drummed her fingers on the little table in her train compartment. And she was sure there MUST be something wrong with the cameras. It seemed like Unit-01 first had a broken arm, but later it was perfectly whole and functional.

The second fight had been even more worrying. In Asuka's professional opinion, having the other two Stooges in the plug must have added so much static in the mental interface, Ikari had gone into a nervous breakdown, acting with suicidal bravery. He had disobeyed Misato's orders to retreat to a safe place!

Hmm... She though it would fall to her to make sure he didn't do anything that stupid again. By hook or by crook.

By the third fight, things were looking much better. This time, Ikari had acted with cold blood. He held his position even under attack. Impressive. Especially considering he had been practically boiled alive a few hours before. The First Child had shown an acceptable level of discipline in her first combat mission. They had made a good team, she had to admit.

The fourth battle had been strange, to say the least. Not against an Angel, but versus a giant, nuclear powered robot, built by some japanese company which clearly had no idead of what their wind-up toy would be facing against Angels. This time, Ikari had actually shown some tactical planning! And to think just before the incident, Misato had wrote she would put her life in Ikari's hands. No one would have thought she would literally do it.

She was starting to feel a grudging respect for the Third Child. Despite having been, basically thrown into the deep end of the pool, he had adapted quickly to the role, and according to Misato, he was taking his training and school performance, very seriously.

Yes, the Third Child was really improving with each battle. It didn't matter, though. She was so much better. As long as he and the First Child accepted she was the best, they would work together just fine.

She looked out the window, taking the chance a long curve offered her to look at the enormous car that contained her beloved Unit-02. The tracks had to be reinforced to accomodate the weight of an Evangelion Unit, at a great cost, surely. But in the end, such an investment would make easier for bigger cargo trains to go from one side of Europe to the opposite extreme of Asia.

She put her laptop back in her luggage, and went out to look for Kaji.
________________________________________
Katsuragi Apartment
Three Days Later, Homework Reunion

"Man! We are done! I can't believe we finished it so fast!" Toji Suzuhara stretched his arms over his head, under the disapproving eye of Hikari Horaki.

"Suzuhara! Behave yourself!" She slapped him on the shoulder.

"Oww…! Class Rep! I…"

Shinji intervened. "It's no problem, Horaki. I myself really would like to stretch my legs."

Kensuke pushed his glasses back up his nose, enjoying his friend´s predicament. "What do you say we all relax a bit? I just picked up a new DVD set in the way here, and I'm really impatient to see it!"

"Homework is done, I should go back to my apartment." Rei startled everybody but Shinji. She had been so quiet they had almost forgotten she was there.

Shinji stood up, and held up his hand to help her stand. "I think you should stay a little longer, Ayanami. It looks like it will rain soon. Let me prepare some food, and I'll walk you home afterwards."

"That is… acceptable; I will stay. However, I must say I don't eat any meat."

"No problem, I can make some salad and mushroom soup."

"Thanks." Rei smiled her shy little smile. Shinji smiled back at her.

"Hey, Kensuke, what series did you get?" Toji was already on his feet, and, hesitating just a bit and blushing a little, helped Hikari to get up; just like Shinji had with Rei. She blushed too.

Kensuke was already digging in his backpack, taking out a boxed set. He showed it proudly, "Bio-Armor Jade Warrior! Season One! It´s the original series, from 1993!" The cover of the box displayed two figures, their poses matching with each other; in the foreground, a kid about eight years old, wearing a striped shirt and a baseball cap, looking defiantly up; and behind him, an imposing robot-like figure, looking severely in the same direction as the boy. He was heavily armored, strong, his chest was crossed by what looked like two crimson bandoliers. Something in the big figure seemed familiar to Shinji, but he couldn't put a finger on it.

"Looks cool!" he said, while Hikari shrugged and exchanged a look with Rei, that practically screamed "…boys…", Rei looked intrigued by the cover.

"Let me help, Shinji." Hikari went to the kitchen after Shinji.

"Sure, thanks!" After a brief discussion to decide what would they prepare, they started working in the meal. While Shinji cut the ingredients, Hikari was already preparing the pots. Toji watched them for a moment, amazed on their teamwork. It actually looked like they had done this before. Not preparing food, of course, but working together; he knew Shinji was a decent cook, and that Hikari had taken the mother role for her family; now they looked like they had practiced together before, both moved in perfect tandem! He actually felt a little jealous.

Meanwhile, Kensuke and Rei were preparing the living room for an improvised movie afternoon. He turned on the TV set. "Hey, guys. Which channel? While the food is done, I mean."

From the kitchen, Shinji answered. "What about the news? Just to check the weather."

"Sure thing!" he zapped the remote, until he found what he wanted. Usually, the weather report came at the end of the slot, so they would have to wait a little while.

Toji was a bit at a loss about what to do, he was rubbish in the kitchen, the living room was all set, and he wanted to help with something. "Hey, Shinji! You want me go get some sodas? Pop corn? I can do a trip to the convenience store if you need something."
"Yes, please! I had no time to get everything. Let me get some money."

"Nah, man! It's on me, it's the least I can do after helping me save my grade with this homework!" Before Shinji had a chance to argue, he was already out.
________________________________________

Toji came back just as Hikari and Shinji had finished their work, all that was left was wait for the food to be cooked. Shinji stayed at the kitchen watching the pots, while Hikari sat on the couch with Rei.

The jock maneuvered into the kitchen with two bags full of sodas and snacks, and deposited his bounty on the table. "Hey, Ayanami; it seems you'll have to stay a while after all. It's starting to rain, and I think it will be quite a while."

"Oh." She said simply. "It is okay."

Meanwhile, the newscast was running a "Where are they now?" feature. "…Today, it's been 13 years since the disappearance of Yuchiro Takata, founder and main stockholder of New Concept Industries, and a well known philanthropist since his retirement. After Second Impact, Takata–san ran several charities and free clinics for refugees, and his work was of great importance to reestablish an orderly society in Post-Impact Japan. He was last seen during the re-inauguration of the Okinawa General Hospital. Reportedly, he went home; but his car was found abandoned in a side street; simply closed, with no signs of violence. Many volunteers helped in the search, but to date, no trace has been found of Yuchiro Takata or his fate."

"Oh. I hope they find him." said Hikari, sadly; while setting the plates. "My grandfather used to work for him, and he always said he was the kindest boss he ever had."

"Food is ready!" Shinji said from the kitchen.
________________________________________
As they ate the entrees, they shared an easy camaraderie, joking and laughing. Rei was even opening a bit; she still was almost monotone in her speech, but she was warming up to their friends.

Shinji was content, not only because he actually had friends now, but also because he was glad he had taken the Phantom Stranger's advice. He felt much better with himself and with life in general. Of course, he was still angry with the Commander and SEELE for what they had done and still planned to do, but he hoped the Phantom Stranger would help him to foil their plans. It would be so easy to lose himself in anger and revenge, but he refused to go that way.

'Now it would be a good moment', he thought. 'I'm glad I talked it with her.'

"Friends, I want to tell you something." They all looked at him with curiosity. "As you know, both Rei and myself are Evangelion pilots, but we are not the only ones." Kensuke's eyes shone behind his glasses. He took out his camera and prepared to tape Shinji.

"Is NERV recruiting, Shinji? Where do I send my curriculum?"

"Erm… no, Kensuke. Not that I know."

"Bummer… Could you put up a good word for me if you get the chance?

"Uh... sure. Anyway, the Second Child is on her way here. I've been writing to her, and would like to introduce her to you when she arrives and gets settled."

"Is she cute?" blurted Toji.

"Suzuhara!" the Class Rep hit him in the ribs with a well placed elbow.

"Uh… sorry..?" he smiled sheepishly at Hikari. For some reason, she seemed miffed at him.

"Well, I sent her a few pics of us, and she wants to meet us too." Shinji said as he served the soup.

"Ah, those mystery pics you had me and Horaki take!" added Kensuke.

Shinji smiled. "Those pics in fact. I hope you can be her friends too."

"Sure, man. I think I speak for everybody here. Any friend of yours is a friend of ours. We´ll reserve a place for her at our table at school." Toji looked at the others, confirming that.

"Glad to hear that, Toji. But I don't think we will be seeing her at school, she already graduated from college."

"Whut?"

"She's a certified genius. Still, I think she will need to be with kids her age. We can all hang out after school."

________________________________________
2009
A pocket dimension
Barter's Store.

"(So, it's agreed.)" The heavy set man took out a jewel from a box, showing it to his client over the tea set. "(You bring me the Emerald Eye of Ekron, and I will give you the Piercer of the Veils.)"

"(Yes.)" The Phantom Stranger examined carefully the jewel in Barter's hands. "(The Piercer's energy is mostly spent, however. I insist on it being delivered to me with a complete charge.)"

"(Of course, but it will take time to accumulate enough energy. I'll keep it for you in the meanwhile, for a nominal fee of small mystic trinkets; nothing too fancy. As we have agreed on a deal, I won't trade it, it's off my inventory until you deliver the Eye or cancel the deal.)"

"(Understood. I'll come to collect it when the time is right.)"

"(A pleasure making a deal with you, Stranger. You don't just jump in without asking the right questions. Do you have any idea how many of my clients have the unmitigated nerve of getting angry after they get exactly what they asked for?)" Barter slammed a fist on the table, shaking the teapot and the cups.

The Phantom Stranger looked at Barter from the deep shadows that hid his eyes. "(I'd say most of them. They tend to be in some urgency, don't they? We had time enough to haggle to both our satisfactions. You drive a hard bargain.)"

Barter served another cup of tea for himself, the Stranger signaled he had had enough. "(Part of the job. You know how it is. Still, it was good to do business with you. Things have been too quiet since Second Impact. Most of my regular clients are either dead, in exile, or simply gone.)"

The Stranger nodded, took a last sip from his tea, put the cup back on its plate, and put his hat back on. "(I'll be in contact.)" He stood and in a blink, disappeared.
________________________________________
Quintessence's Dimensional Plane
A few hours later.

"(So, how did it go?)" Deadman asked.

"(Better than expected. We reached an agreement, the Piercer of the Veils is what I need to get through the barrier.)"

"(You don't look so happy about it.)"

"(It will be delivered to me almost at the end of the Angels War.)"

"(Cutting close, eh? And what do we do in the meanwhile? I'm not exactly good at knitting.")

"(We look out for the children. As always. I need you to guide me to NERV. To the holographic room, to be exact.)"

"Sure." Deadman jumped from his inexistent seat. "What will you do?"

"Follow the past. I need to see for myself how the events came to be."

________________________________________

Tokyo-3
Present Day

Shinji Ikari stood on the sidewalk, paying no attention to other people walking past him; looking intently at an ad recently posted on his bus stop. He stared at the main figure of the poster, a brightly clad man; wearing a strange green, yellow and red costume, complete with a yellow and red mask, and a long, high collared green cape; the man was wrapped in chains, kneeling under a hanging rock, he even had three sets of handcuffs on his wrists. The rope that held the rock was about to be cut by a chainsaw, wielded by a tall girl standing on a raised platform; she was clad in a strange blue and yellow armor.

Proudly, the ad proclaimed: "C.C. Haly and Norton Bros. Circus Proudly Presents: Mr. Miracle! The World's Greatest Escape Artist! In his first World Tour! Defying Death in Every Act! Soon at Tokyo-03 Auditorium!"

"One of yours, Shinji?" Toji's voice distracted him.

"Uh?"

Toji pointed his thumb at the brightly clad figure. "This guy looks like one of your metas. But what would a superguy be doing in a circus?"

Shinji shrugged. "Even superguys have to eat, I guess… There was a Mr. Miracle in the JLI, but this guy doesn't really looks like him; he seems younger, skinnier, and shorter, and the costume is different. But look here," he tapped his fingers at a corner of the poster, there was a white haired dwarf with long sideburns, operating a winch, "this guy looks like Mr. Miracle's helper, Oberon. This Mr. Miracle might be an apprentice of the original, or maybe his son or another relative. And that girl's armor looks like the one Big Barda used to wear, but without the cape."

"Big Barda?"

"Mr. Miracle's wife; she was very strong and powerful. They did a stint at the JLI together; until the group was dissolved. Some time later, she was part of another line-up of the JLA."

Toji scratched his head. "Man, you really know a lot about them."

Shinji smiled, "And still want to know more." Shinji smiled apologetically, then a sudden inspiration stroke. "Hey, do you think the girls will want to watch the show?"

Toji's face was suddenly red. He covered his blush with a cough. "I don't know… We-we-we will have to ask them."

Shinji slapped his friend's back. "Don't worry! The worst they can say is no."

________________________________________

Trans-Siberian Route
Somewhere in the way to Moscow.

"(It feels like autumm in Germany, doesn't it?)" Asuka grabbed Ryoji Kaji's arm, smiling happily.

"(Ah, yes. But soon we will be going into the cold part of the trip.)" Kaji was between a rock and a hard place. On one hand, Asuka's attentions were getting bolder every week, and on the other, he didn't want to reject her openly. Her emotional state was key for her performance with Unit-02; and Asuka, despite her claims to maturity, was very fragile inside and didn't dealt well with rejection. He tried to inch a little away from her, but it was useless, she scooted closer to him anyway. To repeat the maneuver, he would have to go through the cabin wall; he was trapped, and both knew it.

Once again, he cursed the genius who had designed a weapon that could only be operated by teenagers. That should be a job for professional soldiers. But no, the human race had had the colossal bad luck of needing a weapon that could only be piloted by people born after Second Impact, because of some techno-mumbo-jumbo he didn't really understand.

At least the Angels had the decency to wait until said pilots had grown a bit. He shuddered to think of what would have happened if the Angels had appeared in 2005, for example…

Asuka mistook his introspection for surrender, and snuggled even closer to him. Kaji couldn't wait until this job was over and he could go back to his apartment in the USA. Well, he might say Hi to Misato and try to patch things between them. She had been a very important part of his life, and they had parted in a bad way.
________________________________________
NERV
The Commander's Lair

"So, the Third Child's scores have been rising regularly since the Fourth Angel." From behind his steepled fingers, Gendo ikari smiled with all the warmth of a predatory reptile.

"Yes, and despite the incident before the Jet Alone sortie, he seems to be achieving better control over the EVA than expected. If he continues like this, soon he will surpass the Second's score." Dr. Akagi checked her notes on Rei's projected progress. "However, the First Child is lagging behind. Whatever method Shinji has been using, he hasn't shared it with her."

"The incident was caused by his jealousy of her;" the Commander put the matter to rest with a simple explanation, "and in any case, he quickly reasserted control over Unit-01; I doubt he will lose control again, Unit-01 and him have finally bonded, just as planned. About this synch focus he seems to be using, I'm sure he will share it with Rei if she asks. Let's put their bond to a simple test. Either he will share his method, or he won't. If he does, our two current pilots with increase their synch scores; if he doesn't, we will know their bond needs some reinforcing."

"Very well, sir. On another matter, Shinji seems to be better adjusted than expected. Apparently he is finding his way out of the Hedgehog's Dilemma; the agents report he is at least in speaking terms with most of his class, even the girls; and in close association, aside from Rei, with two boys and a girl from school. Hmm… the same two boys Captain Katsuragi authorized to enter Unit-01's plug during the Fourth Angel battle." Akagi frowned, remembering how close they had been to losing Unit-01 that day, due to the young Ikari's reckless charge; and how long had taken to repair to the Evangelion. She had to work extra shifts for a whole week to get the EVA back to battle readiness. She continued. "And the girl is the Class Representative for their group."

"It seems the Third gravitates towards people he knows beforehand; and in a small way, people with power over him. Let's keep an eye on them, for as long as it doesn't interfere with the scenario. The moment it does, I want him isolated from them, except for Rei. She will become his beacon and guide him in the right path for the success of the plan."

Gendo Ikari sat back on his chair, thinking. After a few seconds, he added, "I want to see their files. They might be useful later. By the time the Dummy Plug System is ready. I want to know which one is best suited to be discovered by the Marduk institute as the Fourth Child, and which levers we can use to convince them for the role." Akagi nodded. She would not write down such an order, but she wouldn't disobey it, either.

Gendo added, "I'll see you at the usual time later this night." Akagi understood what he really meant and nodded, a mix of fear and excitement in her mind.

________________________________________
NERV
The Commander's Lair
(Spiritual Plane)

The ghostly acrobat jumped down from his seat on top of the only lamp in the Commander's office. 'I bet the Stranger will want to know this. Especially about this oh so mysterious Dummy Plug System.' He scratched his chin thoughtfully. 'It might sound like an alternative band's name, but knowing these guys it must be something for the C&S file; as in Creepy and Sinister.' He rubbed his hands together in anticipation of ruining their plans.

As he prepared himself to cross dimensional barriers, he finally understood the Commander's last words. Deadman sweatdropped, and hissed back at them. 'I really didn't need to hear that last bit… Now I need some brain bleach.' He pressed the palms of his hands against his eyes, trying his best to not imagine anything.
________________________________________
Tokyo-3
Several days later
Hayashibara Books

"My deepest apologies, Ikari; my agent confused the titles, and she sent me the wrong book." The old clerk held up a book, titled The Life Story of the Flash (with a somewhat blurry man on the cover, proudly wearing a red suit and hood, with a yellow lightning bolt crossing diagonally a white circle). "I have no idea how it happened, she's usually very reliable, and the titles aren´t even close to each other. I can reimburse you while she gets the right book."

Shinji looked at the cover, he had recognized the man on it immediately. "No need, Hayashibara-san. I still want The Atom's Farewell, but I'll buy this one too."

"Are you sure, Shinji? It's kinda banged up." Kensuke asked, while checking a big illustrated book about the Atlantic Fleet.
"Yes. I don't care if it's not in mint condition, as long as it is complete and readable." He took his NERV card from his wallet, and the clerk ran it through the terminal.

"If it isn't complete, I'll get you another one or give you a discount on your next order if I can't find a replacement in a reasonable time. You two are among my best clients!" Hayashibara smiled at both kids. Kensuke paid for his book in cash, and put it carefully in his backpack. Although he had to take a couple of school books out to make enough space for his new acquisition. He simply put them in the plastic bag Hayashibara-san had put his new book.

While they waited for their train to arrive to the station, Kensuke asked. "So, what's the story with that guy?"

"He was the Flash, the Fastest Man Alive. He was one of the most active metahumans back in the JLA days, founding member, and all that." Shinji had taken out the book, and was looking at the foreword. He knew Kensuke wouldn't be offended about him paying any attention to his new book. His friend was just as impatient to check his. Except that he wanted to unwrap it with due ceremony.

"Cool! His wife wrote it!" Shinji exclaimed. He had quite a bit of information about the career of the second Flash (and much more on his successor, a more public person), but he didn't know he had been married, or that his wife was a reporter.

"He was a forensic detective!"

That night, dinner at the Katsuragi Apartment was a little overcooked…

…Even Misato noticed.
________________________________________
Joseph Kerr's Happy Farm (aparently abandoned),
30 miles away from Gotham City
(August 2002)

Down in a secret basement, a deathly pale man, dressed in lurid purple and yellow filthy clothes, sits on a tall, elaborate chair, and broods. A lonely light bulb tries futilely to dispel the darkness, but only manages to make the shadows even deeper. At the man's feet, several envelopes lie trampled in the dust. His right hand holds limply a jeweled goblet, about to fall down and spill its content on the dirty floor.

The smell of rot permeates the air. Decaying food and drink cover the long table, decorated with the same playing cards motifs that cover the walls and floor. A swarm of flies covers the plates, buzzing a droning monotone. Some of them, more daring than the others, walk on his face and hands, eagerly lapping the oils from his skin. And promptly die, victims of the poison that seeps from his body in minute amounts. The legacy of a lifetime dedicated to the most extravagant crimes a human mind could conceive.

He doesn't care at all. He feels nothing but absolute apathy. There's nothing to live for anymore. All his dreams and hopes were ground into the dirt by an interloper with no sense of style, no sense of fun, NO SENSE OF HUMOR! And to top it all, he and his brainwashed flunkies had the colossal gall of DYING before he could kill them!

A grimace crosses his disfigured face, his ruby red lips part behind the growing green-tinged beard; showing yellow, rotten teeth. His breath reeks to cheap alcohol. Slowly, he raises his bloodshot eyes, until he sees the picture hanging from the opposite wall. A dark blue cowl covered the face of the man who was at the same time, his bitter nemesis and the closest thing to a friend he remembers. Years before, a knife with a clown shaped pommel had been thrown right between his two blank eyes. It remains there to this day, a reminder of their twisted relationship.
Sure, they had their disagreements. That was true. But who hasn't ever argued with his friends?

But now, he mourns. The Old Bad Bat is gone. As gone as their rivalry. Gone forever. He had always been there for him. To chase him in a never ending merry-go-round. Even if one of his little birds had survived to take the mantle, it would never, NEVER! be the same again.

And he would know, in the deepest, darkest, and most insane corner of his soul if it was an impostor. Just as he had known the Bat had died.
They were both connected.

They were both… unique.

Singular beings.

Each was one of a kind.

Two sides of the same coin.

Coin.

Coins.

Money.

Jewels.

All the riches he had accumulated. The jewels stolen from the idiotic collectors. The trophies cast or remade in his own image. The deadly traps and lethal tricks fashioned after playing cards, practical jokes, or clowns. The exorbitant tribute those vulgar bores in Gotham's underground paid him to stave his wrath.

All was worthless without Him.

All he has left was to wait for death to claim him. A sad, pathetic punchline to the greatest duo act of a clown and a straight man in the whole history of the world.

Finally, he allows the goblet to fall from his grip. The sound it makes is like a funerary bell toiling in the dark.

He looks down, the expensive envelopes catch his eye.

He picks up one at random, and opens it with a dagger.

________________________________________
Germany (1953)
Kiehl Manor

"(Where did you get these magnificent artifacts, Lorenz)" Exclaimed the matriarch of the Kiehl family, Frau Elise Kiehl. A woman of close to seventy years, tall and slim. Her features were sharp. Even in her youth, she had been compared, disfavourably, with a crow, on acount of both her sharp facial features and her fire-and-brimstone fanatism. Her habit of dressing in black didn't help. She always had a rosary in her hand, and the beads were passed incessantly.

"(It was a stroke of luck, Grandmother. While the rest of the group hurried to get back to the city, to party and get drunk to celebrate the end of the course, I stayed behind, to pray at a nearby cave. Just when I was kneeling down, the sun reflected on the rainwater pooled outside, and the light revealed me this treasure, literally.)"

Over the study table were gathered a series of tablets and scrolls. They were incredibly ancient, made of an unknown substance. Lorenz Kiehl continued, while his grandmother whispered a prayer. "(Bringing them was simplicity itself. I just had to label them as props for a ridiculous science fiction movie, and no one gave them a second thought.)"

"(You will have to do penance for that, my child. Still… you did well in bringing them. They are beautiful.)" The old woman examined closely the texts. "(I don't recognize the language.)"

Lorenz waived a hand. "(Neither do I. It has some superficial likeness to old hebrew, but the structure of the symbols and their arrangement are very different. I had the box dated, and it is so old it doesn't match with any known culture.)"

Frau Kiehl dropped the scroll like it was burning "(Alien? Those heretic devil's spawns have tainted our paradise many times.)"

"(It's possible, I guess.)" Lorenz picked up the scroll and put it back on the box. "(But we found some traces of human fingerprints in one of them, they might be an OOPA. A message sent to the past.)"

Frau Kiehl stamped her cane on the floor, "(Hire the best cryptographists and linguists. The best and most discreete. I want to know what this finding of yours means. Maybe God has revealed us the means to purge those devils that walk boldly among us.)"

"(Immediately, Grandmother.)" Lorenz Kiehl bowed respectfully, and kissed her forehead before picking up the phone.

"(I will supervise your penance tomorrow. Everybody must be cleansed of their sins before any of us can earn a place in God's Paradise. Your father never understood that.)"
________________________________________

Smallville, Kansas
July 2000

In the kitchen of the Kent farm, a family mourned the loss of one of their own; a dear family member, not by blood, but by marriage. A big man was slumped over the table, openly crying for his wife and unborn son. Next to him, his adoptive mother hugged him awkwardly. At the other side of the table, his adoptive father carefully kept his trembling hands under the table.

"(I can't stay, Ma.)" said the man, raising his head and wiping his tears for a moment. "(I-I…)" he broke down in tears again. She just hugged him closer. He might be one of the most powerful people in the world, but his heart was as vulnerable as anyone's, maybe even more. She nodded, and shushed him softly.

"(What will you do, Son?)" asked his Father.

Clark lifted his head, gaining some control over his emotions. "(Pa… I… I will go away… There's too many memories here. Not only in Metropolis, here at home too. I just can't be Superman with so much pain in my heart. Everything reminds me of her, of them. I will get distracted; and sooner or later, somebody will die.)" He looked at his hands, at the simple golden ring in his left ring finger. "(I will ask my friends to cover for me for a while.)" He smiled sadly. "(J'Onn does a wicked impersonation of me. Remember?)"

Jonathan Kent smiled back, "(Tell him to come visit us from time to time. We will have some Chocos ready for him.)"

"(I will, Pa. I have many things to do before I go. I need to put everything in order.)" He unhooked the old-style telephone and dialed a number.
"(Hello. I'd like to speak with Perry White, please. I'm Clark Kent. Yes, I-I'll wait.)" He passed the phone to his other ear, accepting a tissue from his Mother. "(Hello, Perry. No. Not yet. I'd like to take that sabbatical now, please. Starting now if you can arrange it. Thank you, I know you will miss her too. Please say goodbye to Jimmy and Cat. I'll be traveling for a while. I don't know if I will come back. Goodbye, Perry; it was an honor working at the Planet. Take care, and tell Alice I said goodbye.)"

He hung up the phone. "(I'll set things at the bank so the royalties from my novels will be deposited at your account. It will help pay the farms expenses and you can hire some extra people for next year.)"

"(There's no need for that, Clark. We have been doing well these past years.)"

"(I know, but I don't want that money to just gather dust in the bank. I don't know how long until I get back.)" He stood like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. "(But I promise you, I will come back. Goodbye, take care of yourselves, please.)"

"(Take all the time you need, Clark.)" Both Kents hugged their son goodbye.

He went to his old room, and changed into his costume. But not his usual uniform, this one was made of a darker blue, and the yellow background in his chest insignia had been replaced by mournful black.

Clark Kent's clothes and glasses were neatly put in a drawer. He opened the window, and flew away.

________________________________________
Tokyo-3
Present Day
On the way to Rei Ayanami's Apartment

"How are you achieving higher rates of synchronization with Unit-01, Ikari?" Rei asked without preamble, after a few minutes of walking in silence. The question surprised Shinji so completely he stopped in his tracks for a second. He hadn't expected such a question from Rei; from the Commander or Dr. Akagi, yes, Maybe even from Lt. Ibuki. Certainly not from his quasi-sister. He gathered his thoughts. He had a nagging little suspicion about exactly from where; or better said, from whom, that question had come from.

"I am… not completely sure, Rei." A sudden inspiration hit him. He had been wracking his brain for weeks, trying to find a discreet way to get Rei to move from her practically condemned building to a better place. But he didn't want to arise suspicions, especially from the Commander. Maybe this was the chance he had been hoping for. He took a few moments to think on what to tell her and how.

"Well… I guess I'm in a much better mood since I got here to Tokyo-3." He kicked a pebble out of his way, watching it bounce along the sidewalk. "Back with my sensei, I was alone most of the time. I had no one to talk with. No one to take care of me or to take care of. It was… mind-crushingly boring too."

He kicked the pebble again. "Since I came here, I have made friends. Toji, Kensuke and Hikari are fun to talk or play with. Misato takes care of me, I help her with housework, and try to take care of her and Pen-Pen as best as I can. Misato's apartment is much nicer than my sensei's house, it feels like… like home, not just a place to eat and sleep." After a few steps, he added. "And I like to talk with you. I think I feel like we are like a family."

'Wait, if the Commander hears that, he might suspect something.' he thought, and ended with, "All of us."

"I see."

They continued their walk, until they arrived to the building where Rei was the only tenant. Shinji was amazed that she still got any mail delivered, even if she didn't actually read it.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Rei."

"Yes. Thank you, Ikari." She retrieved her school bag from Shinji's hands, turned around, and went to the stairs.

As Shinji walked back home, he saw a shadow at the other end of the street, it was a tall man, his cloak flapping in the wind. As he got closer to the man, he noticed a familiar color shift around him. Just like when he had traveled through time with the Phantom Stranger.

________________________________________
Legion of Superheroes HQ
A Possible XXXI Century

"Any luck yet, Brainy?"

"(It's not a matter of luck.)" Answered testily the resident genius at the Legion, Brainiac 5, while checking a graphical representation of the time stream around later XXth Century and Early XXIst. "(This needs the most accurate control, the most precise instruments, and some quiet and peace! And my code-name is not 'Brainy', it's Brainiac 5.)"

"(Ok, ok; you don't have to yell.)" Superboy raised a conciliatory hand. "(I just wanted to know when I can go back home. Don't take it wrong, the XXXIst Century is a nice place to visit, but I left all my stuff back in the XXth Century, and I don't trust Rex won't sell it before a week has passed. Although Roxy will put up a fight, I hope.)" He scratched his head. "(At least for my collection of Superman Cards. I got three holofoils of myself!)"
"(Kon-El. I want to get you back to your proper place in time as much as you do. Even more.)" He rolled his eyes, having copied subconsciously the gesture from Cosmic Boy. "(But there's a chronal storm at your point of egress. If I send you back to the moment you came from, you would get erased from the time line. There's a cosmic level event happening at the turn of the XXIst Century, and another around 2015. I haven't been able to find any records of either event; and they are causing a lot of interference in the intervening years. I need to find a safe window to send you through. The best I could offer you now would be to send you back to some years after you left.)"

"(Oh. That would be bad.)"

"(Very. Now, will you please go see if Cosmic Boy or M'Onel have found you something to do while I look for a stable window to send you back?)" He adjusted a minute screw in a very complex-looking machine. "Send Linda here, I need to take some readings of her.)"

"(Uh, sure, Brainy…)" he noticed the glare in the coluan's eyes, and added, lamely "(…ac Five.)"

He got out the lab before Brainiac 5 blew a gasket. The coluan had a notoriously short fuse where Kon-El was concerned.

________________________________________
Tokyo-3
A Second Off-Synch from the Present Time
On the way between Rei Ayanami's and Misato Katsuragi's Apartments

"Stranger!" Shinji exclaimed as he got near the mysterious man.

He responded with a touch to the brim of his hat. "Shinji. You are doing well, I see."

"Are you OK? I though you would appear when the giant robot went rogue."

"I'm fine, just a little busy with other matters, still related to preventing Third Impact. You handled the Jet Alone event very well." They kept walking, rounding a small park in the route between Misato an Rei's apartments.

Shinji beamed, he wasn't used to praise; and in fact, it made him feel a little unconfortable; like he was some kind of fake. He realized now that depriving him of praise was only another of the Commander's ways to bind him to his will. The Commander's praise didn't have any worth for him anymore, as he couldn't help but suspect of his motives. His friends' opinions, and especially, his own, did matter to him much more.
"You have started to free Rei from Gendo Ikari's control. But you must be careful."

"I know. I almost tipped my hand to her. I hope it doesn't cause problems later."

"I don't think so, but in any case, I'll keep watching. You have also done well about Miss Soryu. She is not so alone anymore, even so far away from you and your friends. However, her mental state is still fragile."

"I will treat her carefully."

"In a way, that could be harmful. If you always yield to her outbursts, she will end up despising you. She needs an equal she can respect, a rival to push her to do better as much as shee will need a friend and maybe a shoulder to cry on, if she ever allows herself to do so. Take pride on your deeds, and aknowledge hers. But never, ever, belittle or humiliate her."

"I would never do such a thing. I've been on the receiving end of that enough times to hate it." He looked at the Stranger, seeking his approval for another matter. "I've been writing to her. She knows a bit about me and my friends. She wrote a little note for Toji, Kensuke, Hikari, and Rei each. I think she looks forward to meeting them."

"That is a very good start, Shinji. You three pilots need a strong web of bonds, among yourselves and with other people."

________________________________________
A Possible XXVIth Century
Somewhere in Nevada, USA

"(An amazing discovery, my young friend! Amazing indeed! This place is in much better condition than other ruins we have explored! There's even power!)" Doctor Canus gushed at the doors of a strange complex. Over the eroded metal doors, a weird symbol was still visible. Half a fig leaf, and a motto that read "(God… is in his Heaven… All in …Earth is Well.)" His canine features lit with the joy of discovery. He continued, reading another sign. "(NERV. …Branch-2.)" He scratched his nose, "(Shouldn't it be 'Nerve'? There's no space for another letter…)"

Near him, a young human with long blond hair stood a few steps away, looking around, alert for any danger. He only wore a ratty pair of old jeans, that barely covered half his thighs, and a pair of blue tinted leather boots. At his waist hanged an old but still working gun, recovered from some ancient ruins. His skin was deeply tanned by years of wandering the world, ever since he left the ruins of New York.
"(What does that means, Doctor Canus?)"

"(I don't know, but this was a lucky find! I'm just glad the gorillas lost our tracks before we got here. Look! It seems this was a human military base.)" A mummified corpse rested on a crumbling desk. It s clothes hung loosely from its bony frame. A metallic helmet covered its head. "(Incredible! It's very well preserved. No decay at all!)" After a brief study of the corpse, he went to the other side of the room.
"(There's a strange device near this door.)" Canus rubbed a square thing near the device, cleaning the dust accumulated. He read the strange words neatly printed on it. "(All… employees… must… wear… their… I.D. Cards…)" he rubbed his right ear, thinking. "(What does that mean? Some kind of ceremonial clothes?)"

Kamandi smiled. He knew the answer to this particular mystery. "(It was a little paper square, or… what did they call it..? Ah, yes! Plastic! The ancient ones used them to show who they were, and to get access to restricted places.)"

"(Wait. You mean they didn't tell each other their names?)"

"(I'm not sure how that worked.)" Kamandi shrugged. "(I do know those could be used to show that one was a part of an organization.)" Unceremoniously, he moved the old skeleton, finding said ID under its torso. "(Once I saw Captain Bat use one of them to enter a metal cave. He just took it, and slid it downwards a track in one of those devices. The red light turned green, and the door opened.)"

"(Let me try.)" Canus took the card from Kamandi's hands, and did as the boy had told. Nothing happened, the light stayed resolutely red. He tried again, turning the card over several times, until a beep! sounded, and the green light replaced the red one. The door opened with a hiss of cold air escaping. "(Oh, my! This place is wonderful! The Great Disaster doesn't seem to have affected it too much. And not even the pass of time has left much of a mark here.)"

Kamandi took out his gun, and checked there were bullets in the weapon. "(True, Doctor Canus. But I think we must act carefully.)" He nodded towards the skeleton. "(We don't want to end up like him, do we?)"

________________________________________
NERV
Present Day
Commander's Lair

Dr. Akagi shuffled her stack of papers to give herself some time before answering. "The Third Child might be right. He has steadily improved his synch rates since he has been living with Captain Katsuragi. While Rei´s living conditions have not changed at all, he was taken from the previous low in stimuli environment, into a much varied and chaotic one."

The Commander steepled his fingers, thinking. On one hand, following the Third's method might end up granting Rei too much independence. He had carefully cultivated the isolation Rei lived in, both physical and social. Since the Third Child's arrival to Tokyo-3, the boy had been unknowingly working to erode said isolation. The cloned girl had never even tried to get off his shadow, but that could change.

On the other hand, any combat advantage should be exploited. If having… happy… pilots increased their synch rates, and therefore, their combat efficiency against the Angels, that should be used.

"I have to think on this carefully. I don't want Rei to be exposed to inconvenient thoughts. It could be dangerous to the Scenario. Still, I think the idea has merit. After all, should she become inconvenient, she can be replaced with a more pliant clone."

________________________________________
NERV
Present Day
Commander's Lair
(Spiritual Plane)

"Oh, man. You have no idea of just how much I hate your guts!"
________________________________________

Author's Notes
________________________________________<
The Emerald Eye of Ekron will be the weapon of choice of the Emerald Empress, a long-time enemy of the Legion of Superheroes, in both the XXX and XXXI Centuries. It's basically a floating green eye, about the size of a basketball.

The Piercer of the Veils is no part of the DCU, there might be a relic that would serve the purpose I have in mind for it, but really couldn't remember one... And, it sounds kinda Lovecraftian.
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The Haly Circus has a long story in DC, it was here were the Flying Graysons used to perform.

I'm not too clear in the subject in DC canon, but at least for this version of the DCU, this is the same circus where Deadman was murdered while performing his trapeze act.

________________________________________

Mr. Miracle, Big Barda, and Oberon were created by Jack Kirby in his Fourth World stories. By the end of the Mr. Miracle original series, Scott Free, the titular hero, had more or less adopted a kid to be his apprentice, Shilo Norman.

As Shinji deduces, the Mr. Miracle touring with the Haly Circus isn't the original. The Young Barda look-alike who acts as his stage assistant, is Scott and Barda's daughter. She is a younger version of the Ms. Miracle character, barely seen in Kingdom Come, who wore an armor styled after both her parents uniforms.

We will get to know more about them and Oberon in a few chapters; but I don't promise much, beyond saying right now that she is unable to pilot an Evangelion (she would probably break the controls anyway).

BTW, technically, Scott Free was actually the second Mr. Miracle, in the first issue of the original series he adopted the stage identity of a murdered escape artist, Thaddeus Brown. Therefore, Shilo would be the third Mr. Miracle.

Personally, I first knew the characters through the Mexican reprints by Editorial Novaro, which had a weird policy about translations most of the time. In this case, instead of translating Mr. Miracle as the literal "Señor Milagro" or the respectful "Don Milagro", which don't really sound impressive enough in Spanish, Novaro used a nonsensical word and a tagline, so the name was now "Maxisol, el Hombre Milagro" (Maxisol, the Miracle Man). It might simply be that 'Milagros' is a relatively common female name.

The second publisher, Editorial Vid, which got the DC licenses in the middle '80s, just used Hombre Milagro, or Milagro, for short.

________________________________________

The book Shinji got, The Life Story of the Flash, really exists, it was first introduced in The Flash book as a plot point, and to foreshadow very important events to happen later. DC published a physical version of the book, in hardcover. Sadly, there's no real world version of The Atom's Farewell, as far as I know.

________________________________________

OOPA (or OOPArt) is the acronym for Out Of Place Artifact. Meaning something that simply couldn't exist at the time or place it is found. For example, say, the remains of a cell phone found in an archeological dig of a Medieval England church; or human footsteps among the fossilized footsteps of a dinosaur herd.

________________________________________

The scene in the Kent Farm was directly inspired by the Adventures of Superman Annual from 1991; however, in this version of the DCU, there was no Armageddon 2001. Let's just say that Second Impact stopped the rise of Monarch (and anyway, the sudden change in direction of that story was terrible; Monarch should have been Captain Atom) and therefore, Waverider doesn't exist.

Conveniently, there were no exact dates for the events depicted, not even for Lois Lane's death.

________________________________________

Although I am a reader of the Legion since the issue (reprinted in Mexico) where Karate Kid, Princess Projectra, Ferro Lad and Nemesis Kid joined the team, my favorite version of the group is the Rebooted legion (after Zero Hour), also known as the Archie Legion. Also, the clone Superboy as depicted after the Death of Superman and before the Outsiders/Titans crossover "Graduation Day" is one of my favorite characters. Having a grim, angsty Superboy just doesn´t work for me.

Linda Danvers is another time displaced character, Supergirl.

Why send them both to the future? One of my favorite stories from the DCU is Kingdom Come. As Mark Waid and Alex Ross had no idea of what to do with Superboy and Supergirl, they simply sent them, permanently, to the XXXth Century Where (or better said, When) they joined the Legion of Superheroes as full-time members. They are only seen in a single panel of the story. You just have to look for them.

________________________________________

DC used to have several conflicting futures. Jack Kirby´s Kamandi's was one of the weirdest. It might be described as a riff on Planet of the Apes, but with waaay more animal types. Not only apes, also dogs, tigers, bears, cheetas, snakes, dolphins, and more. Several, like gorillas and tigers, had changed their shape to a more humanoid one; others, like snakes and dolphins, only got their intelligence boosted and gained human-like speech. Several other species of animals were not changed, like horses, or changed into giant forms, like grashoppers.

A few barely intelligent humans existed as pets or slaves to the animals. Kamandi, and a few mutants were the only civilized human people on the planet. Technically, Kamandi was the last "pure" human, as his friends didn't consider themselves fully human.

Interestingly, Kamandi interacted (via time-travel) with the then present day characters, like Superman or Batman. Who, BTW, was called Captain Bat by Kamandi, in the times they co-starred in The Brave and The Bold.

The cause of such a state of things wasn´t exactly specified by Kirby, it could have been a nuclear war, or something else, as there was not enough radiation in the setting. In this story, Dr. Canus and Kamandi will eventually find out what happened, although they will probably have problems to understand it. Sure, they will get to interact directly with at least one Evangelion character, with some time-travel involved, but said character won´t be in possession of all the facts.

________________________________________
And yes. I am cherry-picking elements from all over the DCU. Maybe one or two things from the DCAU will show up up later.

Chapter Text

A Helicopter Flying in Route to a Rendez-Vous

Shinji Ikari was lost in his thoughts. He had the nagging feeling he had forgotten or missed something. Something very, very important. He just knew it would eventually come to bite him in the butt. He had been preparing for this day for what it seemed an eternity. Ever since he was shown the Second Child's past, he felt a sense of connection with her. He had done all he could think of to ease her into a new life. Friendship, for starters. Their letters had been a way for them to get to know each other, he thought he had a general understanding of her character, both from her letters and from long talks with Misato. Even with all the teasing he had to endure...

Misato seemed to think he and Asuka would be a couple as soon as she arrived, and had tried to school Shinji in what she termed "The Charming Arts of Smooth Seduction" (he did hear the capital letters when she said it). All he had gotten of her lessons had been a lot of embarrassing incidents orchestrated by Misato. He was not sure if he would ever be allowed to go back to that store... And he was very lucky Lt. Ibuki was a very forgiving person, once he had explained the situation to her, she had just smiled her little shy smile and dropped the matter.

Frankly, he could not make sense of some of the things Misato had told him to say and do. He sighed again, and decided to go with a safer course. Despite considering Asuka a very beautiful girl, he didn't thought he could even try to woo her.

So, he would be her friend. The best he could be.

He sighed again. His last talk with the Phantom Stranger came back to his mind. Helping Asuka would be like walking on a high rope. He had to be careful of not pulling away, as was his first instinct; or pushing back too much.

He was so lost in his thoughts he hadn't heard Kensuke gush about the helicopter they were in; or thank him for the chance to fly in it. Luckily, his friend was so overwhelmed by the helicopter he didn't notice Shinji wasn't paying attention to him. However, the young man heard Misato's groan. He changed the channel of his earphones, to have a little private chat with her. "Something wrong, Misato?" She tensed for a moment.

"Not exactly, it's just that that jerk is going to be there. And I really don't want to see him ever again." She huffed.

"Mr. Kaji?" Misato nodded. He was a little worried. Potentially, Ryoji Kaji could be an important part of his own interpersonal web. He was not sure of how to manage that if he and Misato were in bad terms. Misato had not confided him enough to tell him what had happened. Oh, well… It was time to man up and get ready.

"I bet you 5000 yen he's going to be all charming and smooth." Misato said, with a conspiratorial, predatory smile, accompanied by a wink. Well, she seemed to go back and forth like that, whenever Ryoji Kaji was mentioned. Sad, angry, amused; Shinji didn't understand Misato's attitude.

"No deal, Misato." He smiled at her.

"Chicken!" She turned in her seat, and stuck her tongue at him, smiling. At least she was in a better mood now.

Meanwhile, Toji was gushing about Hikari's cooking, cradling a bento in his arms. His friend was notoriously single-minded about food. And Hikari had made them lunch. (Shinji noticed that Toji's box was wrapped in a nice blue napkin, while the others were simply white, maybe Hikari didn't have enough napkins at hand...)

Shinji would have liked to have the Class Rep around. She was able to exert some control over both their friends when they got out of hand (be it nicely or forcefully), and introducing her to Asuka would help the German pilot to have a more varied circle of friends. But her father hadn't granted her permission to come. Maybe he could introduce them to each other back at home, during one of their homework reunions.

Rei had not been able to come. She said she had to stay in reserve at Tokyo-3, in case an Angel attacked.

Kensuke elbowed him frantically. "Look! That's the Over the Rainbow!"

Misato huffed again, "Personally, I'm surprised that old bathtub still floats."

Kensuke defended the ship, quoting stats until they landed on the flight deck.

Meanwhile, several pairs of eyes watched the helicopter.

Over the Rainbow
Several Decks

From a higher deck, a girl in a yellow sundress watched intently, hell-bent on proving her own superiority over the latecomer who dared to turn her ten years of training into an irrelevancy. Oh, and who also happened to be the closest thing to a friend of her own age she had allowed herself in almost a decade.

From the bridge, the Captain of the Over The Rainbow and the Admiral who commanded the Pacific Fleet also watched, using binoculars. Both men were outraged at having been sent as glorified delivery boys for a god-damnedly expensive toy! And to add insult over insult, now the UN sends a frelling nanny and her kiddie troup, with the extension cord for said overgrown toy!

In a cabin, a man watched between the blinds of his small window, distractedly munching on a chocolate cookie. He already knew who was coming to visit. He stood, combing back his hair, and practiced his best, most charming smile. Before going out his cabin, he checked the heavy, metal reinforced container under his bed, confirming it was safe and secured to a thick chain.

Over the Rainbow
Flight Deck

As they came out the helicopter, Kensuke was ecstatic, filming everything and anything on sight. After him, Toji, trying to massage feeling back in his legs. Then Shinji, stretching his muscles. Finally, Captain Katsuragi, smoothing her wind-whipped hair and glad to be on firm(ish) ground. Toji, Shinji and Misato were all thinking that the helicopter had not been designed for people taller than Pen-Pen! They had been cramped inside like sardines in a can. Kensuke was too hyped to notice.

"Allo, Misato!" a haughty voice got their attention. An unmistakable German girl stood on the flight deck, wearing a cute yellow sundress, her long red hair moved in the breeze, almost like a halo around her head.

"Hey, Asuka!" Misato's voice was full of joy. Shinji knew his guardian had been stationed in Germany for a while, acting as guardian for Asuka.

While Kensuke filmed them standing on the flight deck, both girls (at least, Misato acted like one…) chatted happily about how much Asuka had grown since the last time they had seen each other.

Shinji didn't know what to say. All his speeches, rehearsed in front of the mirror, vanished from his mind. She was… glorious! He just stood there, in his hands he had the Willkommen paper banner he had made yesterday; and the bentos were tucked in his backpack (except for Toji's). He forgot how to unfold the banner.

A gust of wind lifted up Asuka's dress, and a second later, he felt a burning sensation on his cheek. That shook him out of his reverie.

Rubbing his cheek, Toji yelled "Hey! What was that about?"

"The price for the show! A true bargain, don't you think?" Asuka crossed her arms, defiantly.

"It was overpriced!" Toji shoved his bento into Kensuke's hands, "Here's your change!" He grabbed the elastic band that held his track pants. Finally, Shinji reacted. He dropped his welcome banner, the paper was taken by the wind, falling to the sea. He grabbed his friend's shoulder and spun him around. "Stop!" He turned to Asuka, who still had her nose up in the air. "(Miss Soryu, I must apologize for my friend, he is normally more civil. I am sorry. We will be back in a minute.)" He dragged Toji away, while Asuka fumed. The jock was so surprised he didn't put up much of a fight; still, he was almost shouting. Thankfully, he was so flustered his words were completely uninteligible.

Once behind a corner, Shinji pushed the taller boy against the steel plated wall. "What were you trying to do, Toji?" He glared at his friend. Shinji might not be that tall, but he could be a really scary little dude when he was riled up. And he was surprisingly strong for his size, too. "What would Hikari say? Eh?"

"I… but… She… I-I... Damn..." Toji stuttered, while Shinji waited for his answer. Finally, he realized what he had been about to do. He went completely red, the red handprint on his cheek was invisible against his blush. Shinji let him to stew for a little while.

Meanwhile, Misato was calming Asuka's outrage. Wisely, Kensuke had relinquished his camera to Misato, and walked her through the steps to erase the offending footage. Fortunately, he had just changed the memory disk. He apologized profusely to the redhead, asking Misato to give her the memory disk; to show her that all proof of the incident was not only erased, but out of his hands.

Asuka would never admit it, not even to herself, but she was somewhat impressed by the Third Child's attitude. He took control of the much bigger kid in a second. And Geek-Stooge had acted like... well... not exactly like a gentleman, but close enough.

Eventually, the two kids came back, and bowed deeply. Kensuke joined them. "We are sorry." They said.

"It wasn't our intention to embarrass you." Shinji added.

Toji finished. "I'm very sorry, Soryu. I shouldn't have acted like that." He bowed again.

Softly, Misato elbowed Asuka. "(C'mon. Let them off the hook. They apologized and there was no real damage done.)"

Asuka huffed. "(Very well, but…)" she turned towards Shinji, stabbing a finger right into his chest, twice. "(You! You better learn to control your Stooges if you're going out in public with them.)"

"(Uh, sure.)" He smiled at her, while rubbing the back of his head. He had a nice smile, she thought for a split second. "(Hum… certainly that was not the first impression I was hoping for.)" She held his gaze for several seconds. His eyes didn't waver at all. Until both got a bad case of the giggles.

The tension broken, she continued, in a much mellower tone. "(You know? You look taller in the pictures)"

"(Yeah… I wore, ah... high... shoes?)" He laughed softly when he saw her face and raised his hands, in a sort of defensive gesture. "(Just joking.)"

'(Ah, so that's how you wanna play, Third?)', she thought, and smirked before releasing her next salvo; he could not be allowed to think he could get any points ahead of her, after all. "(And another thing, you sound like you learned German from a 'Learn-at-Home' course!)"

"(I did.)" he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "(Apart from Misato, there are not many German-speaking people in Tokyo-3.)" She looked at him speculatively, raising an eyebrow.

"(Well, you are in luck.)" Magnanimously, she punched him in the arm. "(I'll teach you not to sound so freaking stilted! It's annoying!)"

The rest of the group watched the exchange, Misato was able to follow it easily; but Toji and Kensuke could only watch, wondering what the heck were they saying.

Misato dragged the other two kids away. "Come on, boys. Let's give the lovebirds some privacy."

Simultaneously, Shinji and Asuka turned to her. "No! It's not like that!" both said at the same time; amusingly, Shinji answered in German and Asuka in Japanese.

A chorus of laughter surrounded them as both blushed intensely, the laughter just intensified as Shinji and Asuka facepalmed in perfect synchrony.

As the group finally went inside, Toji whispered into Shinji's ear. "Since when do you speak Deviltongue?" and a second later Kensuke pushed his glasses up his nose, adding an ominous "And why?"

Shinji rolled his eyes.

Over the Rainbow
Flight Deck
Spiritual Plane

"(Those kids are a riot!)" Deadman floated over the group, laughing and slapping his thighs. "(Don't you think, Stranger?)"

"(If you say so.)" The Phantom Stranger was as stoic as ever. In all his years of knowing the mysterious man, Deadman had never seen him laugh. The happiest gesture he had seen on his face was a slight smile. And even that was rare.

"(Oh, c'mon. Admit it, you are as big a sucker for a happy ending as me.)"

"(This is not the time nor place to discuss that. The Sixth Angel, Gaghiel, is already on its way here. We must make sure that it won't find Adam.)"

Deadman went serious again. "(So, what's the plan?)"

After a few seconds, the Stranger said, "(Gaghiel must be fought here. If it reaches dry land, it will mutate into a formidable form, and one Evangelion alone won't be able to stop it. With two pilots here, it would be impossible to get one or both to NERV without raising suspicions about our involvement. However, if we time our actions right, we can remove Adam from the equation and reduce the risk of Third Impact.)"

"(…So…)" Somewhat impatient, Deadman twirled a finger, making vertical circles.

"(We wait until Gaghiel is near, and remove Adam from the area. Once it gets Unit-02's scent, it will stay to destroy her. I'll be ready to help Ikari and Soryu during the fight.)"

Thinking, Deadman rubbed his chin. "(That Kaji guy has Adam in his cabin. I could hijack him and get him in a flight to NERV, but he wouldn't remember what I did in the meanwhile. And he would get suspicious.)"

"(Do you still remember those NERV coded signals?)" A smirk danced on the Stranger's lips.

Deadman understood, and a malicious grin appeared on his face. "(Oh, yes. Leave it to me.)" He rubbed his hands together.

Over the Rainbow,
In Route to the Command Bridge

The group approached the bridge, following Misato, who was still smiling softly after the two pilots´ introduction. By mutual and silent agreement, Shinji and Asuka had silently decided to walk a few steps apart; Shinji with Misato at the front, and Asuka at the rear with Kensuke, and Toji in the middle; to deny the Captain any other chance to tease them. However, to walk the long hall to the bridge, they had to close distance.

In the narrow hall, Kensuke had ended between Toji and Asuka. He didn´t dare to try to talk to her, but she whispered in his ear. "Hey, Geek-Stooge, is he always like that?"; Kensuke turned his head, seeing that the redhead was looking ahead.

"What? Oh, no. He is way more easy-going. I assure you. I don´t know what happened."

"Really? Hmph, too bad." The redheaded girl said, and kept silent the rest of the walk to the bridge, confounding Kensuke to no end.

Over the Rainbow
Command Bridge
Spiritual Plane

Deadman took a few minutes to watch the crew of the Over the Rainbow, until he chose a sailor who was about to send messages for delivery. The ghostly acrobat hijacked his body, and quickly typed a short coded message; the text wasn´t actually important, but the heading and sender contained a couple of codified shorthands; Deadman printed the sheet, addressing it to Ryoji Kaji. He added the paper to the bottom of the stack, and released the sailor.

The man passed the stack of papers to an ensign. The young man went to deliver the messages. In a few minutes, Ryoji Kaji would receive a message telling him there was a possible double agent in the fleet; prompting him to take Adam and go to Commander Ikari immediately.

´(Ah, irony… Kaji himself is a triple agent!)´, Deadman thought, smiling.

Over the Rainbow
Command Bridge

While the sailor went out to deliver the messages, Misato and the kids arrived to the bridge. As both the Admiral and Captain were in a very bad mood, the smooth transfer of duties she had expected became a heated war of words between NERV and the Pacific Fleet.

"The fate of the world depends on those children? What a joke! If they had enlisted, we would have tossed them back!"

Misato took breath to defend her charges, when she was distracted by the soft touch of a hand on her shoulder. It was Shinji.

"He is right, Misato; we children shouldn´t be here." Misato was about to argue, Shinji had an impressive record in combat. Potentially, Asuka could surpass him, even though she had not seen real action yet. The German pilot was about to start her own tirade, when Shinji cut her off, gently raising a hand, asking silently for a moment to talk.

He looked directly into the Admiral´s eyes, "I have seen whole tank divisions crushed under the bare feet of an Angel, big VTOLs swatted from the sky like flies, after expending their entire ammo loads against an enemy that barely blinked at the impacts. I saw that same Angel take a N2 Mine to the face and live to keep fighting. And that was just the first one to attack. The two that came next were even worse. My friends here," he tilted his head towards Toji and Kensuke, "almost died with me when the Fourth Angel attacked." Both kids nodded solemnly, confirming Shinji´s words. "The sister of one of them is now at the hospital, recovering from the injuries she suffered during the Third Angel´s attack." Toji nodded again, looking down.

The crew seemed mesmerized by their respective screens, no one else dared to even breathe.

Shinji continued, "The First Child and myself almost died fighting the Fifth Angel. I myself would have been boiled alive, if not for the quick actions of Captain Katsuragi and NERV´s Bridge Personnel; I owe them my life. That monster not only destroyed cannons the size of a traincar, it burnt a whole mountainside to ashes, to the point the maps of the area had to be redrawn. The Angels have to be fought with weapons that can hurt them, Sir." He waited a second, lo let that sink into their minds. "Right now, the only weapons able to do that are the Evangelions. And although I would prefer to leave the duty of fighting the Angels in the hands of trained professionals, like you and your crew, the sad fact is that not a single one of you can pilot an Evangelion Unit. So, that duty falls to us, Children. And yet, for all the power we have at the controls of an Evangelion Unit, we cannot fight the Angels alone, we need your help."

The Admiral was astonished. The kid had a look in his eyes… He had seen it before, in his own crew, during the Post-Impact Wars. It was the look of someone who has seen Hell up close and survived, and yet is willing to keep fighting to the bitter end. He opened and closed his mouth several times, not knowing what to say. Finally, he relented. With deliberation, he nodded towards Shinji.

He took the documents from Misato´s limp hand, and started to sign them. "Anderson!" A sailor stood immediately. "Take these copies to the Chief Engineer, coordinate the installation of the extension cord for Unit-02."

"Aye aye, Sir!"

The Admiral turned to Misato. "It´s not every day an old seadog like me gets schooled in his duty. Even rarer if it is a young man like him." He shook Shinji´s hand. "You have spirit, young Ikari. If you ever want to see the world, enlist in the Navy and send me a message. I´ll be glad to sponsor you." He turned to a shocked Misato, "Captain Katsuragi, if this is the actual caliber of the pilots under your command, I must congratulate you." It was Misato´s turn to stay open-mouthed for a minute.

A new voice cut the remaining tension. "I see you have not lost your touch, Misato." A scruffy looking man stood just outside the bridge, leaning a shoulder against the door.

"I don´t remember inviting you to the bridge, Mr. Kaji." The Admiral seemed ready to restart hostilities, this time against a really annoying target. Before he could say anything, Asuka had wrapped her arms around the scruffy man´s right arm, with a happy squee.

Misato facepalmed. "There go my 5000 yen…" she murmured. "What the hell are you doing here, Kaji?"

"Well, I just got a message, and came to ask the Admiral for permission to leave the ship. I have to deliver an urgent package."

"Yes, yes, of course, anything to get you out of my ship! I´ll let you know when you can board a plane, a motorboat; an inflatable raft, whatever! Now, out of my bridge, all of you."

"Thank you, Sir." He saluted half-heartedly, and left the bridge, with Asuka still hanging from his arm. The redheaded pilot pleaded, "Must you really go, Kaji? Can I go with you?" She leaned her head against his arm.

"Sorry, Asuka. Someone must stay to guard Unit-02, and as its pilot, that must be you." And he thought ´and it will give me some time for myself…´

"Oh." She seemed a bit crestfallen. "I see."

Meanwhile, the rest of the group was walking slowly, and soon were left behind, As they walked, Misato, Toji and Kensuke were looking sideways at Shinji. Once they had turned a corner, Shinji put his back against the wall, exhaled noisily, and slid down to the floor, his hands were shaking. "Man… That was hard… I can´t…"

"You okay, pal?" Toji and Kensuke knelt next to him, worried.

Shinji waved his hand, "I´m okay, I just need a minute. I though he was going to throw me to the brig."

Misato took his pulse. "Kensuke, pass me a paper bag. There must be one with the bentos Hikari packed." A moment later, she had a bag in her hand.

"Okay, Shinji, breathe in the bag, I think you hyperventilated or something. Breathe deep and try to relax, Okay?" She held the bag over his mouth and nose. Shinji nodded frantically and did as he was told. It took him a minute to feel better. "Thanks."

Misato and Toji helped him to stand, "Man, that was intense!"

"Yeah!" Kensuke added. "What the heck did you eat?"

Before he could answer, Asuka had returned, she was annoyed, with her fists on her hips, and tapping her left foot impatiently. "What are you waiting for? A sherpa? Follow me!"

In Route towards the Pacific Fleet position
250 meters under the surface

Meanwhile, a titanic creature swam like a shark from hell, towards the Pacific Fleet and the traces of Adam it could sense in the ship. On his wake, clouds of sediment rose, covering the ruins of a city, sunken during Second impact.

Over the Rainbow
Mess Hall.

The trip down to the mess hall had been… eventful. Somehow, six people had crammed themselves into an elevator designed for four. Okay, four adults, but still, they had traveled in sardine class. And both Misato and Asuka had complained loudly about somebody´s wandering hands.

Misato poured coffee in a white porcelain mug, while Shinji and Toji poured tea for the rest. Asuka had taken the first cup of coffee and gone back to the table to sit next to Kaji. as she waited for the others, she was busy mixing sugar and cream to the beverage. She hissed into Kensuke´s ear. "You said he wasn´t like that!"

Surprised, Kensuke looked at her. "Wait. You meant Shinji? I thought you asked about Toji!"

Asuka rolled her eyes, "Why would I ask about Jock Stooge?"

"Uh, you were looking at him…"

"No, I was looking beyond him! At the Third Child!"

"Oh," Kensuke pushed his glasses up his nose. "I get it. Well, when Shinji came to Tokyo-3, he was very… um… meek, he barely spoke to anybody at school. It took him a while to open up. After he fought the Fourth Angel with Toji and me in the plug, he really changed. Now he takes charge when he has to. He´s like our big brother or something like that."

"Really? How interesting." She said, flatly. It seemed the Third was more complex than she had thought.

Misato and Shinji carried the trays full of cups to the table, and sat.

"So, Asuka, what do you think of your new partner?", said Kaji, curious to see if he could try to match the pilots

"He needs to get up to standards, his way to fight is ludicrous!"

"But effective." Kensuke chirped. "You should have seen him fight the Fourth Angel!" Seeing her glare, Kensuke decided to shut up for a while.

"We have seen the videos." Kaji commented, rescuing Kensuke; and turned towards Shinji. "For somebody without previous experience, you are very effective, kid; you have real talent."

Before Asuka could express her opinion on talent, Shinji answered, "Talent only carries you so far. I would prefer to have had training." He turned towards Asuka, "Miss Soryu, I would really like to train with you, you have the best record of all pilots, by far; I´m sure you can teach Ayanami and me a lot, so we can support each other better. I would hate to lose to an Angel because we couldn´t coordinate our actions."

Asuka was conflicted. On one hand, Third Stooge kept interrupting her before she could even talk; on the other hand, he was acknowledging her superior capabilities. She decided on a compromise. "Very well," a dangerous gleam sparkled in her eyes. "I´ll train you. I´ll train you so hard you will cry for your Mama!"

Shinji tensed, both Kaji and Misato froze, exchanging a very significant look. Both knew what had happened to Yui Ikari. The young pilot stood, "I-I´m sorry, I need some fresh air…" and left the mess hall.

Misato looked at Kensuke and Toji, and silently motioned them to go after their friend. As they followed Shinji, Toji emptied his cup of tea in a couple of gulps and put it back on the table, and ran after his friends, but still took the time to glare silently at the Second Child.

It took a moment to Asuka to react to the Stooges´ absence. "What? Was it something I said?"

"Yes. He lost his Mother too." Kaji answered.

Misato added, "I know you had no way to know that, Asuka, but it´s a very painful memory for him."

Asuka paled, her own memories were just as painful, she was about to stand up when Misato grabbed her forearm for a moment. "Wait. Let them talk for a while. Toji and Kensuke are good kids, and his best friends."

"I agree, surely they know him better. You should talk to him later, in more private circumstances." That was it, Asuka nodded, and looked pensatively at her cup, letting the coffee get cold while she resolved to treat the Third Child with a bit more tact.

Neither realized it at the moment, but three tables away, enveloped in shadows no one else could see, an unseen, severe figure, clad in a dark blue suit and a high collared cloak nodded his silent approval.

Over the Rainbow
Stairs to Flight Deck

"I´m better now." Shinji waved a hand. His friends were at his sides, ready to do something, they didn´t know what, exactly.

"Man, that Red Demon really is a pain in the… neck", awkwardly, Toji patted his friend´s shoulder.

"She didn´t know, Toji. Leave it at that, it was an innocent mistake." Shinji shrugged.

"Yeah, but she acts like she´s a big deal." Toji looked in the distance for a moment.

"She is. She has the best synch rate of all of us. Pilots, I mean." His friend looked him in the eyes, to stress his point.

"But you are the one here with actual combat experience!", Kensuke added. "She should at least respect that."

"I´m sure she will. Let´s go back. Thank you, guys."

Over the Rainbow
Mess Hall.

Once the boys returned, they sat back on their places. Shinji Took his backpack and got five bentos out, "Hikari prepared lunch for all of us," he passed the boxes around, one of each teen, plus one for Misato and Kaji each. He looked at Asuka, "She wanted to come too, but his dad didn´t give her permission."

Toji just took his bento back from Kensuke. "And she is a great cook. So, let´s dig in!"

The group chorused their thanks.

Asuka ate in silence, contemplating the posibilty of actually apologizing to the Third Child, something she wouldn´t normally consider.

Over the Rainbow
Flight Deck

"Well, I´ll be on my way, nice to see you again, Misato." Kaji was about to board a VTOL, heavy suitcase in hand, well secured. Handcuffed to his wrist, actually. He didn´t miss the way Misato looked at him, some of the venom in her glare had dissipated during their talk with Asuka, while the boys came back to the Mess Hall. Still, her animosity was well in evidence. Ah, well, he would have some time to try to heal the rift between them.

"Asuka," the girl lit up at the mention of her name, "You are in Unit-02 guard duty for the moment."

She beamed at him. "Of course, Kaji! I will see you at HQ!" she hugged him effusively and let go.

The VTOL took off, and a few seconds later, it was on its way to Tokyo-3.

Over the Rainbow
Flight Deck
Spiritual Plane

"(Okay, one problem taken care of, Stranger. Now what?)"

The Phantom´s Strangers cloak flapped in the sea breeze, "(I must speak to Shinji. Go back to the bridge and be ready to support the kids.)" And he vanished from sight.

Deadman scratched his head. "(Bats liked to do the same disappearing act, but without magic. I still have no idea how did he do that.)"

Over the Rainbow
Flight Deck

Just after the VTOL disappeared, Shinji noticed the color shift in his surroundings. That could only mean one thing, the Phantom Stranger was around. And the way his day had gone so far…

He looked around, until he found the unmistakable silhouette of the mysterious man.

"Shinji. There is an Angel on its way here. The scent of Adam attracted it."

"Adam? Here?"

"Not anymore, Ryoji Kaji has it with him, Adam´s remains are in that metal suitcase he carries with him."

"But how? Why?" The young man was getting agitated. He was very well aware of what Adam could cause.

"We will talk about that later. Right now, Gaghiel is getting frustrated, it knows Adam is not here anymore, but has caught the scent of Unit-02, and will try to destroy her."

"What can I do? Unit-01 is back in Tokyo-3. Oh, gods…" Finally he realized what had been bugging him all day long. He knew the route the convoy carrying Unit-02 passed through open sea, and hadn´t made the connection; "If Unit-02 has B-Type equipment she won´t be able to fight underwater!"

"I am sorry for that, I realized what would happen too late to warn you. But I´ll lend the help I can. You and Asuka Langley Soryu must fight. Try to lure Gaghiel above the water. It cannot maneuver as well in the air."

"I will! How long do we have?"

"Gaghiel will be here in about twenty-three minutes."

"Damn! I must get Asuka to Unit-02 before that!"

The Phantom Stranger nodded once, and while he disappeared, the colors shifted back to normal.

"Miss Soryu, could you show me Unit-02? I… I´d like to see how it compares to my Unit-01."

Asuka smiled, what better way to repair bridges than showing him something cool? And there was nothing cooler than Unit-02. "It will blow you off the water, Third Child! It´s the best Evangelion ever constructed. Nothing but the best German workmanship!"

´Great!´ Shinji thought, "Let´s go! Misato, Miss Soryu and I will go to see Unit-02."

"Okay, but if you´re gonna elope to get married, I want pics of the honeymoon!"

Both chorused "Misato!"

Once in the little motor boat, Asuka poked Shinji´s chest with her index finger. "(Pay attention, Third Child, I hate having to repeat myself! I´m tired of all this formality of yours, Miss Soryu this, Miss Soryu that! Call me Asuka or Second Child or whatever!)"

Shinji smiled back at her "(Sure, Asuka. Call me Shinji, please.)" This earned him a little smile from the redhead.

Behind them, the sailor piloting the boat smiled too, remembering his own girlfriend back in Austria. She was just as bossy as the German girl.

Othello
Cargo Ship
Pacific Fleet

Shinji was extremely anxious. The warning from the Phantom Stranger had him on edge. He knew Gaghiel was in route to the cargo ship, and it would be only a matter of minutes for it to arrive.

From her perch over Unit-02's upper back, Asuka spoke, proud of the machine she had been selected to pilot against the Angels. "This is the first true Evangelion Unit built. Unit-00 was a mere prototype, and your Unit-01 is the combat prototype. This," she hit the plug armor, making a bell-like sound. "is Unit-02! The first real Evangelion!" She looked at him expectantly, awaiting for his reaction.

Shinji answered from his place over the pontoons that surrounded EVA-02-s prone form. "It's amazing! I would love to get one like it! Unit-01 is kinda temperamental, you know." He reverently reached for the helm with his right hand, but abstained from actually touching the EVA. "Have they ironed all the bugs?"

"Of course! It is perfect!" She was certainly satisfied he praised her Eva, but also a bit annoyed he hadn't even made a token effort to defend his own machine. It took the fun out of it…

"I can't wait to see it in action!" and grimly, he thought, 'I won't have to wait for long... Any minute now...'

Right then, the whole ship rocked, the LCL Unit-02 was partially immersed in spilled over the borders of the transport pool, splashing the deck. Shinji and Asuka ran outside. Just in time to watch a geyser of water pass under a ship, cutting it in two.

"An Angel? Here?" Shinji pretended to be surprised, but actually, he was relieved. "We must warn Misato!" He dialed her number in his cell. "Misato! Asuka and I are with Unit-02! There's an Angel attacking the fleet! Yes! I'll tell her!" He was so focused on calling Misato he missed the proud, oportunistic smile on Asuka's face. It was her chance to prove herself as the best pilot!

"It seem you got your wish, Third! Prepare to watch how an EVA should be piloted. Follow me!" Without waiting to hear Misato's message, Asuka grabbed a sports bag, and dragged Shinji towards the stairs. She looked up and down, and, satisfied, nodded once. "Wait here. I'm gonna change into my plugsuit."

"No! I have to warn the crew! There's a comms box near the door. I'll be right back!"

Asuka was simply surprised by the Third Child. Instead of trying to pervertly watch her change he was going away! It was a bit disappointing, she would have expected him to act like one more of the endless litany of admirers and stalkers she had accumulated in college, especially during her last year. Instead, the Third Child ran outside and closed the door.

While she changed, she could hear his voice, yelling frantic warnings to the crew. "(If I am joking, throw me in the brig until we reach port! NO! How many kids do you think you have on board? I'm one of the pilots! Pilot Soryu and I saw another ship being cracked open like an egg! Didn't you feel the aftershock? Prepare to evacuate the ship! The Angel will come for us next!)"

Asuka finished putting her suit on, and pressing a button on her wrist, she depressurized it until it fit her like a second skin. She hated the physical sensation of being constricted, but her enjoyment of the status that suit gave her was compensation enough. An idea came to her mind. To properly impress her own superiority as a pilot on the mind of the competition, what better way than have him in the plug with her? She knew it was feasible, after all, a rookie pilot with near-zero experience had been able to fight with two dummies in the cockpit making mental noise; and he had won at the end.

Shinji knocked on the door, and waited until she answered with a dry "Come in, already!"

Just as he opened the door, he was welcomed with a thrown spare plugsuit, he barely caught it, "What?"

"What are you waiting for? Suit up!" She poked his chest as she went back to the transport pool, "I'll not wait for you."

Shinji looked at her, and nodded. "Time to fight."

And while he changed, he repeated his mantra, "I will not break.", and once the suit was depressurized, he ran after Asuka.

Over the Rainbow
Command Bridge

The Admiral was busy, coordinating the movement and attacks of several ships at the same time.

Misato leaned on the door jamb. Behind her, Toji and Kensuke looked into the bridge. Smiling, Misato asked "Did you ask for any information about the enemy. Countermeasures, perhaps? "

"Captain Katsuragi. This is not the time for jokes, enter now and tell me how do we kill that thing."

"At once, Admiral," she made a mental note to thank Shinji after the fight, otherwise, the Admiral would have been against the very idea of accepting NERV's help. "As Shinji said, there's not a single weapon here that has any chance to even annoy an Angel. We need to deploy Unit-02, now."

"Damnation! Can we at least distract it?"

"I think so, send torpedos and depth charges into its route, they might confuse it while Unit-02 gets ready to fight. We are going to need the umbilical cable too." A quick look around and she took a microphone from the stand. She set the frequency to the one the EVAs used. "Asuka! Do you copy?"

"Misato! We are in Unit-02's plug, we are deploying now!"

"Shinji is with you? Good. We are getting the umbilical cable ready for you." She turned towards the radar operator, "How far away is the transport? How long will it take for it to get next to us?"

"It's too far, Captain! The Angel," he tapped at a big blob on the screen, "is too fast, it will crash the Othello in a few seconds more!"

A cold sweat soaked Misato's blouse. "Asuka, Shinji, get ready for impact!"

Unit-02 Cockpit
Cargo Ship Othello
Pacific Fleet

"No! You have to think in German! You are making too much thought noise." All around them, Error messages in German blinked red and white.

"I'm not ready to think in German yet, Asuka, I'm still in the translation stage. It might be better for me to get out and let you fight."

"Are you crazy? This coffee pot will sink as soon as that Angel hits it." She turned to the front, and murmured a few words in German. "(Mental Language: Japanese.)" The Error screen vanished, replaced by a clear view of the exterior.

"Now, let's blow this joint!" Unit-02 stood up under the tarpaulin, looking like it was wearing a cloak. Shinji felt the EVA around them just as he felt he himself was Unit-01 when he hit a high synch rate. He felt the EVA strike a pose with a very far resemblance to the way the Batman used to wrap himself in his cloak. Unit-02 crouched low, and jumped, discarding the tarpaulin in a flowing movement that made Shinji think Asuka would have been a great dramatic actress had she had the chance.

Just as Unit-02 left the deck, a wave passed under the Othello, cracking her in half. Thanks to Shinji's warning, most of the crew had time to at least put life preservers on. Still, many sailors were dragged down with the ship, lacking the time to get to an exit.

Shinji kept an eye on the digital counter that showed the operational time Unit-02 had left. "Hurry, we only have 51 seconds left!"

"Shut up! You're distracting me!" Asuka yelled. Shinji grabbed the seat with all his strength.

From a distance, it would have looked comical, a red colossus jumping from ship to ship, like it didn't want to get its feet wet. As it was, the weight and the impact of the landing of Unit-02 on the decks of the ships was powerful enough to put a serious dent on both the Pacific Fleet and its repairs budget for the next two years.

Finally, Unit-02 landed on the deck of the Over the Rainbow. Almost crushing a couple of planes. Still, the sudden weight on the deck tilted the ship dangerously to one side, consigning several planes to a watery grave anyway. Kensuke openly cried the loss of the fighters, but he kept on recording everything.

Directed by Asuka's will, the giant grabbed the end of the umbilical cable. As she inserted it into the socket at the back of the colossus, Shinji looked around, with Unit-02's senses. He noticed a tall figure standing on top of the command bridge; his cloak flapping in the wind. He nodded grimly. He and Asuka might be fighting for their lives, but they weren't alone.

50m under the surface.

All around Gaghiel, explosive charges detonated, messing with its senses; sight, hearing and even sonar were somewhat fogged. It dove down, surrounding the Over the Rainbow. From the depth, it rallied back, and during a pause on the attack, it felt the abomination again. It dove deeper and swam at its top speed, getting ready to jump out of the water and bite that copy in two.

Unit-02 Cockpit

Unit-02's timer reset, now displaying 8:88:88. Unless they lost the connection, they had now all the energy they would need. But they needed something else. Shinji grabbed Asuka's shoulder. "We are unarmed!"

Asuka dismissed his worries, at her mental order, the left shoulder pylon opened, and from it, she extracted the extendable weapon it contained. She scoffed, "We have the progressive knife, Third. It will be enough."

A push of the button on the handle extended the blade. The weapon started to vibrate, a deep hum resonated in the plug.

Over the Rainbow
Command Bridge
Spiritual Plane

Deadman jumped into the radar operator, hijacking his body, he yelled "It's coming up from the portside! It's going to jump on us!"

Over the Rainbow
Command Bridge

The Admiral gripped his microphone, and screamed his orders. "(All hands! Brace for IMPACT!)" everybody grabbed consoles or safety rails, whatever they had close at hand. A massive monstrosity jumped from the sea, landing heavily on the now ruined flight deck. All the windows on the bridge blew up, showering the lower decks with glass fragments. For the first time, the crew saw the face of the enemy. A chill ran up and down their backs. The EVA and the Angel relative sizes and shapes reminded them of a man fighting a big crocodile. The way the Angel snapped its jaws at the red giant only reinforced the image.

Deadman, still controlling the radar operator, yelled, "They are going to step on the elevator! It's gonna give!" The Admiral and Misato tried to relay his warning, but it was too late, the EVA's weight crushed the structure that held up the platform. Asuka lost the EVA's balance, dropping the progressive knife. It embedded point first into the deck for a moment. The ultrasonic vibrations that made the blade so dangerous acted as an exotic lubricant; the weapon slid down like a guillotine, cutting a plane in half.

Asuka tried to recover the knife, but Gaghiel pushed the EVA off the ship, and followed it into the sea.

Over the Rainbow
Command Bridge

Misato choked an incredulous '…no…', she realized the EVA couldn't fight, it was equipped to fight on dry land, not underwater! "Shinji! Asuka! Are you OKAY?"

Over the Rainbow
Next to the Umbilical Cable Spool
Spiritual Plane

The Phantom Stranger put his gloved hands on the structure that held up the thick cable that fed energy to the EVA. Focusing his power, a jolt of energy traveled down the cable, reinforcing its AT-Field.

Unit-02 Cockpit
100m Under the Surface

Unit-02 hung limply from the umbilical cable, it had reached a depth where its weight and flotability canceled each other.

"We can't fight underwater with B-Type Equipment, Asuka!"

She pulled the control yoke, and shot him a glare. "You know what I think? We have to try anyway."

Shinji nodded grimly, "You are right. What do you suggest?"

"Me? Aren't you the great Third Chosen Child? All-mighty Slayer of Angels? Think of something!"

"Very well. Let me think." Around them, Gaghiel circled like a shark, Shinji focused his mind, looking at their enemy, looking for any clue to a weakness they could exploit. Silently, he asked his inner representation of Robin for a little help.

He received it. A flash of inspiration. "A creature that size shouldn't be able to move at that speed. It's cheating. It's using its AT Field to propel itself! Its fins are more for maneuver than propulsion."

"So? How the hell is that any help?"

Shinji smirked, "We can cheat too."

"What?" the redhead looked at him like he had grown a second head. Misato's voice interrupted them, "Shinji is right, Asuka! Use the AT Field to move! Share control with him, you fight while Shinji manipulates the field!"

Asuka was about to shot a glare at Shinji, when Gaghiel lounged at them. She froze for a second, for the first time she saw clearly into Gaghiel's maw. "Teeth!" she hissed. Instinctively, Shinji usurped control of the EVA, and evaded the attack with a push of the AT-Field. "That's the enemy. Did you see the core? It's at the back of the mouth."

"I know! I know! Who do you think you're talking to?" Actually, she had seen it, but was too distracted by the sight of scores of sharp teeth to actually get any useful info from the sight, the smaller fangs were the size of EVA-02 forearm while the largest were longer than the EVA's torso! "Don't get any ideas, Third! This is the only time you ever, EVER! get to pilot my EVA! Got it?"

He squeezed her shoulder. "Got it. Let's do it." He was looking straight ahead, tracking Gaghiel's movements, his eyes were grim and pitiless. Asuka suppressed a chill.

"Do we have any other weapon?" He asked, still looking at the Angel.

"No! The shoulder spikes haven't been installed yet. The prog-knife was the only weapon we had."

"Damn!" He pushed the AT-Field again, barely evading another attack. "I cannot keep like this for long!" A thin trail of blood followed his head movements. The stress of manipulating the AT-field was tremendous, his nose was bleeding. Shinji looked at the thin stream of bloody LCL. 'This is like Green Lantern's power. Just imagine it, and put your willpower at work.' He thought.

Over the Rainbow
Command Bridge

Misato heard Toji gasp. The jock was looking at the radar screen. He looked at her, his expression was completely miserable, "It´s gonna eat them, won't it?"

Flash! An idea struck Misato like a lightning bolt. "Asuka! Shinji! Confirm! The core is in the throat?"

Their voices chorused back "Yes! But we have no weapons!" Shinji added, "And I can't go on for much longer!"

"You won't have to! I have an idea!"

A silent beat answered. Then a hesitant "What are you thinking?" from Shinji, he knew his guardian would have a crazy idea that was barely practical, but very effective.

"Let it eat you!"

"Whaaaaat?"

"Don't let it bite you! Make sure it swallows you whole, then you will be able to attack the core directly!"

Unit-02 Cockpit
200m Underwater

Shinji and Asuka looked at each other. Both nodded simultaneously. "Ready?"

"Ready." Asuka waited until the last moment, and tucked Unit-02's arms and legs, forming a ball; Shinji propelled them into Gaghiel's wide open maw, making sure the sharp teeth missed them. Still, the jaws closed around them with terrible finality, it sounded like the closing of a coffin.

Asuka switched on the external lights. Unit-02's eyes shone brightly, illuminating the mouth. Shinji sighed, and almost collapsed in the plug. "That… takes a… lot of me…"

"Don't sleep in the job, Third!" She slapped him to keep him awake. "The core is right there.", she pointed at the red sphere.

Asuka willed Unit-02 to move. It dragged itself down Gaghiel's gullet. She measured her strike. Pulled back EVA-02's fist, and punched the core. A loud noise enveloped them. But the core was unharmed.

She struck again, and again, to no avail. The core was too hard, and Unit-02 hadn't enough space available to strike with all its might. "Damn. If we only had a knife.." She hit the control yoke.

"What do you mean? We are surrounded by knives!" Shinji chuckled weakly. Asuka stared at him, about to slap him again, when she realized what he had meant. She grinned a predatory smile. "Let's grab one!"

Over the Rainbow, Command Bridge

The Admiral barked orders on the microphone. Basically, the larger ships were to put distance among them, while the frigates rescued the survivors of the three ships Gaghiel had attacked pursuing Unit-02. It was a hard blow to the Pacific Fleet, but at least Shinji's warning had saved scores of sailors.

Unit-02 Cockpit
380m Underwater

Asuka focused all her will on the arms and legs of her war machine. But Gaghiel's teeth were too deeply imbedded into the jaws. Grimly, Shinji put his hands over hers. A silent agreement later, both pulled on the control yoke with all their strength. 'We are not gonna make it…' Shinji thought. "…unless…"

He sent a fraction of his will into Unit-02's core, looking for the woman he knew was imprisoned there. "Dr. Soryu? Kyoko? Are you there?" A wave of curiosity responded. Shinji pushed his thoughts harder. 'Asuka needs your help!' After that, a wave of worry and anger enveloped both pilots. Asuka gasped, not knowing why. She reacted with her guts and channeled her own anger into pulling a fang from the Angel's jaw.

Unit-02's four eyes lit up, blazing like green fury. The EVA's throat emitted a deep, angry, powerful growl.

A long, straight fang broke from Gaghiel's jaw, a black cloud of angelic blood enveloped Unit-02 for a moment. Gaghiel shook its head frantically, blinded by the pain.

With barely a thought from Asuka, Unit-02 struck at the core, frantically stabbing it with Gaghiel's own tooth, over and over again. Cracks appeared on the surface, until it was clear that the core was about to break into pieces.

Had Gendo ikari, Kozo Fujutsuki or Ritsuko Akagi seen it, they would have said the same thing.
"…Berzerker…"

They would see the onboard recordings later, but they wouldn't see the red EVA's savagery in all its glory. They would think it was all Asuka's anger and desperation.

Over the Rainbow
Command Bridge

The radar operator yelled a warning, "The Angel changed shape! It looks like… like a ball!"

Misato realized what would happen, and screamed in the microphone, "It will self-destruct! Everybody get ready for impact!"

Unit-02 Cockpit
400m Underwater

Misato's warning shook Shinji back into full consciousness. He grabbed a surprised Asuka and covered her with his own body. "It's gonna blow! Hang on!"

Gaghiel's body flowed around its core, forming a white sphere. Near its center, Unit-02 tucked its arms and legs to protect the plug as best it could, its AT-Field shone for a moment, despite being in too close proximity to another active field.

Shinji and Asuka screamed.

Over the Rainbow, Command Bridge

An energy blast erupted from the water, it rose hundreds of meters up in the air, until it flared into two prongs at its sides, forming a cross high in the air. Tons of water were thrown to the sky, and then fell like a hurricane over the ships.

"Where's Unit-02?" Misato yelled next to a very disoriented radar operator. Deadman had already left his body, and the man had no memory of what had happened in the meanwhile. Still, he obeyed, and a look at the screen revealed the EVA had disappeared!

Over the Rainbow
Next to the Umbilical Cable Spool
(Spiritual Plane)

The Phantom Stranger directed his power through the umbilical cable, guiding Unit-02 back to the carrier. He also cushioned its fall, enough to keep the EVA from going through it like a progressive knife through butter. He preferred not to reveal his presence too soon. This could be seen as an improbable, yet very welcome coincidence.

Over the Rainbow
Flight Deck

The mechanoid landed on its feet and one hand, it held position for a moment, and then fell down like a drunk man next to his bed.

Unit-02 Cockpit
Over the Rainbow,
Flight Deck

Once the plug stopped moving, Asuka pushed Shinji off her. "Don't you touch me, you creep!"

Shinji was practically unconscious. Manipulation of the AT-Field underwater was extremely taxing. He had a splitting headache, and then, his cheek burned again.

"…Wha..?" he mumbled, realizing he had been slapped by the third time in a single day.

Asuka pushed the release button, and the plug was ejected from its place on the back of Unit-02. The German pilot jumped down, mumbling "Why must all teenage boys be such immoral perverts?" She dragged Shinji out of the cockpit, and left him hanging on the edge, half inside the plug. "Get down! I don't want you in my EVA, you glory-hogging idiot!"

Shinji grabbed his head with both hands, moaning. Her screams were not helping him with his headache, that was for sure.

Fortunately for him, Misato appeared right then, accompanied by the Admiral, a group of sailors carrying stretchers, and Toji and Kensuke. His friends looked at him, worried; while Asuka stomped her way down to the showers, still mumbling.

The Medical Officer directed the sailors to get Shinji down, and he examined the pilot. A couple of minutes later, he said, "He will be okay in a few hours. He just needs some rest." The sailors sighed in relief, put him on the stretcher, and carried him to the sick bay.

They transported Shinji as fast and smoothly as possible, the kid had saved the lifes of many sailors that day. They would make sure the kid got the medical assistance he needed.

Epilogue 1
Over the Rainbow
Mess Hall

Misato found Asuka in the mess hall, fuming over a cup of coffee. She sat next to her. Asuka kept looking at the table.

"Okay, what happened?" Misato asked.

Asuka looked at her, only Misato and Kaji could have read the hurt feelings on her face; to everybody else, it was pure anger. "He tried to cop a feeling off me, Misato!"

Misato stared into her eyes. "Did he?"

"Yes! And to think we were getting along." She thightened her fists. "But he had to act like a… a… perverted teenager!"

"I might be wrong, you know." Misato said softly, "But from what I heard, and keep in mind I've known him for a good while now, I think he really was trying to protect you."

"I don't need his protection! I can fend by myself." Asuka slammed her fists on the table, shaking the cups.

"I know. But he doesn't; yet. And he has a really serious hero complex." Misato took Asuka's hand in hers. "Anyway, with the splitting headache he has, I seriously doubt he could even think of copping a feel. I mean, and this is strictly between you and me, he has had plenty of chances with me."

Asuka looked at her former guardian, not believing her ears. Misato shrugged, and continued, a touch of sadness tinged her words. "You know I drink, a lot. And sometimes I fall asleep in front of the TV? "

Asuka nodded.

"Well, the first few days he stayed with me at my apartment, I put him to the test. I needed to know if I was safe with him, and so I feigned I was asleep, to see what he would do. I just snored in the couch. More than once, And guess what? Every time, he took the beer can from my hand, put a pillow under my head, and covered me with a blanket. He's very sweet." She looked into the distance. "You know, if he was older or I was younger, I'd claim him up." She snapped her fingers. "Like this!"

Asuka remained silent. Misato patted her shoulder. "Don't be so hasty to dismiss him."

Epilogue 2
NERV HQ
Central Dogma

Ryoji Kaji had finished his introductions to the bridge bunnies. Makoto Hyuga and Shigeru Aoba were just two more grunts, but Maya Ibuki was certainly a pretty girl. Still, it wouldn't pay to ignore the others. For now, at least. His status as a UN inspector granted him the right to watch NERV's operations, as long as he didn't interfere.

So he had listened to Misato's report. He felt a bit bad about having left Misato and Asuka before the Angel had attacked, but everything had worked out at the end. Still…

"Say, Hyuga, right? Who do I need to ask for a transport to New Yokosuka? I'd like to check on Misato and the pilots. In person."

Epilogue 3
NERV HQ
Commander's Lair

"I see. Good job, Captain. A recovery crew will be waiting for you. Bring the pilots to NERV for check-ups and debriefing. The recovery crew can take care of the Evangelion transport. That's all."

Commander Ikari hung up the phone, and turned back towards his companion, tenting his fingers in front of his face, hiding his mouth. "Everything went according to the Scenario. The Sixth Angel has been neutralized, there might be enough left of it to study its workings; that's more than the Dead Sea Scrolls implied. Adam has arrived safe and sound. Now the true Human Instrumentalization Project can begin."

Kozo Fujutsuki stared into the block of Dura-Bakelite that contained the foetus-like form of Adam. "What will you do with it?"

"Put it in a safe place, of course." Gendo Ikari took off his right glove, looking intently at his hand, mostly at the scars that covered the palm; and pressed a button on his desk. "Dr. Akagi. We have received the samples. I'm in my way to your lab to start the procedure. Once you have finished, report to New Yokosuka, and bring Unit-02, the pilots, and Captain Katsuragi for check-ups and debriefing."

From the intercom, a tiny, electronic voice answered, "Yes, Sir."

Author's Notes.

Shinji doesn't know, but there are more German-speaking people around him than he realizes. For starters, both Commander Ikari and Dr. Akagi must be fluent in both German and English (probably, Professor Fujutsuki too; maybe even Maya), to be able to stay up to date with the material published by the other branches of NERV. Rei is shown to be reading a book in German when she meets Asuka. A technical book, even. Then, of course, both Misato and Kaji, having being stationed in Germany for at least several months.

From the other side of the franchises. The Phantom Stranger probably can speak in any language he wants (in his own magazine, he is shown speaking to people in Africa or Tibet without any problem). Although, it is a mystery if he knows other languages of if he is using a translation spell or something similar.

Deadman wasn't shown to speak any other language than English (as far as I know), but for the purposes of this fic, he studied French, German and Japanese for several months, to be able to follow his investigation of SEELE.

Something that has always irked me a little about the Asuka Strikes episode is that there is no real time for the crew of the Over the Rainbow to actually install the umbilical cable for Unit-02. By the time the Admiral yields to Misato´s authority, they have Gaghiel sinking ships left and right. Yet, by the time Unit-02 arrives to the carrier, the cable is in working order.

I´m guessing they had to drill some holes in the structure of the ship to install the rig, otherwise, it would have been yanked off the ship as soon as they ran out of cable.

I want to acknowledge the inspiration I got from various stories.

The Second Try, by Jimmy Wolk, the first fanfic I read, and my personal head canon.

Advice and Trust, by Panther2G, Still in progress and a fascinating read.

Once More With Feeling, by Crazy-88. Sadly, unfinished, but still one of the best Evangelion fanfics.

And of course, the Superwomen of EVA series, by OrionPax09 and Mike313.

if you haven't read these stories, you are in for a treat!

Chapter Text

Note , the parenthesis indicate languages other than Japanese, in this case, English, German, Ancient Greek, and Interlac.

New Yokosuka
Docking Bay

A convoy awaited the arrival of the Pacific Fleet to the port. In a jeep, Dr. Ritsuko Akagi chatted amicably with her old friend, Ryoji Kaji. The perpetually scruffy man was sitting on the top of the seat, his feet on a cloth extended over the seat itself; enjoying the sea breeze, looking at the unwieldy mass of the Over the Rainbow, being dragged and pushed by a small fleet of tugboats. Over the now ruined flight deck, rested the huge Evangelion he had been traveling with. The carrier was notably listing on account of the tremendous weight.

The man was about to lit a cigarette, when Ritsuko pointed at a No Smoking signal, without even looking up from her notes. “Oh, sure.” he said, putting cigarettes and lighter back into his pocket. “Say, is Misato still single? I had no time to ask her in the ship.”

“Single, yes; available, I doubt it. At least where you are concerned.” Ritsuko kept her eyes on the readings. “Hmm… This is strange… There are energy spikes all over the readings, but no apparent source.”

Kaji looked around, watching the recovery crew getting their rigs ready. “You will unravel this, Ritsuko, you always were the brains of our little group.”

She looked at him pointedly, “Hmhmm, then, Misato was the heart and you..?”

He shrugged, “I guess I am the dumb muscle.”

“Trying to woo Misato again would certainly prove the dumb part; she’s over you, Kaji.”

“Maybe, maybe not. It’s hard to admit, but I haven’t really gotten over the break-up. There were many things left unsaid. At least, I want some closure.” He slid back down on the seat, and checked into the glove compartment. He fished out a small lunchbox he had bought at a vending machine in NERV HQ. Opening it, he took out a couple of sandwiches, offering one to his friend. She took it and unwrapped it. “Thanks, I barely had chance to eat some breakfast.”

Kaji began to eat his own sandwich. “Anytime. You haven’t changed that much since the last time. Still skipping meals when your scientific interest is piqued; I guess that’s the secret of your gorgeous figure. Pure, focused science!” He chuckled. She tried to stop herself, but she smiled anyway, a bit. Kaji changed subject before it could get embarrassing for both. “So, what’s going on with that?” he pointed at her notes.

“I’m not sure.” She went back and forth a couple of pages, “That stunt Asuka and Shinji pulled off shouldn’t be possible, even under ideal circumstances; even less in combat, with no preparation. The best I can guess at is that they somehow found a way to synchronize with each other and the EVA at the same time. A three-way synch! If we could implement this on other EVAs…” she pushed her glasses up her nose, “But we are short on pilots as it is. And anyway, it would be a tremendous drain on the internal batteries if the umbilical cables were damaged. The amount of energy the A-T-Field consumed each time Shinji ‘pushed’ Unit-02 around is astounding.” She sighed.

Kaji simply looked at her. The Over the Rainbow was getting close to the dock. From the railing, an exhuberant Asuka waved at him. ‘Ah, well…’ he thought, freezing a smile on his face.

“Hmm… Rits. I need a favor.”

Akagi lowered her glasses and looked at him from the side. “No setting you up with Misato. No personal info about her. Apart of that, I might consider it.”

“Ah, no. I was thinking more along the lines of NERV arranging a small, very small, apartment for me. Just for one person, please.”

She stared at him for a moment, followed his gaze, and realized why he had asked for that particular favor. “Sure. I’ll talk to Vice-Commander Fujutsuki. No need to bother the Commander with this.”

“I owe you a big one, Rits.”

“Don’t you forget it.”

September the 14th, Year 2000
Ruins of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
(Spiritual Plane)

“(What happened?)” Tora Olafdottir had no idea of where she was or how she had come to be there. She was surrounded by debris, all kinds of broken pieces of buildings, cars, trees, even... even people... Everywhere around her, she could see water, receding slowly, back to the sea.

She heard a groan behind her. She turned around, her hands ready to project the cold that was her legacy. Lying in the wet ground, she saw a mop of green hair that belonged to her closest and dearest friend.

“(Bea! Are you alright?)” She knelt to help her stand.

“(Gnngh… I feel like I have the worst hangover of my life...)” Beatriz DaCosta held up her hands and rubbed her temples.

“(What happened? The last thing I remember was that we were trying to stop a tsunami headed for Rio de Janeiro...)”

“(Yeah... I thought we were going to die...)”

A third voice pierced the darkness. It was at once young and old, full of joy and sorrow. “(Sorry, you did die.)”

Tora and Bea looked behind them, facing an extremely pale girl with a vaguely Egyptian-looking make-up in her eyes and a rebellious mane of black hair. She was dressed in a simple thin strapped top, tight pants, fingerless gloves, and leather boots. Her clothes were black, except for a golden pendant shaped like the magical blast Dr. Fate manifested around his/her/their hands when casting spells. Over her left shoulder she was spinning a black umbrella with white lace. All very goth, except for her warm smile and the sparkle in her eyes.

“(DEAD? Are we dead..?)” Tora looked at her hands. “(I don’t feel dead...)”

“(No one does, really. Nice to meet you.)” The pale girl extended her right hand towards them. “(I am Death.)” Tora shook her hand gingerly.

“(You don’t look dead either...)” Bea was still rubbing her temples, but also shook the strange girl’s hand.

The girl smiled, as if that was an old and confortable prívate joke. Actually, it was. “(No, not dead, as in corpse. Death, as in Grim Reaper. Well, not exactly like that, the bit with the skeleton in robes with a big scythe is not my style. I’m more like a guide. See that point of light over there?” She pointed at a bright star in the dark sky. “Well, you must go to it, and you will pass to the Other Side and to whatever Afterlife you have earned.)”

Some distance away, a big figure knelt in the rubble. It was a powerful green-skinned man, wrapped in a long blue cloak. He held two broken bodies in his arms, sobbing. Both women recognized themselves in the dead bodies.

Their hearts wept for their friend. The Martian Manhunter had been a good friend to both of them. Almost family…

He kissed their foreheads, like a proud father about to send his daughters for their first day of school. He murmured a prayer to the Gods of his long dead world, asking them to guide and protect them in the Other Path. Still cradling the bodies, he took flight. The group walked to the point of light.

“(...Could we...)” Tora asked, despite knowing the answer. Bea just covered her mouth and nose with her hands, trying not to cry.

“(Sorry, but you must go. Your Afterlife awaits. Now, this is where we part. He will guide you on the next part of the trip.)” She gestured to a floating apparition, it was a lean but muscular man, dressed in a red suit, his face and the visible part of his chest were deathly pale, but his eyes held a spark of mischieviousness.

The man bowed deeply in the air. “(Hello, ladies. Pleased to meet you. My name is Deadman, Boston to my friends.)”

Germany (1965)
Kiehl Manor

“(My condolences, Kiehl.)” The man shook Lorenz Kiehl’s hand. The man was an old college friend. They had been in the archaeology class together, and had been in several digs for the Berlin University. “(I guess you are head of the household now. Should I call you Herr Kiehl now?)”

“(Thank you, Lindemann. Yes. I have to take control of our family assets. There’s a lot to do. And yes, I’m Herr Doktor Kiehl now. But only in public.)”

“(Certainly. Herr Doktor Kiehl.)” Lindemann looked at the huge portrait of Elise Kiehl, hanging at the far end of the study. “(She was a remarkable woman. Strong in her faith and convictions.)”

“(She will be missed.)” Both entered the private chapel Elise Kiehl had ordered built in the Kiehl Manor, sixty years before. They knelt and prayed for a long time.

Afterwards, they went back to the study. After they had a glass of brandy at hand, they went to business.

“(Any progress?)”

“(Not yet, Lorenz. The scrolls were written in an unknown language. Without any context to extrapolate from, we cannot even start to translate them, the most we have now is mere speculation. We do know a bit about the structure of the language, but that is like trying to understand a computer program using the plans to build the computer itself.)”

“(I see. We need a Rosetta Stone.)”

At that moment, the phone rang. Kiehl picked it up. “(Kiehl here. Yes, bring it. Now.)” He hung up the phone. “(It was one of my agents. It seems we just got the breakthrough we needed. He found a series of tablets with signs common to our mystery language, and ancient summerian.)”

Almeracian Empire, Throne World
Royal Palace of the Ruling House of Almerac
August the 18th, 2003 (Earth Calendar)

“(Congratulations, My Prince. You are a father. Lady Maxima is resting now. Do you wish to see the heirs?)”

“(Yes, Doctor.)”, the Prince Consort stood up. The last few hours had been exhausting. Not only he had to fight through an enemy fleet to arrive on time, Maxima’s labour had been long and difficult. Despite the compatibility between almeracian and kryptonian genes, the pregnancy had been longer than usual for almeracian women, and shorter than kryptonian biological pregnancies had been. More than once, he had wished to have a matrix chamber available. But with one exception, all had been lost when Krypton exploded. And that last matrix chamber had been lost in space years before.

The doctor who had attended Queen Maxima during the birth was a squat humanoid, with three arms, purple skin and a crown of short horns around the top of her head. Her race was reputed to be the best doctors in the sector, and Dr. Kas’rr and her team were the best of the best. Her services were not cheap, but the Royal House of the Almeracian Empire wouldn’t ever settle for second best.

They walked through a set of double doors, into the royal nursery. A squad of guards stood vigilantly around the cradles, ready for any hostile action. The captain saluted the prince consort. “(Prince El. Congratulations. Lady Maxima will be pleased to know her sons and daughter are strong and healthy.)”

“(Thank you, Captain Gamyll. I will pass your congratulations to her as soon as I can see her.)” He lowered his gaze to the cradles. “(May I?)”

“(Of course, My lord.)” He stepped aside. In any case, Lord El, as Prince Consort and Admiral of the Almeracian fleet, was in his right to see his newborn children, by force if he wanted. But one of the reasons he had earned the undying loyalty of his subjects was that he never abused his power, be it borne from his royal station, military rank, or his own physical strength. He always treated his subjects with the utmost respect; he made any commoner feel like a noble, and every noble feel like a king.

And he was a very good influence on Queen Maxima.

With infinite care, the Prince Consort caressed the faces of his heirs. The babies were sleeping now, their birth had tired them. But they stirred at the caress, and opened their deep blue eyes, looking at their father with innocent curiosity.

“(Welcome to the world, my children. It is more wonderful than I could have imagined three years ago.)”

Ruins of the Second Branch of NERV
Somewhere in what used to be Nevada, USA
A Possible XXVIth Century

“By Grant!” Doctor Canus exclaimed, looking at a cyclopean effigy, standing tall in a metal platform that could house the whole tiger cavalry of King Ceasar, and still have some space left.

Kamandi stood behind him, jaw on the floor. “What is that thing? It looks like a monstrous version of the God Oscar we saw in Ho liw od! But made of silver instead of gold.”

The giant effigy stood proud, its arms hanging loosely at its sides. Its silver skin/armor gleamed in the lights. “There’s a catwalk just in front of its head, we could get up there with no problem.” Dr. Canus pointed at a point in the structure. “We can jump and grab that tube, and climb up to reach the stairs. I have to see that statue up close.”

“Doctor, I think it’s something else. I have seen too many things left from the Great Disaster that looked like statues or junk, and then jump to life without warning.”

“Duly noted, my friend; if it starts moving, we run, okay? Come on, give me a leg up, will you?”

Minutes later, Canus and Kamandi had reached the high platform.

Just as the explorers were looking at the face of the colossus, a shot rang in the place, startling them. A bullet bounced from the platform. The pair looked down; they had been followed by a platoon of beligerant gorillas! There were about 30 apes, armed with rifles and machetes.

“There they are; Boys! Let’s show them how the gorilla tribe deals with intruders!” A gorilla sergeant spurred his soldiers to the attack. Not that it was really needed, the gorilla tribe was fiercely territorial, and to keep the tiger army at bay for decades, they had to be excellent fighters.

“Damn! We are trapped here! Quick! Grab those pipes and be ready, Dr. Canus!” Kamandi drew his gun, once more checking it was loaded. “When I run out of bullets, give me one pipe!” He aimed carefully from behind a panel full of old instruments, and shot at the hands of the ape on the lead. The gorillas weren’t bothering to get up the stairs or even firing their rifles; they simply climbed up the gantry structure. The bullet flew true, and hit the gorilla’s hand. He dropped to the floor, crashing heavily over two of his mates, dragging them in his fall.

While Kamandi aimed and shoot at the soldiers, Doctor Canus weighted the pipes in his hands, and took the lighter one. He knew Kamandi was very strong for a human, and he himself wasn’t in the best physical shape. His young friend could get a better use of the heavier pipe.

The gorilla soldiers had taken advantage of the empty gun. Once Kamandi had run out of ammo, they hurried their climb to the top of the structure. Canus and Kamandi went back, putting as much distance between them and the ape soldiers, ready to sell their lives at the highest price they could.

The gorilla sergeant waved his soldiers back. He had been humiliated when the pair had escaped from his jail, in the ruins of old Las Vegas. “Now,” he growled, “you will learn a new trick. PLAY DEAD!” and went at them, waving a club that was as wide as one of Kamandi’s thighs, ready to pulverize their bones and turn their flesh into bloody paste, right in front of the silver idol. He walked slowly, savouring the moment.

Behind Kamandi and Canus, a growl echoed through the chamber, deeper and louder than the biggest gorilla in the tribe could ever dream of doing. The pair turned fractionally towards it, wary of both the gorillas and the silver armored colossus.

The sergeant looked up, beyond the intruders, and saw the eyes of the effigy lighting up, like twin searchlights. The armored head came closer to the platform. The idol was moving! It was alive! ALIVE! The gorillas dropped to their knees, worshiping the strange new god. The sergeant dropped his club, and knelt too. “Forgive us, Oh, Great One! We are only protecting your temple from intruders and heretics!”

The statue’s head moved from left to right and back again, examining all the occupants of the platform. It’s eyes fixed on the two intruders. The eyes went from Kamandi to Doctor Canus, who received an uncomfortably long gaze from the giant. Slowly. Trying not to call attention to themselves, the gorillas crawled backwards, putting as much distance between them and the intruders as possible.

A female voice was heard, her accent was strange. “PUPPY!” The voice was full of joy, like a child who has just found a strange new toy.

The gorillas looked at each other for a couple of seconds, and reaching an unspoken agreement, scrambled down to the floor as fast as they could.

Tokyo.3
NERV HQ
Commander’s Lair, two days before Gaghiel.

“The First Child will be moved into a new apartment. She will share living quarters with the Second Child. The address is in this card. All documents related to her new residence are here. Attend to it, today. Dismissed.” Commander Gendo ikari signed the documents, and pushed them towards Captain Katsuragi.

“I will supervise the moving immediately, Sir.” Misato put the papers in a folder, and left the lair.

Behind Ikari, Sub-Commander Fuyustuki asked. “I noticed that you put them in the same building Captain Katsuragi lives in.”

“Yes. I want Rei’s score to rise, she will be a better asset in combat. But I also want to limit her interactions with the Third Child. Having Rei living with the Second Child will be a good distraction for all three pilots. Their personalities will inevitably clash. Rei herself will ask to return to her current quarters.”

NERV
Commander’s Lair
Spiritual Plane

“Oh, I don’t think so. That might have worked before red, pale, and acrobatic; plus tall, dark, and mysterious showed their faces around here, but not anymore, you big rube.” Deadman rubbed his chin, still sitting, cross-legged, over the Commander’s desk.

NERV Berlin,
Unit-02 Cage (Spiritual Plane)
2005. Six minutes after Contact

Unseen, a strange girl danced rythmlessly upon Unit-02’s left shoulder pylon. Her skin was white as snow, she wore a firefighter’s uniform, far too big for her slight frame; her face was stained with badly applied make-up, and her unkempt orange hair stuck out in every direction. In her right hand she held a thin thread, that was tied to a bright red hermit crab, big as a basketball, floating in the air above her, walking on the air. The crab somehow had occupied a football player’s helmet.

She stopped her crazy dance for a moment, watching curiously as a technical crew recovered a human body from the Entry Plug. It was a woman, with long reddish blonde hair. Her eyes were completely unfocused, and her hands twitched weakly.

Next to the dancing girl, a grotesquely obese woman appeared sitting at the top of the shoulder pylon; her skin was pale, like a bloodless cadaver. She was completely naked, partially covered with filth and grime. Her face was round and flat, with a nose that was broader than it was long. Her teeth were pointed fangs, protruding like columns from her lower lip. Her beady black eyes were perpetually open, with not even a hint of white, they were orbs of absolute darkness. She leaned down, looking at the frantic crew below, playing endlessly with a rusty fishing hook. “(Now they have done it.)” she said, “(She split up! One half for me, the other for you, dear sister. What do you say?)”

“(Noooo…)” the girl moaned. “(I don’t wanna share!)”

“(Oh, pipe down, Delirium.)” Despair rolled her eyes. “(We can take turns if you want. With both halves. See how long they last before our Big Sister comes for them. But I call dibs on that one.)” She pointed at the body just taken from the plug. The woman, Dr. Kyoko Zeppelin Soryu, was babbling words no one could understand.

“(You will have only one to share. The other half now lives in my realm.)” A third voice joined them. It was a young man, his skin was as white as the full moon; and his hair held the faintest hint of blue. He was dressed with a loose fitting white shirt, a strange white tunic with high shoulder-points, loose pants, and soft leather black boots. His eyes were black too, but instead of the black of dark despair of his sister’s, his were black as the night sky, full of stars.

“(Big Little Brother!)” the girl barely focused her eyes in the latecomer. “(You wanna take our toys? I thought it was raining honey colored lullabies in your house.)”

“(Not today, Sister. Maybe tomorrow.)” Daniel, or Dream as was his title, said softly. He had long ago gotten used to the meandering thoughts of his adoptive sister; after being granted the title and domain of Dream, or Morpheus as his predecessor was sometimes called. “(Still, Dr. Soryu found her way to my realm by her own free will. At least, half of her did. I am granting her refuge for a few years. Her dreams are interesting too; there are similar but very different to the dreams of my other guest.)”

Despair shrugged, “(What about the other half, Brother?)” getting half a toy was better than nothing.

“(I have no part in what happens to it.)” Daniel disappeared, like a daydream.

New Yokosuka
Docking Bay

While the carrier dropped anchors, Ryoji Kaji asked. “Say, Rits, could you distract Asuka for a while? I really need to speak with Misato.”

The scientist looked at him over her eyeglasses. “You are the most stubborn man I know.” ‘Second, actually, Commander Ikari is so much worse than you.’ she thought. Kaji looked at her with that annoyingly charming smile of his. She sighed, “Very well, I have to check her and Shinji up anyway.”

“Put it on my tab, Rits.” He smiled again.

As soon as the plank touched the harbor deck, Asuka ran down, having changed back to a dress, now a cute orange sundress that replaced the yellow one she had worn earlier, now lost with the Othello. “You should have seen me, Kaji!” she giggled. “I killed my first Angel! I am now officially, an Angel Slayer!” and with a happy squeal, she hugged him. Awkwardly, he hugged her back for a few seconds and patted her back a few times; then, carefully and delicately, he pushed her away.

Dr. Akagi cleared her throat. Kaji took the offered opportunity. “I want to hear all about it, but it will have to wait a little while, Asuka. First, I’d like to introduce you to Dr. Ritsuko Akagi, Chief of the E-Project. She is in charge of all Evangelion units in Tokyo-3, and is responsible for the pilots’ health. Dr. Akagi, meet Asuka Langley Soryu, Pilot of Unit-02.” He knew that such an introduction would please Asuka, and distract her a bit too.

“Oh, hello, Dr. Akagi; pleased to meet you.” Both bowed respectfully. Asuka knew very well that Akagi’s reports were crucial for her continued status as pilot.

“Nice to meet you too, Asuka. Come with me, I need to do a medical check-up on you and Shinji. As he is still on board, let’s start with you, okay?”

Asuka’s smile dimmed a bit. Kaji intervened. “The sooner you start, the sooner you finish.” he said, flashing her with a smile. And with that, she went back to smiling. “Go with Ritsuko, I’ll watch Unit-02’s recovery team in the meanwhile.”

“Sure!” she turned to Ritsuko. “Lets go, Doctor!” Akagi looked at him significatively, and led Asuka towards the NERV Medical Mobile Unit.

Kaji sat down on the jeep’s driver seat, and got himself comfortable, waiting for Misato. He didn’t have to wait for long. The good captain was next to go down the plank. “Kaji? What are you doing here? Where’s Ritsuko?”

He got down from the car, and leaned on the hood. “In reverse order, Rits went with Asuka por her post-battle check-up; I was waiting for you; and yes, I am Kaji.”

Despite herself, Misato smiled. She was actually glad the big lug had come to the dock to welcome her. But she didn’t believe for a second that was all the reason he had to wait in the dock. “OK, What do you want? And be clear from the start.”

Kaji raised his hands conciliatorily. “Easy, Misato. I come in peace. I was at NERV HQ during the fight, heard your report, and came to see if you were okay.”

“Me?” she raised an eyebrow.

“Yep. Actually, you and the kids, but mostly you.” He opened the passenger’s door, and waited for Misato to get in the car. “Rits and Asuka will take a while. I guess you’ll want to get Unit-02 ready for transport, but the crew will need some time to get ready.” He pointed at the ridiculously huge crane by the dock. “I happen to know a little restaurant nearby, we could get something to go and eat it here at the dock. Well… I hope it’s still there, they made a really good shrimp and fish salad. We could be back in less than half an hour, five minutes tops if I have to get you back urgently, three if you still drive like I taught you.” He smirked at the last part.

She waited for him to occupy the driver’s seat, and slapped him on the shoulder, laughing; ready to voice her objections, but before she could speak, the groaning of her belly took the decision for her. “OK, but it better be really near. I don’t want to be far when Shinji awakes.”

Kaji was about to turn the car key. He furrowed his brow and he turned towards Misato. “Is he okay?”

“Mostly, but he has a really nasty headache. He managed to use Unit-02’s AT Field in ways we didn’t think possible. But it was too much of a mental effort for him. His nose bled for a while; it was a bit like in the old anime shows, you know what I mean. The medic on board the Over the Rainbow gave him some aspirins, and put him in a darkened room to rest; he’s better now. But he was too tired and fell asleep. His friends Toji and Kensuke are with him.”

Kaji looked at her. “A nose bleed?” Something was itching at the edge for his mind, like a memory half-gone. He shrugged, maybe it would come back to him. Maybe not. But for the moment, he had some time to talk with Misato.

Gotham City
Cordoned-off Area, Near the Iceberg Lounge
February 19th, 2003; 3:47 A.M

“(Make sure nobody enters. I want every officer on site in hazmat suits. Officers at the perimeter, in gas masks. Everybody, ready your weapons. I don’t want any surprises.)” Commissioner Gordon spoke gruffly in the microphone. ‘At least it isn’t snowing,’ he thought. His workload had increased since Second Impact; and worse, the disappearance of Batman and his allies had been a hard blow to Gotham City

It was a cold comfort for him that his daughter, Barbara, formerly Batgirl, was confined to a wheelchair since that murderous maniac had shot her some years before, and therefore, away from the frontlines. Still, her news had shocked him to the bone; the only other survivor of the Batfamily was the original Robin, who had later taken the mantle of Nightwing.

The man had suffered career-stopping injuries. The Batman’s legacy had been shot down to pieces saving the world. After a long and grueling physical rehabilitation, the former Teen Wonder had rallied back to the fight, now as CEO of Wayne Enterprises. Although he would never walk again without the use of a heavily reinforced harness on his left leg, and a cane.

His right elbow had been crushed, and the series of operations he had endured wouldn’t give him back the mobility and feeling he once had. For a very human crime-fighter, that was the end. But for him, the fight was far from over, Nightwing was no more, but Dick Grayson still had the will to fight, and his deceased mentor had left him with the means to do it, in a very different arena.

Officially, Bruce Wayne and the others had been lost at sea, victims of a storm that had sunk their yatch. Dick Grayson the only survivor found.

Actually, they had died stopping Ra’s al Ghul’s latest genocidal plan. Tim Drake, Helena Bertinelli, Stephanie Brown, Cassandra Cain, even Metamorpho and Katana were gone. They had saved the world one last time.

Meanwhile, the costumed criminals that made their turfs in the old city had become unusually cautious. However, more pedestrian corruption was rampant.

Commissioner Gordon shook down his remembrances, he had a job to do, and a distraction could prove fatal, not only for him, but also for the officers under his command.

The day before, a deranged and badly injured man had come out from the Iceberg Lounge, laughing and crying like crazy, claiming that he had survived. Not for long, the man had died before he could be taken to the hospital. He was later identified as Crooked Jack Stone, a two-bit enforcer for one of Gotham’s minor crime families.

Commisioner Gordon obtained an order to enter the place. Long experience with the criminal element in the city made him mobilize a good chunk of the police force, the Penguin held a tight reign over both his minions and his guests. The place was considered neutral ground for the criminal element of the whole city. A gunfight there would be a signal of, at least, a gang war. From the doors and windows, green smoke had filtered out the next hours. He feared the Joker had come back, and without the Batman to stop him, the body count could easily reach hundreds of victims.

He was standing behind a patrol car, putting on the uncomfortable hazmat suit. He checked all seals were secure, and before putting on the heavy duty helmet, he put a comm bead on his ear, checking it worked. Once suited, he looked around, seeing Renee Montoya had already finished with the heavy suit, and was helping Detective Harvey Bullock put on his own. Despite the suits size, Bullock’s paunch stretched the suit around the middle. “(Damnation! Don’t they make these damn plastic pajamas in adult sizes?)” He grumbled.

Detective Renee Montoya rolled her eyes. “(Shut up, Bullock. This is the largest suit in the catalog. Any larger has to be custom made. And we don’t have the budget for it. Just lay off the box of donuts before you go to sleep.)” Bullock glared at her. And he somehow managed to not burst the seams.

“(Ready, Sir.)” Montoya checked her weapon. Handling it with the gloves of the suit was unconfortable, but still manageable.

“(OK, start the air supply now, and check the emergency filters, now.)” A comforting hum filled the suits, for as long as the suits remained sealed, they were protected from any Joker Venom in the air.

The trio walked heavily to the entrance. The bomb squad had already okayed the ground level. There were no explosives on sight, and a robot had opened the doors. The remote control machine had checked the ground floor, and there was nothing in evidence. Just the expected tables and chairs, everything on its place. The place was apparently clean.

“(Damn… this is creepy.)” Bullock mumbled. “(I hate this kind of empty places.)”

Gordon glared at him. “(Be silent.)” He was just as spooked as Bullock, but wasn’t eager to give his position to any armed mook, no more than strictly necessary.

At a signal from Gordon, more officers entered the building, in small groups; all of them sealed inside their hazmat suits. Some of them carried heavy weapons and electronic equipment donated by Bruce Wayne months before. State of the art equipment, some were even prototypes from S.T.A.R. Labs or WayneTech, courtesy of Dick Grayson; being put to the test in field conditions.

The policemen made a sweep on all the main level. A mobile control unit was set up over the tables. Electronic scanners were passed over every surface. They were going to check everything before proceeding further.

There were no surprises. No bombs, no bullet holes, no corpses, no bloodstains. In every way, the Iceberg Lounge was nothing but an ordinary restaurant, closed for the night. An image the Penguin had worked hard to achieve and maintain.

For hours, they checked and rechecked every door, every window, every wall, and every square inch of floor and ceiling. Even the columns were checked; looking for secret compartments or hidden rooms or passages. Eventually, they found the secret elevator that connected an innocuous looking Janitor Closet with the secret basement.

“(Oh, God..!)” A hissed report from the robot controller filled the ground level posts. “(…Commissioner… it was a massacre..)”

Behind him, Gordon and several other officers looked at the monitor screen. Looking at the images the robot was sending. The walls and columns were full of bullet holes, some were almost covered in bloodstains. Large bloodstains. But that was to be expected, in a way.

All around the secret basement, corpses. All of them had the twisted facial rictus caused by the Joker’s Venom. Many faces were still recognizable as gangsters and goons. A few seemed to be costumed villains. The Mad Hatter still held a broken teacup in his fingers. Mr. Freeze’s helmet had been cracked violently, his face was the only one around that wasn’t contorted in a hideous smile, but frozen in a horrified gasp. He must have died from exposure to room temperature air before the Joker Venom could affect him; his right hand still clutched his throat. Still, a ghastly smile had been painted on him with red lipstick.

Further away, the Penguin lay on his back, his tricked out umbrella barely held between his fingers. His characteristic monocle had fallen to the floor and broken in pieces. Harvey Dent’s disfigured face now held an equally horrible expression on both sides.

“(What the hell..?)” Bullock hissed. “(The Joker killed them? All of them? Why?)”

“(Shh… He might still be around.)” Montoya scolded him. She squeezed the shoulder of the controller. “(Go on.)”

Gordon transmitted in the general frequency “(I want everybody on maximum alert, if the Joker shows his face, shoot to disable once you have a positive ID on him. I don’t want a mistaken ID massacre on our hands.)”

The robot kept moving. Its tracks were able to climb up the corpses whenever it couldn’t find a ground route. The operator was both terrified and relieved. The sheer amount of criminals dead would put a very noticeable dent on the crime statistics of the city; but on the other hand, for the Joker such a killing spree was merely the opening act.

Finally, the robot went around a column, and there he was. The Clown Prince of Crime himself, sitting peacefully on a chair. Next to him, on a table, rested a videocamera. He wasn’t moving. His eyes were wide open, staring glassily ahead. But his mouth wasn’t contorted in that damned smile of his. He looked… for lack of a better word, sad.

“(Uh… He isn’t moving, Sir. Do I tase him?)” At a nod from Gordon, the officer flipped a cover, and pressed a button, a taser was shot at the Joker. The wires flew through the air, impacting the villain right in the middle of his chest. His body spasmed violently, and fell wordlessly to the floor. The body went deadly still once the electric charge had dissipated. “(Is he dead?)” was the surprised murmur around them. “(Is he faking? Might be a double…)”

Gordon silenced the rumors with a sharp word.

The robot’s camera focused on a plexiglass box behind the Joker (or Joker wannabe). It contained an emaciated Harley Quinn. The Joker’s moll was slumped in a corner, tapping weakly at the glass. Her red and black harlequin outfit was torn and ragged. Her buffon hat skewed over her head, her blonde hair poking under it. She could barely lift her head. The domino mask she used hanged loosely from an ear, barely holding up by the buffoon hat. Her white make-up showed streaks of her pale skin, especially where tears had run down. Her unfocused gaze was lost in horrified madness. Her lips moved, mouthing something. Gordon read her lips. “(Help me, please… I’ll be good, please, I p-p-promise… Let me out, please… P-p-p-please, Puddin’…)”

A piece of paper was taped to the glass. It looked like gift-wrapping paper, decorated with… wait, were those bats? Who even made such a thing?

It held a note, written with green crayon.

“(Do not open until X-Mas, or after
Jimmy G. & His All-Smurfs Happy Band
have taken her to the Hospital; whatever comes first.

With loving hate,

Uncle J.

P.S. Remove the bomb before moving her.
It’s under the wheeled thingie.

P.P.S. I still hate you all.)”

Two hours later, a sinister convoy had assembled at the Iceberg Lounge. The Coroner’s Office had run out of ambulances to move the corpses, and had resorted to use hearses. From the top of a building, a grim figure pulled his fedora down, watching the vehicles, he had listened to the police band and now had questions that needed answers. This wasn’t his city, but he was between cases, and had noticed the absence of the regular protector of the city. He wanted to know the reason.

The Question tightened his trench coat around his waist. His eyes, hidden behind his featureless mask, didn’t miss a single detail. Not an easy feat, despite the lateness of the hour, a veritable circus had gathered around the Iceberg Lounge. The media had arrived, vultures attracted by the stench of death and madness.

By the time the bomb squad had removed the bomb, powerful enough to blow the whole Iceberg Lounge to small pieces, Harley had fainted, the medical officer who checked her as best she could through the glass walls of her cage had diagnosed a severe dehydration. She had been locked inside for who knows how long, there were a few oxygen tanks attached to the box, but they were nearly empty.

Plexiglass box and Harley were loaded into a moving truck, and the vehicle departed, with a whole platoon of cops inside. Two patrol cars and six motorcycles escorted the truck. Not so much to protect the patient, but to protect everybody else from whatever surprises the Joker might have left with, around, below, or even inside her.

Behind his featureless mask, the Question raised an eyebrow.

Tokyo-3
Katsuragi/Ikari Apartment
That evening

Shinji had decided to indulge in some cello practice to close the day. The fights he had been in had been exhausting, physically and emotionally..

In a way, it had been easier to fight Gaghiel. All he had to do about the Angel was survive and make sure the Angel was dead. Asuka required a more delicate touch… No, not delicate… Actually, yes, delicate was the word; the German pilot was like a landmine with a hair trigger. Well, at least they made a good team. They had coordinated well during the fight…

But afterwards… Oh, boy; the accusations of him trying to steal her glory, and worse, of being a pervert… Well, he had been warned she was volatile, both by the Phantom Stranger and Misato.

He knew what he was getting into.

Kind of.

Remotely.

Okay, not at all… Shinji frowned.

He hadn’t expected such... intensity.

After finally docking at New Yokosuka, and being released from the sick bay (still nursing a headache, thank you very much; he now had a much greater respect for Green Lantern), he walked down the stairs with Asuka’s spare plugsuit neatly folded in a plastic bag, holding another plastic bag, this one full of ice, to his forehead. Asuka’s plugsuit was too tight for him, it would have been too tight even before he started his physical training, the suit simply had no space for some… bits… of his anatomy.

The sailors had donated a uniform for him, but it hung loose on his frame. Turns out the sailors had been about to fight for the chance of donating their clothes to the boy. The Admiral had glared at them until they calmed down, and ordered them to draw lots. In the end, one of the biggest sailors had won (to the envy of his mates. He insisted on getting a picture of him and Shinji; to prevent further incidents, Kensuke was volunteered by the Captain to take the picture), and now the ends of the pants were bunched around Shinji’s ankles. He certainly looked like a kid with his father’s clothes. Not that he remembered having done such a thing.

While Shinji descended the plank with Toji, Kensuke waited for them at the dock, eagerly recording as the recovery crew hooked Unit-02 to incredibly thick chains to put it in a cyclopean railcar container. Misato was nowhere in sight.

“Feeling better, pal?” Toji looked worried. Kensuke put down his camera.

“Yeah… My head hurts; but all in all, I’m okay. The doctor says the headache should be gone in a few hours. And my nose stopped bleeding by the time I was in the sick bay.”

Both his friends sighed in relief. It was at this point that Misato arrived in a jeep. To Shinji’s surprise, Mr. Kaji was with her, holding a bag with food containers with his left hand. The man smiled approvingly at him, extending his fist to the boy. Shinji fist-bumped him a moment later.

Later on, preliminary check-up in the Mobile Med Unit; and at NERV, the contamination tests and the debriefing. He was glad the Over the Rainbow had docked about 1:30 PM. Had it been much later, Dr. Akagi would probably had kept him with Asuka in NERV’s Medical Wing for the night. And his nerves were frayed enough.

He had no desire to ever try again the A-T Field manipulation trick he had managed in Unit-02; his headache had lasted for hours; and he feared a second try would have grave consequences, even with the help of the Phantom Stranger.

Dr. Akagi had made up a semi-plausible explanation, one that didn’t took any external factors into account. Having two pilots in the plug allowed them to share the brainload by synching with each other and with Unit-02. Leaving Asuka free to fight while he managed the A-T Field. And luckily, Dr. Akagi had agreed that trying to manipulate the A-T-Field that way again would be dangerous, and had forbidden him and Asuka to try again, especially alone.

As it was, Asuka had glared at him sideways, and requested a guest room at NERV HQ, to stay the night. He sighed. At least she had refrained from assaulting him physically. Right now, the only thing he wanted was to rest his mind. He began his exercises, to loose his fingers and focus his mind. After a little while, he felt he was ready to begin. He set a partiture upon the stand, and began to play. He lost himself in the music, and didn’t realize when the outer door opened; a girl with blue hair and scarlet eyes entered the place. Surprised by the music, she remained still, standing in the hall, outside Shinji’s view. Listening him play.

Tokyo-3
NERV’s Guest Apartment Nr. 7
That Night

Asuka Langley Soryu lay her head on the pillow; she put her hands behind the back of her head, deep in thought. It had been a full and weird day. She looked intently to the unfamiliar ceiling of the small guests apartment. Kaji had gone away two hours before. She was a bit annoyed by that, but she accepted that until he had his own place, it would be better she stayed somewhere else.

She was quite angry, she felt a bit betrayed. Shinji ikari hadn’t lived up to the standard she held him up. The very same she applied to herself. Oh, sure, he had done acceptably well during the battle. He had kept his head on the fight, and he even had improvised what, according to Misato and Dr. Akagi, was a nearly impossible feat. He had done quite well until the very end, when he threw himself over her. Obviously with perverted intentions.

However…

Usually Misato was a good judge of character, except for her Kaji-shaped blind spot. Asuka couln’t understand how Misato had thrown away her relationship with Kaji. But… she was secretly glad. It just left the way clear for her. If only Kaji realized she was the only woman who could be up to his level, and the age gap be damned to Hell.

She turned around. She was terribly tired, but sleep eluded her. The face of the Third Child kept popping up in her thoughts. Damn! She wanted to dream of Kaji and her; not about the Third Stooge!

She turned to the other side. Misato vouched for him, and Asuka was somewhat willing to believe that Ikari would keep his hands for himself around Misato. Anyway, she wasn’t completely sure Misato’s little pretense of sleeping was Stooge-proof. But she herself was on a very different level. To begin with, she was obviously a better choice, she was around his age, a certified genius, a better pilot, and there surely were many more reasons for him to prefer her, but she would think of them tomorrow.

Hmm… Well… In the deepest corner of her heart, she was secretly flattered about his reaction, wasn’t she the most beautiful woman he could ever meet? Even the exotic First Child paled (heh, heh!) next to her. Asuka smiled wickedly at her own pun.

She jumped down from the bed, and pulled her suitcase from under the bed. Asuka took the letters she had received via Ikari, plus the copies she kept of her own letters; and began to read them again. Surely there was something there she could use to her advantage. She was certain she could somehow provoke him into dropping his good-boy act. Preferably in public.

And then, she would shot him down spectacularly! Now, that would teach him not to mess with the Great Asuka Langley Soryu!

But for that to work, she would have to be somewhat civil around him. Lest he suspected anything. For the moment, she would pretend Misato had convinced her of his innocence.

Tokyo-3
Commander’s Lair
That Night

Kozo Fujutsuki took the phone off its hook. “Hello? Ah, Commander. Everything went fine. Yes, I have the final report with me. I’ll leave it in your safe for your review. In short, the Sixth Angel was destroyed, almost to the letter of the projections. I have sent a recovery team to look for the core fragments.” He paused. “Um… there was a strange development. I’ll send you the data tomorrow. As you already know, both pilots were in Unit-02’s plug at the same time. During the fight, the Second Child took care of the physical aspect of the fight, and, according to both Captain Katsuragi and the data logs from Unit-02, Shinji somehow managed to use Unit-02’s AT Field to propel the Eva underwater.”

He listened to the Commander’s answer.

“No, I doubt he could manage to repeat it. Dr. Akagi reports that it was very taxing for Shinji. He presented a minor nasal haemorrhage during the fight, and is currently suffering the residual effects of what could have turned into a migraine. After Akagi finished her tests, he was sent back to Captain Katsuragi’s home, he should rest now. No, I assigned a chauffeur and a nurse to accompany him home. Both report he’s in good health. I just thought best to err on the side of caution. Akagi’s exams show no permanent damage. He should recover completely with some days of home rest.”

He listened again.

“Understood. No. Captain Katsuragi reported that although they managed to act together in combat, they clashed afterwards.”

“Soryu thinks Shinji is a… let me check,” Fujutsuki passed several pages of the transcripts file, until he found the exact text; “I’m quoting her directly. She called him a ‘glory-hogging idiot’, and previously, it seems she called him a ‘pervert’; this was barely recorded by Unit-02’s comms; she was outside the plug at the moment.” He put the stack of papers back in the desk. “I have serious doubts about the wisdom of keeping them together.”

“Well. I guess that is better. The Second Child asked for a guest apartment to spend the night. I’ll talk with Rei tomorrow. To inform her she will have a roommate soon. And, for the record, I think she will clash with Rei too.”

He put the phone back in its place, and placed the reports and documents in a hidden safe, closing it before leaving the cavernous office.

For once, there was no sarcastic comment from the spiritual plane.

C.C. Haly and Norton Bros. Circus
Moscow-2

“(Where in New Genesis is that girl?)” Oberon mumbled to himself. He passed a hand over his ever receding hairline. “(We have to pack the equipment now, or the train will leave us.)”

“(Shilo! Have you seen M’raia?)” He asked the brightly clad Mr. Miracle, who busied himself checking the handcuffs he had bought for the next leg of the tour, and that would be turned into scrap metal by sets of three by the time he and M’raia had finished with each show.

“(Hum. No. After the show, she excused herself and I haven’t seen her since. Did you check in the mess?)”

“(Yes! It was the first place I looked. Where could she be? We have to pack everything, and she’s the only one who can pick up the Deadly Razorsaws Trap.)”

Shilo Norman, apprentice and successor of Scott Free, stood up. He put his yellow and red mask on, and looked around. A holographic image superimposed over the area, a few blinks later, the holoimage pinpointed what could have been mistaken for a red flag, flapping in the wind, but actually was a scarlet red cloak. “(There she is. At the top of the centerpost. I’ll get her.)” He stood up, putting the handcuffs back in their box. With his big toes, he pushed a button inside his boots, two disks appeared below his feet. A gift from his friend and predecessor. He took flight, and a few seconds later, he was tens of feet above ground, and easily got neat the center post. “(Hey, girl! Oberon has been looking for you.)”

She huddled in her cape, and turned around. She had been crying, Shilo saw the tears in her eyes. He flew around the post to keep facing her.

“(C’mon, kid, cheer up! We have a lot to do.)” Softly, he put a hand on her shoulder, and with the other, carefully wiped the tears from her cheeks, the girl just shook her head. “(I’m not in the mood.)” she said, miserably.

Shilo recognized her tone. Somehow, he managed to sit, cross-legged in the air. He sighed. “(I miss them too, M’raia. Every day. But if I learned anything from your parents, is that we can never surrender. Your dad wouldn’t like to see you sad. And your mom would tie me in knots if she could see you like this.)”

Remembering her mother’s characteristic direct approach to, well, everything, she smiled wanly. “(I know, but I miss them so much! Why couldn’t they take me back to New Genesis with them?)”

“(Honey, you know why… Although you are a very brave girl, you need more experience before getting mixed in a war. Especially one at the level of the New Gods. Scott and Barda grew up in Apokolips, and they didn’t want you to ever know such despair.)”

M’raia sobbed. “(Do you think they are… alive?)”

“(Kid, I know they are. And you know why?)” She looked at him, right into his eyes. The question was etched in her face. Shilo answered his own question, “(Because there is no way Darkseid could ever catch them again. They have escaped his clutches so many times it’s even funny. Not even Himon has escaped death so many times, and he is a professional martyr!)” He smiled at her, his teeth seemed to shine in the dark. “(Tell you what. Take five minutes more, and then we both help Oberon to pack the heavy equipment. We will get the containers ready in the meanwhile. Okay?)”

“(…okay…)” Her voice sounded so small… Usually, M’raia was a bundle of energy and joy; but each year, around the anniversary of the day Scott Free and Barda had left her in his care, M’raia felt sad and depressed. She had been about six years old then, and she had grown tall and lanky since. Shilo could see she would be as tall and strong as her Mother, Big Barda, and as thin and agile as his father, Mr. Miracle. He hoped both would return someday.

But right here, right now, there was equipment to pack, and a train to board. He flew down to the ground, and he and Oberon looked up at her, waving their hands for a moment. Then they went to start their work on the containers.

M’raia stood on the little platform on top of the central post, and fixed her sight on the North Star’s greenish glow. Back when she was seven years old, she had decided that the North Star was where her parents were. Now she knew that New Genesis and Apokolips were in another dimension, but she still looked at the North Star to remember her family.

Tokyo-3
Katsuragi/Ikari Apartment
Present Day, Evening

“I do not know what should I do. Advice would be welcome, Shinji.” Rei’s soft voice startled Shinji back into the real world, he had been so focused on his music he hadn’t noticed her presence until she spoke.

“B-what? Uh… What do you mean, Rei?”

“I feel like I should be doing something to show my appreciation for…” she waved her hand awkwardly. “You play very well.”

“Did you like it?” Shinji asked, somewhat incredulous. He had learned to play the cello to have something to do; but he didn’t consider himself any good.

“Yes.” She answered with her tiny smile.

Shinji frowned. He realized his headache had gone while he played, unknowingly, for Rei. “If you like a performance, be it music, theatre, dance, the usual way to show it is by clapping. If it was very, very good, sometimes people whistle too.”

She blinked twice and nodded. She started to clap, slowly and with a bit of clumsiness, as she wasn’t used to that particular activity. “I apologize, I do not know how to whistle.”

Shinji smiled warmly at her while he put the bow and chello back in their case. “Don’t worry, it wasn’t that good, really.”

New York
S.T.A.R. Labs
August the 16th, 1999

“(How cute! He thinks you are his gramps!)”

“(…but i’m not, doctor forest…)”

“(Don’t worry, Buddy; just humor him for a while.)”

“(…Yes, doctor forest… …come, andy….)” The janitor, Norman “Buddy” Blank, offered a hand to the blond child his boss, Dr. Myra Forest, had brought with her to work. Obediently, the toddler grasped the hand of the man, and the two went to the vending machine.

Dr. Forest knew Norman since the man had started work in S.T.A.R. Labs, about ten years before. He was friendly and eager to please. He had a slight deterioration in his brain. And Myra had made sure that he would have a job for as long as she worked in S.T.A.R. Labs. She tried to keep him around, he was extremely careful and methodical in his job, and he rarely asked questions. Before Norman, or Buddy, as he preferred to be called, could take the child out, the kid flung the toy he had been chewing on, and a few drops of his saliva splattered on a glass slide. No one noticed the event.

“(Very well.)” She turned back to his boss. “(Now, where were we? Ah, yes. This is the control system for a very special satellite. It blends a finely tuned Artificial Inteligence, with an experimental remote electrosurgery unit. This will revolutionize battlefield treatment for soldiers. Just imagine, sir, a surgeon that can go anywhere in the world without delay!)”

Mr. Henson, the chief administrator of the branch, wasn’t impressed. “(Quite interesting, I’m sure, but I’ll need to see a test.)”

“(Of course, see. This is subject O-636, a perfectly healthy lab rat.)” She held up a white rat, the animal was a young adult, in the best physical conditions a rat could be. “(The AI already has its cell structure on file, and will be able to reconstruct any damage inflicted.)” Carefully, Dr. Forest injected some anesthetic in the rat’s body. And, once the animal was unconscious, deftly cut its tail with a scalpel.

“(Brother Eye?)”

An electronic voice responded. “(Yes. Dr. Forest? How can I be of assistance?)”

Mr. Henson raised an eyebrow, and before Dr. Forest could speak, asked. “(Brother Eye? What kind of name is that?)”

“(Ah, well; you see, sir.)” Dr. Forest smiled sheepishly, “(The official designation is Project Sky Surgeon, but one of the boys in programming decided to play a joke on us, inserting a little code in the main programming; instead of AI, it hears the word “Eye”, and the same kid has the habit of calling his co-workers “brother”, hence, “Brother Eye”, it seems the AI likes the name. It has asked to be referred to as Brother Eye instead of Sky Surgeon. The informal nomenclature doesn’t impact on its performance.)”

“(Ok. Go ahead.)” The man nodded magnanimously.

“(Very well, Brother Eye, Start the regeneration process on subject O-636 when you are ready.)”

“(Starting, Dr. Forest.)”

She smiled at her boss. “(Please pay attention to the wound, sir.)”

Before Mr. Henson’s eyes, an energy field coalesced around the rat, instantly, the tail stump started to glow, and also, to grow back. A few seconds later, the rat’s tail was complete again.

“(As an extra, we are preparing a process to enhance the subject’s physical prowess, strength, agility, stamina, even the processing power of the brain. At this point, Brother Eye has started to work on the modifications needed to boost a single rat up to the level of an average cat. Temporarily, of course; we have no intention to create super-rats. Brother Eye can revert the enhancing process anytime; however, any regeneration is permanent, unless the subject is wounded again. We think that the same enhancing process could be refined to work on humans, although it could be very draining for the subject. So it should be used sparingly. At this point, it is merely theoretical; but I estimate Brother Eye could do the calculations in a matter of a few months; provided it had the necessary data.)”

“(Impressive, Dr. Forest. I’ll greenlight the funds to push this technology forward. Now,)” he fumbled with his cell phone.”(If you excuse me, I have a very important reunion.)”

“(Yes, sir! Thank you!)”

“(Ah, could you start the sequencing of the next batch of subjects? I think we will need a few tests in a couple of months.)”

“(Of course. I’ll load the samples in the sequencer right now.)”

Germany
January the 8th, 1966
Kiehl Manor

“(Herr Doctor Kiehl)?” A small and mousy man entered the lobby of the mansion, guided by a hulking butler. “(I found it.)”

Lorenz Kiehl waved the man into his study, dismissing the butler. “(Does it work?)”

“(I’m not really sure, it was badly damaged. It has… hum… repaired itself up to a point, but I didn’t want to risk imprinting on it. I think you should try. Or a man designed by you.)”

Kiehl nodded, guiding his guest to the study. They pulled opposite chairs, and sat down. Kiehl put a think set of eyeglasses on, his eyes were worse every year. He had made discreet enquiries, and had obtained one of the discarded robotic bodies used by Cliff Steele. His scientists were reverse-engineering the optic sensors. However, not a single member of his pet scientists was on the level of Niles Caulder. He sighed, and hoped they could manage to adapt the sensors into a useful device, even if it wouldn’t be as compact as Robotman’s eyes.

The man pulled a little package from his suitcase. There it was, wrapped in simple brown paper. One of the most powerful alien devices ever found on Earth. Deceivingly small. A technology centuries light ahead of anything the Human Race could currently achieve; Earth tech wasn’t even able to analyse the thing! And still… it was easy to use, adaptable, and even somewhat self-aware.

“(To whom did this belong, Anders?)” he grumbled.

“(We are not sure, sir.)”

Kiehl nodded again. “(Let’s see if it still works. What do I have to do?)”

“(Well… according to some reports, the owner must project his own emotions into the device. But I must warn you. We do not know if this one is still imprinted onto its previous owner or if it is ready for the next.)”

“(Hmph.)” Kiehl took the little device from the hands of his agent. Carefully unwrapping it. It was a rectangular box, about the size of a deck of cards. Maybe a bit larger. He put it on the table, and studied it with a magnifying glass. With a start, he noticed a series of symbols on the sides, they were an exact match for the ones in the Dead Sea Scrolls.

“(Leave me, Anders.)” He looked at the small man. “(Your fee will be deposited into your account this evening at the most.)” He took the phone and instructed someone on the other side to make the deposit immediately. Anders stood up, bowed, and left the manor silently.

Kiehl watched intently the little box for several minutes. His nose started to bleed. He didn’t pay attention to that.

Long minutes passed, a single “Ping!” was heard in the study.

Outside Kiehl Manor, Anders stepped into a car and drove away. Once he was far enough, a purplish light enveloped his body, and when it dissipated, his feeble and meek form had been replaced by a tall and slender feminine body.

She laughed softly. Her laughter was like the ring of silver bells. “(Soon, my love. Soon we will be reunited.)” she said, in a language older than the oldest human civilization. She shook her long silky mane of thick hair, black as the darkest night; and, with a small tinkling light, disappeared.

Tokyo-3
Katsuragi/Ikari Apartment
Present Day, Later

“I think you must be very patient with her, Rei.”

“She slapped you. Three times.” Rei’s face wasn’t as placid as usual. Shinji had seen that particular expression on her face only once. And he had been slapped before seeing it.

“Rei, take it easy. I want you to be her friend too. She is one of us.”

“She slapped you.” Rei insisted.

“I know. It isn’t the first time I’ve been slapped over a mistake.”

Puzzled, Rei looked at him, understanding came to her an instant later. She blushed.

Shinji continued. “Look, Rei.” He took her hands between his. “Asuka felt she had valid reasons to slap me. So did you. Heck, even Toji did the same! And we are friends now, right?.” She nodded. “I don’t want you both fighting. So I have to ask you to keep a cool head and think instead of just reacting to her. We will need each other in battle. And I want all of us to be friends away from the fights. Please, Rei, try to be her friend. She doesn’t realize it yet, but she is as alone as we are. As we were before. Now, we both have friends. And they are important to us, aren’t they?”

Rei stared at his eyes. Shinji had never lied to her. And she trusted him. In the recent past, she had come to value the time she spend with him and his friends; now her friends too. Toji was a bit too loud for her taste, but she knew he meant well. Kensuke and Hikari were more subdued, but each one had a vibrant sense of life. She wondered how would the Second Child be, once they knew each other better.

“Very well. I will try. But I will not stand idle if she tries to harm you.”

“Thank you, Rei.”

And right at that moment, when they were holding hands and looking intensely at each other’s eyes, they heard a soft click and were hit by a bright light from the door. Misato had arrived, cell phone in hand, smiling like the cat that ate the canary.

“Oh, yes! I knew it! There’s romance in the air! Go on, kiss already!”

Shinji gasped and his face went from pale to purple in two seconds flat, a new record. “It’s not like that, M-M-Misato!”

“Captain Katsuragi. You have interrupted a private talk,” Rei said, completely calm, “and for the record, there is no romantic involvement between Pilot Ikari and myself. We are only friends.”

“Really? Because you looked very cute together.” She smiled again.

“That might be the case, but things are very different. Be so kind to erase that picture from your phone. It would cause undue stress on Shinji.” Her eyes gleamed. “That could affect his synch ratios.”

Misato’s face fell. “Aww… Do I have to?”

“Yes. Should things evolve in the direction you expect, we will notify you immediately.”

Shinji had a coughing fit. That was one road he would never take. Rei was his sister, in the name of… He didn’t know who could he swear by, even in his own mind. He decided to look for a good phrase that some hero had used at some point. Although at the moment, the only one to come to his mind was that the second Flash used to say “Flash fact!” after revealing he had taken advantage of some obscure scientific fact to defeat a villain or solve a problem.

In the end, after a long session of give-and-take, Misato did erase the photo. But only after managing to get a solemn promise from both of them that she would be the main maid of honor should they marry. Not necessarily to each other, Shinji insisted.

A Possible XXVIth Century
Ruins of NERV-2 (Nevada)
Evangelion Unit-04 Cage

The thundering voice of the silver effigy boomed again, causing a cascade of dust to fall over the two explorers. “(Are they gone?)”

Both Kamandi and Canus covered their ears. The voice tried to whisper. “(Oh, right. Sorry.)” Somehow, it spoke again, at a more reasonable volume. “(I had the silly thing at full volume. Better?)”

Cautiously, Kamandi uncovered his ears, and helped Doctor Canus to stand. His friend’s earing was so sensitive the words of the giant would have been a torture for him. Canus shook his head several times, trying to shake off the buzzing inside his head.

“(Please, don’t be scared. I won’t hurt you.)” The giant tilted its head. “(Are the gorillas really gone?)” Kamandi kept a hand on Doctor Canus’ shoulder, ready to drag him down the stairs if necessary. Keeping one eye on the giant, he looked down. There was no trace of the gorillas, except for a few discarded rifles and clubs.

Kamandi shouted, “(They are gone from this place, but I don’t know if they are hiding in the next cave!)”

“(Could you go check? Ah, and you don’t have to shout. I can hear you quite fine.)” Kamandi looked at Canus, who still clutched his head. The scientist nodded. “(I think she won’t harm us. Had she wanted to, she could have done so already.)”

A few minutes later, Kamandi came back, he had several rifles tied up in a sling at his back. “(No sense leaving these for them, should they come back.)”

By then, Doctor Canus had recovered from the deafening words of the giant. And was comfortably sitting on the platform. To Kamandi’s amazement, the silver giant was bobbing her head, singing a song. Doctor Canus was following it with eager enthusiasm.

“(It’s the end of the world as we know it.
It’s the end of the world as we know it.
It’s the end of the world as we know it.)”   Sang the giant.

“(And I feel fine!)” chorused Canus, smiling.

“(Hey, doc. Your friend is back.)” She said. Canus looked like he would have liked to keep on singing.

Near the door, Kamandi checked on the rifles ammo. “(Empty.)” He checked another. The last three rifles still had some ammo left. “(I’ll unload these and keep the bullets for the best two of the bunch.)”

He looked up at the giant. “(Thank you. Those gorillas would have killed us.)”

“(Any time, cutie. Now, I would really like to stretch my legs, be a dear and go back a couple of doors. There’s a panel by the frame. It should be working. Press the red button and then the numbers 3-7-2-6.)”

Kamandi did as asked. A heavy steel door descended with a hiss, blocking the frame completely. It reminded him of the bunker he had grown up; and also, of his dead grandfather.

When he got back, Doctor Canus was busy asking a lot of questions to the giant. She seemed happy to talk to the scientist. Kamandi was curious too. “(What’s your name, giant? I am Kamandi, and my friend here is Doctor Canus.)”

“(Wait, just let me get out of here first.)”

Canus and Kamandi looked at each other. If the giant moved out of her confinement, she could bring the whole place down over their heads.

With a hiss, the giant tilted her head forward, and the plates on her back slid over themselves. A white tube came out from the back. Canus gasped, and Kamandi almost dropped the rifle he had on his hands. The tube opened, and from it, a brown-haired girl, with red rimmed eyeglasses and dressed with a strange pink suit, waved at them.

She jumped down to the platform with a grace worthy of the leopard people. She glomped the astonished Kamandi. “(Hi, cutie, I’m Mari Illustrious Makinami!)” She hugged Kamandi, her eyeglasses askew on her nose.

Dr. Canus’ fur stood on end as soon as the plug had opened.

A Possible XXXIst Century
Frontier of the Almeracian Empire
Legionnaires Diplomatic Mission

A heavy set man sat on a plush chair, surrounded by his closest friends. Despite the difference in age, he was considered a friend by most Legionnaires. The group had grown from a well-intentioned ideal mixed with a publicity stunt for politicians, into a respected force for good.

The Legion of Superheroes had been contacted by Lois Max-El, third of that name, current Empress of Almerac. She asked the Legion to investigate a strange derelict floating in the Empire’s border with the United Planets. Apparently, a giant robot had been found floating in space, near a mercantile route. As the markings it showed had been identified as of old terran origin, Lois III decided to open channels with the UP, specifically with Earth.

“(Mr. Brande.)”, Triad started respectfully, she had many reasons to be fond of her old boss. “(The almeracian representative asks permission to board the cruiser.)”

“(Send him or her the most respectful regards from Earth, the United Planets, the Legion and myself, my dear child. And grant them permission to board.)”

A few minutes later, a knock was heard on the pressurized outer hatch. Star Boy, checked the viewer. Mildly surprised to see a girl of an apparent terran age of 16 years, flying through space, without any life supporting systems, under her own power! “(Whoah! She just came to knock on our door! I knew almeracians were though, but I didn’t know how much.) Triad elbowed him in the ribs. “(Erm… opening the hatch.)”

An honour guard, consisting of Gates, Superboy, and Brainiac 5, on the right side of the entrance; while Apparition, Ultra-Boy, and Sensor, stood at the left, with the least humanoid, Gates, an insectoid; and Sensor, an ophidian, at the far end of the line. This was at the suggestion of Sensor, who was next in line for the throne of her planet. Gates was grumbling something about entitled sentients lording over other life-forms. A sharp word from Sensor reminded him that causing a diplomatic incident could start a war, where the oppressed people would end up fighting.

R.J. Brande, being the official representative of the UP, stood at the end of the group.. The almeracian representative entered the reception room, she was tall compared to an earthling, her long red hair was tied in a complicated ponytail; except for a rebellious spitcurl on her forehead, deep blue eyes, a haughty expression on her perfect face, and was wrapped in a long scarlet cloak than hung down to her knees, hiding her body. She wore blue pants and red boots.

“(Greetings, Legionnaires,)” she said, with a husky voice, barely a murmur, Brande got the impression that she was not shy, but simply hadn’t the need to raise her voice. “(My name is Lana Max-El. In the name of her royal majesty, my beloved cousin; Her Royal Empress Lois III, I welcome you to Almeracian territory. I trust your…)” she stopped mid sentence, looking intently at Superboy.

The young hero, looked sideways at Brainiac 5, his eyes asking silently ‘(What did I do this time?)’

Lana seemed to appear next to Superboy, her brow furrowed, looking deeply into his eyes and then to the S insignia on his chest. A spark of fury appeared in her eyes. “(Why are you wearing the crest of the royal family? How dare you?)” She flung her cloak open in a single movement, revealing the very same insignia on her own tunic.

Superboy raised his hands trying to be as diplomatic as possible. “(Whoa! Your ambassadorness! I got permission from the big boy himself! We’re cousins! Well, adoptive cousins, but it was his idea!)”

Lana put her hands on Superboy’s temples. “(I shall verify such a bold claim! Stand still!)”

The other Legionaires were almost ready to defend their friend, but Sensor raised her mechanical arms, and softly hissed. “(No! Let her check!)”

Superboy’s eyes glazed, his legs bucked under him for a second; while Lana held his head firmly in her hands. “(W-w-w-w-wooow…!)” he exhaled, smiling. A few seconds later, the almeracian released him, and to everybody’s surprise, knelt before a wobbly-legged Superboy, bowing her head deeply. “(My apologies, Lord. I had not realized I was in the presence of the lost young prince. I beg your forgiveness.)”

Superboy smiled that goofy smile he had whenever he didn’t want people to realize he was very, very out of his deep and tried to cover it. “(Uh… rise… erm… miss…)”

Gates sent Brainiac 5 a private message through the telepathic earplugs, “(So, does this means Kon-El is actually part of the decadent ruling class or what?)” he clicked his beak, enjoying the chance to watch what he knew would inevitably happen next.

Brainiac 5 facepalmed.

Olympus
Zeus’ Throne Room.
February 20th, 2009

“(I thank you for your welcome, Lord Zeus.)” The Phantom Stranger bowed his head fractionally. He was one of the few entities who could visit Olympus unannounced and get an audience with Zeus. He was also one of the few entities not born or raised in Olympus who wasn’t the least disoriented by the Escher-like construction of the place. Floors, walls and ceilings were practically interchangeable.

“(Stranger. What do you want?)” The Lord of Olympus asked irritably. “(There are many matters that demand my attention.)” Never one to go directly to the point, even in important matters.

The Phantom Stranger raised a hand. “(This is a grave matter we should discuss in private. Am I allowed..?)”

Zeus nodded brusquely, and both disappeared from Olympus and reappeared in the Quintessence Plane. Surrounded by darkness, and accompanied only by the image of the Earth, floating serenely.

“(Speak, Stranger. And you better have a very good reason to interrupt me.)”

“(It has come to my attention that all of the problems we have faced since Second Impact have been deliberately staged. Including the Second Impact itself.)”

“(WHAT?)” A lightning bolt appeared in Zeus’s hand. “(Explain yourself!)”

“(Second Impact was not an accident.)” The Stranger extended his hand, and an image appeared between them, Adam as he appeared just before his explosion. “(This is an ancient being. I haven’t been able to determine his origin, but his partial awakening was the detonant for Second Impact.)” He replayed the catastrophic event for Zeus.

“(Such power…)” Zeus gaped, horrified. “(It’s… It’s…)”

“(It’s still a danger. Alongside with another similar being that has been inert so far. Should either or both wake, life on Earth would be forfeited. Even the gods would be consumed.)”

Zeus crushed the lightning bolt in his hand. “(Unacceptable! We must stop such an event from happening!)”

“(I am working on that, Lord Zeus.)” The Stranger moved his hand again, and the image changed. “(I have found that these texts detail the events surrounding Second Impact. I have a partial translation, but it’s full of mistakes, omissions and speculation.)” A few pages of the Dead Sea Scrolls appeared before the Lord of Olympus. “(An accurate translation would be of great help to stop a Third Impact.)”

Zeus examined the image. “(I don’t recognize the letters, are these some kind of prophecies? I’ll have to ask the… the Graeae.)” He shuddered. Consulting the blind seers was always tricky, expensive, and fraught with danger. Not even the Father of the Gods took such a step lightly.

“(We need to find what these texts say. I don’t have access to the originals, only to copies I made myself. The originals are hidden even to the sight of ones like us. Along with the cabal that is using them and a few of their puppets.)”

“(How did you..? Doesn’t matter; guard your secrets. I’ll see what the Graeae say.)”

“(Thank you, Lord Zeus. I’ll ask the others for their council too.)”

“(Do it immediately. This can’t be allowed to happen. I’ll contact the other Sky Fathers and see if they know something. This is beyond any singular Pantheon. Maybe the Amazons… No. They are spread thin guarding an overflowing Tartarus.)” A flash of sadness passed through Zeus’ eyes.

“(She resides in Elyseum, doesn’t she? Your daughter?)” The Stranger’s voice was soft and soothing to Zeus ears.

“(Yes. And her comrades in arms are with her; how could I deny them the honor? They who fought by her side, even the ones who died away from her. I asked my brother Hades to reunite them. Except for one. One who was lost to the mists of time before the wave of death; the one who holds her heart and gave her his. She still waits for him. And she will wait until the end of time if I know her.)” There was a hint of pride in Zeus’ voice.

The Stranger nodded once. And Zeus was back in his palace.

Tokyo-3
First Municipal Junior High School, Class 2-A
Next Day, Before Class

“Well… yesterday was quite a fun-filled day, right, Shinji?” Toji sat on the edge of the seat next to his friend. “Red turned out to be a complete demon. Pity. She’s a real looker.”

Shinji continued his study of the wood grain on his desk. “I guess she has a short fuse, doesn’t mean she’s a bad person.”

Kensuke added his two cents. “At least we won’t be seeing her much. Surely NERV will send her to college or something. Sorry for you, you still have to see her at work.”

“Yeah,” added Toji. “Real nice package, but full of…”

“Suzuhara! Sit straight!” Hikari Horaki had entered the classroom. Toji obeyed without thinking. Kensuke facepalmed.

“Class Rep! Ah, sorry, I was just talking to Shinji.” He smiled awkwardly at her. “Er… Ah, I want to thank you for the food you gave us yesterday, it was delicious.”

Hikari’s frown softened, “R-really? How… how nice of you to say that…” She blushed cutely.

Shinji and Kensuke exchanged a significant look. Both knew Toji and Hiraki liked each other, but neither was really bold enough to actually say it.

While the pair stammered and tried to actually talk to each other, Shinji and Kensuke decided to give them some space. Kensuke looked around and noticed Ayanami’s seat was empty. “Hey, Shinji, what about Rei? Usually she is here before us.”

“She had to go to NERV for a check-up. Misato gave her a ride to NERV very early, she left me a note in the kitchen table.”

“OK, I was a bit worried, she has missed a lot of school days. Even before the Angels came.” Kensuke

“Yeah…” Shinji had his own suspicions about why Rei had to miss school. Maybe it was due to her own mixed heritage, being half-human might carry some health problems. He made a mental note to ask the Phantom Stranger about that next time he showed up.

The bell brought him out of his thoughts, and Hikari barked her routine as the teacher entered the room. “Rise! Bow! Sit!” All the students obeyed instantly, almost like well trained soldiers.

“Good morning, students.” The old teacher greeted them, putting his suitcase next to the desk. “Today we receive a new transfer student. You may come in, Miss.”

An unmistakable German firebrand entered the classroom. She smiled angelically at the group, to the astonishment of the Three Stooges. She wrote her name on the blackboard, and introduced herself with a “My name is Asuka Langley Soryu, Charmed, uh?”

Toji pointed at her, trembling and stuttering. For a split second, Shinji had a goofy smile on his face, and then he relaxed into a placid expression, as if he was relieved of some burden. A detail Asuka noticed. ‘(Strange, he actually looks happy to see me.)’, she thought. Kensuke, just looked on, amused by his friends’ antics.

By then, most of the boys were almost drooling, and the girls were split about 50/50, some glaring at her jealously and the others looking at her in awe and admiration. Asuka nodded to herself, satisfied she had made a big entrance to school life. As she had already graduated from college, she would have the time to completely own the school.

As it should be.

Author’s Notes

Continuing from the Adventures of Superman Annual, I wanted to see what had happened to Superman after the events of that story.

Dr. Kas’rr is inspired by Dr. Gym’ll, the long suffering doctor who takes care of most of the Legion of Superheroes medical needs (and always insist on his bills to be paid). Captain Gamyll is my little homage to Kerry Gammill, one of my favorite artists.

I always wondered what had happened to the Second Branch in Nevada, and just who was the pilot of Unit-04. A few weeks before writing the original version of this chapter to be posted at FFN, I thought of a crossover Evangelion/Kamandi, using the proven way to connect Evangelion to any other franchise, Leliel and the Sea of Dirac; but after discussing it with my Beta Reader (thanks, Arkbeth), we decided Shinji was really the worst character to end up in the Kamandi world, so I discarded the idea. Plus, there are the logistic problems of getting Shinji to America or Kamandi and Canus (maybe others) to Japan.

After watching the Rebuild movies, well… let’s just say I have a soft spot for a certain brown haired character who will be appearing in future chapters, alongside Kamandi and Doctor Canus. But as Leliel will be occupied with not sending anybody to other universes, I thought I could send the whole Second Branch to Kamandi’s future, via the malfunctioning S2 Engine in Unit-04. I made not much of an effort to hide just who Kamandi and Canus will be dealing with; but I really had fun setting up the scene!

This fic was originally an Evangelion/Vertigo crossover. I had a few scenes planned and/or written with the Phantom Stranger and Deadman (plus another character, who should have been upgraded to the Vertigo line; but mentioning that character now would be an awful spoiler, I already wrote that part), who still are one focus of this story; but had no idea of how and where I could put the Endless, and now, Death, Delirium, Despair, and Dream have decided to grace this humble story with their presence. (I actually had only plotted Death’s appearance).

Nope, I hadn’t forgotten about the Joker. Of course he had to go with a bang!

With the obvious exception of Barbara Gordon; all the characters in the Gotham City scene are more or less based on the BTAS/JLU animated versions. Especially Harley Quinn. I really don’t like the after-Arkham-games version of her. Metamorpho and Katana would be closer to the Outsiders comic book version.

Kaji and Misato have restarted their relationship on a much better foot this time. Mostly because Kaji didn’t left Misato to catch an Angel-shaped hot potato, but the talk they had with Asuka helped to show her his more mature side. Plus, talking with Ritsuko has somewhat tempered his desire to rekindle the spark, at least for a short while. Of course, he will try again. But Misato is much less opposed to the idea, as she has seen he has matured since last they saw each other, at least a bit.

M’raia is my take on a Kingdom Come character, but her characterization here is all mine. Her name wasn’t revealed in Kingdom Come, and at the time I write this chapter I didn’t know if it was ever mentioned. So, I took a page from Novaro’s book, and gave her a new name, M’raia could be pronounced as “Mariah”; but, to make an awful pun, pronounce it “Moore-ah-yah” which is a homophone for the Spanish word “Muralla” Why? Because a Muralla is a big wall, and so is a Big Barda!

Later on, I found her name was Avia, but I´ll stick to M’raia here.

Cliff Steele was a member of the original Doom Patrol. For my purposes, the Patrol (sans Beast Boy) was active from the early 60s to the late 70s. Cliff almost died in a car race accident, but his brain was transplanted into a robotic body by Niles Caulder, AKA the Chief. During the original Doom Patrol run, Caulder had to replace Cliff’s bodies with alarming regularity. So, it would not be unconceivable that one or two could be eventually stolen.

I had no place for OMAC in my timeline, the World That’s Coming simply doesn’t fit in. Still, I do like the concept of OMAC, I think it’s too good to not use it. So, there will be an OMAC, but not Buddy Blank, office drone for Pseudo People Inc. This Norman Blank is, maybe, the same Norman Blank from the DC Comics Presents Superman and OMAC (issue 61). However, as that Norman Blank had no lines and was very much a… blank, I decided to give him some characterization. The lack of capital letters in his dialogue is completely intentional, the man never raises his voice.

About Dr. Myra Forest, well, she is an alternate version of Professor Myron Forest, the creator of both Brother Eye and the OMAC process.

I always felt that Kamandi’s connection to OMAC was terribly forced. Kamandi’s grandfather just didn’t look to me as an old Buddy Blank/OMAC. I admit I haven’t read the Kamandi comics, beyond issue 40, in digital form; so I might end up contradicting canon.

As I have said before, the Legion of Superheroes is one of my favorite series ever! It always irked me that there was little continuity between the XXXth Century and the XXth, due to publishing necessities. I mean, it wasn’t until the Invasion crossover that we got to see some of the alien races that pervade the Legion time doing something in the modern Earth! And some of the long lived entities are unheard of in the future (Pre-Crisis in Infinite Earths future, I mean)!

Post-Crisis, some characters, like Vandal Savage and Resurrection Man, (seen in DC 1,000,000), Ra’s al Ghul (who actually appeared during the Reboot Legion era), have appeared in canon. But others, long lived or legacy characters that should have a presence then, simply aren’t shown, for example, the Spectre, Swamp Thing, the Phantom Stranger… They could be very well still be around in the XXXth/XXXIst Centuries or beyond.

There was a character from the JLA who was about to be shown as part of the supporting cast of the Legion; but it was only hinted, and then shelved. I’m retaking that very same idea here. But that will have to wait a while.

BTW, Darkseid got a big starring role in what could be considered THE definitive Legion story, The Great Darkness Saga; being the first character from the XXth century to actually leave a mark on the XXXth (apart from Superboy and Supergirl, of course). If you haven’t read it, sorry for the spoiler! Back in the day it was originally published, the identity of the enemy was revealed at the very end of the story, in part four of five, masterfully done.

The reveal was on par with, say, Vader’s secret in The Empire Strikes Back.

It was THAT shocking! I had to close the book after realizing who was the enemy. And then, reread all the previous parts to note the clues that pointed to the big reveal.

The story has been collected several times, but all of them go right for the spoiler in the cover! So, I really don’t feel that bad about my own spoiler…

If you haven’t read The Great Darkness Saga, do yourself a favor and get it. Any format will do. You’ll enjoy it, I’m sure of that.

During the Reboot Era, the story was revisited in the Foundations arc. I’ll eventually reference that version of the story here.

I thought the Quintessence was a really interesting concept. Having the Phantom Stranger, Ganthet (the best known Guardian of the Universe), Zeus (representing the Greek Gods), Highfather (leader of the New Gods from New Genesis), and the wizard Shazam, as a group was mind blowing!

Not using the other Quintessence members in this story would be a waste.
In the flashbacks, the Phantom Stranger still has a long way to go before actually meeting Shinj in person.

BTW, the architecture of Olympus is drawn directly from the way George Perez handled it in his reboot of Wonder Woman. Completely mind-boggling design! M.C. Escher would have tipped his hat to Mr. Perez.

The daughter of Zeus will have a part to play in the future, I’m still working on the how and the when.

Chapter Text

Note , the parenthesis indicate languages other than Japanese, in this case, English and German.

Many miles away, something crawls from the slime
At the bottom of a dark Scottish lake.
Synchronicity II
The Police

Tokyo-3
Katsuragi/Ikari Apartment
Present Day, Morning

Shinji was relieved to wake up feeling quite refreshed. He had feared the headache would return. No, not the German headache, the literal headache. About Asuka, well… he understood why she had been angry at him. He hoped his apology the previous day after classes had been enough for her. Although, to be honest, he wasn’t completely sure. She had looked funny at him, but at least she accepted his apology with just a threatening warning. He sighed, and went to the bathroom, he didn’t hear any water running, so Pen-Pen hadn’t monopolized the shower (yet). Shinji hurried up, before the penguin could beat him to the punch (again).

While he showered, he began to think about Asuka. ‘Funny… for two very similar traumas early in our lives, we sure went in opposite directions.’ He smiled at the thought of how it would be had they gone the other way, it was just as impossible to imagine a shy and meek Asuka, as it was to imagine himself as brash and loud. ‘At least I know my mother is in Unit-01. There might still be hope for her.’

He dried himself with a big fluffy towel, and jumped at the sound of frantic knocking on the door followed by Misato’s urgent voice. "Hurry up! I really need to GO!"

Shinji opened the door, and a wild tornado with purple hair entered the bathroom. Misato pushed Shinji out before he could even speak.

A few minutes later, a very happy Misato sat at the kitchen table. She sighed noisily. "Ah… Glad you let me in, Shinji. It was a matter of life or death."

"You’re… welcome? But I really didn’t need to know." Shinji was busy preparing breakfast for the three. A simple omelet would do for starters, while the rice was ready. Plus a fish for Pen-Pen. And four bentos. One each for Misato, Rei, Asuka and himself.

"So, ready for your second day of arduous learning with Asuka?"

"I really don’t know why is she with us." Shinji rubbed the back of his head, "I had assumed she would go to college or something, Misato. She really wouldn’t need to repeat junior high."

Misato was busy draining her first beer of the day. "For the record, I agree with you, but Commander Ikari decreed she had to go to school with Rei and you. Something about ‘socializing with people her age and fostering a sense of camaraderie between the pilots.’ Personally, I think he doesn’t want to have her outshining him."

Shinji’s heart skipped a beat. Commander Ikari didn’t do anything unless it would advance his plan. Why force a brilliant pilot to repeat her schooling..? He took a mental note to think about that later. Maybe ask the Phantom Stranger about it, if he found the chance; the mysterious man only appeared for a few minutes at most, but his advice had always been exactly what Shinji had needed. A soft knock on the door distracted him, and the lid of a bento almost escaped his hands. He barely caught it after several attempts. Misato smiled, Shinji looked like the worst juggler in the whole world.

"Good catch! You keep working on your lunches, that must be Rei." Laughing softly at her ward’s averted predicament, Misato opened the door for the bluenette. "Hi, Rei! Join us! Shinji is about to serve breakfast!"

For a moment, Rei looked like she was about to say no, but then the smell of rice hit her. She closed her eyes for a second, enjoying the fragrance, and sat at the table. Shinji and Misato smiled at her look. "Thanks. Just some rice, please. I had already eaten at my apartment."

Shinji served her a generous portion.

Tokyo-3
In route from the Katsuragi/Ikari apartment to the First Municipal Junior High School

As they walked, talk had inevitably gone to the Second Child.

"I’ll introduce you two before class. Is that okay, Rei?"

Rei sighed without changing expression. "Yes. I’ll do my best to be her friend, as you want."

"That’s all I ask, she will need our help and we need hers. Just imagine if we start bickering in the middle of a fight." Shinji knew he was playing somewhat dirty. Rei had been conditioned all her life to follow Commander Ikari’s ultimate plan. Anything that put that goal at risk had to be eliminated, corrected or circumvented. While anything that could advance it, should be taken advantage of.

"Understood." Rei said after a few seconds.

Shinji was somewhat aware of the irony of him actually having a goal he was willing to sacrifice a lot for. But at least, his goal didn’t require the murder of the whole of humanity, quite the contrary.

Any sacrifices he made would, hopefully, cost only him and him alone.

Tokyo-3
First Municipal Junior High School
Entrance, Before Class

Later, Shinji thought the introduction had gone better than he had dared to hope.

"Rei, you go ahead to the classroom, okay?. I’ll catch up with you there." He had seen Asuka’s red hair at the other end of the schoolyard, surrounded by a group of girls and some boys. Rei nodded and kept walking.

"(Hey, Asuka! Do you have a minute?)" He waved at her, speaking in German. Apparently, she was retelling how she had killed the Sixth Angel, mimicking the action with her hands. Most of the other students looked strangely at Shinji, he had never shown any clue that he spoke another language. Several girls looked like they were re-evaluating their opinion of the soft-spoken pilot. Especially a couple from the English Club, who had joked that Shinji barely spoke Japanese as it was.

"(I’m busy, Third.)", annoyed at the interruption, she answered in German too.

"(I’ll be brief. Rei Ayanami is here; I’d like to introduce you before class. Just be a little patient with her. She has some difficulties with normal life.)"

"(Okay, I’ll keep that in mind. I’ll finish here in a minute.)" She waved him away.

"(See you there!)" He waved back and walked directly to the classroom. He didn’t even notice the way the girls were looking at him. Asuka did.

The redheaded pilot resumed her tale. But spared a second or two to watch the Third Child as he walked away, wondering just what the other girls were looking at. ‘(Hmm… He’s a bit skinny, but he has nice shoulders… Gnngh! No! He’s a pervert! Stick to the plan, Asuka. You have to expose him later! Play nice now!)’

Back at the classroom, Shinji was talking to Toji, Kensuke and Rei when Asuka entered the room.

Shinji stood up immediately. "Hi, Asuka!" She smiled at him, while both Toji and Kensuke seemed to shrink in their seats.

"Shinji, hi. Won’t you introduce me to your friend?" Of course, she had to control the situation, Shinji conceded.

"Sure. Asuka Langley Soryu, I’d like to introduce you to Rei Ayanami, the First Child and pilot of Unit-00. Rei, meet Asuka Langley Soryu, Second Child and pilot of Unit-02."

Rei stood up and bowed respectfully, a fraction less than Shinji would have liked, but Asuka didn’t really notice the disrespect. She bowed too. "Nice to meet you, Rei. Let’s be good friends, okay?"

For a fraction of a second, Rei’s scarlet eyes flickered towards Shinji. He nodded minutely. Rei looked back to Asuka. "Nice to meet you too. I would like us to be friends too. What should we do?" and, remembering Shinji’s classes about social interaction, managed to smile.

That surprised Asuka a bit, she had already heard about how stand-offish the First Child was. No doubt her own undeniable charisma was busy at work! "Well, we have a few minutes to talk before the class starts. Let’s go over there!" She pointed at where Hikari was arranging some papers for the sensei and Asuka literally dragged Rei behind by the hand. She almost sighed in relief. Having Hikari near would help her to get some social clues. And they were already, if not exactly friends, in better terms than mere acquaintances.

"Oookay, Shinji. Spit it. What are you planning?" Toji had his arms crossed and was looking at Shinji from narrowed eyes.

"Nothing! Nothing! I just thought it would be nice for them to be friends, that’s all." He raised his hands conciliatorily.

"Really?" asked Kensuke, pushing his eyeglasses up his nose, "You set poor Rei in the way of the Red Demon. That can only end badly. They are like fire and ice."

"I hope not. I forewarned both about each other’s character. I really hope it will be enough. After all, Fire and Ice were really close friends in the JLI."

"Sometimes I really don’t know what are you talking about." Toji shrugged, "Anyway, I don’t know why you bother, bro. Rei is okay, but the Red Demon…" Toji shook his head.

"Well… leaving aside that our lives literally depend on how well we do against the Angels, I really don’t like having people bickering around me."

"Trying to tame the Red Demon? I’d like to see you do that! I have…" Toji checked his pockets, "500 yens and two collectible bottle caps that say you can’t."

Shinji shook his head "No, no bets, okay? I want them to be friends, that’s all."

"Something good might come from all this, Toji." Kensuke added, elbowing the jock in the ribs and patting his camera out of Shinji’s sight. The young pilot missed the mischievous look that passed between the two. "And, I take the bet."

Shinji facepalmed. "You are not helping, Kensuke..."

Tokyo-3
GeoFront
NERV HQ
Analysis Room

Dr. Ritsuko Akagi sipped her already cold coffee, slowly. The data collected from the fight with the Sixth Angel simply made no sense. She was about to throw down the prints in frustration, when she felt a couple of hands massaging her shoulders from behind.

"Hello, Ritsuko." Ryoji Kaji, his smooth voice was unmistakable. But to her mild surprise, he stepped back. She was very familiar with his style. He tended to chase everything and anything with a skirt. "Still checking data, uh?"

The man leaned on the desk, putting a fresh cup of coffee near Ritsuko’s hand. "I know how you throw yourself into work, so I thought you would like a refill. I guess that one must be nearly cold."

"Thanks, you read my mind; I really needed one." Ritsuko rubbed the back of her neck, "What are you doing here?"

"Well… I just came to say Hi, and check on Misato. Have you seen her?" He sipped from his own cup.

"Yes, and in fact, she’s watching you like a hawk." Ritsuko pointed her thumb to the glass pane to her right. Misato Katsuragi had her hands pressed against the glass, looking curiously at the pair.

"Oh, yes; I see. Speak of the beautiful devil, and she appears."

Kaji opened the door, and waited until Misato had entered the room, dropping several folders on Dr. Akagi’s desk. "What are you doing here? I thought you would go back once you delivered Asuka and Unit-02."

"That was the original plan, but I received notice once I arrived here. I am to stay at Tokyo-3 until new orders. Say, would you like to go out, like we used to go back in college; the three of us. My treat, I am sure you know several good places to go."

Misato hesitated for a second. "Not this week, I am busy settling Unit-02 and Asuka; plus, I still have some paperwork pending from the Sixth angel attack… Maybe the next, but I don’t promise anything."

"Fair enough." Kaji shrugged, "Say, how is Asuka settling?"

"She had been staying in an apartment here in the GeoFront, but she will move to Rei Ayanami’s apartment later today. As soon as her stuff is delivered." Misato checked her watch. "I have to go, the delivery truck must be near and I have to sign off the delivery."

"I can give you a lift, if you want." Kaji offered.

"Thanks, but I would have to come back later for my car. See you later." She smiled at them as she left.

Once the captain was out of earshot, Ritsuko commented. "It seems you two are in better terms than I expected, Kaji. I must congratulate you."

"Thank the kids. There was some stuff going on back at the Over the Rainbow that put everything in a different perspective. I’m taking things a bit more seriously than back in college, this time. Misato is worth it." He raised his coffee like he was making a toast before drinking.

"Good for you, now go. Let me work, I still have a lot of raw data to process and analyse. Feel free to bring me more coffee later." She smirked.

"I will, Rits. See you." He bowed and left the room.

Tokyo-3
Ayanami/Soryu Apartment

"Good heavens! Just what did that girl packed?" Misato looked at the literal mountain of boxes DHU had delivered, and in fact, was still delivering. "My hand is gonna cramp if they bring more boxes!"

Rei Ayanami watched the procession of boxes with detached and mild curiosity. She directed the delivery men to put the boxes in the secondary bedroom. Ikari had suggested she used the main bedroom, and had helped her to decorate it. She had a couple of tapestries, showing classic illustrations of wildlife, birds and fishes. Plus a simple vase with some flowers. She liked the tapestries better, the flowers were starting to wilt.

The other bedroom had been kept empty, waiting for the arrival of the Second Child.

She didn’t take long to arrive. "Allo! Misato, Rei. Ah, my stuff!" She smiled at seeing the boxes. "I thought I would have to go in an emergency shopping trip. Have you seen the box marked ‘Number 27’?"

“There.” Rei pointed at the box. It was under two other boxes.

"Come, help me move the others!"

Rei looked at Misato for a second, before complying. Once the box she wanted was free, Asuka cut open the tape that sealed the top. "Good, good! All is right with the world!" She extracted a set of bottles from a well packed, smaller box inside and showed them proudly. "German shampoo and conditioner, First Child! Best in the whole world. But make no mistakes, don’t dare to use even a drop without my permission!"

"I had no intention of doing so." Rei answered, flatly, to the shock and surprise of Asuka; how could a girl deny the temptation of caring for her hair with the best quality beauty products? Remembering Ikari’s tale, Rei decided to use some misdirection. "I’ll be sure to ask." Asuka smiled at her.

A delivery man waved a tablet towards Misato. "Excuse me, Miss Katsuragi, where do we put the rest?"

Misato paled, and her hand got a cramp.

Tokyo-3
Katsuragi/Ikari Apartment

Shinji Ikari entered the apartment, took off his shoes and stepped in. "I’m home! Nobody in? Ok." He put his school bag in its place, and went to his bedroom. In the way, he noticed a column of boxes in the hall. "Wait, what?"

Rei came out the little room Misato used as a mini-warehouse. "Hello, Shinji. The Second Child has moved in with me, and we ran out of space for her stuff. Captain Katsuragi offered the use of this room. I came in to check the boxes were piled correctly."

"Ah, it’s okay, Rei. For a moment I thought I had gotten into the wrong apartment."

"Pilot Soryu says she wants to do a little ‘housewarming party’ later." Awkwardly, she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "I was not aware my apartment would need any kind of heating. Would it involve fire?"

Shinji smiled. "It’s just an expression. It means that she wants to start her stay at the apartment with a gathering of friends."

"Oh. Strange way to put it."

At that moment, Pen-Pen passed them by, on the way to the bathroom. He had a newspaper under his left wing, and a towel around his shoulders. "Wark?" he tilted his head questioning Shinji, and for extension, Rei.

He looked at Rei, saying "Do you need to use the bathroom?", Rei shook her head. Shinji turned to the warm-water penguin, "All yours, Pen-Pen; go ahead."

The penguin nodded and went on his way.

"Do you understand him?"

"Actually, no." he shrugged, "But most of the time, the context is quite clear. I’m sure he understand us very well. He does the crosswords. With a pen."

Astonished, Rei stared at the bathroom door for a few seconds.

Tokyo-3
First Municipal Junior High School, Backyard
Before Class

"Did you hear that, Kensuke? Asuka this, Asuka that…"

"Yep, I don’t know why Shinji treats her with kiddie gloves." Kensuke shrugged, while checking the list they had made during the weekend.

"Well, I guess he doesn’t want any more troubles. He must like having a head over his shoulders."

"Can’t argue with that. Anyway, now that the Devil and Blue are together most of the time, we have the chance for a lot of candid shots of both of them." He interrupted himself, to smile at a couple of first graders, who asked for pictures of the German pilot. "Oh, hi! Yes. We have several sets available. Here’s the catalog. Plus we have some pics that are sold in randomized envelopes. And none of them are in the main catalog."

The boys had collected a nice amount of pictures of the foreign pilot. All taken with a telephoto lens. Neither was fool enough to put themselves in Asuka’s reach.

"Cool!" said the taller kid. "I want a complete Asuka sports set. And give me three…. No, four randoms!"

"Sure, here you go. Thank you!" Money and pictures exchanged hands, and the two kids went their merry way. The taller kid was eagerly opening the envelopes.

While the short kid shook his head. "And me without any money…" he sighed.

"Where were we?" Kensuke put the money away in a pocket, while Toji examined a set of negatives against the light. "Asuka and Rei." Toji answered.

"Ah, yes. I think we should get some pics of Ayanami alone. Now that she’s getting better with people, her popularity is going up."

Tokyo-3
First Municipal Junior High School, Class 2-A
Later, Before Class

"Hi, Shinji." Several girls bowed towards the young pilot as he entered the classroom.

"Oh, h-hi."

"I was wondering…" a tall girl hesitated before continuing, "Areyoufreeforlunchtoday?" she blurted in a continuous, unintelligible stream.

"What?" Shinji didn’t get anything.

Right at that moment, Hikari entered the classroom, closely followed by Asuka and Rei. The girl who had tried to speak with Shinji blushed, excused herself, and ran to her desk; while the two female pilots bowed back at Shinji.

Shinji bowed to the new arrivals, "Hi. Are we still up for homework later, Hikari?"

Asuka huffed, "I shouldn’t have to do homework! College graduate, remember?"

"Yeah, I don’t know why the Commander ordered you to come to school with us," Shinji replied, with a puzzled expression on his face. "Anyway, I’m glad we can ask you for help with the hard questions. You explain way better than the Sensei." This mollified Asuka a bit. At least the Third recognized her superior scholar capabilities.

Hikari put her schoolbag on her desk, "I will go for sure. I have a new recipe I’d like to try, and I got a nice and fresh tuna cut for Pen Pen."

"You are spoiling him." Shinji smiled, shaking his head.

Rei spoke then, with a barely noticeable eagerness in her voice. "Can I feed Pen Pen?"

"Don’t see why not. Just give him some space until he gets used to you feeding him. And no sudden movements, I made that mistake the first time." The warm water penguin was very mellow for a genetically modified bird, but he wasn’t so tamed that the old instincts didn’t take over from time to time, especially with strangers.

GeoFront
NERV HQ
Elevator to the Administrative Section.

"You know, Misato; being Shinji’s guardian has done you a world of good." Kaji observed.

"Oh, yeah? And why is that?"

"You have matured a lot since we, um, parted ways." He looked down for a moment, before continuing, "I have been thinking a lot since we met again, Misato. I’ve had some hard realizations, and some regrets." he said, looking at her with sadness in his eyes.

"Regrets? You?" Misato adjusted the stack of folders and files she had on her hands.

Kaji caught one that had escaped her grip and took the bunch from her hands. "Yes. I’ve done many things I am not proud of, and didn’t do several that I should have done. Letting you go was the biggest mistake of my life." He looked resolutely at the ticking mechanism that marked the floors they were passing by.

"It’s too late, Kaji. I have another life now."

"I know. Still, we can be friends, don’t you think?" He looked at her, expectantly.

"For as long as you don’t push for more, it’s okay." She thought about it for a few seconds, and added, with a hint of sadness in her voice. "I’ve missed you too."

He smiled at her, but it was not his seductive smile. It was a smile she had seen on his face only a few times. It was a more intimate smile. The one that was only for her when they had been together back in college. She smiled back at him. The silence between them was full of unsaid things, but neither wanted to break it. It was… comfortably warm.

She was about to say something, when the bell rang and the doors opened. "I’ll see you later, Kaji." She said, and stepped out. She looked back for a second, seeing Kaji had bowed at her, still smiling. "Hopefully soon, Misato," and put the bunch of documents back on her hands. Their fingers touched for a second. She could have sworn she felt a spark jumping between them.

She waved awkwardly at him while the doors closed.

Misato walked back to her office, remembering the old times. The good times. When she hadn’t felt so alone. Shinji and Asuka; and to a lesser extent, Rei, now filled her life in a way she hadn’t thought even possible. Still, if she was honest to herself, she really missed Kaji.

"It seems he has grown up since then… I half expected he would try to seduce me…" she said, looking up, daydreaming for a moment. Then she stopped in her tracks and blinked slowly, her brow furrowed, "Waaaait a minute! He didn’t try to seduce me!"

GeoFront
NERV HQ
Gymnasium.

"OK. Another go at the punching bag." Asuka directed Shinji and Rei. There was a trainer next to the group, but the German pilot had taken over from her in just a few minutes. Now the woman was there only to correct a few routines and be sure none of the pilots hurt him or herself.

Shinji bounced from one foot to the other, mimicking a boxer. His first few punches at the bag had been clumsy and made Asuka facepalm several times. "Who trained you? Pen Pen can hit harder!"

Shinji punched the bag three times in rapid succession, "Actually." He panted between words, "I hadn’t. Tried. Boxing!" He punched again.

"Nonono!" Asuka made him raise his left hand. "Guard up. Guard up!"

Shinji nodded, and did his best to keep up.

"Enough." Asuka handed him a faceguard, and put one herself, plus a protector over her chest area. "To the ring. Tsukino, you’re referee."

Once on the ring, Asuka beat her hands against each other twice. "Ready, Third?" she put her guard up.

Shinji was a bit uncomfortable. "Uh, Asuka? Are you sure? I mean.."

"What? Are you implying anything?" she was bouncing too. "Just so you know it, I placed fifth in the amateur division in college. I know what I’m doing."

Tsukino added. "I have seen her train. It’s you who are at a disadvantage, Mr. Ikari."

"Very well." He nodded. "No other way to learn, I guess."

Two and a half minutes later, Shinji was wobbling on his feet. He was sure he would have a lot of bruises tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Rei was watching the slaughter from the sidelines. Her mouth was a tight line, and her scarlet eyes tried to bore a hole in Asuka’s face.

The bell rang, and both went to their corners. Rei wrapped Shinji’s shoulders with a towel. "Why are you letting her hit you?"

"Letting her?" he looked at her, incredulous. "She’s faster than me!"

"Then, why do you persist?"

"To learn. I didn’t have much in training until after the Fourth Angel. And I need to get better if I want us to survive this war."

Rei nodded. Her annoyance dissipated. Shinji knew what he was doing. Still, it wasn’t easy to watch the way Asuka hit him with barely a strike back.

After another round, Asuka called the fight over. "Okay, you need more training, but not as much as I feared. You sure can take a beating, Third. To the showers, and get some ointment to relieve the pain. I guarantee, your whole body will hurt tomorrow."

"Yes, coach!" Tsukino helped both fighters to take off their protection equipment, checking both were ok. Shinji wobbled as fast as he could to the showers.

"You know, Rei?" Asuka sat down next to Rei, wrapping a towel around her shoulders. "He really can take a beating. I have KO’d guys way bigger than him, but he barely staggers." She sipped water from a bottle.

"Is it really necessary to hit him that hard?"

"All the first round was me measuring him up, Rei; I’m pulling my punches. I don’t want to break him. Who would make our lunches then?"

"I see. Then, I ask for a session tomorrow."

"Sure. We’ll get you the equipment and make sure it fits right. You and I will spar a couple of rounds once I feel you can handle yourself. Any problem to spar with the Third later?"

"I’m not sure I can hit him. He has treated me nicely. He piloted against the Third Angel instead of me."

Asuka raised an eyebrow. "Really? You have to tell me all about that."

"What’s your clearance level?"

"White Plus."

"There are a few details I cannot discuss. But I’ll tell you what I can."

Asuka nodded, picked up her equipment, and both girls went to the showers.

Tokyo-3
Ayanami/Soryu Apartment
Later

"Ok, so, not only he hadn’t had any previous training on any EVA Unit. The idiot didn’t even want to pilot?" Asuka huffed, her nose up in the air, arms crossed in in outrage. It was beyond her understanding that there could be a single person in the world who wouldn’t want to belong to the elite corps that Evangelion pilots belonged to. Aida may be a Stooge, but even he had that, admittedly unreachable, ambition! If only the Third Child showed a fraction of the enthusiasm Aida had when speaking about the Evangelions, his rising scores wouldn’t be so annoying. It seemed to Asuka he was just going through the motions; like he would prefer to do anything else, instead of basking in the glory that belonged to the piloting elite.

The redheaded pilot almost missed Rei’s answer. "That is correct. He had no reason to want to pilot. He only did so to spare me from further injuries. Had I been uninjured, he wouldn’t even have been present."

Asuka tapped her fingers together. "Wait. Why?"

"He had been living with his teacher, far from Tokyo-3."

Asuka furrowed her brow. "Not with his father?"

"Commander Ikari put Shinji under a teacher’s care ten years ago. Their contact since has been minimal. Only in the anniversary of his mother’s death, on her grave."

Asuka kept silent. "Then, why was he called... no, scratch that; it’s obvious he was called to pilot in your place. Why did he came if he didn’t want to pilot?"

"I am not sure. They talked at the EVA-01’s cage before the launch, but I was in too much pain to pay close attention. Afterwards, I was heavily sedated and returned to the hospital."

Asuka nodded, then looked at Rei with horror on her face. "Wait, you were there? At the cages?"

"On a gurney." The answer was so flatly casual it chilled Asuka.

"Oh, god… Commander Ikari had you moved from the hospital to the cages?"

"Yes. Shinji was about to leave NERV. I was told later he was very angry at the Commander, and would leave. Seeing me hurt convinced him to stay and pilot EVA-01." Rei’s eyes unfocused with memories. "Before he could take his decision, there was a localized quake, caused by the Third Angel. I fell from the gurney. Shinji helped me." She hesitated for a second, skipping the fact that Unit-01 had moved to protect both of them from the fall of a lamp. "He accepted to pilot then."

Rei continued, "I saw him again when he was released from the hospital, after the Third Angel battle. I was being moved to another room, and we saw each other in the way. He seemed… sad."

"Did he try to… um.. grab your goodies? Back in the cage, I mean."

Rei tilted her head, "I don’t understand. I had nothing with me but part of a plugsuit. I had been recently injured, and the doctors cut the sleeves off to put the I.V. needles in my arms."

Asuka waved her hands awkwardly, "You know, your… or your…"

Rei didn’t know what the redhead pilot meant. so she explained factually, "He only touched my shoulders and my upper back."

Asuka sighed. "But if you’re able to pilot again, why doesn’t he go back if he hates piloting?"

"I do not know his reasons. That is a question only he could answer. He expressed several times that he disliked piloting Unit-01."

"Not anymore?"

"No. He stopped saying so after the Fourth Angel. Captain Katsuragi thinks he found his purpose in the brig."

"What do you think?"

"I have not thought much about it. What matters is that his performance has improved steadily since he started. It might be a combination of self-realization, plus absorbing the data he collects about the metahumans."

"That’s a weird hobby. We were babies when they disappeared, for goodness sake." Asuka laid on the couch, putting up her feet on a pile of pillows.

"It has been an interesting experience for me. I think I know him a little better since the first time he invited me along."

"You are weird, First."

"I know. I’ll try to do better."

Asuka threw a pillow at her. As it fell from her face, Rei asked. "Did I say something wrong?"

Asuka grabbed another pillow from the stack she had on the couch. "No, you dummy! It’s called a ‘pillow fight’, it’s just for fun." Seeing her puzzled expression, Asuka added. "It’s a game."

Rei took the pillow, looking at the Second child. "I see. What are the rules?"

Asuka hesitated, the Third Child’s warning had been spot on. Rei’s social interactions knowledge was very short... "Weeelll… There are no set rules. Basically, we just either throw pillows at each other, or use them to hit each other. Like this." She demonstrated the process on the couch.

"How do you know who wins?" Rei was evaluating the pillow on her hands.

"Ah… you got me there, First; there is no set winner. We don’t try to actually hurt each other, we stop when the other asks, and we get a good laugh out of it."

"Understood. Like this?" and she threw the pillow back at Asuka, who dodged it. "Yes! You can dodge too, by the way. And we don’t take turns." Then she threw a couple of pillows at Rei, who dodged the first but was hit by the second on the chest. By then, Asuka was laughing like a kid in a room full of toys.

Six minutes later, both girls were completely dishevelled and the living room was a complete mess. Asuka was laughing at Rei’s messy hair. She was rewarded with a little smile from her colleague.

"Stop!" Rei asked, Asuka refrained from throwing her next pillow. "Why? We’re having fun, and I still have this!" she showed Rei the pillow at hand.

Rei put a finger to her own lips. "Listen."

Asuka raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What?"

"Shh… listen."

Asuka kept silent for a few seconds. Then she heard music. Rei closed her eyes, evidently enjoying the sound.

Asuka settled on the couch, listening too. It was a soothing melody. She allowed herself to get lost in the music, just as Rei had done.

Fifteen minutes later, the music stopped. "For a perverted idiot, the Third has good taste in music. I’ll have to ask him where he bought his stereo. It really sounds like the player is next door."

"He doesn’t own a stereo."

"What? That was him?"

"Yes. He frequently plays at a piece at this hour, while the food is cooking. Sometimes I go to watch him play."

‘(Damn, he’s very good.)’ Asuka thought. Well, two can play that game. She went to her room, and got a little red notebook out, she passed the pages until she found what she was looking for. "A-ha! Box number 35." Quickly, she checked the boxes in her room, no, it wasn’t there. "Rei! Have you seen box 35?"

"Yes. It’s at Captain Katsuragi’s apartment."

"Very well, after dinner, we bring it here. Okay?"

Rei nodded.

Tokyo-3
Katsuragi/Ikari Apartment

"Oh, yesss!" Misato Katsuragi rubbed her hands together, salivating at the tempting smells coming from Shinji’s indisputable domain, the kitchen. The young man had staked his claim on it after Misato’s disastrous dinner with Dr. Akagi. Pen Pen had tried to eat the spicy "curry" slop Misato had put on his plate, and after the first and only mouthful, had spent the night staring at such infinite views of an eldritch (sur)reality, that H. P. Lovecraft himself would have literarily envied (not literally, literarily).

A forceful knock on the door heralded the arrival of their two neighbours.

"I’ll go, Shinji!"

"Okay." He answered softly, stirring something in a pot.

"Asuka! Rei! Hi!"

Shinji was in the process of setting the table, he put four places. "Hi! I was about to call you."

Asuka plopped in her chair, looking at Shinji with a strange look on her face. "My, you really are the most house-broken specimen of malekind I have ever seen"

"Asuka!" Misato was scandalized.

"What? He is!" she shrugged.

From the other side of the table, Shinji shrugged. "I plead self-defense. I mean, Misato was your guardian in Germany, wasn’t she?"

"Hey!" came the outraged answer. "My special curry is famous!"

"Infamous, you mean!" Shinji and Asuka chorused.

"…just because you guys can’t appreciate it…" she pouted.

"Misato, you are the only one who likes it that spicy! That sauce you put on it could melt Unit-01’s armor!"

"Hmph!" she crossed her arms.

Shinji decided to make peace with his friend. "Ok, ok, I was exaggerating. I apologize. Friends?"

Misato looked at him. "Okay, friends. But don’t you ever say that about my curry again."

Shinji laughed, and soon, Asuka joined him, followed by Misato. Only Rei and Pen Pen didn’t laugh. Pen Pen wasn’t really equipped for it, although he gave it a good shot; and Rei simply didn’t know how to laugh. She just smiled, wondering.

Many miles away from Tokyo-3

Meanwhile, in the bottom of a shallow sea, a booming noise displaced water, sand and fishes; and a shadow, crackling with dancing energy, appeared from what seemed to be a glowing cylinder. The shadow belonged to a thing not from Earth, not even from the same universe, but from a place that didn’t even exist anymore; animated by a purpose no human being could guess.

Israfel was the name it was known as, only to a select few.

The Seventh Angel had come, answering the call of its creator.

But first, it should grow to its optimum size. It wouldn’t take long. Once the cylinder vanished back into inexistence, Israfel settled down in the sand. Absorbing any matter around it; growing, getting heavier, denser.

The sensors at Tokyo-3 wouldn’t detect its presence until it moved closer to the city where it could feel its creator.

The Quintessence Plane.

"It is here." The Phantom Stranger whispered. Once more, he revised plans traced years ago, adjusted months ago, and ready to be changed in an instant.

Deadman appeared at his side. "I know I shouldn’t say it, but it’s a relief. I was getting bored out of my skull… Our good friend Gendo is at the most boringly boring meeting in the history of boring meetings of boredom!"

"Anything useful?"

"Lots of arguing about budget allocations with the UN bigwigs at Tokyo-2. He left the old guy in charge of NERV for at least another week and a half."

"Good, that will keep both occupied."

"Yep, want me to keep watching Gendo?" The ghostly acrobat’s voice betrayed his dread.

"No, I think it would be better to watch Fujutsuki until the Commander returns."

"Good! The guy at least has a good taste in interior décor; his office doesn’t look like the evil twin version of the Batcave! Erm… can I hijack him?" A measure of enthusiasm returned to Deadman at the mere idea of using his power again. It had been his especiality since he had been murdered back in 1979.

"I don’t think so. He is part of the Third Impact conspiracy, even if he’s a reluctant participant he is protected from us."

Deadman grimaced, "Okay, but when all this ends, I’m taking a vacation. Somewhere fun."

The Phantom Stranger nodded. "I’ll make sure you are not interrupted."

Deadman stared at him for several seconds, unable to say if the grim sentinel of magic had made a joke, if he was being serious, or maybe, just maybe, he had made a joke while being absolutely serious.

GeoFront, 4
NERV HQ
Central Dogma

Lt. Shigeru Aoba reported with a calm he didn’t really felt. "We just got this report from the battle cruiser Haruna. ‘Huge submerged objet detected off Ki’i peninsula. Sending data.’"

Under the watchful eyes of Vice-Commander Kozo Fujutzuki (and an always unseen Deadman), Lt. Makoto Hyuga added. "The data has been collated and examined". He felt a little uncomfortable, as if somebody was reading over his shoulder. He though it was due to the presence of the Sub-Commander, how could he know it was the ghost of an acrobat murdered before Makoto had even been born? "Wavelenght pattern, Blue. Confirmed to be an Angel."

Fujutsuki didn’t waste any time and ordered a full first stage alert.

Suruga Bay

From two super carrier planes, the two Evangelions had dropped like a pair of meteors, impacting the Suruga Bay beach. It was a miracle the shockwave of their landing didn’t topple any of the abandoned buildings that still stood, half submerged by the shallow waters of the bay.

Even before the sand and dust had settled back on the ground, mobile umbilical cables set up behind them, their operators inserted them into the giants’ power sockets.

Shinji watched intently at the sea, waiting for the arrival of the next Angel. He paid some distant attention to Asuka’s ego fueled ranting. Tense minutes passed. The pilot felt a wave of worry pass over him, followed by a ghostly feeling of hands over his shoulders. He sent a thought into EVA-01’s core, "Don’t worry, Mom; we will beat this Angel too.", A feeling of determination filled him. ‘I hope we will get a synch test soon, there are many things I want to tell you.’ A feeling of eager acceptance answered, and then the ghostly connection ended. Yui Ikari had returned to the core, ready to guide the Evangelion in case Shinji was incapacitated.

A huge plume of water rose into the sky. The Seventh Angel had arrived. Shinji gripped the control yoke tightly, wondering if the Phantom Stranger would make an appearance. The pilot shook his head. ‘No, I have to be ready to do this without his help. I can’t expect him to be saving me all the time.’ He shifted his inner focus, calling on his inner Robin once again. ‘Okay, let’s see if we can find a weak point before it attacks.’ He waited for the water to fall back down on the sea.

The Angel was about as tall as an Evangelion, for some unknown reason, its arms were pointing at the sky, it made Shinji think of a tuning fork or that old anime character about to throw a ball of energy collected from willing living beings. The "face" of the Angel was split like a Yin-Yang symbol. "Weird... is that the core?" he asked softly.

"Commence attack!" shouted Misato from the mobile HQ, several kilometers away.

"I’ll handle this Angel, Third Child. You cover me." Asuka spoke with that supreme confidence in herself Shinji envied.

"Roger. Give it hell, Second!" He gripped tightly his pallet rifle, and squeezed the trigger. A surprised Asuka sent a hurried "(Right)!" back.

Shells the size of fridges fell to the beach. Shinji aimed directly at the Yin-Yang. As he half expected, the titanic bullets were stopped by the Angel’s AT Field. Remembering the hard lesson, he had learned from the Fourth Angel, Shinji interrupted his shooting spree for a couple of seconds, allowing the smoke to dissipate in the breeze, before renewing his attack. The Angel had planted its feet between two submerged buildings.

"Charge!" EVA-02 jumped several hundreds of feet in the air. Her Progressive Glaive descended in a powerful arc, cleaving the Angel in two sections.

"Well done, Asuka!" Misato’s voice came through the comm link. Shinji should have felt relieved, but something was nagging at the back of his head. Something wasn’t right.

"What do you think of that, Third Child?" Asuka’s voice was full of pride, of vindication.

"Impressive!" Remembering the Stranger’s advice, he added. "I think my kill count is in serious danger."

"Of course it is!" the smile of the German pilot was heard on her voice. "A fight should be clean, elegant, and without waste."

Shinji had kept an eye on the bisected remains of the Angel, so, when the unearthly flesh began to bubble, he shouted a warning "It’s still alive!" Surprised, Asuka mumbled a single "Was?"

"Asuka, get away from it!" Shinji feared the Angel would explode, so he dropped his pallet rifle, and yanked Unit-02’s umbilical cable as hard as he could. The German pilot was paralyzed by the surprise. Seeing her immobile, Shinji yanked Unit-02 with a sudden pull on the cable, dragging it back like a fishing lure. "Damn! Sorry, Asuka!" It was a miracle EVA-02 didn’t stumble and fall.

From the Angel’s halves, two new behemoths surged, the grey ‘cores’ turned around, revealing twin faces, set above the real cores, red spheres set in the twin Angels’chests.

At the mobile HQ, several kilometers away, Misato crushed the mic with her bare hand. "What is this crap?"

GeoFront,
NERV HQ
Debriefing Room.

"Today, at 10;58:15 am," Lt. Maya Ibuki’s voice read from the report she had compiled for the after-battle debriefing, while a set of stills was projected on the screen. "Unit-01 was attacked by Target Alpha, which separated from the target submerged 2 km off Suruga Bay." The still picture showed Unit-01’s legs, up to the sky, in the middle of the ocean.

"At the same time, Unit-02 was attacked by Target Beta, we have a comment from E-Project chairperson."

"This was pathetic." The voice of Dr. Akagi was heard. It sounded like a recording made from the comms-net.

"This is all your fault!" the redhead pilot shouted at her colleague. "You totally screwed up my debut battle when you yanked me away!"

"I thought it was about to explode! That would have been the third time I’m in one of those. And your second time too. That’s something I don’t want to go through again, thank you very much. And you are not the only one who ended up in an undignified position." Shinji stood up, angrily pointing at the screen. "That Angel took us all by surprise. And don’t you ever accuse me of trying to make you look bad." Shinji poked his own chest with his thumb. "If it depended on me, I’d happily stay in a support role."

"Was?"

"You heard me. I’m not in this because I want glory. I want the Angels dead and buried as much as anybody else here and then go on with my life!" He sat again, leaving Asuka stammering. After a few seconds, she sat again, in a whirlwind of contradictory emotions.

Maya continued with her report. "At 11:03 am, NERV abandoned the operation, and transferred command to the UN Secondary Force."

Sub-Commander Fujutsuki grumbled. "We’ve been humilliated."

The still changed, and Maya kept on. "At 11;05, the UN forces made an attack with an N2 mine."

Fujutsuki added an indignant, "We’ll have to re-draw the map again."

GeoFront,
NERV HQ
Debriefing Room
(Spiritual Plane)

Sitting cross-legged over the projector, resting his chin on the palm of his right hand, Deadman put his two cents to the discussion. "(That’s the least of your worries, old man. But if that’s how you wanna see it, I won’t stop you.)"

He turned around, towards his companion, sitting to his left. "(Hey, Stranger, I have a question...)" For some reason, as soon as the Phantom Stranger had taken his seat, Lt. Ibuki had started to squirm, until she picked up her things and moved one seat away.

The Stranger watched the debriefing behind tented fingers, in an eerie echo of Commander Ikari’s favorite pose. He turned back at the ghost, watching him from the shadows that always hid his eyes, even without his hat. "(We didn’t intervene for a reason. At this point, Shinji and Asuka are two individuals, not a team. They need to learn how to work together to defeat the Angels and save themselves. This is the best chance they have.)"

"(Oookay...)" Deadman raised his hands conciliatorily. "(You’re the boss. Are we going to do something?)"

"(Yes, we observe.)" He pointed at the screen.

Deadman shrugged, and wished he had a bowl of popcorn. It had been one of his favorite snacks back when he was alive, and now the only way he had to sample those flavors was to hijack somebody and eat it with another person’s mouth. It rarely tasted ‘right’.

GeoFront,
NERV HQ
Debriefing Room.

Meanwhile, Maya had continued her report. In short, the Angel had been damaged by the N2 Mine, and according to Dr. Akagi’s estimates, it would take several days to regenerate. Complicating matters, it was protected by an AT Field, so another N2 mine would be wasted if they tried to repeat the tactic.

"At least we have some time to regroup," Ryoji Kaji put on, "You can’t ask for more than that."

Fujutsuki stood up, angry at the results of the operation. "Listen up, you two. Do you know what your job is?"

"…Piloting EVA?" Asuka offered.

"No." Answered the old professor. "Your job is to defeat the Angels." The still changed on the screen, showing a colossal inflatable ring, recovering EVA-01, hanging pathetically from high tensile cables like a discarded puppet. "NERV does not exist to make grotesque displays like these." The image changed back, to show Unit-02’s legs sticking up from the ground. "Therefore, you two must cooperate."

Asuka retorted with an angry "Why should we?" while Shinji answered with a level "Understood, Sir."

The redhead looked aside at him, not believing the pilot would meekly submit to the scolding.

Fukutsuki’s seat sank down into the next level at the push of a button. "Enough already, get to work."

Asuka sat back. Before she could add anything, Shinji asked Kaji about Misato. The captain in charge of the operation hadn’t been able to attend the debriefing, swamped in internal protest, damage reports, and all the other stuff the higher levels of NERV didn’t want to take care of. The captain would have to pull serious overtime to get rid of the mountain of papers that covered her desk...

GeoFront,
Mess Hall.

Shinji had showered quickly. Once he had rid himself of the dried LCL, he changed into his school uniform and went looking for Ryoji Kaji. He found him in the mess hall, eating with Asuka. Shinji hesitated for a moment, but a familiar nagging feeling had started while he replayed the battle in his mind, during the six boring hours that had passed while the recovery crew extracted him from the plug.

He had learned to respect that nagging feeling since the Jet Alone incident. It had taken him a while, but he had finally recognized what his subconscious mind was trying to tell him.

"Can I talk to you, Mr. Kaji, Asuka?" He chose to ignore the glare Asuka directed at him.

"Sure, Shinji; but just call me Kaji. What’s on your mind?"

Shinji nodded and sat at the other side of the table. "It’s about the Angel. I think I know something that might help us."

"Go ahead, I’m all ears." He smiled condescendingly, before sipping at his coffee.

Shinji exhaled, closed his fist, and said, "Multiplex."

"This is no time to go to the movies, Third!" Asuka slammed her hand on the table. "We have an Angel to kill!"

"Whut?" Shinji shook his head. "No, it doesn’t have anything to do with movies. Multiplex, was a person. A metahuman. His power was to multiply himself. I think the Angel does something similar. I thought you or Asuka could think of something to neutralize it. I haven’t had the chance to speak with Misato, she locked herself in her office and I don’t have the clearance to go there anyway…"

Kaji’s face went all business. He put the coffee back on the table. "Right. The name rings a bell. Let me see what I can dig about him."

"I have some info at hand. Back home. It’s not much, but it may point us in the right direction."

"Ok. Give me a minute and I’ll take you there." He dialed a number on his cell. "Lieutenant Ibuki? Hi, Kaji here. Could you do me a favor? No, just a quick search in old files. Yes, I know, run it by her then. It might help against the Angel. No, of course you’re busy, ask one of your junior techs. Ok, thank you. The name is," he looked at Shinji, who mouthed the name clearly, Kaji nodded, "‘Multiplex. Spelled M-U-L-T-I-P-L-E-X.’ He was a metahuman in the USA, pre-Second Impact. Whatever you can find. Thanks."

He stood and put his plates in the recycler, grabbing the chocolate cookies for later. "Let’s go."

Asuka ran after them, yelling "Shotgun!" She wouldn’t miss a chance to ride in Kaji’s sports car with him. So, even if they had to go with the Third Child, she would be with Kaji at the front.

GeoFront,
Captain Katsuragi’s Office.
Some hours later.

Dr. Akagi took a certain glee at her friend’s predicament, that was for sure.

"You are lucky Commander Ikari isn’t around. He would have fired you before he even saw all of these. By the way, Shinji sent you this." She put a bag with containers on a side desk. "I swear that kid is a better guardian to you than you to him."

Misato pulled the lid off from a container, and inhaled the steam deeply into her lungs. "That’s probably true, but you shouldn’t say it. Oh, look, he put some of my special curry on it!" Gleefully, she attacked the food her roommate had sent.

Between mouthfuls, Misato asked. "So, have you brought me an idea to help me save my job?"

"Just one," she pulled a memory stick from a pocket. "With Kaji’s compliments. He said Shinji put him on the track."

Misato’s face lit up. "Gimme that." She had seen the label on the memory stick, "To my dearest friend." it read. She smiled dreamily.

Ritsuko realized there was still hope for a reconciliation. Silently, she hoped they would have some time of happiness before Commander Ikari’s plan was enacted.

Tokyo-3
Katsuragi/Ikari Apartment
Next Day, During Breakfast

Misato had arrived at her apartment late in the night, she had slept like a log. So, she was surprisingly alert as she addressed the pilot corps under her command. Especially seeing that their superior officer had passed on her usual beer with the breakfast. Pen Pen hugged protectively his own can.

All three pilots were sitting at the table, once they had finished breakfast; Misato had explained the basics of the plan Kaji and Akagi had concocted.

"That’s ludicrous! Even if Kaji thought it up, there’s no way it could work!" Asuka fumed at the very idea.

"I think it could work," added Shinji, "but how can we do that synching you say, Misato."

"That’s the beauty of the plan, you are already synched!"

"What? Explain yourself, Misato." Asuka growled.

"Sure, once your boyfriend…"

"He’s not my boyfriend!"
"She’s not my girlfriend!"
Both looked at each other. Utterly confused.

Misato continued, with a predatory smile on her lips. "You two have been doing that without even realizing it, since the first time you saw each other. The trick is to do it intentionally. And that’s where Kaji’s idea comes in."

Rei watched the pair, somewhat amused by their synchronized blush.

"You will practice with the equipment Kaji will bring here later on. The plan is that both EVA-01 and 02 attack the Angel simultaneously. The bastard does a nice trick with its cores." Misato put a memory stick in the laptop, and replayed the short battle. "Pay attention; Shinji, when you struck your Angel, codenamed Alpha; it healed almost instantly, you see?" The long gash Unit-01 had inflicted on the target had closed almost as soon as the progressive knife had inflicted it.

Shinji nodded. Misato rewinded the image, "Now, look at Beta’s core."

The image replayed itself, "Hey! It glowed!"

Misato froze the image, "Ritsuko thinks that each Angel’s core actually belongs to the other. Every time one half is damaged, the core takes energy from the other half, and uses it to repair the damage. Keep watching."

The image moved again, in slow motion. This time, it was Unit-02 that used the progressive glaive on Beta, and Alpha’s core glowed brightly for a second.

Shinji looked down. "I thought one of them was the original, once we had knocked the original down, the other would disintegrate… That was how Firestorm dealt with Multiplex, at least one time."

"Don’t underestimate yourself, Shinji. You put Kaji and Rits on the right track. Rits used your info to compare it to the Angel’s and found the way it works."

Shinji looked up. "So it did help."

Misato smiled at him, and Rei put a hand over his.

Misato nodded her approval, "You did well, Shinji. Sometimes, discarding erroneous data is more valuable than jumping to the right conclusion before time. Rits is very impressed by your insight. She wants to talk to you later."

"Okay, we get it; Shinji is a super extra smart Stooge." Asuka huffed again, "Now, get to the important part, Misato; how do we deal with this sucker?" she poked at the screen with her index finger, punctuating her words.

"I’m so glad you asked that." Misato said, taking a couple of boxes from a shopping bag. "I got these last night. I had to drag the owner of the shop out of her bed for a special trip to the mall."

Without knowing the reason, a chill passed down the backs of both selected pilots. They looked at each other, apprehensively.

Tokyo-3
First Municipal Junior High School, Backyard
Lunch time

"So, what’s going on, Rei? Shinji and Asuka haven’t been at school for three days." Toji asked as they ate their lunches. Next to him, Hikari and Kensuke nodded.

"We’re worried for them. I know Asuka really doesn’t need to come to school, but some of the other students are slacking." Hikari added.

It was Kensuke who asked the one question the group dreaded. "Are they okay? I heard some rumors that say the last Angel kicked their posteriors."

Rei regarded the group stoically. She had deflected their questions the previous days, citing regulations and need to know, but after a quick consultation with Captain Katsuragi the previous afternoon, she had received new instructions.

"Their health is satisfactory." The group sighed in relief.

Toji asked. "NERV stuff then?"

"Yes, special training. They have been working hard, but Captain Katsuragi thinks they would appreciate a brief distraction. If you are free later, you could come to see them."

Smiling, Toji spoke for the group, "We will be there, Blue."

Then he attacked the bento Hikari had brought for him. "I’m lucky you prepared too much food for your family!"

She smiled back and blushed.

Tokyo-3
Katsuragi/Ikari Apartment
Later

The group of students arrived to the Katsuragi/Ikari apartment, talking and speculating about just what could be that special training Rei had mentioned. None was prepared to the sight of Shinji and Asuka dressed in identical sets of tights, including a loose top with two musical notes stitched on. The only difference in their clothes was the color of their tops. Shinji’s was light blue, with green musical notes; while Asuka’s was pink, with red notes.

Both looked absolutely tired and miserable.

"Gah! Wasn’t once enough, Shinji? You had to wear her clothes again? What’s wrong with you?" Kensuke looked like he was about to faint.

"No! It’s Misato’s fault!" both chorused. "She’s making us do everything together! Eat, brush our teeth, breathe, we even have to sleep together!"

Hikari was the next to protest. "You are living in sin!" She looked like she was about to cry.

"No! It’s not like that, Hikari!" again, both pilots spoke in an eerie synchronization. "This was Kaji’s idea! We have to do everything at the same time and in the same way!" At this point, Hikari was actually crying, burying her face in her hands. Toji had the sudden impulse to pat her back, but didn’t dare to.

Misato’s voice came from the living room. "Enough fun. Rei, let them in and I will explain what’s going on!"

"So… this is the special training regime Rei told us about?" Hikari asked with relief, while holding a very happy Pen Pen. Toji looked at the penguin with some apprehension, worried he would peck Hikari. Had Pen Pen been able to talk, he would have said he had no intention of harming his second best provider of fish.

"Yep. But, as you can see…" Misato waved her hand towards the other extreme of the living room.

Meanwhile, Shinji and Asuka practiced on a set of matching mats, covered with circles. The goal of the exercise was to show them a sequence of lighted circles, which they had to press in synch. Otherwise, an Error message blinked on. As the machine demonstrated several times in a row.

"Enough!" yelled an annoyed Asuka, throwing her earphones to the ground, and pointing at her partner. "I can’t lower myself to the pathetic level of this animated turnip!" Meanwhile, Shinji kept on pressing the lighted circles on his mat.

Misato thought about it for a moment, "Very well… Let’s try something different. Rei? Are you up to it?"

"Yes."

"Shinji, take five. Let’s see how well your friends can synch."

Asuka nodded at Rei, and both pilots took their initial positions. Rei was quite good, it took a while before the Error message flashed. "See, Misato? I can synch better with Rei than with… him!" There was anger in her voice. "I think it would be best to pair me with Wonder Girl here." Rei looked at Shinji and both raised an eyebrow at the last part, but neither said anything.

"Let me test a theory, Asuka; you take five. Shinji, you’re back in."

The pilots changed places. Amazingly, Rei and Shinji lasted longer than Asuka and Rei. The redhead pilot looked at them, amazed by their harmony.

"Th-this can’t be…" she mumbled. She was shocked. "No! I can’t stand this! I can’t take it anymore!" Anger got the best of the German pilot, and she stormed out of the apartment, looking like she was about to cry.

Toji commented acidly, "Even the devil cries sometimes."

Hikari stood up, pointing at Shinji, with an angry glare in her eyes. "Ikari! You’ve got to follow her! You made her cry! It’s your fault!"

Shinji put the earphones down and went to the door. "Ok, Horaki. But you’ll have to explain me later exactly how you got to that conclusion." He went after his colleague. Still wearing the ludicrously embarrassing outfit.

After both pilots had disappeared in the hall, Toji commented. "That should be a good explanation; you know, Class Rep?"

Hikari looked at him like he had said the most idiotic thing in the world. "Shut up.", she said eloquently, and crossed her arms, looking away from the confused jock.

Misato smiled behind her can of beer. ‘Don’t tease them, Misato.’ she thought. ‘Not yet. Waaaaait for it.’

Convenience Store
Half a Block Away
Four Minutes Later

It didn’t take long for Shinji to find Asuka. She was squatting in front of the open door of a fridge, looking angrily at the bottles of soda and hugging her knees.

"(Shut up, Third. I know what you are about to say.)"

Shinji took a couple of cans out and offered his hand to her. "(Come with me if you wanna live.)" He said in English, affecting a heavy accent. He just didn’t have the voice to pull that off.

Anyway, it made Asuka smirk and blow away a lock of her hair that had fallen on her face. "(OK, you got me there.)"

"(Let’s go somewhere else, I need to talk to you in private.)"

"(Yeah, sure, you just wanna perv out.)"

"(I just want to talk, away from anybody else who could see me with this. You make it look good; but on me, it’s an embarrassment.)", he pulled on the top of his outfit to make it even clearer.

Asuka snorted, and almost laughed. "(At least you admit it.)" She took his hand to get up; and they went back out, having bought some food. On credit, of course, neither had their NERV IDs; luckily the shop owner knew Shinji and agreed to put everything on his tab.

Somehow, the old man managed to contain his laughter until both pilots were well away from the store.

Tokyo-3
On the Top of the Building Where the Katsuragi/Ikari Apartment is Located
Sunset

At the top of the building was a small lookout terrace, with a great view of Tokyo-3. Asuka stood on a bench, Shinji was sitting at the other end of the same bench. The bags of food they had brought were between both of them.

"(No matter what, I’ll put Rei and Misato to shame! I won’t be humiliated, Third!)" As always, both pilots had slipped into German for their private talks. Asuka would deny it, of course, but she was secretly glad to have the chance to speak her mother tongue; even if Shinji wasn’t exactly the best conversationalist, not even in his native Japanese.

"(Well… The way I see it, Misato was only trying to motivate you. I doubt she would replace you with Rei.)" He answered, and calmly sipped from his soda.

"(Why not? She synchs much better with you than with me!)"

"(I’m sure it’s only because her memory is very good; she has seen us work on it for days, she must have the whole sequence memorized by now. But her synch rate with EVA-00 is much lower than ours.)" Shinji took another sip of his soda, while Asuka attacked a sandwich as if it had personally insulted her whole lineage.

"(You don’t get it, Third Stooge. The mere insinuation I’m not good enough is an insult! I must avenge myself, defend my honor; my pride; with blood if necessary!)"

"(Whose blood? Neither Misato, Rei, nor I are your enemies.)"

She looked at him as if he had grown antlers. After another sip of soda, Shinji continued.

"(Our enemy, our true enemy, is now healing from a N2 Mine blast to the face back in Suruga Bay. That’s the one who is ultimately guilty of this affront against nature.)" He pulled at the outfit again. Asuka fought to contain her laughter. She wasn’t completely successful.

"(…right… I hate to admit it, but you are right. Still, the problem is the same. We are not synching.)"

"(Yep, but I’ve been thinking.)" He paused for a second, "(Yes, it did hurt.)" He allowed her a couple of seconds to smirk again at his self-deprecating humor. "(Now, seriously, let me ask you a question. Are you trying to defeat the machine, or to synch with me?)"

Asuka stood still for a few seconds, thinking. "(…Damn…)" She shook her head.

"(I thought so. Let’s keep the competition between us to the synch rates, OK? If we compete among ourselves in battle, we are gonna get killed.)"

"(What about your precious kill score?)" She asked, with a hint of petulance in her voice.

"(It can take a few hits.)" Shinji shrugged. "(What matters to me is that we send all those Angels back to wherever they came from. I don’t really care who gets the kill shot, as long as there is a kill shot.)"

"(Really? Then why are you even a pilot? If not for glory and pride, why?)"

"(I have my reasons. I’ll tell you later. Right now, we have a score to settle. You and me, with that Angel.)" he remarked, pointing vaguely; in the wrong direction, actually. "(No one humiliates my friends without paying the price.)" He crushed his empty can, underscoring his worlds.

"(So. What are we, hmm? Friends? Team mates?)" She extended her fist towards him.

"(A team of friends, I hope.)" He extended his own fist, bumping hers. "(Now, let’s go back to Misato’s and keep on dancing.)"

She grunted and nodded her agreement, and both pilots gathered the packaging of their meal, going back to the apartment.

Tokyo-3
On the Top of the Building Where the Katsuragi/Ikari Apartment is Located
Spiritual Plane

The Phantom Stranger and Deadman watched them, approvingly.

‘(So, what do you think?)’ Deadman jumped down from the railing.

"(They are on the road to heal their wounds, together.)"

‘(The kid is a natural when he sets his mind to it, doesn’t he?)’

The Phantom Stranger nodded.

Tokyo-3
Katsuragi/Ikari Apartment
D-Day Minus One. 08:32 P.M.

After their talk, they scores improved dramatically. Now that both had reached an agreement, the synchronization was smoother. Each day, they got better and better.

Asuka came out the bathroom, freshly showered and wrapped in a fluffy towel, with another wrapped around her hair. "Where’s Misato?" she asked, looking around and adjusting the towel on her body.

Without interrupting his reading, Shinji answered. "At work. She called earlier. She will be there all night."

"So that means we’re all alone tonight!" She squeed. "You know what that means?" She picked up her futon, pillows and blankets, taking everything back to her own room. "It means I don’t have to sleep here with you! I can go to my own room and really get back my beauty sleep!"

Shinji looked at her as she slid close the door, ‘Actually… that’s my room…’ he thought.

A few seconds later, the door was opened again by a kneeling Second Child, who looked quite annoyed. "This is the impenetrable ‘Wall of Jericho’, Third Child! Take one step over this wall and you’ll be a dead man! Get it?"

Shinji looked at her, completely confused. "B-but Jericho had nothing to do with walls..." he said, "His power was to possess people’s bodies and control them from the inside..."

"What in the Seven Hells name are you talking about?" was the angry retort.

Shinji stood up, picked up a magazine from the bookcase, flipped a few pages, and showed them to Asuka. He pointed at a kid with deep blue eyes and short and curly blond hair, wearing a strange set of clothing, with puffy sleeves and what seemed to be some kind of armor made of linked rings or scales. "This is Jericho. He was a Teen Titan. See?"

"Graaagrgh! I meant the one from the Bible, not this reject from the 80s, you idiot!"

Shinji opened his mouth. "Uh... I don’t know about that..."

Asuka huffed again. "Forget it! Just remember, If you dare to go into that room, you’re dead. Got it?"

Shinji raised his hands conciliatorily. "Look, I know you don’t trust me much. I got it. I promise I won’t try to impose on you. Even though you are the prettiest girl I know, I respect your privacy. Okay? And I know for a fact that you punch like a runaway train."

Asuka blew a raspberry at him, and closed the door again.

Later, Shinji was still trying to sleep, the uninterrupted rant Asuka had been engaged on for the last half-hour was kinda entertaining, she had managed to complain about almost everything! Finally, she had quieted down.

He found sleep elusive. His mind kept on replaying the movements they would have to do. He was tempted to dig the SDAT out from the drawer he had put it on, when the door to Asuka’s temporary room opened. He got very still, pretending to sleep; he had no wish to incur on the wrath of his colleague.

She went to the bathroom, and eventually, he heard the flushing of the toilet and the water running in the sink.

The light of the bathroom went off, and to his surprise, the German pilot plopped down next to him. Shinji blushed so much he felt like his whole face was on fire. Asuka was sleeping right next to him! During the previous nights, Misato had slept between the two pilots, a buffer to dissuade them from any shenanigans. But without her...

Shinji was completely paralyzed by the vision of the redhead, sleeping peacefully next to him. The fact that her shirt barely covered her chest only added to his paralysis.

She stirred in her sleep. She was so beautiful Shinji only wanted to burn the image in his memory. Her lips were temptingly open, it looked as if she was asking for a kiss.

Shinji closed his eyes for a moment. Then he heard her voice, softer than he had ever heard her. It was a single word, full of sadness, longing, and need. "...Mama..."

Shinji felt a lump in his throat. ‘She’s having a nightmare...’, he thought. Her eyes welled with unshed tears. Seeing her pain shook Shinji out of his immobility. He craned his neck, and tenderly kissed her forehead. "Your Mama loves you, Asuka," he whispered, "I’m sure she does. Sleep well."

The German girl relaxed and started to snore softly. Shinji got up, and covered her body with a blanket.

He set his own blankets a few feet away from Asuka, and settled down for the night.

Sleep was slow to come.

GeoFront
Staff Bar
D-Day Minus One. 09:33 P.M.

Misato Katsuragi, tapped the nail of her index against the table. The previous days had been a strange emotional rollercoaster. Leaving aside that that damned Angel was about to get back on its feet and try to crush Tokyo-3, she had to supervise Shinji and Asuka during their synch training. And devise an attack routine they could synch to. She also felt strangely slighted by Kaji. True to his word, the scruffy man hadn’t tried to reignite their relationship. Even more strange, he had refrained from chasing any other woman, at least, the ones at hand in NERV. Even Rits had been quite safe from his attentions.

Was it possible Kaji had changed so much in the eight years they had been apart?

And speaking of Rits, here she was. She put a cup of coffee near Misato’s hand. "You’re unusually sober today. Problems?"

"Yep. I’m feeling kinda... ignored... Kaji has been around for over a week, and he hasn’t even tried to make a pass on me!"

"Well... He did promise not to. Didn’t he?"

Misato huffed. "And since when does he keep that kind of promise?"

"Maybe he has matured during the last years." Ritsuko shrugged.

"Yeah, sure. I’ll believe that when I see it."

"Maybe you should give him a chance."

"Don’t be ridiculous! I was young then, and it’s still the biggest blemish on my whole life. "

"He might still like you. Does that scare you?"

Misato shot her with a glare. "I’ve got to get to work. Tomorrow is D-Day!" She almost stormed out the place. Ritsuko Akagi was left behind, wondering if she should get involved in the complicated relationship her two friends had.

In Route to Tokyo-3
Next Day

The Seventh Angel stepped heavily on the road, ruining the asphalt with its sheer weight. In the route, it had crushed the road, a lot of trees, several cars, and who knew what else. Several VTOLs circled the air around it, like flies.

And like flies, they had no discernible effect on the creature.

GeoFront
NERV
Pilots Dressing Room

Shinji pressed the button on the wrist of his plugsuit, breathed deeply several times, and closed his fist. "I will not break." he repeated several times, with his eyes closed.

When he opened his eyes again, he realized the colors in the room had shifted. Next to him, the Phantom Stranger stood, his eyes hidden in shadows. The tall man tipped his hat to the brown-haired boy. "You’ll do well."

Shinji felt a rush of confidence flow through his veins. The support and approval of the Stranger meant a lot to him. "Thanks. I’ll do my best."

"Miss Soryu is in a better mental state, I see. I don’t think you will need my help this time. Both of you are so much better. Still, I’ll be alert."

"Thanks, Stranger." Impulsively, Shinji hugged the man. After a couple of seconds, he felt his arms wrap around him. A long moment later, he heard the Stranger’s voice, "Go. It’s time."

"Yes. I’d like to talk to you later. I mean, really talk. I have some questions."

"I’ll do my best to answer. But there are some things you are not ready to know. You will be, soon."

Shinji felt reassured. The colors went back to normal as the Stranger faded from view.

GeoFront
NERV HQ
Central Dogma

Calmly, Lt. Makoto Hyuga reported the advance of the Angel. The titanic creature had broken through the last defense line, at Gora, and was getting closer and closer to its target. High tension lines snapped at its ankles, no more substantial than a spider-web to a walking man.

Captain Katsuragi spoke, summing the thoughts of all NERV personnel. "Here he comes. We won’t fail this time." She opened a channel to the two EVAs, waiting in their launch catapults. "Spread your AT Fields as soon as the music starts. Then follow the operation choreography."

"Just as we rehearsed!" the voices of the two pilots echoed in the open channel.

Asuka looked intensely at the image of the Third Child shown in her plug. "Just remember, Shinji. Full power, maximum performance."

"Roger that. We will finish in sixty-two seconds."

The umbilical cables were released from their sockets at the back of the fully charged Evangelions.

The music started.

The two twin catapults rocketed upside.

Both EVAs were released from their moorings, launching themselves, hundreds of feet into the air.

At the apex of their trajectories, both titans took the measure of the Angel.

They released and extended their progressive glaives, and with a deadly, simultaneous grace, they spun back down, gathering momentum.

The glaives were thrown; one in front, the other behind the Angel. An energy field extended between the shafts of the glaives, neatly bisecting the Angel into two halves, each one turning into a new Angel, as expected.

Two armoury buildings opened before the EVAs landed with deceptive ease. The Evangelions took the awaiting weapons. EVA-01, the pallet rifle; EVA-02, the positron rifle. Both giants opened fire. The firing rates of the different weapons were the only thing in the whole plan that wasn’t synchronized to the last fraction of a second.

The Angels answered the shots with their own. A series of compacted energy capsules that blew up at contact, exploding with tremendous force. However, not even one impacted the EVAs, they had thrown away their weapons, and free of any impediment, they tumbled away with such grace and elegance that Deadman was clapping and whistling to his heart’s content from the Spiritual Plane. As a professional acrobat, he was always happy to watch an excellent performance. And this was one for the books!

If only his old friends in Haley Circus could see this! Heck, if only he had a bowl of popcorn!

Away from the Angel, both stepped on a pressure plate, their weight activated the release of a heavily reinforced shield. The last energy pellet crashed against it, buckling and melting the surface. The shield was never meant to take that punishment for long. It was only a delaying tactic, a respite for the pilots, to take new weapons from the armoury buildings hidden behind the shield.

The EVAS stepped out from behind the shield, firing their new pallet rifles in perfect tandem.

The Angels, annoyed by the impacts, took flight on their AT Fields as the projectiles flew around them, and their steely claws slashed the shield into useless strips.

From Central Dogma, Misato barked orders, and all of the hill-mounted batteries, tanks, and missile silos set in or around Tokyo-3 released their projectiles against the twin Angels.

Distracted by the literal rain of high explosives around them, the Seventh Angel twins didn’t realize the two EVAs had closed distance, each one threw a devastating uppercut on one half of their enemy, launching them into the air. The Angels didn’t rose far from the ground. The EVAs spun to kick them back down to ground.

All the synchronized attacks had left their mark on the twins. As they received the attacks at exactly the same time, their energy exchanges were effectively neutralized. Their mutual healing was useless.

Desperate, both Angels fused back into one.

That was their last mistake.

Before their twin cores could turn back into one, Units 01 and 02 launched themselves into the air, spinning like twin, deadly arrows fired from a single bow.

Their feet hit the Seventh Angel with such force, that at the same time the cores cracked into fragments, the Angel’s body was thrown back, digging a deep trench into the ground; all the way into one of the mountains that surrounded Tokyo-3.

As the Angel hit the side of the mountain, it exploded. The detonation was apocalyptic.

They would have to re-draw the maps again. But Vice-Commander Fujutsuki didn’t really care about that at the moment.

Israfel Crater
(Just Formed, Still Smoking)

Unit-01 fell down like a puppet without strings. Shinji ejected the plug to wait for the recovery teams. Next to him, Eva-02 had performed a perfect three-points landing with the poise of an Olympic athlete.

He smiled at himself. Undoubtedly, the Second Child would mock him relentlessly for days.

All was well with the world.

Somewhere near, a phone rang. ‘What? Who put a phone in the back of an EVA? And why?’ he asked himself. Anyway, he picked it up. As he had thought, the voice at the other side of the line collapsed into laughter.

In different circumstances, he would have been deeply hurt by that laughter. Now? It just made him glad.

Yep. All is well with the world.

His smile only grew.

Author Notes

I got the bit about doing crosswords with a pen from a Tori Amos song; ‘Happy Phantom’; it really doesn’t have anything to do with the plot, I just thought it was funny.

I’m having fun playing with the changing dynamics Shinji is causing thanks to the Phantom Stranger’s meddling. For starters, I am enjoying having Asuka and Rei almost acting like a second generation of Fire and Ice, but even more extreme in character.

Also, putting little clues to several plotlines around. All from the DC side of things.

Yes, Shinji es eloquent when he’s angry. His self-consciousness filter gets turned off.

Chapter Text

Note , the parenthesis indicate languages other than Japanese, in this case, English and Interlac.

Gotham City
Iceberg Lounge
February the 17th, 2001

"(I see. No. I knew it would be so.)"

Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot put the phone down on its hook. He stood, breathed deeply, resting his fists on the table. "(Waugh! NO!)" Suddenly, he swiped aside everything on his desk. A rain of documents and knick-knacks fell to the floor of his office.

He panted, not so much for the effort, but because of his emotions, his anger, his loss… He already knew, but still had clung to hope against reason. The confirmation still hurt like a stab at the gut. Cobblepot pressed a button. An instant later, his two secretaries/bodyguards, Irina Falcon and Sandra Hawkins, opened the door. "(You rang, boss?)", they asked.

"(Yes. Put that back in order. I’ll go to the gym. No one is allowed to interrupt, got it?)" He went out, slamming the door closed.

"(Yes, boss,)" they said towards the door, picking up papers and assorted stuff, and began to put them back in order. The underlings knew their boss was in a foul mood; or, as he would say it, ‘a fowl mood’, and it would be wise to stay away from him until he calmed down.

Down in the extensive gymnasium he had ordered built in one of the sub-basement levels of his night club, for his exclusive use, Cobblepot changed clothes, from his hand-tailored smoking, into a comfortable track suit. Carefully, he hanged his suit and stored his monocle and cigarette holder into the only locker. There was no point in locking the door, he was the only one who ever used the gym.

He began to exercise, hoping to burn away his anger.

‘(Hell and damnation! All dead. This stupid Second Impact wiped them all from the face of the Earth…)’ He was, to put it diplomatically, a fat man, but he was in better shape than he looked. Sure, he would never beat the Batman in a fight, but he was far stronger, faster and agile than many thugs half his age and weight, and that was one of the reasons he had achieved his position as one of the top villains in Batman’s Rogues Gallery, and in Gotham City’s underworld.

After a fast warm-up, Cobblepot picked up a set of boxing gloves, and attacked the sandbag with all his anger. The news he had just received…

"(No more penguins… Waugh! All that’s left are the ones in zoos and circuses… and the ones I have.)"

He kept his pace at the sandbag for several minutes, letting his anger flow away with each strike.

Finally, his arms were so tired he felt they would fall off. He was covered in sweat, and his track suit was completely soaked.

"(This cannot stand. There must be a way…)" He showered, and once he was clean and calm, he went back to the office; his underlings had done a very good job in organizing everything back. He snapped his fingers at them, "(Bring me my little black book, my dear birdies; the one I keep in the nest. I have some calls to make.)"

"(Yes, boss!)" they chirped.

A Possible XXXIst Century
Frontier of the Almeracian Empire
Legionnaires Diplomatic Mission

"(…Oh, god…)" Superboy leaned heavily on the door frame. "(I’m never going to go home?)" The young hero was devastated by the news brought by the Almeracian ambassador.

"(Sire. Please keep calm.)" Lana Max-El asked.

"(Calm? You have just told me I’m trapped here! My friends, everything I knew… All is gone… and I can’t do a damned thing about it!)" He slammed his fist on the metal, denting it with a perfect imprint of his knuckles.

"(Conner!)" Apparition pressed her hand on his shoulder. "(Please…)" The gesture gave him a measure of control back. Nervously, he looked at the dent, breathed deeply, and nodded twice. He got along quite well with her husband, Ultra Boy, and Tinya was one of his closest friends in the Legion.

The young hero sat on a chair, barely seeing where he was. He was about to cry.

"(Cassie…)" he whispered, his voice cracked; and the teen buried his face in his hands.

"(My Lord! Control yourself! This behavior is unbecoming of your station!)"

At the other end of the room, R.J. Brande poured some kono juice in a glass. He put it in Superboy hands. "(Usually, I’d wait for you to be a bit older, but I think you need it now. Drink this, son.)" he said, solemnly. Superboy accepted the glass, but it just stayed in his hands for a long moment. He raised his eyes, looking into Brande’s. He found an almost infinite pool of compassion and sympathy. He took a long sip of the glass. "(Thanks, R.J., I really needed that.)"

"(I understand, my boy. It’s not every day you get news like this.)" He turned to the Almeracian ambassador. "(Miss Max-El, could you excuse us for a moment? Our friend just got a nasty shock.)"

"(But… he should be getting ready to assume his rightful position in the Almeracian empire! He is the cousin of the original Prince Consort of the Max-El Royal House!)"

"(Miss… Right now, Kon-El is just a boy who has received the worst kind of news one can receive. He needs some time to digest it.)"

"(I… I understand, Lord Brande.)" Lana knelt in front of Superboy. "(My Lord. I ask you for your forgiveness on bringing you dire news.)"

Superboy merely watched her like she wasn’t there. He nodded in the affirmative, and then looked back at Brande. "(Could I… I mean…)" he moved his hand in a vague gesture.

Brande patted his shoulder. "(I know. We will let ourselves out, my boy.)" He smiled sadly. "(Your whole world has turned upside down. Take some time to think. We will manage things. I will come back later to talk, if you want. I think you should speak with M’Onel, maybe Ferro too. You… ahem…know one of our mutual friends had a shock like this one too, remember?)" He cut short the explanation, M’Onel was a well-respected Legionnaire, but his true name and background were kept secret for very good reasons.

"(Yeah… I… I know, I was here when the Legion found him… And Ferro came from my time, he is the only one here who laughs at my jokes about Karate Kid.)" He smiled sadly and drank the rest of the beverage. "(Thanks, R.J., I really appreciate it.)" he yawned.

"(Any time, son. You should try to sleep a bit. Things may look less dark tomorrow.)"

In a rare moment of empathy, Brainiac-5 and Gates stayed behind for a few moments. "(I’ll keep trying, Kon-El. There might be a way.)" For once, he said it without the underlying tone of annoyance he almost always had when talking to Superboy.

Gates added some encouraging clicks of his beak. "(Yeah. I’ll make sure of that.)"

Superboy nodded back, stifled another yawn and went to his bunk. The group left Superboy alone, switched off the light and closed the door.

Brande silenced any question with a finger over his lips. "(I gave him a soft sedative with the kono juice. He will sleep for a few hours. I hope he feels better when he wakes up.)"

"(Now, ambassador. I think we should get to this mysterious robot you found.)"

Lana Max-El nodded, and put a memory crystal in his hands. "This contains all the data we have found about the robot with passive scans."

Reverently, Brande took the crystal. "(Shall we..?)" and extended his hand towards the viewing room.

A Possible XXVIth Century
Ruins of NERV-2 (Nevada)
Evangelion Unit-04 Cage

A deep growl made itself heard in the chamber. Kamandi almost dropped Mari on the ground, taking a rifle in his hands, looking for the origin of the sound.

It turned out to be his old friend, Dr. Canus. The dog scientist was on the floor, in fetal position, his eyes were wild and unfocused.

"(Dr. Canus?)" Kamandi asked softly. "(Are you all right?)"

Trembling, Canus shook his head. "(B-b-b-blood… So much blood… I can’t… the smell… it’s calling to me… I need to… My f-friend… I think-k-k… I… Knock me down… I don’t want to… to hurt you… the blood… Hurry…)"

Kamandi waved Mari to stay back. Worried, the brunette looked at the scientist lying on the floor, and discreetly, with slow movements, picked up one of rifles Kamandi had discarded. "(No. You stay back.)" Kamandi ordered. "(He is my friend.)"

Mari gulped. "(What’s happening? We were just singing.)" she hissed.

"(I don’t know! I have never seen him like this!)" Kamandi approached Canus slowly. The scientist was on all fours for a moment, but one of his hands grabbed his head, like he was suffering from a migraine. He mumbled, "(Hurry… I don’t… know… how long…)"

Kamandi got closer and closer, Canus growled again, a deep, resonating sound that made the human’s hair stand on end. Meanwhile, Mari had checked the rifle on her hands. It was empty, but she could still use it as a club. Her grip on it tightened.

Canus jumped at Kamandi, all wild eyes and drooling mouth. Normally, Kamandi would have reacted with lightning speed, but this was his oldest friend, the friend who had travelled the world at his side. Canus slammed on Kamandi, and fell over him. He was trembling violently, struggling to control himself. He started to foam at the mouth, biting the air, centimetera away from Kamandi’s face.

Suddenly, before Canus could bite Kamandi, the butt of a rifle hit him on the side of the head. Canus’ body fell over the last boy on Earth like a bag of rocks, unconscious. Kamandi looked up, to see a pair of wild eyes behind red rimmed eyeglasses.

Mari clutched the rifle with white-knuckled hands. Her breath came out in ragged bursts. She was crying.

The girl dropped the rifle and fell to her knees. "(Eeep!)" Kamandi pushed Canus off him, and checked his pulse.

"(He’s out.)" He looked at Mari. "(Are you okay?)"

Still shaken, Mari nodded brusquely, her eyes still wide with fear. "(What happened?)"

"(I’m not sure… He said something about…)" he sniffed. "(…blood…)" He turned around. "(Pass me those ropes, will you? I don’t want to risk him waking up and going wild again.

"(S-s-sure.)" Mari scrambled to get the ropes.

“(It cant be rabies,)" Kamandi swiped his hair backwards. “(We haven’t even heard of a rabid animal around here!!)”

Soon, Dr. Canus was tied up securely. Once satisfied his friend was safely bound, Kamandi stood up and sniffed around. "(Can you smell it? There’s blood somewhere near.)" He followed his nose. To Mari. "(It’s you! Why do you smell of blood?)"

"(Blood? No! It’s just LCL.)" She caught herself. "(Wait.)" She sniffed at her fingers and wrinkled her nose. "(Damn! It really does smell like blood. Wait here.)"

She ran up, back to the white cylinder she had come out. She slammed her fist on a panel. The white cylinder slid back into the giant.

"(Hey, blondie. I think the doc will be better now. But, just in case, I should go take a shower. Okay?)"

"(What?)"

"(Gimme a few minutes. The pilot’s dressing room is close, I hope the water recycling system still works...)"

She ran away, and disappeared into a side hall.

Kamandi knelt beside his old friend, watching his chest rise and fall steadily.

Tokyo-3
General Hospital

"Rei? Do you have any idea of exactly why the baka asked us to come here? I mean, a hospital? Not the place to take a lady for a walk, unless it’s one of those weird cultural things you Japanese have."

"My knowledge of Ikari’s motives are as limited as yours. And I would appreciate if you abstain from demeaning him."

"You’re sweet on him? Great…" Asuka didn’t recognize the feeling, but she had felt a little stab of jealousy. "I though you would have better taste."

Rei blinked twice. "Sweet? Explain, please."

"You like him?"

"Yes. He has been very nice to me. He has granted me his friendship."

"Whoa-whoa-whoa… " Asuka waved her hands around. "Friends? That’s it?"

"Friends, yes. He has not said or done anything that could indicate deeper feelings."

"What about the girls at school? I have seen some of them undressing him with their eyes. Bunch of weirdos, if you ask me?"

"No. He has been very reserved at school. Aside Aida, Suzuhara, Horaki, you and myself, he has not associated closely with anybody. Although he is in friendly terms with the whole class, and several students from other groups, both male and female. He is well regarded by most of the school."

"Reaaaaaally..? Interesting. So he’s kinda popular, huh?"

Before Rei could answer, Toji arrived. "Hey, Red, Blue. Glad you came. Shinji is walking around with Sakura."

"Who?" for an instant, several scenarios whirled around Asuka’s brain. Not that she would admit any of them, even to herself.

"My sister. Shinji comes to visit her every chance he has. Now hurry up. I want to introduce you two. She wants to meet you both."

"Ab—guh…" Asuka’s tongue refused to move in a coordinated fashion. Rei simply pulled her arm, folowing Toji. ‘…not a girl at school… Rei is just a friend… must be… Sakura must be Monkey-boy’s older sister… At a hospital… A nurse!’

"‘Physical Rehab’?"

Toji opened the door, and allowed the pilots to enter, he called. "We’re here."

For a moment, Asuka’s eyes glared jealously at the nurse who was next to Shinji, she was writing on a tablet. The pilot stood up immediately at seeing his friends. "Hi! Glad to see you." The nurse bowed deeply to them, excused herself, and went to the patients in the next area.

"So, what, you’re after a nurse or what?" Asuka poked at his chest, tilting her head at the oblivious nurse.

"Hey!" came an indignant answer, from behind a partition. "Shinji came to visit me!"

The young man smiled at the surprised expression on Asuka’s face. Toji looked like he was about to burst laughing. "Come out, squirt, you have rested enough. Time for the second lap."

Asuka heard a heavy metallic stomping behind the partition, followed closely by a girl of about eight, maybe nine years old; with her legs encased in a heavy harness. "Hi," she waved at the pilots and bowed as deep as she dared. "Nice to meet you. Shinji has spoken highly of both of you." Asuka smiled at hearing this.

"Sakura," Shinji added, "Allow me to introduce you to Asuka Langley Soryu, pilot of Unit-02; and Rei Ayanami, pilot of Unit-00. Asuka, Rei, this is my friend, Sakura Suzuhara."

While Rei bowed, Asuka stammered for a couple of seconds, trying to reset her brain. "H-hi! Nice to meet you too." Then she bowed too.

"So, you’re the Red Devil, uh?" Sakura eyed her in a way that made Asuka think the girl only needed a magnifying glass to look like an entomologist examining a bug.

Asuka turned towards Toji, glaring at him. "Red Devil?"

"Slappy-Happy Red Devil. Toji told me what happened at the ship. You shouldn’t slap Shinji. He’s nice."

"Hey! He… I… Yeah… Well… I mean… He was about to…"

"Drop it, Red." Toji rescued her. "Just don’t try to explain. That’s a talk I don’t want to give for a few years. Heck, even Dad wants to do it as late as possible."

"Okay, but when you’re older I will have to have a talk with you, kid. Right now I don’t know how to explain what happened."

"Well. I know about the dress. But that wasn’t Shinji’s fault." Sakura shrugged.

Toji nodded sagely, and then realized Sakura had defended Shinji, and Shinji alone. "Hey! What about me? That wasn’t my fault either!"

"Nope." Sakura loved to rile her brother up. Before Toji could say anything else, Sakura defused him with a hug.

"Guh… Heck, squirt… Knock it off. You have to walk around, don’t you?"

Asuka and Rei looked at the scene. "Okay, okay, we get it. She has you wrapped around her little finger, Jock-Stooge. I’m getting cavities just by looking at you."

Rei watched the siblings with curiosity. She hadn’t had much chance before to examine family interactions, except for some very limited, and very cold, exchanges between Shinji and Commander Ikari. This was… She tried to find a word that fit, but none came to her mind. She would have to ask Shinji later.

Toji disentangled from the hug, all business again. "Very well, that’s enough; now, squirt. What did the doctor said?"

A big smile brightened Sakura’s face. "I’m doing very well!" she beamed at him. "I can walk the whole track! I get very tired, but I don’t have to stop! He said I’m healing nicely. I still have to wear these things for a while," she patted her harness a couple of times, "(but they will change it for a lighter set in a couple of months. And I’ll be able to walk with just a cane."

Shinji beamed a big smile at her. "Great! Let’s show Toji how better you are now." The girl blushed cutely. Shinji took her hand in his, and guided her to the start of the track.

Sakura walked stiffly, but she kept her balance quite well, she barely needed to grab the bars.

In route back to the Pilot’s Apartments
Later

"OK, there’s a story there, spit it."

Shinji swallowed. "In my first sortie, I l-lost…" he swallowed again. "I lost control of the EVA, it caused a partial collapse of the building Toji and Sakura were hiding in. He wasn’t hurt, but the debris fell on her, and she got many fractures in her legs. It was my fault. She should be around, running and jumping, not learning how to walk again." He looked absolutely miserable.

"So, I train hard to keep control of the EVA, and not hurt anybody else."

Asuka nodded. Maybe she couldn’t ever understand his motivation to pilot the Evangelion, but at least, she could respect it.

Rei added. "Shinji is very considerate."

A Possible XXXIst Century
Frontier of the Almeracian Empire
Legionnaires Diplomatic Mission

As the Legionnaires, the Almeracian ambassador and Brande exited the room, the latter felt a soft mental tug. ‘(Princess?)’

‘(Did you really sedate him, sir?)’ Princess Projectra’s voice caressed his mind. The Orandian princess had a beautiful voice, if she had the inclination, she could be a hit songstress. According to Cham, she had been a hit at a night club during a girls night out with Spark, Apparition, and Triad.

‘(Actually, no. I just gave him a mild mental ‘push’ to sleep. I don’t like to do it, but he needed some time to process it.)’

‘(Maybe you could speak with him too... you know… as…)’

‘(No. That part of my life is over. I’m old, you know. I’m too old to go back to that life. I’ll help any way I can, but as Rene Jacques Brande. That’s who I am now. And I intend to be just that for as long as I can.)’

‘(I understand your reticence. I feel the same whenever my father asks me to go back to Orando and be the next queen… But being a Legionnaire is more spiritually fulfilling.)’ Her tongue flicked playfully in the air. She had to convey her emotions through voice and body language, as her ophidian features were barely mobile.

By the time they arrived to the conference room, the ambassador and the other Legionnaires were already seated. Triad stood up immediately. Brande gestured with his hands, palms down; before any other could stand up. ¨(Please, stay seated.)¨ He sat at the centre of the long U-shaped table, inserted the data crystal in the slot, the lights dimmed, and a holographic image jumped to life in the centre of the room.

It showed a big block of ice and dirt spinning slowly in the darkness.

Lana Max-El spoke, taking a holo-manipulator from the table. "(At first, we thought this was just a simple comet. Our mining corps claimed it in the name of her majesty, and prepared their gear to process it for water and trace minerals.)"

The image turned around. A recent crater with jagged edges was plainly visible on the surface. The image closed up on one side of the block. "(The crew made some routine scans on the ice, looking for possible space creatures; and found the comet has a solid core, very dense.)"

The image changed to a gamma radiation scan. "(As you can see here,)" she pinpointed a section of the image, "(The core of the block is of variable density. The outer layer is some kind of metal we haven’t encountered before, evidently of artificial origin. The inner layer seems to be some kind of bio-mechanical integrated body. Plus, there’s something generating an almost indetectable amount of energy. Like a system in stand by.)"

Brainiac-5 was taking hurried notes on an infopad. "(You said it has terran marks, ambassador Max-El.)"

"(It does. The Ministry of Mining issued a permit for the crew to chip the ice, they chose to do so here.)" The image showed a close-up of the crater." (According to the reconstructed image, it is equivalent to the left arm of a humanoid. They didn’t want to risk activation or awakening, in case this thing was hostile. We have had some incidents with Khundian left-overs from past wars.)"

Brande gasped at the next image. It showed a long plate of purple armor. A lime green section in the centre had old lettering, very old black lettering. "(…impossible…)" he whispered, too softly to be heard by anyone.

Max-El continued, turning the image around. "(Lord Kal-El, First Prince Consort, and Founder of our Dynasty, left some records of his life before his coming to Almerac, and although he didn’t left us a guide to his adoptive terran language, the characters themselves are well known across the Empire from the trilingual motto of his personal coat of arms. They read "FOR TRUTH AND JUSTICE." in High Almerii, Late Kryptonian, and Old… Anglis… I think it was called. Every school-age child in the Empire has known and honored his motto for close to a thousand Terran years.)"

Brainiac-5 read the inscription easily and translated it for the others. Being a 12th level intellect allowed him to learn languages with astonishing speed, whenever he had the inclination to do so. His previous visits to the 20th Century had been too brief and urgent for him to actually learn the language. The telepathic plugs covered that need perfectly for short visits. Still, they didn’t help much with written forms of language. So he had borrowed some books and technical manuals Cosmic Boy had brought with him, scanned in his infopad; plus the boring sociological treatises on utopies Gates was so fond of. He liked the technical handbooks better. They were irritatingly primitive, but at least they actually made some sort of sense.

At seeing the text, Brande inhaled suddenly; then whispered, in a language no one present in the room could even recognize, much less understand. "(…EVA 01 Test… …Unit One…)"

Magnus’ Labs
Sacramento, California
August the 28th, 2001

"(Are you sure they are inert?)" A tall man with a black uniform asked his companion, a wiry man with an identical uniform. Their faces were hidden behind a reflective plate, giving nothing about their features.

"(Sure as sure, man. Relax, Calculator hacked into Magnus’ system months ago. We were just waiting for them to need a good rebuild. All the toys were heavily damaged during their last rescue op. Even Veridium, and that damned alien alloy he is made of is incredibly resistant. We got damn lucky he decided to put himself into sleep mode.)" He was busy plugging cables into sockets, everything connected to his military grade laptop." (Calculator’s Trojan kicks in, and voilà! We have an instant set of sleeping toys and free entry to empty the toybox.)"

The first man walked to the transparent cylinders, each one occupied by a humanoid shape. He tapped on the surface of the cylinder labeled "(Lead)"; a fat, gray figure rested inside. "(Damn! They look so alive. Hard to believe they are robots. They look like those people in fairs; you know what I mean, the guys who bathe in metallic paint and play at being robots.)"

"(Yeah, I’ve seen them. Now, while I download the OS, you check the rest of the lab. Look for any written notes, folders, physical archives, prototypes, the works. Whatever is too heavy for the rest of the crew, just mark it for the next team.)"

"(I love this kind of work. No hassle, no hurry, just breaking, entering, and taking everything away.)"

"(Ha! Especially here! No metas in the neighbourhood. Except for the Beautiful Sleeping Tinkertoys.)"

"(And speaking of beautiful…)" the man paused to pat the cylinder occupied by Platinum, or Tina, as she preferred to be called. "(You think the boss will let me keep this one? She would look great in my evil lair!)"

"(As if! Not only she’s a valuable resource, do you have any idea of how much just the body is worth? She’s made of pure platinum! Add to that the value of the tech, and even the one made of tin is worth a king’s ransom. And I have been to your lair. A sleepwalking rookie can get in and rob you blind in twenty minutes. Tops.)"

"(…yeah… Way to shoot a dream down, buddy. Hmm… Makes you wonder… Just how could Magnus afford to make the bodies..?)"

"(No idea. It must have cost a pretty penny. But hey, if you find out...)"

The other man smiled wickedly at the thought of either getting or creating his own personal stash of valuable metal.

Quintessence Plane
March the 7th, 2008

"(Why did you call me here, Stranger?)" A small, blue-skinned figure asked, his red robes hanged heavily on his slight frame, despite the fact that gravity was completely optional in this un-place.

"(Grave matters, Ganthet. I would only distract you from your duties due to very urgent and very important matters.)"

"(I am aware of your duties, just as you are aware of mine.)" Ganthet, last Guardian of the Universe, looked sadly at the Earth’s image floating next to him. "(They are still holding on, you know. Despite Jordan’s choice, the other Lanterns, even the one who wasn’t even part of the Corps; they are still protecting the world of their birth.)" A movement of his fingers framed a tiny green spark, shining somewhere between the Earth and the Moon. He looked into the spark for a few seconds, then turned around to face his companion.

"(The last Green Lanterns endure.)" The Phantom Stranger tipped his hat respectfully.

"(Now,)" Ganthet sighed, "(what can I help you with? I have very little power left, but I doubt you have come to me for that.)"

"(Information. Recently, it has been revealed to me that Second Impact was not a random event. I need to know more if I am to stop the next stage of the scenario.)"

"(What?)" Ganthet’s robes flared as if a sudden hurricane enveloped him. Usually, the Guardians of the Universe were extremely stoic beings, but Ganthet wasn’t like his missing brothers. He was far more emotional, for starters; and was very reticent to use the beings that made up the now defunct Green Lantern Corps as chess pieces. Therefore, he was the most approachable of his brothers back when they were a council charged with protecting the whole universe. Although an exception could have been made of Appa Ali Apsa, the Old-Timer, as he was called by the humans.

Now, Ganthet himself was the last Guardian of the Universe.

"(Start from the beginning.)", he said.

Some time later, the pair had been over all the info Deadman had passed on to the Stranger, plus everything the mysterious being had found out by himself.

"(These are the Dead Sea Scrolls, as SEELE knows them.)" The images of the ancient documents floated around them. "(My information is incomplete. I don’t have access to the originals. Only to this fragmentary collection, and to the translation SEELE made, but only the parts pertinent to these pages. If you know what they say, or even if you can recognize the language, it would be a great help; even with missing pieces.)"

Ganthet studied the floating images, tapping a finger on his chin, a mannerism he had copied from the Batman, a human who frequently collaborated with Jordan, the Dark Night Detective was one of the few humans who had earned the respect of the Guardian; thanks to his sharp analytic mind and unstoppable drive. He mused that the Batman would have been an outstanding Green Lantern had he had the chance to join the Corps. But by the time the Guardians found about him, he had already determined his route.

He shook his head and turned his attention back to the matter at hand. "(I have seen these characters before… A long time ago.)"

"(What can you tell me?)"

"(It will take me some time to remember.)" Ganthet looked aside at the stranger, barely able to tear his eyes from the images. "(It must have been a very long time ago if I cannot recall it easily.)"

"(I thank you, Ganthet)"

The blue-skinned Oan didn’t answer, he closed his eyes, floating, sitting in lotus position, letting his thoughts wander back to ancient times. Gradually, he disappeared from the Quintessence Plane, going back to wherever he spend his time now a days.

Kyoto University
Mess Hall
April the 22nd, 1999

"Sensei? Have you seen that man around?"

Professor Fujutsuki raised his eyes from the documents he had been reading. "Mm? Who?"

"Back there, Sensei. I think he is following me. I have seen him several times." Yui Ikari looked urgently at him.

Fujutsuki turned around. There was no one at the place Yui had pointed. "Where, Yui? I don’t see anybody there."

"Oh. He must have gone away while I wasn’t looking."

"You could report him to the campus authorities if he acts suspiciously."

"He hasn’t done anything yet." She pushed her food around the plate, thinking. "He just stands away and looks around. But I have the weird feeling he’s looking at me. Sometimes I see him from the corner of my eye. I don’t know him, I know all the exchange students, and he looks too old to be a student anyway."

"Maybe he is a teacher."

"With a cloak on?" she smirked. "And a golden medallion of this size hanging from his neck?" She held up her hands, mimicking the size of said medallion, it apparently was about the size of a small saucer. "The guy doesn’t even take off his hat."

"Might be some eccentric student. You know some of them like to play pranks on each other. Remember the guy in the chicken suit? He ran all around the campus, handing eggs to everybody." He laughed at the memory.

"Yes, but that I can understand. That was just a prank, and it was funny. This guy only looks around and then disappears!"

"If it bothers you, I could report him."

"Please do it, Professor."

Tokyo-3
Katsuragi-Ikari Apartment
Spiritual Plane

Shinji had just placed his cello and bow back in the case, when he noticed the familiar color shift around him. He looked around; to find the Phantom Stranger, comfortably seated in the couch; softly drumming his fingers on the armrest, nodding appreciatively.

"I didn’t want to interrupt you. It is rare I have a chance to enjoy music." He said, as he stood up. Shinji blushed. He wasn’t used to praise. Rei had told him that she enjoyed hearing him play, but he had attributed it to their friendship, and maybe to her little knowledge of music. Asuka certainly hadn’t mentioned anything, if she had heard at all. "How… how long have…?"

"A few minutes, enough to listen you play the last piece." He allowed Shinji a few seconds to recover. "We must talk, follow me."

The door of the apartment lead directly to the street. Shinji had long ago decided to not bother himself with the evident impossibility of the shortcuts the Phantom Stranger lead him into, both in time and space. He had the impression that the Stranger thought better while walking. As if the man just needed to move around, despite his general stoicism.

Once outside, the Phantom Stranger spoke. "In a few days, the next Angel will appear. I have delayed it as much as I can, but it will emerge soon. NERV will receive the order to mobilize and try to capture it before it hatches. NERV cannot be allowed to study the Angel’s larval stage."

Shinji nodded, "What do I do?"

"Miss Soryu is the one who has the best chance to destroy this Angel, but it is hidden in a very dangerous place, her life is at an even higher risk. You cannot help her directly."

Shinji pursed his lips and nodded.

The Stranger continued. "At least, not until she has come back with the Angel. There’s a risk it will hatch prematurely. If that happens, you should use all resources available to end its threat." Shinji nodded again. The Stranger turned towards him, stopping for a moment.

"It is my understanding that you have been studying some history, is that correct?"

"Well... yes. Our Sensei at school rambles a lot about life before Second Impact, and he spoke about the metahumans soon after we met. I thought it would be good to know more about them, so I’ve been tracking every bit of info I could."

"Good." The man’s cloak flared around him. "I have shown you the dark side of this world, it is past time I show you the bright side of it. The Flashes will help you with the next task."

"But they are all d… gone." Shinji guessed the first Flash would have probably died sometime before Second Impact, hopefully from old age. The second one had sacrificed his life to stop the universe’s destruction at the hands of the Anti-Monitor. And the third had simply disappeared a few weeks after Second Impact.

"They are gone, yes, but not forgotten. And for as long as their memory endures, they will show you the way. It is time you witness a heroic legacy."

All around them, the city had changed. All the store’s signs were in English, and the people around them were all of western ascent.

No one noticed their presence.

Suddenly, a red and blue streak passed next to them.

A Possible XXVIth Century
Ruins of NERV-2 (Nevada)
Evangelion Unit-04 Cage

It had been nearly twenty minutes since Dr. Canus had tried, against his own will, to attack Kamandi like a wild beast. The young human sat on his haunches, ready to jump into action at the least sign Canus had another episode of violence. To steady his nerves, Kamandi watched intensely the slow movement on the chest of his friend.

Canus was securely tied up, his wrists and ankles tied together in a complex know. The scientist had a big bump on the side of his head. Kamandi had a strange expression on his face, his brow deeply furrowed in worry.

Still, Canus seemed to be simply sleeping.

Kamandi’s mind paid some attention to the far away noise of running water. A few times he had had the chance to wash under a bucket of water, with holes in the bottom. But there was no bucket big enough for that amount of water. To distract himself, he began to work out in his mind exactly how something similar could be rigged. Maybe a barrel… No, still too small… A tank, maybe? Hmm… yes… that could be it.

The strange girl, Mari, returned; rubbing her hair vigorously with a thick piece of white cloth. She had changed clothes. Now she wore a kind of tunic, white in color, plus a beautiful kilt. He had seen clothes like that during his travels. He was familiar with skirts, of course, being one of the simplest garments humans still wore, but the pattern on the cloth itself probably meant something, like her tribe or status. Hopefully, she could tell him the meaning. Canus would surely like to know.

"(Hey, blondie! I don’t want to get too close to the doc. Just in case he goes loco again. Could you check if I still smell like LCL… I mean, like before.)"

"(Sure.)" Kamandi checked the knots once again. And walked to Mari.

He sniffed the air as he got close to her. "(You smell nice. Like… flowers. No, like flowers and fruit. Did you find something to eat?)"

"(Ah, no. It’s just soap, shampoo and deodorant. I thought it would be best if I washed up real good, and then used the other smells to cover up the one that set your friend off. Speaking of which… Is he okay?)"

Kamandi turned around, "(You knocked him pretty hard, but I don’t think there was any lasting damage beyond a bump on his head. He’s breathing fine. And his fur is back to normal.)" He shook his head. "(I have never seen him like that.)"

"(Yeah… He was quite scary. I thought we were getting along well…)"

A pained groan interrupted them. Canus opened his eyes with a start. "…grooooo…" He looked around, evidently scared, Kamandi was at his side in an instant.

"(Dr. Canus! Are you okay? What happened?)"

"(Kamandi? Oooh… My head…)" He tried to cradle his head, but his hands were securely tied to his ankles. "(By Grant… I had the most horrible nightmare. Are you okay? Both of you?)"

"(Uh, yeah, doc; what do you remember?)" Mari asked, keeping distance.

"(Blood. I felt the smell of blood in my brain, but it wasn’t normal blood. Grant knows I… we… have seen a lot of blood spilled, but this smells weird. Like no blood of animal or human I’ve ever seen.)"

"(Can you still feel it, doctor?)"

"(It’s very faint now, my friend, I don’t want to smell that blood again. It turned me into a savage beast! I could have killed you! I wanted to kill something… so badly I could barely think!)"

Mari was leaning against a railing. Deep in thought. "(Must have been the LCL. I… I don’t know what they make it from, but everybody I know hates the way it smells.)" She looked around, at the dilapidated state of the most advanced place the science of the XXIst Century had ever built. Well, apart from the GeoFront, of course. "(Everybody I knew…)" she corrected herself, sadly. "(I was the only one who liked it…)"

Both Kamandi and Canus looked at her, then at each other, and back to Mari. She was mumbling to herself. "(If the Evangelion is a biomechanoid… then that means… Oh, God!)" Her eyes opened as wide as saucers. She turned around, looking distinctly green and covering her mouth with a hand. She managed to control her stomach for a moment. "(I’ve been breathing it!)" She doubled herself over the railing, retching, though her stomach had been empty for a long time.

Sometime later, Mari had recovered from her nausea. Canus had suggested Kamandi to go to get some water. Mari had mumbled the route back to the pilots dressing rooms. Outside them, there was a drinking fountain, with a helpful painting showing how to use it. Kamandi followed the instructions, and after a cautious sniffing of the water, he filled a waterskin with fresh water.

"(Thanks.)" Mari sloshed some water around her mouth, ridding herself of the bile taste before spitting it over the railing. She drank several big gulps.

"(Better?)" asked a worried Kamandi.

"(Yeah…)", she nodded weakly, "(Boy, when I was chosen to pilot Unit-03, no one told me I would be breathing freaking blood…)" A strange expression crossed her face. Her eyes brightened up, "(Heeey! I’m hardcore, man! I breathe blood and spit bubbles!)", she mumbled to herself. For some reason, she nodded enthusiastically several times, not only with her head, but with her whole torso, while raising her left hand over her head with some fingers extended, making her pigtails fly around her.

Kamandi sat next to Canus. "(I think we should rest for a while. Doctor, can I untie you now?)"

"(I think it would be prudent to keep me tied for a while. I would like to eat something, though…)"

"(Wait here. I’ll see if I can find something.)" Mari went to a wall full of glass windows. She pushed a few buttons, and the screens lighted up, showing various places. She pushed more buttons. "(Ah. All clear, no monkey-boys in sight. Wait here. I’ll be back soon.)" She took a loaded rifle, and expertly checked it was in working order. "(Don’t go anywhere, Doc.)"

Kamandi and Canus stared at her, doubting between remarking about the ropes that tied the scientist or not.

September the 21st, 2002,
Gotham City, Wayne Manor
Main Study Room

"(Master Richard? I believe there is an… intruder… in the basement.)" The old butler, Alfred Pennyworth, approached hesitantly to the last survivor of the extended family of his old employer and ward.

Dick Grayson put down the files he was reading, the last reports Lucius Fox had sent about the R&D the kids in Waynetech had been busying themselves with. "(Thanks, Alfred, please go with Barbara and make sure she is prepared for anything. I’ll go down to check. Ask her to activate the cameras and feed me the info.)"

"(Immediately, Sir. Please be careful)." Alfred had seemed to get twenty years older, since the news of the death of the Batman and most of his team. More like family, actually.

"(Alfred? Please stay with her. Keep her company.)"

"(Certainly, Master Richard.)" The old man closed the door after him. Grayson had no doubt his friend and confidant would do

Grayson opened a secret compartment in the side of the chimney, taking out a wide belt. Clumsily, he put it on over his shirt. He put a micro-bead in his right ear, before taking a couple of darts, plus a smoke bomb. He might have a lame leg and a semi paralyzed hand, but he was still able to protect his wife from an intruder. Hell, if needed, he could collapse the roof of the Batcave on the intruder’s head.

He smirked. ‘(Of course, there’s not exactly a whole lot of our old Rogues Gallery left. Damned clown made sure of that.)’ he thought.

Opening the grandfather’s clock that hid the entrance to the Batcave, he tapped twice on his ear, to activate the bead. A soft voice answered. "(I’m here, Dick. The cameras show some movement, but so far, the only thing our intruder has done, is to sit at the chair of the lab. He or she put a bundle of clothes over the table, but hasn’t taken any other actions. His or her movements are very slow and deliberate. If I have to trust on our lessons on body language, and I do; I’d say the intruder is very weak or very old, probably both.)"

"(Good. Let’s see who is it.)"

Carefully, he descended the long stairs, tapping the bead every few steps, the ‘clear so far’ signal.

Finally, he arrived to the floor of the almost abandoned Batcave. Most of the old trophy cases had been covered with canvas sheets. Waiting. He himself didn’t know what to do with them. The trophies were painful reminders of the missing friends and father, yes; but it would be the worst disrespect to get rid of them, painful as they were. So, they had decided to simply cover the cases and redesign the security systems.

However, between his rehab therapy and all the stuff he had to do as heir of the Wayne fortune and enterprises…. Well, he hadn’t found the time to do it. The death of so many villains and gangsters in the Iceberg Lounge Massacre had shifted his focus to simpler crimes. And the Batcave had fallen down in the list of priorities.

Slowly, Dick got closer to the lab, maneuvering behind the cases, keeping himself hidden from view.

He got close enough to hit the figure with a knock-out dart. However, the figure turned around slowly, looking at him with old eyes.

"(Hello, Richard. Glad to see you are better.)" The voice was raspy, old, frail, and wheezing. The voice of an old woman.

Grayson raised an eyebrow, something in that voice was… familiar. Very familiar.

"(I know. I am not the woman you remember.)" The old woman continued, "(Not anymore. Finally, my true age has caught with me.)" She waved vaguely. "(I’m about to die. But I ask you, as my beloved’s adoptive son, to help me one last time. With my beloved’s blood son)."

Slowly, painfully, she uncovered the bundle on the table. Dick tensed, ready to throw a dart at the first threatening move. A little hand came out of the clothes, followed by a gurgle. "(Meet Ibn’al Xuffasch. The son of the bat.)"

Now, recognition stroke him like a lightning bolt. "(Talia?)"

Author Notes

Hard as it is to believe, the Penguin has been actually shown to be in relatively good physical shape for his size. In Secret Origins Special #1, from 1989 (IIRC), he is shown to have been bullied as a kid; he trained himself to box, and won a satisfactory fight against his bully. Of course, the bully retaliated, and it would be years before Oswald had the chance to settle the score.

In the original DC Comics continuity, Lar-Gand’s spaceship landed near Smallville, with amnesia. As he carried with him Kryptonian tech and star maps made by Jor-El, Superboy thought he was his big brother, and named him Mon-El (It was a MONday…). A series of encounters with lead revealed he wasn’t from Krypton, but from Daxam, and he was sent to the Phantom Zone to save his life. Superboy would try to develop a cure for years, but it would not be. The cure had to wait until the 30th Century!

Post-Crisis, Lar Gand had some time to be a hero after the Invasion crossover. He took the name Valor, and had quite a lot of adventures for a while, he even had his own book for a while. The best known (in universe) of his adventures involved seeding a lot of planets with humanoid life. Many of those would be the birth places of different races (and Legionnaires). Eventually, right on time for the Legion Reboot during Zero Hour, he was a victim of lead poisoning, and Superboy had to put him in the Buffer Zone.

In the 30th Century, Valor was seen as some kind of messianic figure. However, he and the Legion decided to give him a new identity, to stop a series of problems, including religious wars over him! He was renamed M’Onel, from the ancient Martian language, meaning "the Wanderer."

About Ferro, or Ferro Lad as he was called Pre-Crisis, his is a tragic tale. In the original version, he was a disfigured mutant, born with the power to turn his body into a sort of organic metal (way before Colossus, from the X-Men), a power his twin brother also had. Ferro Lad sacrificed his life to save the Solar System from a monster which literally, ate suns.

The Reboot version was a prisoner at a research center, who escaped with several other immates with help from time-displaced Legionnaires. He became unofficially part of the team, and when they went back to the 30th Century, he left with them and has been in the future ever since, now an official member of the Legion.

However, unlike Superboy, neither M’Onel or Ferro has much to keep them in the 21st Century Earth.

Sakura is a joy to write.

One of my favorite parts of the Rebooted Legion, was the inclusion of non-humanoid members. Sensor had a difficult time with the readers, as she was a reimagining of one of the most beloved characters from the previous iteration, Princess Projectra; but as she had the power of casting life-like illusions, this version didn’t even look humanoid; except for a brief time during her try-out (and a night out with Chameleon Boy), looking exactly as the original Princess Projectra had been drawn. Many fans didn’t take this change well.

Personally, Snekie was one of my favorite characters in the Reboot. Especially because Jeff Moy did such a good job in conveying her emotional stated exclusively with body language. Being a snake, Sensor had a very limited movement range on her facial features, besides opening and closing her mouth, everything, even her eyes, was in a fixed position. So, he had Sensor conveying a full range of emotions just by her posture, and her bionic arms were very expressive too.

On other news, in this story, Brande is alluding to a plot point that was barely teased in the run of the Legion of Superheroes/Legionnaires books. About the only hint I’ll reveal here is that it was right between the Emerald Vi story arc and Le-Vi-Athan’s debut. Savvy readers will recognize the exact reason Brande was able to do what he did. Sensor was there, and is aware of Brande’s secret.

Not being subject to any editorial meddling, I plan on expanding that plot point and bring it to light. So, if you have found it out, please don’t reveal it! Drop me a PM and I’ll give the first reader who points it out correctly a shout out!

Just what exactly have been the Green Lanterns (plus Parallax) doing? It will be revealed later, but they haven’t been idle. I have already left a little hint some chapters back.

To be honest, I’m not sure exactly where are the Magnus Labs located. I just liked the idea of him having at least one in a place I don’t remember having any metahumans.

For this fic, I’m considering the Dan Jurgens’ Metal Men miniseries as canon. It was the one where Gold was destroyed, the Metal Men were revealed as having human minds; and Doc Magnus replaced Gold as leader, transferring his mind into a new Metal Man, made of a green, alien metal; taking the name Veridium.

It was a short lived idea. DC went back to the programmed robots status quo as soon as possible.

In recent years, Calculator, an obscure third string character, has been upgraded to be the villainous counterpart to Oracle. So, even though chronologically, Calculator wasn’t at this level of competence back in 2001, I decided he would be the best candidate for the job.

BTW, the "Sure as sure." line is a shout-out to Dan Abnett. Before he and Andy Lanning took writing duties for the Legion (just before the Legion of the Damned and Legion Lost story arcs), Abnett had already written several novels set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. His best known series in the setting is Gaunt’s Ghosts. One of the characters used "Sure as sure." as a catch-phrase. The Ghosts are a very good entry point to the setting, and are highly recommended. Just be aware that the death rate is quite high!

Ah, and the Legion of the Damned in LoSH was by itself a shout-out to Warhammer 40k too!

One of my favorite EVA crossovers is "Shinji and Warhammer 40k", featuring the 40k setting as a very big influence in Shinji, and later, on the whole EVA world. Sadly it is unfinished, but please give it a read. The scene when Shinji gives a proper name to Unit-01 gives me the chills every time I read it!

Yep, Yui has seen him around. She has no idea of who he is, or what his role is in this story. But she has seen him. This wasn’t the first time she has seen him, but it was the first time she has told it to someone else.

Shinji is about to start a new trip to the past. This time, into the DCU proper. And who better to show him how to think fast under pressure, than the Flashes? Especially, Barry Allen, who tended to pull victories from thin air by using his scientific knowledge.

And that is, as the man himself used to say, a Flash Fact!

By the time Second Impact hit, the first Flash, Jay Garrick was practically retired; but he got back into action and disappeared during the Impact Wars

The second Flash, Barry Allen, died during the Crisis on Infinite Times (my retouched version of Crisis in Infinite Earths), maybe I will elaborate on how the Crisis was remembered in Universe, post-Crisis; interestingly, I can only remember a version of Crisis-Post-Crisis (I mean, how was the Crisis remembered after all the changes the Crisis itself caused in the timeline of the DCU), in a JLA miniseries, Incarnations, written by John Ostrander. Seven issues, covering seven different eras of the JLA, each written in the style of the time. Very good story, BTW.

The third Flash, Wally West, was one of the JLA members who died after Second Impact. He will get his own death scene in a future interlude.

About the other speedsters, Impulse, Max Mercury, Jonny and Jesse Quick, well... that’s a story for another day.

XS is safe and sound in the XXXIst Century.

Kamandi and Canus will stay with Mari at the NERV ruins for a while, How could I deny the good doctor the chance to talk at lenght with a pre-Great Disaster survivor?

Kamandi, of course, is more practical, and will want to make sure they are not surprised (again).

Personally, Demian Wayne is very far of being a favorite of mine. Too abrasive for my taste; however, I did like the old Supersons stories back in the 70s! And of course, Batman Beyond is one of the coolest sequels I have ever seen.

So, I got the idea of mixing the Supersons with DCU Beyond. This is the first step in that direction, and of course, his character will be way different than in canon, being raised by Dick and Barbara Grayson, without any influence from Ra’s al Ghul and the League of Assassins.

Chapter Text

Note , the parenthesis indicate languages other than Japanese, in this case, English.

Central City
Flash Museum
August the 24th, 1985; 12:57:58 P.M.
Spiritual Plane

A red and blue streak passed next to Shinji and the Phantom Stranger. Papers and small pieces of debris followed in its wake.

Shinji jumped aside to dodge the blurry shape. The Stranger didn't move at all. The blur moved towards a squat building, that proudly displayed a banner, "(Flash Museum)", proudly written on it. A long line of people waited outside, many waved banners, or wore T-Shirts, all emblazoned with a yellow lightning bolt pointing upwards in a red field. The crowd cheered when the streak entered the building, despite the wind almost knocking down many baseball caps and foam hands. After a few seconds, the red and blue blur moved inside the crowd, only to disappear inside the building. A couple of seconds later, a cheer erupted from the crowd, once they realized that each and every commemorative item had been signed! "(Thanks for coming! The Flash)" they read.

"Was that..?" Shinji asked.

"The first Flash, yes. Still full of life, a veteran of over 30 years of heroism. Thanks to a weird accident, he and his friends of the Justice Society of America, plus the Justice League, were granted a longer life, and very good health, they do not grow old at the speed the rest of humans do. For the JSA, that accident happened in 1944, for the JLA, it was in 1983."

Shinji's brow furrowed in thought for a moment. "Time travel?"

The Phantom Stranger nodded. "Yes. Until a few years ago, time travel was possible." He kept talking while they walked to the museum. "Imagine time as a river, and space as land; now imagine a person walking at the edge of the water. That would be normal flow of time for he or she. But a person could get into a boat, and row up or down the river, once back in land, they would be in a different place; for this metaphor, at another time."

Shinji nodded. "Wait, you said time travel was possible. What happened?"

A shadow passed over the Stranger's face "Second Impact." Shinji gasped. "The event disturbed even the space-time continuum. To continue with the river metaphor, the edge of the land is full of rapids and jagged rocks, trying to disembark there would be terribly dangerous. Still, far from the edge it is possible to navigate . Although trying to enter or exit the time stream there would be practically a death sentence. The Flashes, especially the second, were quite used to time travel, but they never had need to travel to this period of time, so they remained ignorant of the chronal turbulence that seals this particular time."

Shinji nodded again. "Uh… hoy many years are like that?"

"At least from late 2000 to middle 2017, Second Impact throws a long shadow. And there's still the possibility that Third Impact comes to happen." Shinji paled, horrified. "But… we… Can't we…"

"The future is fluid. No one, except for one singular entity, can know the future with certainty, and Destiny guards his secrets jealously."

A moment passed, while Shinji tried to wrap his head around those ideas. Seeing his expression, the Stranger elabored, "We are not traveling through time. Not in the physical sense the heroes and villains of this time did. We are not here and now. We are walking through memories and echoes. Still, some people are sensitive enough to perceive an echo of our own presence, but they are very rare. For them, we are glimpses or ghosts. Somewhat disturbing, but easily dismissed after a night."

Before Shinji could ask more, a red and gold streak entered the museum, distracting the young pilot from his train of thought. An instant later, another, smaller yellow and red streak followed. "They are here. Let's go on."

"The second Flash and his sidekick, Kid Flash, I guess." A big smile appeared on Shinji's face. "Heroes all. Despite whatever life threw at them, they never stayed knocked down for long." The Phantom Stranger led Shinji into the building. "And they had something that most other legacy heroes didn't. The Flashes were a family in everything but blood."

Inside the Museum, a lectern stood before a curtain. A red ribbon hung behind and a banner hung over the lectern, it read "(First Flash Wing.)"

Both Flashes and Kid Flash stood respectfully next to the podium, while a man in a tailor-made suit spoke and smiled at the crowd. After a couple of minutes of the man talking, he stepped aside, waving at the Flashes. Flash II waved at the people, and spoke a few words, the crowd clapped with all their might. He himself joined, smiling at his predecessor.

The older man then stepped to the lectern, pushed up his winged helmet, and tried to speak, but words failed him for a couple of seconds. Finally, having recovered control of his emotions, he said a few words, and, with a ridiculously big pair of scissors, proceeded to cut the ribbon. In a fraction of a second, Kid Flash opened the curtains, and the first group of guests walked into the new exhibit.

The cheers that erupted from the crowd were almost deafening.

The Phantom Stranger turned around, and Shinji followed him. "Could we… could we look around a bit?" Shinji asked.

"We will, but not on this particular day." The mysterious man opened a door, and both were outside. "This was a celebration of a long career; it might be said that it was the highlight of the first Flash's life. But it would be wrong to say so." He pointed at two women, a blond and a brunette, looking at the museum from the roof of a nearby building; big, proud smiles lit their faces.

"Who are they?"

"They are their wives, their families, they hold the bonds that kept their feet on the ground, even in other worlds or times. The third Flash, Wally West, used to call his wife 'his beacon', the light that guided him back home. You know one of them from your readings."

"Iris West Allen! Yes! I read her book!" Shinji smiled. "Then the other must be Joan Garrick."

"Yes. However, the long life that was granted to her husband wasn't granted to her. Still, their closeness did prolong her life and vitality. But, as is inevitable, she is dying."

Shinji gasped. "Gods…"

"At this time, the sickness that will claim her is barely noticeable, but it will grow. By 1997, Joan Garrick will be confined to a bed. In 1999, she will be gone, and with her, most of the drive her husband had to keep running. Still, she will survive Barry Allen by several years."

Shinji nodded sadly.

They crossed a threshold, and when the light came back, they were on a very different place.

Tokyo, Japan
September the 20th, 2000
Seven Days, Six Hours, Forty-Three Minutes, Seventeen Point Twenty Six Seconds After Second Impact

"(Jay! Jay!)" The first and third Flashes ran side to side, using their arms as propellers, creating whirlwinds to push back the radioactive cloud that threatened to pour out from the ruins of several buildings in downtown Tokyo. "(Focus, man!)" However, the need to dodge and weave around the buildings was a problem, especially at their speed. Normally, they would vibrate through the obstacles, but it was tiring work, and Wally West had the slight problem that vibrating through objects had explosive consequences.

The first Flash nodded grimly, he was tiring; he was an old man, and he was out of shape… "(Wally! We must go back to evacuate the people! There's too much radiation! I doubt we could push it all back even if Barry was here!)"

"(Max, Bart and Jesse are at the city, they will manage the evacuation. We must hold out until Captain Atom can get here!)" Wally West answered somberly, "(He can absorb most of this damned poison!)"

At that moment, a black and gray streak appeared, one that only a speedster could see. "(Oh, great! That guy again…)" Wally West, the third Flash, looked at it and pursed his lips. "(I have an idea, Jay! Follow me!)"

Tokyo, Japan
September the 20th, 2000
Spiritual Plane

From a tall building, Shinji and the Phantom Stranger watched. "What is that?" The young pilot pointed at the new streak. Somehow, being with the Stranger allowed him to see and hear the Flashes clearly. The newcomer was a disturbing parody of the third Flash, a desiccated cadaver wearing a black and gray version of the scarlet speedster's uniform, hanging loose over its emaciated frame.

"That's the Black Flash. An incarnation of death. Some call it the Death of the Runner, others the Last Race. Once it has manifested, only the death of a speedster will make it go away."

Tokyo, Japan
September the 20th, 2000
Material Plane

The Flashes ran away, going round and round the deadly cloud, as close as they dared to, closely followed by the newcomer. "(Faster, Jay! Don't let it get too close!)"

"(Got it, kid! But I'm getting tired.)"

The speedsters ran in circles, the Flashes keeping a few steps ahead of their enemy, using it to create a barrier around the radioactive cloud.

"(It's working! Yeaaah!)" yelled the third Flash. "(Keep on it, Jay! Don't give up on me now!)"

His companion set his jaw, and ran faster and faster. He soon overtook the third. "(Do me a favor, kid. Put this in the museum, will you?)" Before Wally could react, he felt a weight on his head. With a burst of speed, Jay Garrick ran a circle around him, and crossed the path of the Black Flash, almost colliding with it.

Immediately, the spectral speedster chased the older Flash. The distance closed rapidly. The ghost extended a hand, grabbing Jay's shoulder. A rift opened in the air in front of them, while Wally West desperately tried to reach his friend and mentor. "(No! Jay!)"

Garrick turned around, smiling. "(I'll give your regards to Barry. Tell everybody, especially Linda and the kids, I said goodbye.)"

Both figures entered the rift, and vanished.

"(Jay…)"

Wally West stopped near a park, shocked. He fell on his knees, and took the winged helmet off his head, cradling it on his hands for an instant. He put it carefully on the ground, buried his face on his hands, and wept bitter tears of loss. He cried for no more than a single second for a regular human. An eternity for a speedster.

Finally, he took a decision, he wiped his tears, took his cowl off to uncover his face; and carefully, put the helmet on. "(This one is for you, Jay. One last run, one last run before the museum.)"

Composing himself, he ran into the city.

Tokyo, Japan
September the 20th, 2000
Spiritual Plane

"…He's gone…" Shinji's eyes were wet with tears.

"Yes. He chose to save a friend. The Black Flash was here to claim the life of Wally West. Had it come for Garrick, it would have looked similar to him." The Phantom Stranger bowed his head in mournful respect. "In the last stretch of his long run, Jay Garrick felt lonely. He was the first metahuman of the First Heroic Age, and the loss of his wife, his companion for over fifty years, weighted heavily on his soul. He didn't want to keep on without her, but wouldn't ever take his life or endanger himself unnecessarily. But to die in order to save a friend, who was almost a grandson to him? Yes, he would do that without a second thought."

Shinji wiped the unshed tears from his eyes, and bowed his head too. "…and he did…"

Coast of Florida
April the 6th, 1985
Spiritual Plane

They stepped out of a low door, finding themselves on the cabin of a small yatch.

"Where are we?"

"Near the coast of Florida, this yatch is called Sue's Joy. And it belongs to Sue Dearborn." The Phantom Stranger pointed at the main deck of the boat. They saw two sun bathing chairs, occupied by two beautiful women, who chatted amicably with two men, each holding a fishing rod. But their attention was focused solely on the women. They looked like old friends.

"Wait, I know who they are! Barry Allen and Iris West. And those two must be…" Shinji looked intently at the other man, a thin redheaded guy, who was busy narrating a trip he and his girlfriend had just returned from.

"I know I've seen him!" Right then, the man pointed at his nose which started to move side to side. "The Elongated Man!"

"Yes, Ralph Dibny, the world-famous Elongated Man, as he used to introduce himself. One of the few heroes who had no secret identity. Also one of the happiest men I've ever met. He and his wife led a very happy life for several years. At this point on their lives, they are all single. But the bonds of marriage are not far."

Shinji nodded.

"What happened here?"

"Watch."

Shinji turned back to the people on the yatch. Dibny's arm stretched below the deck, passing right next to Shinji. It disappeared into the main cabin, and returned a moment later, holding a little box. He knelt next to the black haired woman. "Sue, honey. We have been together for a while, and I think it is time for me to get serious, for once in my life."

Sue hid her face between her hands for a moment, looking at her boyfriend with bright eyes. Ralph continued. "You have been to my side for good and bad, in thick and thin, with heroes and villains. I have realized that I don't want to be without you. What I mean is," He opened the box, showing a plain gold ring. "I would be the richest man in the whole world and several adjacent dimensions with you by my side. Susan Dearborn, will you marry me?"

Barry and Iris looked at their friends, holding hands, and with the widest smiles Shinji had ever seen.

"Yes! Yes, you big dummy! I will!" and she jumped from her chair, and enveloped Ralph in her arms. Unable to think of anything else, he wrapped her into his arms, several times over.

"Hey, Barry! Wanna be the best man?"

"Sure! It took you long enough, Ralph", he ribbed his friend. And he disappeared into the cabin, returning with a bottle of wine and four glasses. "A toast. For the happy couple!" Suddenly, all the glasses were full. They toasted, while Shinji and the Stranger returned down below, and crossed the door.

"The friendship between them will last for the rest of their lifes." The Stranger said softly, with a warmth on his voice that didn't reflect on his stoic face.

Shinji's smile wavered a little. "Will they die..?"

"Everybody dies. In the end, we are all travelling lonely roads, but sometimes, we can find somebody to walk with us for a while. Or maybe, run with us. Ralph Dibny was an improbable partner for Barry Allen, but their friendship was sincere and lasting."

Tokyo-3, Japan
Current Day
Material Plane

The last door the Stranger opened led them back to Misato's apartment. For Tokyo-3, not even a minute had passed, for the two travelers, it had been a long day, including several hours spent at the Flash Museum, Shinji wished he had carried a notebook or a camera with him, as the stories depicted in the exhibits were both exciting and enlightening. He hoped to have one day, a chance to actually visit the museum.

Shinji sat on the couch, next to his cello. Looking at the distance. "I don't know why did you show me the Flashes lives. But I wouldn't have missed it for anything."

"Hope." The Phantom Stranger said. "Hope in the future, hope in your friends. But especially, hope in yourself. If there is a human quality the Flashes held in their hearts, it was, it is hope; as their legacy will last for a very long time, if everything goes well. There was another speedster close to the Flashes, Impulse's cousin, Jenni Ognats, XS. Unlike Impulse, she will stay at the future of her birth. But hers is a story for another day."

A hint of pride tinged the Stranger's voice. "You have grown a lot since first we met, although you still haven't found your rightful place, you are well in the path. You, Miss Soryu, Miss Ayanami, have great potential. One that has been denied to all of you. Learn from the Flashes. Jay Garrick used to be lazy, unmotivated, until the remarkable accident that gave him his powers awakened the hero in him. Barry Allen used to be shy, easily cowed; until he was granted the gift of speed. Wally West was blinded by his need for approval, long after he received his powers; until he saw the worth he had, for friends and family. But as you already know, deep in your heart, you don't need powers to be a hero."

Shinji nodded. "Thanks. I think I'm beginning to understand." He picked up his cello. "Er… do you have some time?"

The Stranger nodded solemnly. "I can spare a few minutes." There was a smile on his voice.

With a serene smile on his lips, Shinji began to play.

Author Notes

This chapter was quite hard to write, as Shinji already knows a lot about the second Flash, thanks to Barry Allen´s biography. Still, there is always another story to tell. Especially, if it happened after Second Impact.

I loved those yearly team-ups with the JLA and the JSA; sadly, they went away with the Crisis in Infinite Earths. To keep them in this version of the events, I'm tweaking some events, so instead of having a first meeting at the same relative time for both teams, at least one of their team-ups involved time travel (Much like the last JLA/JSA event in the JLoA book, involving the JLA, the JSA and the All-Star Squadron; or the one with the Legion of Superheroes).

The second Flash was also unusual, in that he maintained a very public relationship with the people of his city, in fact, he was quite friendly with most people. If you have seen the JLU episode Flash and Substance, you know what I mean.

The Flash Museum was quite a big building, holding mementos and recreations of many adventures, and more than a few trophies the Flash (all of them) had collected. It sure beats having to keep everything under your house, I guess. The curator, Dexter Miles, was a recurring character in the Flash magazine during the Silver Age, but has been rarely seen lately.

There was another hero with a museum of her own in JLU, Supergirl; interestingly, it was located in… Tokyo!
Eventually, Shinji will be visiting, and will learn more about her.

Back to the Flashes, Jay mentioned Linda and the kids. I'm referring to Linda Park-West, and Jay and Iris West. Wife and children of Wally West. I know the twins didn't actually debut in the comics until 2005, but I felt the theme of family was needed here. (and I have a little plan for Iris.)

Ah, in this continuity, Bart Allen is still Impulse to the very end, I really didn't like his time as the Flash, especially that ignominious ending for a character that was so fun and full of life. In the future, we will see him with his buddies in Young Justice (except for Superboy, who is busy in a possible future).

Back in the Silver Age, the Elongated Man and his girlfriend, and later wife, were a couple of second string characters, without the angst or troubled relationships that would later be the norm. At least until Identity Crisis Stuffed Sue in the Fridge. Three Times. (If you read that miniseries, you'll know what I meant). It seemed to me that Identity Crisis was completely uncalled for, going for mere shock value. Obviously, not one of my favorite stories.

Personally, I very much prefer the Dibnys as a happy couple, somewhat eccentric, both of them. But still endearing characters on their own right.

So, in homage to those times, I want to keep them both alive Post Second Impact. Eventually, they will be appearing in this story, still married, and mostly happy, despite all the tragedies that will come to them. I'm planning on a little bonus for them, to give them hope and joy, despite the loss of so many friends.

Last but not least, I want to dedicate this chapter to the many fine writers and artists who made the Flashes such great characters.

Thank you all.

Godspeed.

Chapter Text

Note , the parenthesis indicate languages other than Japanese, in this case, English and German.

Tokyo-3
Katsuragi Apartment
Friday, Early Morning

Shinji awoke full of nervous energy. The previous day had been the first time he had been shown the previous world, full of wonder and hope, but he had also been witness to the end of an Age. And he was determined to do all he could to keep his own world from being destroyed. He realized that he had forgotten to ask the Phantom Stranger the questions he had prepared, but hoped there would be another chance soon, preferably before the next Angel attack. According to the Stranger, it would be a matter of days, at most. But for now, he wanted to share an idea with his colleagues.

Tokyo-3
Katsuragi Apartment
Friday, Breakfast Time

“You know, I think we should have our own call signs, like the Air Force pilots do.” Shinji said, while serving breakfast to his co-workers.

“Yeah! I like that! You are all veterans with successful sorties, so you have earned it.” Misato yelled enthusiastically. She had already emptied her second can of beer of the day. She leaned on her elbows, conspiratorially. “But no one gets to choose their own call sign! It’s traditional.” She smiled as she poured a generous serving of the deadly slop she called curry sauce over her rice.

Rei picked up her chopsticks, furrowing her brow for a moment. “I’m not familiar with call signs; explain, please.”

Asuka put her coffee mug on the table with a “thunk!” “They are basically nicknames, Wonder Girl.” She paused, looking at Rei. “Hey, that sounds good. I vote Rei’s call sign be Wonder Girl”

“You like it, Rei? It’s a very good name, and it has been used twice, by very respected heroines.” Shinji added. Actually, it was Asuka calling Rei Wonder Girl during their synch training what had given him the idea.

“It has?” Asuka raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah. The first Wonder Girl was part of the Teen Titans, and the second was with Young Justice. It was before we were born.”

Asuka rolled her eyes. “Of course, you and your metas. Misato, can you do something about this?”

“I get no vote, Asuka,” Misato raised her hands conciliatorily, “as your commanding officer, I can’t interfere; unless the name is demeaning or obscene. And I can only veto them, at most.”

Shyly, Rei looked at Shinji. “Do you have any pictures?”

“Sure. Let me get the magazines.”

Shinji chose two magazines from his collection, old issues of Newstime, a magazine published in America, it used to have a decent coverage of the activities of many metahumans, especially those based on Metropolis. The publishing house went broke soon after Second Impact, after the publisher disappeared mysteriously from his apartment in downtown Metropolis.

Shinji opened the oldest of the two issues, it had a double page spread of the then recently reorganized Teen Titans, it was from around the time they occupied the Titans Tower. “This is the first Wonder Girl, with the costume she wore for most of her career.” He pointed at a tall girl with long black hair, she looked to be late teens to early twenties. She wore a sleeveless skin tight leotard, that hugged her body like a layer of red paint.

While Rei looked at the picture, Shinji noticed the disapproval in her furrowed brow; he didn’t know the cause, but he guessed Rei would tell it when she was ready. Quickly, he opened the other magazine, looking for a picture of the second Wonder Girl. She smiled proudly, hugging two other teen heroes, Impulse and Superboy, who looked quite surprised at the moment. She was a short teenage girl, maybe 13 or 14 years old, with shoulder length black hair and googles. Her black t-shirt had the two stylized golden Ws of Wonder Woman, with a red G below, over her heart. She wore a black leather jacket over her t-shirt, and pale blue gloves, almost white; but the picture didn’t show the rest of her costume.

“I like her.” Rei nodded, satisfied.

“Motion accepted, what about you two?” Misato pointed first at Shinji and then to Asuka.

Asuka put her nose in the air, with all the self-importance she could. “I vote for Wonder Boy for you, Third.”

Shinji smiled. “Nice, but I’d like to propose a little change.”

“Whut?”

“Robin is my favorite hero. Boy Wonder was his nickname. So, if I get to be called Robin, you’ll still have chosen my call sign.”

Rei raised her hand “I agree. It would also reduce possible confusion in case of comm problems.”

Asuka rolled her eyes again, but still raised her hand. “Great, you corrupted Rei. Ok, Robin it is. But outside the EVA, you are the Boy Wonder, understood?.” Shinji nodded.

“Now, what about me? I want a cool name, a really cool one.” Asuka’s eyes brightened.

Misato looked at the trio with undisguised interest. They were bonding nicely. At first, she had feared Asuka would disrupt the dynamic between Shinji and Rei, who were a very good team. Interestingly, Shinji had relinquished most of the operational leadership to Asuka, pointing that she had actual training. That didn’t mean he was completely submissive; far from it, whenever he considered it was necessary, he did push back. He proved that during the two battles against the Seventh Angel, and Asuka’s respect for him had grown quite a bit, to Misato’s relief. The good captain had feared the redheaded pilot would steamroll both Shinji and Rei, but she had settled on a friendly rivalry with Shinji; and apparently, had taken Rei under her wing. The bluenette was a little bit more open now. She almost was a different person. But Misato didn’t expect any miracles.

Shinji was a special case, in her opinion. He really was very different to the sullen boy she had welcomed into her home. And she was very glad of that.

Deep in thought, Shinji tapped his chin several times with his index finger. “Well… let me think. You”re German-American, right?” Asuka nodded. “Germany’s premier metahuman was the Wild Huntsman, and it would be proper to honor him with your call sign;” Misato noticed Asuka had bristled for a moment, and guessed she was about to object being called Wild Huntsgirl, but somehow, Shinji avoided that particular minefield. The young man continued, “But Wild Huntswoman would be a mouthful.”

His words pleased Asuka, being acknowledged as a woman was very important for her, although Misato hoped Asuka would have, or rather, give herself the chance to enjoy the last years of her, well, childhood, instead of rushing into womanhood.

Shinji paused dramatically, looking deeply into Asuka’s eyes. “How about Huntress? She was part of the Batman’s team, in America; and by all accounts, she was a complete bad-ass.” He brought another magazine to the table. “Here’s the only picture I have of her, at the back of the JLA.” Asuka looked at the picture with interest, nodding approvingly. Apparently, the woman’s look and body language appealed to her own pride.

“Huntress… Huntress…” Asuka tried the name on. “I like it! So, it is decided.” She looked first at Rei and then to Shinji. “Wonder Girl, Robin, and the Huntress as their fearless leader!”

Shinji extended his hand, palm down. “So it is. Robin, ready for action.”

Rei hesitated for a moment, then put her own hand over Shinji”s. “Wonder Girl. Ready.”

Asuka laughed. “You are so corny!” But put her hand over her companion’s “Huntress ready! Those Angels better be wary!”

Misato laughed happily too. “I’ll register the call signs today. You’ll be able to use them in your next sortie.”

Tokyo-3
Mall Complex
Saturday, 11:00 AM

For Asuka Langley Soryu, there was no better way to spend the day. She had received notice of the impending class trip to Okinawa, and she wanted to lay a trap for the little baka hentai. She planned on getting a swimsuit so daring, it would make Shinji Ikari’s inner pervert to come out to play. And then she would squash him like a little bug in front of everybody.

Pity, the runt had been steadily accumulating points since the battle against the Seventh Angel, but Asuka would never forgive him for his behavior during their first battle, together in EVA-02’s plug.

The fact that she would get to spend the day with her beloved Kaji was the cherry on top, of course.

To Asuka’s annoyance, it seemed Kaji still saw her as a child. He had made some of a fuss about her choice of swimwear. Of course it had to be daring and bold! She deserved to have the attention of every male in her school!

For goodness sake… Even Shinji acknowledged her as a woman! ‘… Uh… another point for him…’ She cringed at the thought.

Tokyo-3
Katsuragi Apartment
That night.

To say Asuka had gone spare would be a diplomatic way of putting the situation. The redhead was absolutely, positively, and unmistakably livid!

The pilots, Misato had explained, were not allowed to go in the school trip. They had to stay in Tokyo-3, in case an Angel attacked.

Rei didn’t even flinch when an angry Asuka slammed her hands on the kitchen table. Rei just drank her tea, and looked at Shinji and Misato, waiting for their answer. ‘Interesting,’ she thought, ‘Captain Katsuragi seems to enjoy Soryu’s aggravation.’

“I can’t believe you two are okay with this!” She looked at Rei first and then to Shinji. “Be a man already, Boy Wonder! Make her see reason!”

Shinji put his cup on the table. “Erm… I actually agree with Misato. We are elite pilots. We are irreplaceable. We have no back-ups. If we did, I would argue until I was purple on the face or Misato relented.” He pointed up, “However, I have an idea.”

Misato leaned back on her chair. “I’m listening, it better be a good one.”

Shinji took breath. “I suggest one of us gets permission to go. The other two stay at the GeoFront. I mean, we have everything we could need down there. And in case an Angel attacked, we could react immediately.”

Misato nodded, she actually considered Shinji’s idea for a moment. However, Asuka chose to make her opinion heard. “Oh, no, Third! You are not leaving me here while you go diving and sunbathing at Okinawa!”

“I’m not going, Asuka.” He skewered her argument, looking at her in the eye.

“Was? But… you… the trip!” Her whole plan depended on having the Third Child around!

He shrugged. “To be honest, I can’t even swim, never did learn. If I went to Okinawa, I would stay either at the hotel or on the beach.” He smiled apologetically. “I’d get bored.”

Asuka huffed. “Yeah, sure.” She said, while thinking, ‘Those harlots at school would swarm you the moment they heard that. An EVA pilot who cannot swim? Yay! Let’s teach him, and then we can go for a romantic walk on the beach under the moonlight.’ For some reason, that idea made Asuka feel both angry and sick.

The German pilot realized she had lost the ability to speak coherently for a few seconds, replaced by an uncanny talent for imitating a fish out of water.

Mercifully, Misato came to the rescue.

“But I have good news for you. Both have impressed me with your grades.” She showed the pilots three computer disks, labelled with the pilots’ names. Misato put the beer can on the table, and leaned towards them. “Asuka, your grades have been rising since Shinji started to help you with the kanji. I guess you two have been spending a lot of time together.” She enjoyed the rising color in Shinji’s face and Asuka’s ears.

“Of course I have spent a lot of time with Shinji! I’ve been trying to get a reaction out of him! But the baka is either gay, has nerves of steel, is absolutely oblivious, or simply not interested.” Asuka didn’t know which alternative was worse.

Misato turned to Shinji. “You have improved a lot, especially in science. Congratulations.”

Shinji smiled shyly. “I have a great tutor.” He looked at Asuka, whose cheeks were uncomfortably hot by then. The young man smiled and rubbed the back of his head. He didn’t say anything, but he thought that his metahuman studies had a lot to do with that. Knowing that many of their victories had come from knowing and applying obscure scientific minutia was a great incentive to learn!

“Rei, your grades are still top five.” Rei nodded, satisfied.

Finally, Asuka recovered her wits. She redoubled her attack. “What about you, Wonder Girl? Don’t you want to enjoy three days of fun at the beach?”

Rei raised her eyes. Without changing her expression, she said, “I’m very vulnerable to UV rays.”

Asuka facepalmed, “Of course! Hyper pale skin..!”

Misato raised an eyebrow. “Knock it off, Asuka. I managed to get you three permission for the use of NERV’s indoors pool for the three days of the trip. I know it’s not the same, but you can swim and dive there to your heart’s content.”

Asuka sighed. “Okay, I guess it’s something.”

Tokyo-3
GeoFront, Central Dogma
Monday, Early Morning

Things had been pretty quiet lately, giving NERV’s staff time to get up to date with various pending tasks.

Captain Katsuragi finally had gotten rid of the last complaint in the Mountain of Bureaucratic Demands. She sighed, she enjoyed her job most days, but dealing with the bean-counters annoyed her out of her mind. If it weren’t against regulations, she would just set fire to the papers; on a Thursday, of course, ‘Burnable Garbage’, indeed! Smiling, she took her coffee mug, a gift from Shinji, and walked to the coffee machine.

She smiled again, reading the text in the mug. “NERV’s Best Operations Chief.” It was part of a set Shinji had commissioned for the Central Dogma crew. Ritsuko had received one that read “NERV’s Best Doctor”, while the lieutenants received a matching set of “NERV’s Best Tech Crew”. Each mug also had a caricature of the receiver. Misato at the wheel of a tiny but recognizable version of her beloved Renault Alpine, Ritsuko armed with a giant syringe, Lt. Aoba playing a guitar duel against Unit-One, Lt. Hyuga in a samurai armor for some reason, and Lt. Ibuki carrying a giant clipboard. They had all had a laugh about their mugs, and Makoto asked Shinji why the Commander and Vice-Commander hadn’t received one. “I thought making caricatures of them would be disrespectful.” (Actually, he just didn’t want to give anything to the Commander, he wasn’t too sure where Vice-Commander Fujutsuki was in the scale of Not Wanting/Wanting to Cause Third Impact was, but he decided to err on the side of caution.)

Dr. Akagi had gotten through with the analysis of the readings from the Sixth Angel Battle, and was using them to analyse the Seventh, nothing particularly unusual had happened there. Everything was very normal, easing her nerves. Shinji’s manipulation of the AT Field was filed as some result of a three-way synchronization, an event that surely would never happen again. Comparing the readings from Shinji and Asuka on Unit-02, against Shinji in Unit-01 and Asuka alone in Unit-02 were perfectly normal. Shinji’s synch rate was still climbing, Rei’s too. Asuka seemed to have reached a plateau, she was still improving, but at the rate the other two improved, it wouldn’t be long before they were at Asuka’s level. Ritsuko frowned, the German raised girl would not like that.

Makoto eased his boredom reading of the latest volume of his favorite magazine, and the latest instalment of the currently longest published series, Bio-Armor Jade Warrior, this time, it featured the return of an old menace, the Mind-Tyrant himself, Desupero, a dangerous telepath, with a shrivelled body and a grotesquely ridged head, it even had a webbed crest running from his forehead to the back of his head. The creature had once had three eyes, but only the one in the middle of his forehead was open, the other two had been closed for so long they had atrophied.

Lt. Shigeru Aoba played an air guitar, practicing a difficult chord. He and his garage band had a gig next weekend, it would be his first weekend free in the last four months, and he wanted to be ready.

Lt. Maya Ibuki was lost in the reading of a romance novel. She had changed the dust-jacket of the book for a relatively tame one. After all, she didn’t want it known exactly the kind of bodice-ripping novels she enjoyed.

Captain Katsuragi filled her mug with fresh coffee, she had filled the coffee pot with a brand of coffee Shinji had suggested. Although he rarely drank coffee, the kid had good taste, and the staff had passed the hat to buy an economy size bag. It had been a great choice, certainly better than the brand NERV bought by the pallet. That slop was almost decaffeinated, as far as Misato could say.

Meanwhile, the data readings obtained at Mt. Asama were being transferred from Balthasar to Melchior. No one present had any idea of what those readings would mean once they had been analysed.

Well... there was a soul in Central Dogma who knew, but he was invisible and inaudible, floating behind Maya’s shoulder. “Spicy reading, girl! You need to get a boyfriend, right now!”

Tokyo-3
GeoFront, Indoors Pool
Monday, Mid Morning

Shinji sat by the side of the pool, while Rei swam gracefully, completing lap after lap without much apparent effort. His quasi-sister wore a white one-piece suit he was almost sure was up to old Olympics standards. Of course, the last Olympic Games had been just before Second Impact hit, and there wasn’t much chance of a new event, at least for the next decade or two.

Shinji sighed, he thought for a moment about putting his own swimsuit on and at least try to relax in the shallow end of the pool. Oh, well… He put a page marker in his book, and set it carefully back in his backpack. A second reading of the Flash’s biography was even better than the first one, after the trip the Phantom Stranger had taken him with, he looked at each event from a different angle. As he was closing the zipper of his backpack, Asuka reclined dangerously on the table, giving him a full view of her cleavage. Shinji gulped, and with a supreme effort of will, he met Asuka’s eyes. “Oh… H-H-Hi… A-As-Asuka!”

Her brow furrowed, in a gesture Shinji had learned to recognize as frustration/impatience/imminent explosion in less than two minutes (having learned from the misfortune of a couple of kids at school, who had kept bugging Asuka after she had rejected their romantic overtures). But for his life, he couldn’t even begin to guess the reason. He had been reading quietly all the time!

“Hey, Boy Wonder, what were you reading? It must be very interesting.” Her voice was sweet. Hmm… maybe he was wrong about the imminent explosion. At least he was in more familiar territory with that question. He smiled tentatively at his partner. “Um… it’s a-a biography. The second Flash’s wife wrote it. Wanna read it? I was only rereading some chapters. I c-can let you borrow it, I also have the Atom’s book. But I’m still in the first chapter.” He began to unzip the backpack.

“Was? You are reading next to a big pool and two beautiful girls in sexy skimpy suits?” She stood up, hands on her hips, showcasing her female assets. Shinji gulped again, Asuka was definitively a very beautiful girl, and the red and white bikini she wore was certainly enhancing her attractiveness…

Shinji realized he had been silent for several seconds, to Asuka’s impatience. “Enough reading, Boy Wonder! I didn’t get you to carry my diving stuff all the way here for you to stay poolside reading a freaking book! Go change right now!”

She pointed at the dressing room at the other end of the chamber, while her right foot stomped against the floor in a manner that left no way to disagreement.

Shinji stood up, yelled “Yes, Sargent, Mam!”, saluted and ran away before Asuka could do anything but sputter indignantly.

While Shinji returned, Asuka sat by the side of the pool, splashing the water with her feet. She smirked. Finally, she had gotten somewhere! For the moment, she crossed “gay” and “not interested”, from her mental checklist. Now she only had to see if the little baka was either “oblivious” or “has an iron will”.

Meanwhile, Rei had finished her set of laps, and come out the pool. She was drying her hair with a small blue towel. “Hey, Wonder Girl! Where are you going? We have all day long!”

“I’ve finished my routine. There is no need for me to stay.”

“What? No, girl! Misato arranged for us to use the pool during three whole days. Let’s enjoy them!”

Rei hesitated. Asuka had been very patient with her. She actually took time to explain her why she did some of the things she had taught Rei to do. “I’m assuming there is an important reason for me to stay.”

“Of course, Rei. I want to see Shinji’s brain exploding!”

Rei gasped. A couple of seconds later, she blinked twice and asked, “Metaphor?”

Asuka facepalmed. “Ye-eeees. I just want to see him stutter and try to speak while his brain resets.”

“Why?”

“For fun! Look, I’ll explain later. Just try to follow my lead, okay?” Rei nodded.

Shinji came back, now wearing swimming trunks that looked too big on him. By then, Asuka had put her diving equipment on, and was waiting for him, sitting on a raised ledge by the side of the pool. Rei was floating lazily near her.

“Okay, Boy Wonder, it’s time we correct a serious deficiency on your education.”

“What?”

Asuka poked his chest twice. “You. Can’t. Swim. In this day and age, a non-swimming EVA pilot is a disgrace, and I won’t have you dragging my reputation down, should that little embarrassing fact be revealed. So, magnanimously, I have decided to teach you, with Rei’s help, of course.” At these last words, Asuka thumbed her own chest. Immediately, Shinji realized the zipper on her bikini top was lower than before!

“Uh... Guh...”

Inner Asuka smirked like a predator. ‘Ah... So... no Iron Will!’ She smiled dazzlingly. Pity Shinji’s eyes were glued to her cleavage. “Eyes up here, Mister!” She snapped her fingers in front of his face, breaking the trance. “And me thinking you were a gentleman!”

“Anyway. It is time you get your feet wet. Stand here.” She pointed at the floor. Red as a tomato, Shinji obeyed, not trusting himself to say anything.

“OK, first things first. Rei and I are consummate swimmers. Rei will teach you to float first, I’ll be down there, watching your technique, and also ready in case you need a rescue. Is that clear? You have nothing to fear. We will take care of you.”

Shinji nodded. Asuka sat on the ledge.

“Good, now, go to the shallow end. But first, watch this. Back roll entry.” She adjusted the goggles and put the mouthpiece on. She leaned back until she fell on the water. Rei spoke, getting Shinji’s attention. “Come here, Shinji. This time, you may use the ladder.” The young pilot followed her instructions, and descended into the pool. The water was not as cold as he expected. Rei stood up, and to Shinji’s discomfort, he saw her swimsuit was a bit more open than he thought. Desperately, he tried to look anywhere but her partially exposed chest. ‘She’s my sister, she’s my sister!’ he thought desperately.

Rei tilted her head. “Something wrong?”

“N-n-n-no!” he squatted, submerging his head to hide his blush. Rei took his hand, and walked towards the deep end. Shinji emerged, and gulped some air.

Sometime later, Shinji’s first swimming lesson was underway. Rei held him by the upper back, guiding him to float. He relaxed. After the initial discomfort, he really was enjoying the lesson. He thought he could stay there all day long. Rei released him. He floated without any effort on his part. The only sounds he could hear were his own breathing, and the bubbles from Asuka’s tanks. Eventually, he felt a tickling under his back, like bubbles. He turned his head around, looking for Rei. He saw the mop of blue hair at the other end of the pool.

At the other end of the pool?

He tried to stand, finding nothing under his feet. He was beginning to panic, when he felt a pair of hands under his arms. Asuka pushed him upwards, keeping his head above water.

After the initial trashing, and being able to breathe, he calmed down. Asuka guided his hand to the edge of the pool, Shinji grabbed it like a lifeline.

“Oh, and you were doing so well, Boy Wonder.” She flicked her finger at his nose. “Ready for the next lesson, or would you like to float around a little while, uh?”

Tokyo-3
GeoFront, Central Dogma
At the Same Time

At Mt. Asama, Captain Katsuragi directed the operation of a high-tech, high-pressure, high-temperature, and of course high-cost, probe. She and Lt. Hyuga had taken command of the seismological research team at the site. The probe had been designed to endure the volcanic environment it was being lowered into. However, Misato ordered it down below its maximum specifications. The probe was crushed like a beer can at a trash compactor. Still, it had worked long enough to send the data Misato had both wanted and feared.

Inside the magma chamber of Mt. Asama was an Angel. And to top it off, it was in a larval stage.

It was the chance to go in the offensive.

Once Makoto confirmed the blue pattern, Misato ordered the lab sealed, without any unauthorized communication with the exterior. Only NERV’s lines would be functioning, and only with her approval.

The Research staff groaned. It would mean they would be isolated from the exterior for who knew how long.

Tokyo-3
GeoFront, Holographic Chamber
An Hour later.

SEELE had convened immediately at Commander Ikari’s petition. They discussed briefly the wisdom of calling a preventive attack on the larval angel. The pictures obtained by Captain Katsuragi were irrefutable proof. A giant pod rested somewhere inside the volcano. The sensors showed a skeletal form, somewhat reminiscent of the Third Angel, with a foetus-like body, but at a gargantuan scale. It had a tail, long limbs, and a big head, but nothing in the Dead Sea Scrolls said its final form would be anything like that.

The five SEELE members present did not waste time to remind Ikari and Fujutsuki of the risks involved. Up to a premature Third Impact. Still, they agreed to allow the operation to take place once the preparations were concluded.

Tokyo-3
GeoFront,Holographic Chamber
Spiritual Plane

“(Hey, Stranger, are you sure you have this under control?)” Deadman sat on the holographic desk the leader of SEELE, Lorenz Kiehl, occupied.

“(Yes. I found the pod as it was being delivered, and put a time delay on its hatching. As long as NERV can get it out of the volcano on time, it will not hatch inside it. Miss Soryu will have her chance.)”

“(Okay,)” Deadman nodded. “(Still, I think it would be best if I go down with her.)”

“(Can you operate the Evangelion?)” The Phantom Stranger turned towards his ghostly companion.

Deadman shrugged. “(I think so, I’ve been watching the kids work on the simulator for a good while.)”

“(Very well, but only if Miss Soryu is incapacitated. We still don’t know if your soul can synch with an Evangelion. In any case, we don’t want to either tip our hand or let the pilots come to harm. It’s a delicate balance to keep.)”

Deadman nodded, somberly. “(I got it. I’m the last resort.)”

SEELE Holographic Chamber
Monday, Mid Morning (Tokyo-3 Local time)

Once the Tokyo-3 caller had been dismissed, the five SEELE members were free to actually discuss the events of the last few hours.

“(Ikari’s performance is acceptable. So far.)” Lorenz Kiehl leaned back into his chair, the cybernetic visor that covered his eyes gleamed eerily.

“(Yes. It’s a win-win situation for us. Once he manages to capture Sandalphon, we will be able to accelerate the timetable. Studying a live Angel will allow us to complete the MPEs much faster.)” Added a man with a long, pointy nose, SEELE 05. The eagerness in his voice was clear to all.

“(Unless, of course, Ikari botches the job...)” A man with a bushy moustache interjected, SEELE-03, the American member. “(The risk of unleashing Third Impact prematurely is very much present. We shouldn’t take victory for granted.)”

“(Enough. I shall tolerate no doubts at this stage. I shall retire and pray for guidance. I’ll contact you all in six hours.)” Kiehl pushed a button, disconnecting the rest of SEELE from his end. He tapped a complex set of numbers into a secret keyboard, hidden under the surface of the holodesk he occupied, a secret compartment opened, and he extracted a little package, about the size of a deck of cards.

A couple of lights shone from the surface, and the object emitted a single “Ping!”

Tokyo-3
GeoFront, Projection Room
Monday, Early Afternoon

“Man, that thing is really ugly...” that was Shinji’s first thought at seeing the images transmitted by the volcano probe at Mt. Asama. The thing looked like the skeleton of the Third Angel... But with a bigger head and shorter, or at least, thicker limbs..

Dr. Akagi explained the situation, while the pilots watched the image projected on the floor. He was confident about this sortie, the Phantom Stranger had already told him about the Angel. Shinji had no idea how the Stranger knew all about the situation; but so far, his advice had been absolutely sound.

Dr. Akagi’s words clicked exactly with the info the Stranger had shared with him. Plus, thanks to the Phantom Stranger’s time delay, the Angel would not emerge in the volcano itself. So Asuka was is no real danger.

And speaking of Asuka... “Hey, let me! I dive!” The redhead’s hand shot up in the air.

Dr. Akagi nodded, aproving Asuka’s suggestion. “Very well. Asuka, You are the designated pilot.”

“Sure! It will be easy!” At last! The chance to prove herself as the better pilot! She wanted, no, she needed, a solo mission to establish her worth in NERV.

Hesitantly, Shinji raised his hand. “Uh... not to be pessimist or anything, but... what are the risks?”

It was Maya who answered. “Mainly, heat and pressure; there’s some radiation, but it’s insignificant. We have all that already handled. The D-Type equipment is being fitted to Unit-02 as we speak.” A chime sounded in her watch. “Ah, they are done.”

Akagi continued. “The D-Eq will protect you and Unit-02 from heat, pressure and radiation. Basically, anything you could find in the volcano, except for the Angel itself.”

Asuka turned towards Shinji, and slapped him in the chest with the back of her hand. “Relax, Boy Wonder. Everything is under control!”

Rei asked, in her particular even voice. “What about us?”

“You and Shinji will be in a support role. Shinji and Unit-01 will be deployed at Mt. Asama. You will stay here at Tokyo-3 as a last line of defense.”

Rei nodded. “Understood.”

Asuka’s enthusiasm went down a few notches. “Uh... Dr. Akagi... Could it be the other way? I’d prefer to have Wonder Girl here backing me up.” To her own surprise, she meant it.

Akagi looked at Misato. The Chief of Operations answered for her. “Unit-01 has a higher armor rating than Unit-00, Asuka. The Fifth Angel melted many layers of its armor, that’s why it wasn’t deployed against the Seventh. We just finished updating the armor, now it’s closer to the specs Unit-01 and 02 have. Rits and Maya haven’t had the chance to do all the tests. So, Unit-00 stays in reserve unless there’s an emergency.”

“Oh. Sorry, Rei. I did what I could.”

“It’s okay.” Asuka almost expected a shrug from the bluenette, but it didn’t come.

Maya tapped her pen twice against the clipboard. “Now, suit up. We’ll wait for you at Unit-02’s cage for a final debriefing.

Tokyo-3
GeoFront, Evangelion Unit-02 Cage
Monday, Ten Minutes Later

The three pilots entered the cage, all dressed in the distinctive plug suits, finding that the red Evangelion wasn’t standing at its usual place. Asuka looked around, until she found it slumped at the other end of the chamber. It looked like a marshmallow man, or a white teddy bear set down at a corner to think about what it had done. “Nooo! What is this? What have you done to my beautiful EVA? It looks like… like...”

Misato intervened, “Like an old-time diver? Well, yes. We made sure it won’t get damaged in the magma.” She nodded, satisfied.

“But, but… it looks so ugly!” Asuka threw her hands in the air.

Dr. Akagi stood between the EVA’s legs. “This is the D-Type Equipment, Asuka. As I said, it IS the best protection we can give you in the volcanic environment the Angel chrysalid is hidden at the moment. Aesthetics were not considered when designing it.”

“It’s the most ludicrous thing I’ve ever seen!”

“Worse than the dancing outfits?” Shinji asked, raising an eyebrow.

Asuka turned towards him. “No one saw us in those! This time, all NERV will be watching!” Shinji was about to ask about the guy at the store, but decided to shut up.

Right then, the clear voice of Ryoji Kaji souded from a catwalk, far above their heads. “Including me. I’m anticipating seeing you in action again.”

Her happy squeak almost deafened Shinji. “Kaji!” She waved enthusiastically at him. Not even realizing the man’s location had been carefully chosen to maximize the distance between them. The catwalk couldn’t even be accessed from the EVA-02’s cage, so he was quite safe from being glomped by Asuka.

Meanwhile, Misato arrived at the cages. “Okay, everybody, we are ready to load the EVAs on the planes. Makoto has been itching to fly one of those birds again.”

“Um, Misato, I know this is a capture mission, but I think Asuka deserves a full kill mark once she has captured the Angel.”

“Oh, no, Boy Wonder! I deserve full credit for a capture!” She blinked slowly, once she realized Shinji had proposed exactly that; so she decided to go ahead and cover her mistake. “Misato? Is that allowed?”

“Yep. As soon as the Angel is loaded on the transport, you’ll get the kill.”

“Count on it. I’ll bring it back by the book.” She slammed her right fist against her left palm. Generously, she nodded at Shinji.

“OK, kids, go to your EVAs! Starting now, you three switch to your call-signs. It’s showtime!” she clapped once and rubbed her hands together.

Just before the pilots exited the chamber, Dr. Akagi spoke. “Asuka,” she shook her head, realizing her mistake. “I mean, Huntress; your plugsuit is a variant, made to give you extra protection. Just press the button on your right wrist.”

Asuka obeyed, and her plugsuit inflated to grotesque proportions, she was almost as wide as she was tall! The hissing gurgling sound of the heat suit was followed shortly by a chuckle from the hall, and a string of German expletives. “(Come back here, you BAKA! I’m gonna wring that chicken neck of yours! Misato! Help me! I can’t move with this thing!)”

Shinji abstained from pointing that pressing the button again would probably deflate the suit. He was too busy running towards Unit-01’s cage.

Tokyo-3
GeoFront, NERV HQ
Commander’s Lair

“He actually took the name of a bird? A small one?” Commander Ikari asked, disbelieving.

“Not exactly.” The Vice-Commander answered. “According to Captain Katsuragi, the name was chosen by the other two pilots. He didn’t argue against it, though.”

“Hmm... I doubt Rei had a hand in that.” Fujutsuki added, while Commander Ikari tented his hands, hiding the lower half of his face.

“Most probably. The girl has a penchant for nicknames. Rei informed me she calls her Wonder Girl. Mildly amusing. Still, that points at both a tendency of the Second Child to humiliate the Third, and the Third’s acceptance of the same. It is acceptable. In any case, inform me if he tries to change it to something more impressive or assertive, like Eagle or Hawk.”

“Very well. I’ll make sure Captain Katsuragi informs me about any changes.”

Tokyo-3
GeoFront, Commander’s Lair
Spiritual Plane

Deadman simply sniggered. “(Hey! Just so you know it, the original Robin kicked ass and took serious names! In short pants!)” He paused mid-rant and shook his head. “(Man… I’m glad no one can hear me, that sounded way better in my head.)” He sighed. “(Anyway, I must go. I’ll see you two villains later!)”

In route to Mt. Asama’s Temporal NERV HQ
An Hour Later

Two enormous planes carried both Unit-01 and 02 to the Mt. Asama site. One of them had to carry the hanging form of Unit-02, burdened as it was with the bulky D-Type equipment; Lt. Hyuga had to be especially careful, the change in aerodynamics turned the smooth flying the plane was designed to perform, into an unpredictable dance with a storm.

Asuka’s anger was somewhat down by then. Mostly because she knew it would be useless to act on her anger at the moment. Argh! The Third Child was an idiot! She hated that the wiry little guy could be so... so... argh! She didn’t even know a word for that! One moment, he was absolutely dumb, the next, totally nice, then he seemed to play with her; then he would be nice again only to mock her for a moment and go back to being nice! She just didn’t know how to manage him!

Meanwhile, in Unit-01’s plug, Shinji was busy, both making last minute check-ups, and holding a one-sided mental talk with Yui Ikari.

“Mom? Are you there?” A feeling of eagerness responded, tinged with some curiosity. “Hi! Here’s the situation at the moment. I think we might manage to just stay out of Asuka’s way this time.”

An image of the Phantom Stranger appeared in Shinji’s mind, along with a wave of curiosity. “Yes, he told me about what’s going to happen. If everything goes right, Asuka will capture the Angel, we will escort it to the Matsuhiro site.”

Alarm! Denial!

“Robin? What’s going on there?” Misato asked.

“Nothing, Misato, just my check-up.”

“Rits got a spike in your readings. If you don’t control it, we’ll have to abort the mission.”

“It’s okay, Control. I got it.” Mentally, he sent calm feelings into EVA-01’s core. “Easy, Mom. We won’t deliver the Angel at Matsuhiro.”

Question. Relief.

Quickly, Shinji explained about the Stranger’s plan.

Humor, Relief.

Mt. Asama
Temporal NERV HQ
One Hour Later

Shinji was always amazed at the speed NERV’s tech crews organized every aspect of their temporal quarters. Once the EVAs had been deposited on ground, the techs had conected each Evangelion to their own umbilical cables. In EVA-02’s case, it was connected to an umbilical array. Cooling lines, hang lines, and reinforced umbilical power cables. All in all, everything it needed to go where no one had gone before. And survive the trip.

From her plug, Asuka looked for Kaji. “Was ist? Where’s Kaji?”

Misato opened a comm-vid. “Kaji has no autorization to come, Asuka. Commander’s orders.”

“Oh... At least can I show him a recording? I wouldn’t want to disappoint him. He wanted to see me in action.”

Misato sighed. “Okay, okay. He does have clearance for that. “

Next to the edge of the crater, a titanic crane was anchored by seven lengths of ultra-reinforced cable. From the air, it looked like some kaiju-sized spider had spun the beginnings of a titanic web. Next to the crane, the life-support special spool was ready for the descent.

Mt. Asama
Temporal NERV HQ
Spiritual Plane

Hidden from mortal eyes, the Phantom Stranger walked calmly among the crews and equipment deployed. He also was reviewing every possibility at hand. If everything went according to his Scenario, the Angel would be extracted without a hitch. But in case it wasn’t...

An Undisclosed Location
High in a Cable Car.

Actually, Kaji was relieved about Commander Ikari’s denial of clearance. It gave him the chance to update with one of his contacts, a middle-aged woman he only knew as Puppy Lady. The woman had the habit of always carrying a pup with her. It was quite an effective cover. Only the most paranoid would suspect of a middle aged, somewhat chubby woman, with a cute pup.

Their talk ended up running in circles quite fast. Basically, they both reached the same conclusion. Their bosses were idiots.

Mt. Asama
Evangelion Units

Both Shinji and Asuka felt very uncomfortable with the idea that the three planes flying over them had a single, easy to describe mission: “If NERV Fails, N-2 Everything To Oblivion.”

“How dare they?” Asuka almost screamed her outrage.

“Let me guess, Dr. Akagi. Commander Ikari ordered that?” Shinji’s voice carried a note of bitter disappointment.

“Yes, although he has complete faith on both of you, he isn’t one to leave anything to chance.”

‘Oh, I see..’ Shinji thought. ‘A big motivational stick, and a little carrot of approval for me.’

A ferocious wave of anger hit him for a split second. ‘Easy, Mom. I won’t let it get to me. Let’s do our job and let him think he has me where he wants.’

Angry Agreement.

Mt. Asama
Evangelion Units

Unit-02 hanged from the umbilical array like the biggest Christmas ornament ever made. The biomech held a magnetic cage in the claws the D-Type had instead of anything resembling hands. The cage was barely a frame, but according to Dr. Akagi and the tech crew it would be enough to hold immobile the Angel until it was moved into a more permanent arrangement.

The heavily armored Eva hung down the cables. swinging like a giant piñata. Shinji shook his head to rid himself of the image.

EVA-02 descended slowly into the molten rock. Huntress” voice shook him out of his thoughts.

“Hey! Robin! Watch this!” The titan entered the magma posing like a ballerina. Shinji smiled at his partner antics.

After a little while, the diving giant disappeared into the volcano.

Inside Mt. Asama

“Ugh... This is too hot!” Asuka mumbled, as the red Evangelion descended slowly into the volcano.

Shinji couldn’t stop a smirk. “Now, that’s amazing, Huntress.”

“Shut up, Bird Brain. I didn’t expect it would be this hot. With all the extra layers on my EVA, I thought it would be somewhat cooler.”

Akagi took the microphone and added. “It’s as cool as we could make it. Be glad you are not getting heatstroke.”

“I am, Dr. Akagi, but this baka is a smart-ass.”

“Be quiet all of you. Cut the chatter.” Misato cut them off. “Leave the flirting for later.”

“Hey! I am NOT flirting!” The two pilots answered, in perfect synch. Both facepalmed. Misato smiled at seeing this. ‘All goes according to the plan! These two will end up together or my name isn’t Misato Katsuragi!’ she thought.

Inside Mt. Asama
Spiritual Plane

Unnoticed, floating near Asuka’s seat, a red-clad, dead acrobat watched and waited. “Take it easy, girl. No sudden movements. I am in no hurry to get company, you know.” He said, despite knowing no mortal could hear him. His nerves were acting up. And talking like a chatterbox usually helped him to calm down. Still, he grabbed the back of Asuka’s seat as if his life depended on it. Of course, to mortal eyes, there was no trace of that.

“Man, I’m glad I can’t sweat anymore.” he mused, “my mask and make up would be ruined by now…”

Mt. Asama
NERV Temporal HQ

“Huntress, report.”

Asuka sighed a lungful of LCL. The heat was really getting to her, she didn’t need to wipe her forehead, as the sweat was immediately absorbed by the breathable liquid; but the inside of her plugsuit was a very different matter. Unlike what its aspect would make it seem like, it wasn’t actually filled with air, but with an insulating two-components foam. It was a single use plugsuit, as it would have to be cut off of her body; there was no way to separate the foam back into its original components.

“Current depth: 170. Speed of descent: 20. Visibility is Zero. No problems detected. However, I can’t see anything. Switching to CT monitor.”

The cockpit switched to a red lighting. It made it look like she was covered in blood. “Even with this, my visibility is still limited, maximum range 120.”

Long minutes passed. Everybody in the Mobile HQ was tense, like a compressed coil, just waiting for the moment something would go wrong to spring out like a jack-in-the-box. Misato was almost ready to start chewing a nail. Maya’s calm voice reported, “Depth 400.”

“450.”

“500.”

“600.”

“650.”

From his perch at the edge of the crater, Shinji watched the umbilical array descending. Every 50 meters, a set of black and yellow stripes marked the length of cable deployed. Idly, Shinji counted them as they passed by.

He was even more tense than everybody else. From the core he felt tense expectation. Not even Yui Ikari, in the depths of the purple Evangelion’s core was immune to the stress.

Maya kept counting, when she reached 1020, she announced “We’re over the maximum safe depth.”

Shinji put a hand in contact with the side of the crane. Barely touching it. He hoped there would be no need for him to try another desperate trick with the AT Field. He was not really sure if he could project a shield to the other end of the line, but he was ready to try.

“Depth is 1300. Unit-02 has reached estimated target level.”

“Huntress? Can you see it?”

“Nope. No reactions detected. The ugly thing is not here.” She toggled a couple of switches, trying to get a clearer image. It was useless.

It seemed the lava currents had moved the chrysalid.

Despite Lt. Huyga’s objections, Captain Katsuragi ordered the EVA to descend a little more, hoping to find the Angel.

At a depth of 1400 m, the second coolant pipe cracked, with a sound like glass crushed.

At 1480, they had exceeded the maximum allowed depth... The D-Type armor groaned alarmingly.

Misato ordered them to go deeper. Asuka agreed eagerly. “I just want to finish this and take a cold shower.”

Misato smiled tensely. “There’s a nice hot springs resort near. How about we hit it once we finish here?”

“Sounds good, Control. As long as they have a cold shower I can claim, I’m in.”

Inside Mt. Asama

At 1600 m, the armor contracted a bit, loosening the external holster that contained the Progressive Knife to the left leg of the EVA. The whole thing fell down, sinking into the magma, where it would eventually melt down into slag.

Inside Mt. Asama
Spiritual Plane

“Oh, c’mon, Cap!” Deadman facepalmed, “This is way too deep to go diving in magma! If you wanna risk your life, go ahead, but the girl should not even be down here! I’m dead already, and I’m shaking in my boots!”

Asuka herself insisted on continuing the mission. “I can go on, Control. The target must be around here.”

“Oh, gods… another one! I’m surrounded by stubborn ladies!” the ghost groaned and rubbed his face. After a moment, he centred himself and continued his watch.

Mt. Asama
NERV Temporal HQ

Makoto objections had been overruled by both Captain Katsuragi and Asuka herself. Neither would relent on their mission. One for revenge, the other for glory. Both just as stubborn as the other.

At the edge of the crater, Shinji willed the shoulder fin to open, he took Unit-01’s own Progressive Knife in hand, ready to throw it should Asuka need it.

He hoped Asuka wouldn’t need it, but at least the movement distracted him a bit from the empty feeling in his stomach.

At a depth of 1780m, the EVA reached the end of the line. Literally, there was no more umbilical array left. It stopped with a start, hanging, swaying slowly in the lava current. For a moment, Asuka felt like a worm in a hook. She shook her head and looked around.

“Finally! There it is!” Asuka reported. “Move me 200 m north.”

Misato authorized the move. With a start, Unit-02 closed on to the target. Asuka raised the magno-cage. The frame extended to encompass the chrysalid.

“Huntress, due to the lava currents, you’ll have only one chance.” Akagi’s voice was tense.

“Roger, control, go slow now, keep current heading. I’m almost… almost… there…”

A bit of manoeuvring later, Asuka positioned the magno-cage around the chrysalid. The magnetic planes that formed the walls of the cage shimmered into view, forming a prison around the cocoon.

Mt. Asama.
Spiritual Plane

Near EVA-01 right foot, the Phantom Stranger concentrated his will on the time delay he had put on the Angel.

Down in the EVA-02 plug, Deadman grabbed Asuka’s seat. “That’s it, kid. Easy and slow. Easy and slow. You’re doing great.”

Mt. Asama.
Edge of the Crater

Shinji saw the Phantom Stranger at the EVA’s feet. He sighed slowly in relief, but didn’t put the Prog-Knife back on its place, and kept his hand on the crane, barely touching it.

“Electromagnetic cage spread. No problems detected.”

“The target has been captured.”

A sigh of relief spread amongst the support crew.

“Huntress here. Get me back.” A cracking noise cut her voice. “Hurry up, will you?”

“You heard her, guys. Get Huntress back.” Misato ordered the crane operators. The cyclopean machine groaned, pulling the weight of both EVA and chrysalid, slowly. Ever so slowly. A single mistake could mean a catastrophe.

Inside Mt. Asama

The clear window at the front of the diving helmet cracked with a horrible noise. Somehow, Asuka kept her cool. “Not to hurry you up, guys; but there’s a crack on my helmet.”

Mt. Asama
Edge of the Crater

“Permission for an AT-Field reinforcement.” Shinji’s voice cut the silence.

“Denied, Robin; it’s too dangerous. Keep ready, though. The pressure is getting lower.”

“Roger, Control. Huntress? Please let me know if you want a shield down there.”

“Keep alert, Robin. I’m going up.”

“Are you okay?”

“Who do you think you’re talking to?” She answered with a hint of petulance in her voice. “The only thing to fear is fear itself.” She quoted.

“Right.”

“The only thing I don’t like is this damned sauna suit! I’m swimming in sweat here. I bet I’m gonna lose like 15 kilos.”

Laughter spread through the crew. It was a welcome respite from the stress they had been subjected to. “Good work, Huntress. There’s a cold shower with your name on it waiting for you. Once we deliver this thing at Matsuhiro, you’ll get to it.”

Tense minutes passed, until the white dome of the D-Type armor broke the surface of the lava. EVA and Angel chrysalid hung from the crane.

Expert operators managed the unwieldly mass down. Giant hoses cooled the EVA. Long plumes of steam rose to the sky, while the armor cooled down. It was a testament to NERV’s ingenuity that the ceramite armor simply cooled, instead of cracking due to thermal expansion.

Unit-01 extended a second magno-cage, reinforcing the first. Between the two EVAs, they managed to set the monstrous cocoon on a titanic crawler, wrapping it in heavy duty chains, even thicker than the ones used in the biggest ship to cross the oceans. Soon, the convoy was ready to move to the secondary NERV Base at Matsuhiro. The crawler manouvered back, out of the crater.

Mt. Asama.
Spiritual Plane

Deadman phased through EVA-02 armor, and sat on one of the anchors for the cable supports. “(So, they did it.)”

Sweat glistened on the Stranger’s face. “(Yes... Now I have to maintain the Angel in time delay until the right moment comes.)”

Worried, the ghost floated near the Stranger. “(You okay?)”

“(Yes. The Angel is struggling to get free. Keeping it from hatching is taking a lot out of me.)” The mysterious man waved a hand. “(I can keep on.)”

Deadman nodded.

In route to the Secondary NERV Base at Matsuhiro

The giant remote controlled crawler advanced slowly through the forest, uprooting old tress at its wake. Behind it, the two Evangelions walked carefully. There was not a single road that could take the weight of either crawler or EVA, so Misato had decided to take advantage of the capabilities of the heavy vehicle to take the Angel to Matsuhiro through the shortest route. If that meant making their own road, so be it. The two EVAs held their respective umbilical cables with a hand, dragging them behind. After them, the mobile generators that supplied power to the titans crawled carefully. A kilometre behind, at the end of the caravan, NERV’s mobile HQ, with a vigilant Captain Katsuragi, Dr. Akagi, and the bridge bunnies. The team monitored carefully any and all emissions coming from the chrysalid and the magno-cage. Misato was impatient to drop the thing at Matsuhiro, her feet were killing her! She had spent most of the day standing at the MHQ, and right now, she kept her standing position by grabbing the inner cage of the vehicle.

The three bombers had retreated back to their airfields. Although they wouldn’t admit it, the pilots were relieved to return to the base still carrying their deadly payloads.

Asuka chattered nervously to herself, she was very relieved to be out of the volcano. Once EVA-01 had helped her to get rid of the D-Type Equipment, the tech crews had replaced the LCL in the plug with a new batch, a cold batch. She was a bit uncomfortable, but it was a small price to pay for her first solo victory.

“(That’s the way I like it, Robin! Precise and elegant. Truly a well done mission.)” Eva-02 shook the Progressive Glaive in its hands, as if fighting an invisible enemy.

“(It was good work, Huntress. Top level.)” Eva-01 checked the Pallet Rifle it carried.

“(Did you expect any less?)”

“(Of course not. Even if that Angel had hatched down there, I’m sure you would have beaten it into pulp.)”

Asuka smiled at the compliment. She eyed her companion in the vid-screen. He was drumming his fingers on the control yokes. “(You look nervous, Robin. Something the famous Third Child can’t manage?)”

“(Er… No, just a bit twitchy, I guess. I won’t feel at ease until we have finished this mission, you know?)” Shinji waited for the moment. Hoping to hear the Stranger warning him of the time the Angel would hatch. For him, the minutes seemed like hours. The constant signal of worry and impatience coming from the EVA’s core didn’t help him at all.

The strange caravan advanced at a good speed, until they entered a secluded valley.

Shinji noticed then the weird shadow in front of him. Instead of the well known shadow of the Evangelion, he saw a cyclopean version of the Phantom Stranger’s shadow! It didn’t even held the same pose as the EVA!

The shadow’s “eyes” blinked once, and pointed at the centre of the valley. Shinji nodded, gulping a lump at his throat.

“Soon.” He thought, sending a signal into the EVA’s core. “Be ready, Mom, it’s almost time.” He tightened his grip on the Pallet Rifle.

The crawler shook violently as it arrived at the middle of the valley; from the MHQ, Misato screamed her orders, “What’s going on? Robin, Huntress! Get ready to fight! This bastard is trying to escape! Generators! Go back a thousand meters and prepare to release the umbilicals! NOW! Tomoyo, stabilize that crawler!” The bridge bunnies” fingers danced on their respective keyboards, obeying Misato’s orders at an almost inhuman speed.

The magnetic cage tilted dangerously to one side, until the chains broke like mere string. The cage fell from the crawler, rolled down to the valley, flattening trees and boulders into fragments while the crawler straightened itself, rocking dangerously side to side.

For a moment, it seemed that the magnetic cage would hold on, but it was a mere hope. The chrysalid’s surface cracked, and a rattling sound filled the air.

The cocoon almost exploded, and a bone-white beak shot from the inside like a spear, shattering the cage to pieces that shimmered for a split second before vanishing into nothing.

In route to the Secondary NERV Base at Matsuhiro

For an eternity that lasted for five seconds, nobody moved, nobody spoke, nobody even dared to breathe; as the magnetic cage that held the Eight Angel’s chrysalid rolled down to the bottom of the valley. Lt. Tomoyo Yamaguchi almost lost control of the crawler, as it rocked side to side, free of the titanic weight of the angelic cocoon.

To everybody’s horror, the cage shattered before even stopping. From one of the ends, a powerful, long beak went through the sides of the magno-cage as if they were nothing but air. The magnetic forces dissipated in an instant, fragments of the hardened shell broke from the chrysalid, falling down, breaking trees that had stood for decades.

The… thing… shook its long neck, ridding itself from its prison. Its head rose into the air, screaming its challenge. It was a disgusting, bare imitation of a bird’s skull. The lower jaw was split in two, like a snake’s. And the Angel was very snake-like in shape. A long, skeletal neck followed the head, as it looked around itself, looking for its enemies. Its round, yellow eyes scanned its surroundings unblinking. With a shudder, the creature stood over a weird U-shaped structure, under which six insect-like short legs wriggled for a moment, until they found purchase on the irregular ground. At the other side of the U, a long, skeletal tail whipped around.

The only one who was somewhat ready for this was Shinji Ikari, forewarned by the Phantom Stranger. Almost before the thing had broken free, he planted the EVA’s feet solidly on the ground, and let loose short bursts of bullets the size of a desk.

“(Huntress! Snap out of it!)” He shouted in German, while the bullets crashed uselessly against the AT-Field of the creature.

It took Asuka Langley Soryu just a moment to recover from her spell. But after a momentary paralysis, she jumped into action. Unknown to her, she wasn’t alone in the EVA-02’s plug. She was accompanied by the ghost of an acrobat, murdered almost three decades before she was born. However, the moment of doubt carried a high price. The tail of the Angel whipped against Unit-02’s mid-section, hitting it like a train.

“Ough!” The red Evangelion fell down, rolling over itself several times, until it stopped, face down against the ground. From the Spiritual Plane, Deadman shouted at its pilot, unheard by any living soul. “C’mon, girl, you have no time to sleep on the job!”

While Unit-01 kept firing, Shinji’s voice shook her out of her pain. “(Asuka! Huntress! Are you okay?)”

“(Ugh… I just had the wind knocked out of me, you Baka!)” she switched back to Japanese, “Keep it busy while I get back up.” She shook her head, clearing the metaphorical dust out of her brain. The red Evangelion imitated her movements, releasing a cascade of dirt, small rocks, and branches and leaves of the unlucky trees that had been crushed in its fall.

“Roger that!” The purple Evangelion stepped carefully to one side, firing occasional bullets from the Pallet Rifle.

Misato barked her orders, galvanizing every person present into action. “All NERV personnel! Get back, NOW! Clear the area! Generators, release more cable as you retreat, but be ready to reel back at any time. I want the umbilical cables to have some slack, but not too much, got that?” One of the risks the particular method of feeding power to the Evangelions carried was as simple as it was dangerous. In the heat of battle, an Evangelion could trip with its own power cable. “Makoto! Call Central Dogma, we need some serious firepower here, dammit!”

A few moments later, the answer came. “The JSSDF’s 33rd Tank regiment is on its way, Captain! It will take them about 8 minutes to arrive!”

She nodded back, if the EVAs lost the umbilical cables before that… “Robin, Huntress! Back up is on the way! But it will take some time. It’s in your hands! You are authorized to kill that damned thing; do you hear me?”

Unit-02 pushed its hands against the dirt, getting back up in a smooth movement, amazing in a creature that had the size of a whole building and weighted even more. “Got it, Control! We get to do the fun part.” Asuka snarled.

“That’s it, girl! Kick it back into the egg!” Deadman cheered her.

While Unit-01 kept the Angel’s attention onto itself, Unit-02 stood proud and furious. Its hand lifted the Progressive Glaive it had lost in the fall. Adjusting its grip, EVA-02 jumped into the air, raising the weapon’s edge over its head. At the apex of her trajectory, Asuka willed Unit-02 to strike a decapitating hit against the Eight Angel.

The Eight Angel saw her, its head twisted over its neck, and screeched a banshee’s wail. Its dead eyes flared to life with terrible light. A blast slammed into EVA-02’s chest, throwing the mighty machine back. Asuka screamed. It felt as if a red-hot poker had gone through her own chest.

Unit-02 fell hard to the ground. The shockwave rocked all NERVs vehicles around it, almost knocking Misato off her feet. A plume of smoke rose from Unit-02’s burnt chest armor. The Progressive Glaive fell down from its fingers, embedding itself into the rocky ground. The titanic bio-mechanoid didn’t move.

“Asuka!” Shinji and Misato screamed.

“She’s unconscious!” Dr. Akagi shouted over her shoulder. “The pain must have been too much for her, she was almost at 68% Synch!”

In EVA-01’s plug, Shinji Ikari snarled.

In EVA-01’s core, Yui Ikari’s soul snarled too.

From EVA-01’s throat, a guttural growl cut the air.

In the mobile HQ, Misato felt as if she had received a punch in her stomach. Her training took charge immediately. “Rits, try to wake her up! Shinji, protect her, don’t let the Angel get near her!”

An incoherent roar answered. The purple EVA ran towards the Angel, its steps causing minor shockwaves that were registered in seismographs back in Tokyo-3. Its head down and its hands behind, much like a rugby player about to tackle his adversary. However, unlike the player, the EVA’s intention was simpler than scoring abstract points.

The only thought in the gestalt mind of Unit-01 was to kill.

As it got nearer to the Angel, it swung the Pallet Rifle it still held on its left hand.

“Shinji’s synch is rising!” Maya informed frantically. “74% and still rising!”

Inside EVA-02’s plug, a red ghost took a decision. “(Damn! I didn’t want to do this!)” The wandering spirit hijacked Asuka’s unconscious body. Her eyes snapped open. “(I hope I did really learn how to move this damned thing!)”, he thought as her hands gripped the control yoke.

“I’m okay, Control!” Deadman shouted with Asuka’s voice. “It won’t catch me by surprise again!”

Eva-02 tugged the Progressive Glaive out of the rock.

From the EVA’s core, he felt a double wave of surprise mixed with a hint of anger and a little bit of hope.

“Oh, damn!” he thought. “Missus Soryu! Both of her!”

EVA-01 swung the pallet rifle like a club, hitting the AT-Field of its enemy with a noise like thunder. The field held on, flaring with a series of orange hexagons at the impact point. Unit-01 roared in frustration. It swung the rifle butt against the shimmering barrier again and again, even the heavily reinforced weapon started to crump like tinfoil at the repeated assault.

The MHQ had retreated back to a relatively safe distance. Misato observed the battle intensely, looking for any weakness in the Angel. “Robin! ROBIN! Don’t stand in front of its face! Damn it!” She slammed her fist against the side of the vehicle, well far away from any sensitive components. “He doesn’t listen!”

The Angel twisted its neck again, ready to shoot the eyebeams at its enemy.

“Hello, Missus Soryu! Don’t be like that. I’m a friend.” Deadman tried to talk the divided soul inside EVA-02 into helping him, but so far, he had not had any success. The bio-mechanoid was moving sluggishly, almost like a drunk man trying to walk straight. He pulled and pushed at the control yokes, but to no avail.

Down at the edge of the valley, the Phantom Stranger leaned against a rock. The feedback he had received when the Angel freed itself from both the pod and the time delay had struck him like an avalanche. He felt sick, but by sheer force of will, he managed to breathe deeply, trying to clear his head. His own thought process was a mass of confusion.

He fell back against the rock. His gloved hands cradled his head.

For the moment, he was absolutely useless.

While Deadman struggled to control the red Evangelion, a strange, wordless conversation flowed inside the core. One half of Kyoko Zeppelin Soryu tried to convince the other to help the red-clad spirit in the fight, to save Asuka’s life, while the other tried to convince the first that it would be better of Asuka died alongside with them.

About the only thing they agreed on was that the ghost was NOT welcome in the gestalt.

EVA-01 discarded the useless weapon, and used its claw-like hands to rip the AT-Field to shreds. However, the Angel rebuilt it as fast as Unit-01 was able to cut through.

“(DamnDamnDamn!)” Deadman pulled at the useless controls, yelling with Asuka’s voice “Move it! Damn you, move already!”

“(Well... it seems I need to do something drastic here... hang on, girl!)”

Deadman released Asuka, and in his desperation, dived into the Evangelion’s core. As soon as he entered it, his senses were assaulted by a cacophony of sensations, heat, cold, noise, silence, all kind of smells and tastes. It was maddening.

He screamed for what he felt was a long time, but he found what he was looking for.

Kyoko Zeppelin Soryu’s halves.

To his eyes, it looked like a pair of sisters fighting each other. One was dressed in an old model plugsuit, her long blond hair flowed behind her like a cascade of gold. The other was naked, except for a hospital gown, her hair hung dead behind her head, and a noose made from a white sheet hung around her neck.

The eyes of both were lost in their shared madness.

Meanwhile, Asuka stirred weakly in the plug. Her chest hurt, and she felt like she had been tossed inside a turbine.

“What happened?”

Next to her, a vid screen opened. “Huntress! Are you Okay? We lost you for a second!”

“I’m fine, Misato, but Unit-02 isn’t responding!”

Inside the core, Deadman watched the fight for a second, and dove into action. He didn’t know if it would work.

He tried to hijack one of Kyoko’s spirit halves.

To his surprise, it did work, he felt incredibly weird. He looked at crazy-Kyoko’s almost skeletal hands, now covered by blood red gloves, and smiled at the other half. “(Hey, we can fight later if you want, but right now, your girl needs your... our help.)”

Not-so-crazy-Kyoko nodded. Her smile was disturbing, at best.

“Asuka’s synch dropped to 10% for a few seconds, but it’s rising again.” Maya looked over her shoulder. “Captain Katsuragi, at her current rising rate it will take her about 35 seconds to get back to her usual 60%. “

Misato barked at her mike. “Did you hear that, Robin? Asuka is okay and will be back in the fight in less than half a minute. ROBIN!”

Back at the EVA-01 plug, Shinji’s fury receded. “Roger, Control. I’ll keep this monster busy in the meanwhile.”

“(Rise, rise, rise! I won’t be left out of the fight!)” Asuka mumbled between gritted teeth. “(25%, 28%, c’mon!)”

Gradually, she felt the EVA around her again, layering its sensory input over her own. Once she reached 30%, she jumped into action.

As EVA-02 stood once again, it snatched the Progressive Glaive again. She swore this time, the Angel would not catch her by surprise. She ran the distance in a few long strides.

To her delight, EVA-01 had already ripped through the AT-Field, and was holding it open for her. “Robin! Duck at my signal! NOW!” Jumping high from behind the purple EVA, she threw her weapon at the Angel’s head.

Unit-01 obeyed instantly, the glaive passed over its head, cutting the air with a shrill whistling sound, and embedded itself into the Angels’ head.

Unfortunately, it missed the red orb of the core. Taking advantage of the trashing of the wounded creature, Unit-01 wrapped its arms around the long neck, immobilizing the head and keeping it pointing away from the bio-mechanoids.

“Huntress! Kill this thing already! I won’t be able to hold it for much longer!”

“Keep it there for a second!”

The Angel tried to shake its enemy from its back, but UNIT-01 had the advantage of both weight and strength. It held the neck in the crook of its left arm, while the right hand held the head away from the body.

Unit-02 slid to a stop, reaching for the left shoulder pylon to get the Progressive Knife out. “Oh, shit! I forgot the pylons were removed to fit the D-Type Eq.!”

“Crush it with your hands!” Shinji yelled.

The image of Asuka in EVA-01’s plug nodded, but Shinji didn’t look at it “Don’t tell me what to do! I was planning on that anyway!”

While Unit-01 kept the head pointing at the sky, the lower jaws snapped close and open in threat. “I have no time for this!” she mumbled in annoyance.

With a roar, EVA-02 grabbed the lower jaws, and with a mighty pull, ripped them off the head. The thing screeched in agony. A black fluid sprayed from the wounds.

Asuka grabbed the core in EVA-02’s hands, and pushed it in with all their strength. She could feel a burning heat in her own hands.

With a terrible noise, the orb cracked into fragments between her hands. She felt the splinters dig into her palms and fingers, but kept the pressure until the core exploded into fragments.

The skeletal Angel fell down in EVA-01’s hands. And almost as soon as Shinji released it, began to decompose. There wasn’t time enough for the scientific crews to take samples from it, except for a few fragments of the core.

Their adrenaline spent, both pilots sagged in their seats.

“You did well,” sighed Misato. “Rest for a while, kids. I’m proud of you both.”

At the MHQ, the relief was like a wave. Everybody relaxed.

SEELE Holographic Chamber
Monday, Late Afternoon (Tokyo-3 Local time)

Commander Gendo Ikari was not a happy man. Neither were all the SEELE members in attendance.

“(Ikari, you assured us you had this operation under your control.)” Hissed Lorenz Kiehl. Her anger was evidently held in check only by his iron will. “(We are tired of your incompetence.)”

From behind gloved hands, Gendo Ikari answered. “(No human endeavour is ever guaranteed to success. Especially with the unknown factors we are dealing with. The operation was planned as best as possible. The elimination of the Angel once it hatched was unavoidable.)”

Kiehl grumbled. Ikari was damnably right. “(Send the recovered samples to NERV Germany. We might still rescue something from this debacle.)”

“(The samples are already on their way. They will be in your hands in a few hours.)”

Kiehl nodded. “(The rest of this meeting is only for SEELE members, Ikari. Dismissed.)” He grumbled. The holographic image shimmered and disappeared.

NERV Holographic Chamber
Monday, Late Afternoon

“Well... it went better than I would have expected.” Kozo Fujutsuki added, from his usual place behind and at the right of his former student.

“They are blinded by the promise of whatever the samples they will get might yield.” Ikari answered with barely a movement.

“Still, they might take some other actions we might not like.”

“Yes. They might. But they might have done so even if we had captured the Angel still in its chrysalid.”

Spiritual Plane
Ten Minutes after the Battle

“(You okay, pal?)”

Deadman’s voice brought the Phantom Stranger back to reality. He straightened up. Deadman was sitting on a low, thin branch that could barely support the weight of a squirrel.

“(I have some news for you. Number one, the battle is over, Angel destroyed, as we hoped.)”

The Stranger nodded, his strenght was coming back.

“(Number Two, I can’t actually synch with an Evangelion, at least, not with Unit-02.)” Deadman was counting each point with his fingers.

“(Number Three, the split in Dr. Soryu’s soul is even worse than we thought. Half of her wants Asuka to live, and the other wants her to die.)”

The Stranger nodded again. “(Her soul must be healed.)”

“(I completely agree with you in that. That poor woman needs a lot of help. And those SEELE bastards need to pay for everything, just seeing her two half souls breaks your heart.)”

“(I already have something in mind for them. But at the moment, he is... not available. I’ll make some enquiries about it. Hopefully he will wait until we can point him to the guilty party. Otherwise, it would be almost as bad as Third Impact.)”

“(Exactly just how “almost” are we talking about?)”

“Complete annihilation of the human race in a period of hours, instead of minutes.)”

Deadman shut his mouth.

Back from Mt. Asama
Hot Springs Resort
10:38 P.M.

The NERV crew entered the resort with leaden feet. The recovery team had taken their own sweet time to clear the area of the fight, and between that and the time the trip to Matsuhiro, incomplete as it was, night had fallen.

Misato had convinced Commander Ikari to grant the tech crew, the pilots, and herself, a free day to unwind.

The hotel had accepted the group of travelers, but by the time they had arrived, access to the hot springs was already closed for the night.

To their surprise, in the small restaurant there were two visitors waiting for them.

“Kaji? What in the name of all that is holy are you doing here?” Misato asked, while Kaji folded his newspaper and poured a fresh cup of coffee for her. Asuka simply squeaked happily and sat next to him, grabbing his arm and beaming a big smile at him. However, she was so tired, she fell asleep almost immediately.

“Well...” Said Kaji, while passing an arm over Asuka’s shoulders, to keep her from falling. “I got wind that you promised the kids a day here, and wanted to check on you all. I also took the chance to bring a friend of yours.” He pointed at the yard next to the springs.

There, comfortably sitting next to a table, was Pen-Pen. Once he noticed the group, he put the magazine he was reading on the table, and waddled happily towards the group. He rubbed his head against Misato’s hand, and after greeting her, waddled towards Shinji, who repeated the greeting.

Kaji continued, “I think he’s a bit disappointed he didn’t have the chance to swim at the springs today. But we just arrived a few minutes after the staff closed them for the day. I asked the staff to get you some clothes to sleep in.”

Ristuko poured herself a cup of coffee, “Kaji, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”

Maya sat beside her, and accepted a menu from the waiter.

Author Notes

The idea for using old superhero names for the pilots came naturally to me, once I realized that Asuka does indeed call Rei “Wonder Girl”, so, a Shinji who knows about metahumans would also make the same connection (he did during the synch training). Besides, one of the Superwomen of Eva stories has Rei as the Wonder Girl, she would have been Wonder Woman if she had been a few years older. (Go check Superwomen of EVA 2; Amazing Amazon, by Mike313)

Having established that Shinji uses a mental avatar of Robin to analyse both Angels and possible courses of action, it was natural to use Robin as his nickname. Asuka will still call him Baka from time to time, but with much less frequency and venom than in canon.

The first Wonder Girl was a curious anomaly back in the Teen Titans original run. Turns out that for several years, in the Wonder Woman book, they had been publishing stories about Wonder Girl, but she wasn’t a separate character, she was Wonder Woman as a teen. However, when the Teen Titans book was being prepared, the people in charge thought that Wonder Girl was actually a sidekick, a separate character. So, eventually they had to create a character that already existed! They retconned her as the adoptive sister of Diana, rescued from a burning building by Wonder Woman, and raised as an Amazon.

Post-Crisis, Wonder Girl also caused more editorial headaches, as a new version of Wonder Woman debuted after the Crisis ended, but Wonder Girl had been active for years before that! And therefore, she couldn’t have been WW’s apprentice.

In brief, Wonder Girl has been a terribly problematic character since her debut! (Only Hawkman has a more tangled continuity)

Ah, interestingly, Wonder Girl debuted in animation years before Wonder Woman! In the Teen Titans episodes shown in Aquaman (alongside with Aqualad, Kid Flash and Speedy), while Wonder Woman, AFAIK, debuted in the Superfriends cartoon. (Speedy also shares this distinction, Green Arrow was featured in ONE Superfriends episode, and forgotten until his memorable stint in JLU. While Speedy had several guest starring episodes in the second Teen Titans animated version, and one in JLU).

Newstime was a magazine used in the Post-Crisis Superman titles as competition for the Daily Planet. The publisher, Colin Thornton was actually a devil in disguise; Lord Satannus. When Second Impact hit, well… let’s just say that he got suddenly very busy in some other place, and keeping the magazine dropped out of his list of priorities.

BTW, soon after the Death of Superman event, an actual issue of Newstime was published by DC as part of the event. I still have mine, somewhere. It was curious to read a magazine written in universe, dealing with the aftershock of Superman’s death in action. Maybe it was the inspiration for later publishing the Flash’s biography.

Back in the Pre-Crisis days, one of my favorite characters was the Huntress, Helena Wayne, daughter of the Earth-2 Batman and Catwoman (created by Paul Levitz and Joe Staton). She had a very interesting design, and developed into more than a Batman clone. Her friendship and partnership with the original version of Powergirl were nicely done in the Wonder Woman back-ups.

Post-Crisis, she was redefined, now Helena Bertinelli, she was the daughter of a mafia boss, and only survivor of her family. She took the mantle of the Huntress to get revenge, but eventually, she mellowed (a bit), and even joined the JLA for a little while.

This is the version Shinji shows Asuka. For the purposes of this fic, the Huntress died alongside the rest of the BatFamily, thwarting Ra’s al Ghul’s genocidal plans.

I’m leaving some things behind the scenes, more for reasons of pacing than any other. For example, it wouldn’t have been really interesting to see Shinji presenting the mugs to the crew. I think it is better to show the effects when appropriate.

I’m very aware that it might look like Asuka is swinging between two extremes, but that’s Asuka. She swings between extremes all the time. Living with Rei and being willing to explain things to her actually moderates Asuka’s behavior, and helps her to put things in a better perspective. In a way, Rei is Asuka’s conscience, but Asuka also has influence over Rei.

I thought it would be nice to check on our friends in SEELE, without that pesky Gendo messing things up. SEELE doesn’t need him to mess things up.

I know, I know, they are speaking Japanese, so the bird should be called by a Japanese name. Still, I stick to the idea that the top echelons of NERV speak several languages. So, they wouldn’t be averse to using words from other languages. Starting with German, of course. (And a quick check in Google translator shows that the Japanese word for robin is… robin!!)

I want to acknowledge I’m using a variant of the way Panther2G/Strygpia manages communications from the EVA’s cores (about the only difference is the underlining). His story Advice and Trust has been a major source of inspiration for me to start writing. Is you haven’t read A&T, go check it out right now!

As part of his circus act, Boston Brand used a latex mask that covered his whole head and part of his chest, to give him the look of a ghost and justify his “Deadman” stage-name. As that was what he wore when he was murdered, that was the look of his ghost. Years later, he realized he was still wearing the mask, even as a ghost! (Give the guy some slack, there was no way he could see himself in a mirror!)

Although he does not need the mask anymore, as there’s very few entities able to see him, he usually still wears it, probably as a link to his original life.

Now that I was thinking about it… It just isn’t possible for the plugsuit Asuka wears in this episode to be filled with air. If LCL’s density is similar to water (or even lower…) a suit inflated with air would have to float! As that was a little detail that was bugging me, I went for a different explanation. I hope it makes sense.

I don’t know if she even has a name, but there’s another bridge bunny in the temporary base at Mt. Asama, apparently, she works in Aoba’s station. She is seen several times, but always in the background, I don’t remember her having any lines. She was also present during the EVA-00 botched activation.

A recurrent image in the covers (and sometimes, the epilogues) of the Phantom Stranger’s book was his shadow; either looming over the characters, or projecting from them instead of their own shadows. Most of the time, that was the only indication the Stranger was around. And yes, the shadow had eyes. It made for a striking visual, and I wanted to use it in Evangelion.

But, unlike the characters in the covers, Shinji is very well aware of its presence!

One of my favorite parts of Evangelion: Rebuild (apart from Mari Illustrious Makinami), are the new Angels. So, once I decided to let Sandalphon hatch, I realized that the form it took inside the volcano just would’t work outside it. Plus, it was very obvious the thing changed shape just as it hatched! From a humanoid to something that would be very much at home in the Cambrian Age, and reminds me of the very strange creatures that lived then (Anomalocaris is my favorite fossil invertebrate, BTW, look for it, there are several videos in You tube that show its way to move).

Also, at the beginning of Evangelion 2.22, it’s very obvious that the freaky Angel was IN the NERV base when it decided to come out and play. Therefore, I guess that at some point, NERV actually did manage to capture an Angel; the best and only candidate from the original timeline was Sandalphon. So, I combined both.

I think this version lasted some more time than the original... How long did it take Mari to finish it?

I think a good musical match for this fight could be Two Steps From Hell’s “Hypnotica”.

This selection was inspired by the Tenth Angel’s battle in Advice and Trust (Ch. 16), by Panther2G; listening to “United We Stand, Divided We Fall”, also from TSFH, while reading the chapter is great! (check both!)

Chapter Text

Note , the parenthesis indicates languages other than Japanese, in this case, English, German and Interlac.

Hot Springs Resort
1 Day after Sandalphon
07:26 A.M.

“Another unfamiliar ceiling;” Shinji thought, awakening at his hotel room. Thankfully, this time he wasn’t injured. Just a bit tired from the long work from the previous day. It was the longest he had spent at the controls of Unit-01, even including the time he had to wait for rescue after the first sortie against the Seventh Angel. Sadly, he hadn’t had as much time as he would have wanted to talk to his mother. They had spent most of their time waiting for the moment the Eight Angel broke free of its cocoon.

He pushed the sheets aside, and went to the bathroom. After a warm shower, he put his new clothes on. The people of the resort had erred on the side of precaution, and the clothes were a size larger than his own, but as no one would be expected to do anything work related for the day, he wasn’t that uncomfortable. He just tightened the belt a bit more and he was ready.

A few minutes later, he arrived at the small restaurant. Misato was already there. Enjoying her first beer of the day. Unusually for her, she was nursing it. Noticing the question in Shinji’s face, she shrugged with a smile. “I’m still in official capacity for the rest of the day, technically at least, so...”

“Ah, I see.” Shinji smiled at her as he sat. She pushed a menu at him. “Pick whatever you want, NERV will pay for everything. And after a while, say, half an hour, go back to your room and put on your swimming suit! The pool is ours for the whole day!”

“But I didn’t...”

Misato wagged her finger at him. “Ah, ah, ah! Don’ worry about that, Kaji arranged for everything yesterday! I got a pretty one-piece suit in my suite! I thought he would have sent me a tiny bikini, but nope, one piece. I bet the others got suits too.”

Shinji nodded, and checked the menu.

A few minutes later, Lt. Yamaguchi arrived. Her brown hair in complete disarray. “Sorry, my hair is quite rebellious.” She tried to smooth it with her hands, but it sprung back immediately. “I need lots of gel or hairspray to tame it.”

Misato smiled at her. “Pfft! Don’t worry, we’re on vacation for today! Just tie it up or something.”

Once their food arrived, Asuka entered the place, she looked perfect! She sat next to Shinji, enjoying his surprised face. “What? Do I have monkeys on my face?” she asked gruffly.

“N-no. It’s just that... you...” Shinji gulped. “You look amazing!”

“A girl must try her best.” She shot a look at Tomoyo, and the tech blushed uncomfortably. Once she had made her point, Asuka changed subject immediately. “So, Misato. Do I get my full kill mark for capturing the Angel?”

“Sure, and Shinji here insisted on adding a half kill mark. You two worked together to kill the Angel.”

The young pilot beamed at her. “Congratulations, Asuka! You have the official record for most Angel kill-marks in a single mission!”

Asuka stared at him, and a cute smile spread on her lips. “Yeah. Yes! Suck on that, Boy Wonder!” She said, poking at his chest with a finger.

‘(Damn! Every time he says something like that it makes more difficult to expose him as the pervert he is!)’ she thought, full of pride on her performance the previous day.

A Possible XXVIth Century
Ruins of NERV-2 (Nevada)
Evangelion Unit-04 Cage

Mari came back after almost half an hour, at the wheel of a cargo platform. The machine was loaded with several boxes and bottles, although most of the platform was still bare. She waved at Kamandi and Dr. Canus from the small cabin. “(Hey, guys! Look what I found! We have enough for a little feast!)” She patted the closest box.

The vehicle held Dr. Canus’ absolute attention. Kamandi, on the other hand, was more interested in the food. “(Well done! Do you know where we can lit a fire?)” He smiled at her just as Mari was taking breath. He continued, smoothly “(Or any stove or miniwave oven would be fine.)”

Mari’s laugh was quite musical. “(Ah, you naughty boy! You got me there for a minute! And it’s ‘microwave oven’, not ‘miniwave’.)” She jumped down from the cabin, and clapped twice. “(Feeling better, Doc?)”

Still tied up, Canus nodded gravelly. “(The impulse seems to have passed completely.)”

“(Well, if you feel up to it, we can untie you…)”

“(I think it could be prudent not to, for at least a little while.)” Canus shuddered at the thought of going berserk again.

“(Okay, Doc, you’re the Doc. Yo, Blondie! Let’s help the Doc to get on the platform, I know where the kitchen is!)”

Once in the kitchen, Mari and Kamandi unloaded the platform, and untied Canus. The humanoid dog rubbed his wrists and ankles, encouraging his blood to resume circulation. “(What is this place? I’ve never seen a better conserved ruin from before the Great Disaster.)”

“(Okay, boys; welcome to NERV-2, in the Nevada Desert. It used to be a very hush-hush place. But as it seems there’s nobody else around, I don’t think you are gonna get in trouble.)”

Kamandi busied himself preparing the food. His years of wandering had taught him how to cook a passable meal, using the most diverse ingredients. He was also used to canned food. After all, he had spent his whole childhood living in a military bunker with his gramps; and that was all they had, right up to their last days together. A shadow crossed his face for a moment. His gramps had died trying to protect him. He shook his head, getting back to the moment.

Preparing a meal with canned food was very familiar. Actually, eating fresh food had been almost a shock for him those first days out of the bunker he had grown up into.

He brought the pot of soup to the table, and poured some in the bowls Mari had brought from a drawer.

“(How come this place is so well preserved?)” asked Canus, between mouthfuls, “(Even with the dry air of the desert, it should be in a worse state.)”

“(I don’t really know, Doc.)” Mari shrugged, “(I was quite happy working at NERV-2. I was the chosen pilot for Unit-04, the big silver doll I was in; the last thing I remember clearly was that we were starting a test of the S2 Organ, there were a lot of weird lights, the evacuation alarm went off, everybody started to run away, everything went white for a second, lots of strange colors, and poof! I wake up in the plug! There wasn’t anybody near.)”

She stirred the soup with her spoon. “(And I don’t even know when that was, I fell asleep right after that, and awoke occasionally for a few seconds at a time. I don’t know how long that was, but I think it must have been quite a while, things were coming apart around me.)”

Kamandi bit a piece of bread. “(Weird lights and strange colors? Like running through a rainbow of colors no rainbow has?)”

Mari nodded. “(What I saw was more like a storm of broken pieces of colored glass, how do you know that?)”

Kamandi stirred his own soup before answering. He knew Dr. Canus knew what he was talking about. “(I’ve seen that before. Time travel. I saw those lights when I came back from Captain Bat’s time.)”

“(Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Time travel? I’m not in some kind of nightmare?)” Mari waived her hands wildly.

It was Canus’ turn to add to her confusion. “(This world is quite real, I fear. Kamandi and I have been traveling around for a long time, we have seen many strange things, the silver statue you call Unit-04 is one of the strangest.)”

Kamandi added, “(You must have been sleeping for a while. We found the mummified corpse of a man when we came in. It was completely dry, almost no meat at all. And it hadn’t been disturbed.)”

“(Oh, boy… So, what happened? This is straight out of the Twilight Zone! Any moment now Rod Serling is gonna come out for his monologue.)”

“(The what?)” Both Kamandi and Canus asked at the same time.

“(Never heard of it? I need to remedy that! But later. Right now, I need you to tell me how things have been going since I got in Unit-04.)”

“(It’s gonna take a while.)” Answered Kamandi.

“(I got All the Time in the World.)” Mari adjusted her eyeglasses. “(And I don’t really need to wear glasses.)” for emphasis, she tapped on the crystals with a fingernail.

Cadmus Project
June the 12th, 2001

“(Dr. Roquette? We received new orders.)” Dubbilex handed her a folder. The gray-skinned DNAlien smiled a bit at her. “(I think it might be just what you need.)”

The young platinum-blond scientist took the papers and adjusted her red rimmed glasses. Her taste in clothes was certainly eclectic, looking like she had stepped out from a 1950’s movie at times, with a preference for animal prints on her clothes, though in colors never found in nature.

Life had been certainly less interesting since Superboy disappeared, almost a year before; although things had been hectic ever since Second Impact hit. She missed the young hero very much. For a while, she even had entertained romantic notions about him. But he had chosen somebody, someone much better suited for his life. Sadly, he had disappeared right in the middle of their first dinner date. July the 16th…

A date rapidly closing by.

‘(Hard to believe it’s been almost a year,)’ she thought, dejectedly. She opened the folder, and examined the first document. “(Thanks, Dubbilex. Let’s see what the guys in charge want this time.)”

She passed a few pages. Dubbilex was right! “(Yes! I always wanted to do something like this!)”

“(I’m glad you like it, Dr. Roquette. However, I won’t be able to go with you. I must stay in the deep levels of Cadmus. I’ve been reassigned to the care and maintenance of the other DNAliens.)”

“(What? Have you spoken to Mikey?)”

“(Indeed I have. He and Col. Winterbourne spoke in my favor with the Washington people. They argued long and hard. In fact, I probably owe them my life, the government people were in favor of…)” He shrugged. “(Anyway, my life expectancy is not that long, so I’m somewhat content.)”

“(Idiots…)” The venom in her voice was very much in evidence.

“(I’m very aware my looks can be intimidating.)” he tapped lightly at the short, curved horns that protruded from his forehead. “(I’m grateful I have lived among such open-minded people as you, and the rest of the people here at Cadmus.)” Carefully, he shook her hand, his long and thin fingers almost encircled her hand. “(I wish you the best of luck in your new role as head of Project Noah.)”

“(Noah? Who thought of that?)” She smirked.

“(I think it was Administrator Rodriguez. He has a way with words, doesn’t he?)”

“(Yes, he does. He earned his nickname a long time ago. Funny he chose such a short word for this new project.)” Dr. Roquette put her hands on Dubbilex’s shoulders. Several years working with the clone had shown her he was a very accepting person. Not a thing, not a monster. Just a person.

After a moment, she hugged him, surprising both of them. “(I’m going to miss you, Dubbilex. I’ll try to visit you often.)”

“(…)” for once, words failed him. “(I’d like that very much, Dr. Roquette. Thank you.)”

Without them realizing it, they were observed from a tiny micro-camera, held by an equally tiny G-Nome. Many levels down, in the hidden entrails of Project Cadmus, a dishevelled madman watched intently. He was the original Dabney Coleman, the crazy genetist that had been responsible for the creation of many and varied creatures, known as DNAliens, ranging from the benevolent Dubbilex, to monsters like Symian and Mokkari, creators and operators of the Evil Factory. Donovan rubbed his unshaven chin, thinking.

“(Now, that’s interesting, Project Noah! Sounds like somebody wants to play in a bigger sandbox!)” He pushed a switch in a makeshift console. “(Stay there, my pretty! I want to know everything there’s to know about this Project Noah!)” His demented smile almost dislodged the goggles that always covered his eyes.

The G-Nome didn’t answer, just nodded and prepared itself for a long stay.

September the 22st, 2002,
Gotham City, Wayne Manor
Guests Room (Blue)

Alfred Pennyworth adjusted the pillows, trying to make Thalia as comfortable as possible. The old woman was but a shadow of her former self.

“(Miss Thalia? Do you need anything?)”

“(Just what I asked for, Alfred. Thank you.)”

“(Master Richard and Mistress Barbara will be along soon. I can keep you company while they arrive, if you want.)”

“(Yes, please, Alfred.)” The old woman shifted a little on the enormous bed. Next to it, a cradle rocked softly, pushed by the butler’s hand.

“(It really makes my heart good to see Master Bruce in this little one.)”, the old servant stood straight, he seemed almost ten years younger.

Thalia smiled. “(I know he will be in good hands once I’m gone. You did well for my beloved. He spoke fondly of you, in his own way.)”

Before Alfred could answer, the door opened, and Richard Grayson entered, accompanied by an older woman. “(Thalia, this is Dr. Thompkins. She will check you and Ibn. Maybe there’s a way to…)”

“(I appreciate the thought, Richard, but my time has passed. And I’d like to meet my beloved in the other side, should I be allowed to find him.)”

Richard nodded.

Hot Springs Resort
1 Day after the Sandalphon
12:35 P.M.

“(You are doing quite well, Boy Wonder.)” Asuka nodded sagely at Shinji. The young pilot was kicking water, his hands held firmly by the German-American girl’s hands. While the redhead walked backwards around the shallow end of the pool, Shinji held his head barely above the water level, while trying to coordinate his breathing as Asuka had instructed.

Meanwhile, around them, a very happy Pen-Pen swam to his heart’s content. Sometimes gliding on the surface like a duck, and sometimes diving below the surface, like he was hunting for his food. He knew it was just make-believe, but he was enjoying it immensely. It was the first time he had had the chance, and he would do it for as long as possible.

In the edge of the long pool, Misato Katsuragi and Ritsuko Akagi talked, reminiscing about their school years together. Ritsuko laughed at some of Misato’s antics back then. ‘Gods, I’ve missed this!’ she thought. There was a simple warmth in sharing memories.

While they sunbathed, Kaji arrived, holding a tray containing several bowls of snacks, and cans of beer and soda. “Hello, pretty ladies. I thought you’d want something to eat.” He put the tray on a table, easily reached by both women. Misato took a can of Yebisu and downed it in a few gulps. “Ah, yessss! This is life!” she yelled, startling Asuka, who released Shinji’s hands. The young pilot sank immediately, but kept his head and stood on the bottom, coughing a few drops of water out of his throat as his head surfaced.

“(Oh, damn!)” Asuka muttered. “(You okay, Boy Wonder?)”

Shinji nodded, waving a hand. “(Sure, no problem.)”

“(Let’s take five, okay? Hold to the edge and practice if you want.)”

“(Uh... sure...)”

Asuka swam back to the other side of the pool, with all the grace of a mermaid. Once she arrived at the other side of the pool, she grabbed the edge. “Kaji!” she yelled, waving at her crush. “The water is great! Come and swim with me for a while!”

“Sorry, Asuka. I just ate.” He smiled at her, and took a chocolate cookie from the bowl. “And I want to talk to Misato and Ritsuko for a while. We need to catch up, and we haven’t had the chance back in Tokyo-3.” Dr. Akagi pushed her glasses up her nose, but didn’t say a word.

“Oh, well...” Asuka pouted, “Your loss.” And she returned to Shinji’s side.

Right then, Makoto and Tomoyo entered the pool area. Both wore the swimming suits Kaji had procured for the group. Simple trunks for the men, all were green with red stripes at the sides; while the women’s were one pieces, green at the front, blue at the back. Asuka had protested loudly about his choice, as she would have preferred her red and white striped bikini, left behond at Tokyo-3. Misato was actually relieved, as the one-piece covered the ragged scar she had below her breasts, a souvenir from Second Impact and a painful reminder of her strained relationship with her father, even a decade and a half after his death in Antarctic.

Makoto and Tomoyo sat next to a lounge table, and while Makoto gazed dreamily at Misato, Tomoyo looked at him in exactly the same manner.

Kyoto General Hospital
June the 6th, 2001

“Congratulations! It’s a very healthy boy.” The nurse put a tiny bundle in her hands. Carefully, Yui Ikari unwrapped an end. She uncovered a delicate head, with a few strands of brown hair. The baby was sleeping, tired from the long hours of the delivery.

Yui herself was also very tired, but found the strength to hold the baby close to her heart. As she rose her eyes, looking for her husband, she glimpsed a strange figure, looking at her from the other side of the window. She gasped. It was a face she had seen several times. A tall man of western ascent. A man whose eyes were always in shadow, wearing a blue fedora and a long blue cloak over his black suit.

Before she could do or say anything, the door opened, and Gendo ikari entered the room. There was no way he could have missed the gaijin as he entered. The man had been standing right at the door!

She rubbed her eyes. ‘I’m seeing things... It must be the anaesthetic...’ She shook her head to clear her mind, and smiled at her husband.

“Say hello to Daddy, my love.” Carefully, she moved the baby’s tiny hand, waving at her husband. She missed the jealous scowl that darkened Gendo Ikari’s eyes for a moment.

She also missed the face that appeared at the other window as the swinging doors closed, it belonged to a teen of around fourteen years, who looked at her with pain filled eyes.

A Possible XXXIst Century
Frontier of the Almeracian Empire
Legionnaires Diplomatic Mission
1 Day After Diplomatic Contact

“(Okay, I think our course is clear. We recover the mechanoid and drag it back to United Planets territory, all expenses will be covered by the UP. Is that acceptable, Ambassador Max-El?)”, Brainiac-5 tapped a few commands on his Omni-Comm unit still looking at the Almeracian envoy.

Almeracian Ambassador Lana Max-El uncrossed her arms, and put her palms on the table. “(On that point, yes. We demand a complete report on the research, and for the presence of an observer from both the Almeracian Empire and a neutral party. I suggest a Tamaranian. They have kept peace in the Vega System for centuries.)”

Brande nodded somberly. The reappearance of Unit-01 was a big shock to him. ‘I wonder why it is here, so far from Earth.’ He shuddered. The last time he had seen the purple cyborg had been...

“(However,)” Lana Max-El continued, interrupting Brande’s introspection, “(Lord Kon-El must present himself at the ThroneWorld immediately. I’m afraid that point is not subject to negotiation.)”

Triad nodded. “(I think that is a decision he must agree to, we can’t take it for him.)”

A flash of anger crossed Max-El’s eyes, but she recovered control immediately. “(I... understand.)” She shook her head imperiously, and her long red hair came to rest over her right shoulder. “(I need to contact the Royal House and notify them that the Lost Prince has been found. These news will bring great prestige to my branch of the family.)”

Gates clicked his beak in disapproval, but at a reproaching look from Sensor (accompanied by a telepathic nudge), he held his tongue. Sensor spoke through her telepathic link. “(In the name of the Orando Royal Family, I offer to help in instructing Lord El in basic royal etiquette.)”

Lana nodded, “(Your generous offer is noted, and I will ask for agreement in my message to the Royal House.)”

Sensor bowed respectfully. “(As it must be done, so it will.)”

The door to the conference room opened, and a half-asleep Superboy entered the room scratching his chest. “(Sorry, I overslept. What did I miss?)” He plopped down in a chair.

“(Not much, my boy.)” Brande smiled behind his white moustache. “(We just had reached a rough agreement about the robot. We will work the details later, but we have a solid groundwork for anything else. The rest of the discussion concerns you, and we were waiting for your input.)”

“(Just let me wake up, okay? Is there any coffee?)” Right then, he noticed Lana Max-El had dropped to one knee next to him. “(Oh, so I didn’t dream that? I’m really a prince?)” Except for Sensor, Gates, Brainiac-5, and Max-El, everybody else chuckled.

“(Yes, it is true, My Lord.)” The redheaded ambassador insisted. “(You must present yourself before Her Royal Imperatrix, Queen Lois Max-El III, long may she reign; as soon as possible, to reclaim your place in the Royal House.)”

Ultra Boy slapped Superboy’s back. “(Don’t forget your friends, Conner! Tinya and I would like to be at your party!)” He winked back at his wife and laughed openly while Tinya facepalmed discreetly. ‘(One of these days Jo will start a war or something...)’ she thought, ‘(And I will be still at his side.)’

“(Ah... sure, Jo; I guess everybody is invited. Uh... Your Ambassadorness... Could you... um... stand up? There’s no need for you to kneel before me.)”

“(You grant me great honor, My Lord.)” and she rose. Superboy didn’t notice it, but her cheeks had a slight blush.

Gotham City
Iceberg Lounge
May the 25th, 2001

Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot was a man with multiple talents. Not all of them were obvious. For starters, his ability to modify humble umbrellas into multipurpose tools. Hidden knifes, guns, gas pumps, flamethrowers, grappling hooks. Even mini-copters! And usually two or three gimmicks per umbrella!

Next, his charisma, he was one of the select criminals who enjoyed a very low rate of betrayals. His henchmen usually were very loyal, thanks to a mix of discipline and paternalism. They knew he was not to be trifled at, and also that the boss would help them when needed. The Penguin rarely left a man behind for long. Sure, maybe a couple of months in prison, sometimes years, but he took care of their families, and ensured the men in jail would be well treated.

Also, his tactical mind. It had allowed him to rise in the ranks of the criminal who infested Gotham City. His capers and robberies were always impeccably planned and executed. The only real impediment in his path was the sharp mind of the Batman, and despite the inconvenience, with the years he had come to enjoy the contest of minds. However, he was tired and sick of the jail, so he had turned his sharp mind into a different direction. He was a crook, true, but he was a clean crook. Once he had decided to, he became a... legitimate bussiness man, meaning a crook with good PR. His public dealings were always scrupulously clean, untouchable by the law. Under the table, although he had retired from active larceny, he used the Iceberg Lounge as a cover for a whole catalogue of crimes and misdemeanours. He was a contact man for most of the criminal underworld of Gotham City.

However, at this time, he needed to use one of his understated talents.

Contacts.

Contacts in unexpected places.

Established thanks to the most diverse circumstances.

Only a few people knew of his short stint with Task Force X, best known (to the few who even knew of their existence), as the Suicide Squad.

Since then, he had carefully cultivated several of those contacts, not only with the flamboyant criminals who made up the bulk of the team, but also with the Squad’s support net, and through them, several high-ranking individuals who held the keys to unexpected doors.

It was this capacity to establish and grow contacts that made him smile a little in this black day.

He had finally tracked down a rumour.

So, he opened his Little Blackmail Book, and looked for an unlisted number. He dialled it, and patiently, waited for an answer.

“(Hello, Senator. Yes, it’s me, don’t say my name.)”

A few moments later, his smile widened.

“(Yes. It is time for me to collect on that favor. Don’t sweat it, my dear Senator. It will be merely a feather in the wind for somebody of your calibre, I am sure.)”

“(No, it won’t endanger you or your family. Waugh! I think it will actually be a feather in your cap. You get to kill three birds with a stone, if you will. You pay me the favor you owe me, you look good to the press, and those pesky environmentalists might let you breathe a little better.)” he laughed.

“(Ever heard of... Project Cadmus?)”

“(Yes! The very same! Glad to see we understand each other, Senator.)”

“(A little bird told me that are diversifying their output, a new project, this one called Noah. I want to put a few cuckoo eggs in that new nest they are building. If you ensure it gets done, I’ll call it even; and you will not hear a single chirp from me ever again.)”

“(Good, good! Here’s what I want you to do.)”

Senator Westbrook hung up the phone, both relieved and worried. It was too simple a thing to add another species to the list. He shrugged, he saw no damage on it; and if it got Cobblepot off his back, he would call it a good day.

March the 24th, 2009
Quintessence Plane

The old wizard’s shoulders sagged. His eyes had lost the spark that normally lurked there. “(...What can I do for you, old friend?)”, he said.

The Phantom Stranger held his gaze respectfully. “(I have need of your wisdom, Shazam. Second Impact. It was deliberate, and unless we act, it will be followed by a Third Impact, erasing all that Mankind ever was, is, and will be.)”

The old wizards sighed, helpless. “(I wish I could help you more. My champion would jump at the chance... but...)”

“(He did what he felt was needed. He saved the children.)”

“(Yes. He did.)” The pride in Shazam’s voice was very clear. He had always had a soft spot in his heart for children. “(He did.)” He repeated, letting the sadness he felt tinge his pride.

“(I could transfer his power to a new champion, but doing so would kill him.)” He shrugged, sadly, “(There is still hope he will awaken. I will not abandon him in his hour of need. I have a friend keeping vigil over him.)”

“(Lord Daniel keeps his soul in his realm. Neither you nor I can enter there without grave risks.)” The Stranger waved a hand and the image of the Earth appeared in the black void. “(At the moment, we can only hope.)”

Shazam sighed again, “(Yes... hope.)” he straightened. “(Tell me, what can I do?)”

The Phantom Stranger waved his hand again, and images of scrolls appeared between them. “(These are known as the Dead Sea Scrolls. However, they predate human civilization, at the very least, maybe even life on Earth. So far, my enquiries with the rest of the Quintessence so far have given no fruit. Maybe you can tell me something.)”

The wizard looked at them, carefully examining every line. “(Hmm... No. I don’t recognize the language.)”, he waved his fingers in complex patterns. “(They don’t feel like any magic I’ve ever... encountered...)”

He furrowed his brow. “(There’s something strange about these... There’s power in the words, but no magic as I know it. Strange, very strange; they have the taste of technology. Who else have you asked?)”

“(So far, Lord Zeus, Ganthet, and you, my friend. Each one is trying to find something about these writings, but none have so far.)”

Shazam looked at him. “(Then... I think it is time you contact Highfather. His people might be even older than Ganthet’s.)”

“(It will be difficult. Once we isolated Earth after Second Impact, Apokolips launched a new war upon New Genesis.)”

“(Still. He might be your better chance, unless I or the others can discover something.)”

The Stranger nodded once, and both mystical beings disappeared from the plane, leaving behind an image of the Earth, floating serenely in the black space.

Hot Springs Resort
1 Day after Sandalphon
12:50 P.M.
Spiritual Plane

“(Feeling better, pal?)” Deadman asked, while walking around in the pool. Playfully, he dodged the splashes of water thrown by Shinji, Asuka, Misato and Kaji, as they played with a beach ball.

The Phantom Stranger rested on one of the lounge chairs, he was obviously tired to the bones. “(Yes. I’ll need some time to recover fully. But I could act now if necessary.)”

“(Good. You had me worried for a while back there. I had never seen you so beat.)” He cleared his throat theatrically. “(You know? Something weird happened in the Evangelion core, and frankly, it’ been haunting me since then. Me! A freaking ghost! Haunted! Can you believe it?)”

The Stranger nodded. “(Tell me everything in detail. Yesterday my focus was lacking.)”

“(Weeell... I was in EVA-02’s plug with Asuka, everything was going well, but then she was knocked out. I hijacked her body and tried to pilot the thing. At first it was responding, but the synch went down like a lead shoe. Dr. Soryu, both of her, rejected me in the gestation or whatever you call it when you join minds.)”

“(Gestalt.)” The Stranger provided. “(In this context, it is the connection of two souls to move the Evangelion.)”

Deadman smirked, remembering an old TV show. “(Those Germans have words for everything... Ok, the Gestalt. Dr. Soryu, rejected me. So I dove into the EVA’s core to see what could I do. Her two halves were fighting each other. The creepy part is that one looks like she was when her soul got split, plugsuit and all; the other looks like she was when she died, I guess.)” He scratched his nose. “(Not a pretty sight, pal. Not at all.)”

The Stranger nodded. “(Unless her soul is reintegrated, that is to be expected.)”

Deadman sat Indian style over a spare beach ball. “(Yeah, I know, but the thing is, one wants Asuka to live,)” he extended his right hand, palm up, “(the other wants her to die.)” He extended his left hand in the same way, “(And neither likes this little red ghost very much.)”

“(I see.)” The Stranger tented his fingers in front of his face, thinking.

“(Please, don’t do that. I’m sick and tired of seeing Commander Bad Father doing it)”

“(As you wish.)” The Stranger extended his index fingers, pointing up, tapping his chin with the points.

“(Better. Back to the report... Ahem. I tried to talk them into helping me help Asuka. The one in the plugsuit was kinda open to the idea, but the other wasn’t. I... I kinda tried to hijack Crazy Kyoko.)” Deadman shut up, gathering his thoughts. “(I hijacked a bodyless soul inside the core of an EVA.)” He stabbed his right index on his left palm, punctuating his words; all the while feeling the eyes of the Stranger on him, waiting.

“(I saw her hands and body, she was wearing my suit, instead of the hospital gown she wore when I got in the core. Is that what happens every time I hijack somebody?)”

The Stranger took a moment to answer, with a simple “(Yes.)” Deadman shook his head, looking at him.

The Stranger continued. “(Every time you possess a body, your soul mixes with the host’s, putting them to... sleep for a while, if you want to see it that way. Until now, you hadn’t had the chance to see the effect on a soul. As you were occupying their bodies, their souls were hidden to you, you could only see their bodies. I think, the power Rama Kushna granted you protects your soul from... absorbing some of your host’s personality, and them from absorbing part of yours.)”

Deadman looked worriedly at his hands. “(I have fought ghosts, but this never happened before.)” He closed his fists, had he been solid enough, he might have punched something in frustration.

“(Such ghosts were unusually strong-willed, and you fought them in the spiritual plane. The core of an Evangelion is a different environment.)”

Deadman’s shoulders sagged while he thought about the news. “(I have the feeling there’s something you aren’t telling me.)”

“(It will be disturbing to hear.)” Was the soft answer.

“(Of course it will. Why would things get any easier?)” theatrically, he pinched the bridge of his nose, “(I want to know more, but...)” He turned towards the people in the pool, looking at them with longing in his eyes. “(Let’s leave that for later, I don’t think I can handle any more surprises today.)”

The Stranger nodded solemly.

October the 17th , Year 2002
Over the Indian Sea
11:23 P.M.

Adam Strange, archaeologist turned into interplanetary adventurer, held onto his rocket pack, while traveling along a Zeta-beam. Years before, a scientist from another planet had tried to stablish communication with Earth, by means of an exotic form of energy, the Zeta-Beam. For a long time, he had sent the beams at Earth, aiming towards very diverse regions, mountains, deserts, jungles, seas, but to no avail. However, the beams had an unexpected property. Adam found it by accident, as he was fleeing from a hostile tribe in Peru. He was hit by the energy, and transported to another planet: Rann. There he found another civilization, highly advanced, but in constant danger. Once the initial shock had passed, he found himself practically adopted by Sardath, the scientist, and his daughter, Alanna. Learning their language was incredibly easy, they just used a weird machine, and presto! He was fluent in both Ranneii, the local planetary language; and Interlac, a space lingua franca.

However, the effect of the Zeta-Beams was too short, he could stay on Rann a couple of days, at most, before the effect passed, and he was transported back to Earth. Sardath kept a log of every Zeta-Beam he had shot, and Adam had memorized the coordinates and times each successive Zeta-Beam would hit the Earth. For years, he had been shot back and forth from Earth to Rann and viceversa.

Adam hated the return trip from Rann. True, he always ended up mixed in some plot to conquer Rann, or fighting some weird creature (or both things at once); but that was just his lot, and if he was sincere with himself, it was mostly fun. Of course, he would love to just enjoy a couple of days with Alanna. But if that the price he had to pay to be with his beautiful girlfriend, now wife, so be it. He smiled at the memory of her perfect face, and that dazzling smile that had stolen his heart since the first time he lay eyes on her.

Alanna was smart, wilful, energetic, fun, beautiful, knowledgeable, bubbly sometimes. But above all, she was determined to save her planet from each and every catastrophe, monster or invader that could come.

Now, if everything went well back on Earth, he would pick up a nice and big ring and a set of bracelets for their wedding anniversary. A couple of years before, Sardath, his father-in-law, had taken an afternoon free, to school Adam on Rannian traditions; and to their mutual amusement, found out that both cultures had a similar tradition about anniversary gifts. However, Rannian tradition was very precise, for this anniversary, he should present simple bands of electrum (an alloy of gold and silver, symbolizing the couple), accompanied by a bracelet for each spouse.

Adam had a nice stash of exotic jewels he had collected in Rann, and could afford to sell them for a good amount of money. Nothing too exotic for Earth, of course; he had limited his choice to gems that existed on Earth. Trying to sell a farith gem would be too difficult and create too many questions; no earthly gem shone with purple light under the sun, for example.

Adam was actually enjoying this last leg of the trip, thinking on his return trip in a couple of weeks. After Second Impact, he had been more visible among the superhero community of Earth, lending a hand wherever he could, but his priority was on Rann. The first five months after Second Impact had been the worst. The Impact Wars had claimed the lifes of many friends, and even enemies. Almost since the beginning, he had been part of a team to address the most urgent problems, including the shifts in weather. It had been an honor to work with minds like Dr. Jenet Klyburn (from S.T.A.R. Labs in Metropolis), Dr. Emil Hamilton (Superman’s unofficial scientific advisor), Victor Stone (AKA Cyborg), Doc Magnus (AKA Veridium, until the disappearance of the Metal Men),Tina McGee (from Mercury Labs), Michael Holt (AKA Mr. Terrific), and even a couple of reformed villains.

He shook his head, things had mostly quieted down, and mankind was already on the way back to normal, despite the changes. It was time to think a bit on himself and Alanna.

Somehow, the Zeta-Beam allowed him to see ahead, and he was already starting to see the main features of the coasts of the Indian Sea.

But there was something weird... Earth was surrounded by a greenish glow... Instinctively, he tried to stop. It was useless, a Zeta-Beam would only stop when it hit a solid object. The Earth was closer by the moment, until he could see lights on the coast, tinged in green. He had no way to calculate how long until he hit the green glow.

Suddenly, he felt like he was being turned upside down and inside out.

Everything went black, and he knew no more.

April the 5th, 2003
Somewhere in the Suburbs Near New York
Scott and Barda Free’s House

“(I want you to be a strong girl, you understand, M’raia?)” Big Barda hugged her daughter, she wasn’t able to actually cry as she wanted to do, a lifetime of conditioning at Granny Goodness’ Orphanage had made impossible for her to shed tears, but her voice conveyed her sadness.

The little six years old girl nodded; her own tears flowed freely. Barda was very proud of her daughter’s ability to show her emotions. Although the little one tried to be as stoic as her mother, she had more than a little of her father, Scott Free, in her spirit.

“(But... why can’t you stay, Mommy?)” She hugged Barda with fierce strength.

After almost a minute, Barda separated herself from the hug; holding her daughter’s shoulders, and looked deeply into M’raia’s eyes. “(We must go, to protect you. The bad god, Darkseid, must be stopped.)”

M’raia nodded, sadly. “(Can I go with you?)”

Barda shook her head, closing her eyes for a moment. “(No, my sweetie. It will be too dangerous for you. Daddy and I need you to grow up strong and skilled. Shiloh and Oberon will train you while we are away. I want you to train hard, to learn all you can, and to be ready when we come back.)”

M’raia nodded, her big blue eyes full of determination.

Meanwhile, Scott Free pulled his mask tight over his head, the fabric clung instantly to his skin, forming a skin-tight layer to protect him from most substances that could harm him. He put his cloak on, and hugged his oldest living friend on Earth, Oberon. “(Take care of my daughter, old friend.)”

The dwarf sobbed sadly. “(I will, Scott. Take care of yourself and Barda, kid.)” He blew his nose on a handkerchief. “(You know, Thaddeus would have been proud to see you now.)”

“(I owe him more than I could say, Oberon. And to you. Back when we met, I had no idea of what to do, what to be.)” he pulled his Mother Box from the hidden pouch on his left sleeve. She pinged rapidly for a few seconds.

A tall, lanky Afro-American man, Shiloh Norman, peeked into the room, pointing his thumb over his shoulder. “(Scott, the kids are ready. Time to go.)” he tapped the door frame twice, and went back to the garage.

In the otherwise empty garage, the Forever People made the last adjustments to their Super-Cycle.

While Mark Moonrider and Vykin the Black finished with the adjustments under the curious eyes of Shiloh Norman, Big Bear went to the kitchen. The red maned New God’s tall and wide body could barely pass through the door frame. He pulled out an economy sized box of cookies from the pantry. “(For the road.)” He explained with a smile. “(New Genesis has many wonders, to make the heart sing and the soul soar; but these, these you can only get on Earth!)”

Serifan pulled a cosmic cartridge from the band on his cowboy hat, and put it in Shiloh’s hand. “(Guard her well, friend Shiloh. She will be useful one day.)”

Shiloh nodded, solemly. “(What does it do?)”

Serifan smiled with a shrug, “(I really don’t know, but she insisted. Give her to M’raia, she says they belong together. The cartridge will tell you both when M’raia’s ready. Beyond that, I really don’t know)”

Shiloh put the cosmic cartridge in his own sleeve, next to his Mother Box. She pinged happily for a couple of seconds, and the cartridge pinged back. It seemed like they had a lot to talk about.

Beautiful Dreamer poked her head through the door. Her long black hair flowed like a cascade behind her. “(We’re ready, Scott. Once we leave, Earth will be sealed and protected. No other Boom-Tubes will open in Sol System.)”

Scott knelt next to his daughter, and pulled the girl in a long hug. The girl hugged him back fiercely, both crying. “(We will be back, M’raia. We will come back.)”

“(I know, Daddy.)” She wiped her tears.

“(Shiloh and Oberon will be with you. Don’t get into much trouble. But don’t run from it if you can handle it.)”

The goodbyes took a few minutes more, Shiloh was the last to say goodbye to his mentor. He clasped Scott’s hand and slapped his shoulder with long earned familiarity “(Kick Darkseid’s ass for me; okay, Scott?)”

“(We will try. There’s a long line for that, you know. Starting with Orion, and you know how he deals with those who try to skip the line!)”

Once the Forever People sat on their places on the Super-Cycle, the sentient machine opened a Boom Tube to New Genesis. Shiloh, Oberon, and M’raia looked into the impossible opening into another dimension, glimpsing the beautiful floating city at the other side. Supertown. The adult New Gods waved goodbye as they moved along the energy tube. The Forever People in the Super-Cycle, Scott on his aero-disks, and Barda being dragged by her Mega-Rod.

In a few seconds, they were gone, the smell of ozone in the air was the only hint of their departure.

Hot Springs Resort
1 Day after the Eight Angel
Sunset.

Shinji sat in the hot spring pool, on the men’s side, relaxing after a long day of fun and games. ‘I guess we earned it... This is nice.’

Ryoji Kaji sat a few meters away, also relaxing. He was reading a manga, occasionally chuckling his amusement at something in the story.

Lt. Hyuga had excused himself a few minutes before, and gone back to his room.

Pen-Pen swam lazily around them. The warm water penguin had enjoyed the day as much, and even more, than his human companions.

From the Ladies’s side, Misato’s voice jarred Shinji out of his hard-earned peace of mind. “Shinji? Can you hear me?”

Immediately, Shinji shook his head, dropping the wet towel he had on his forehead. “Y-yes, Misato!”

“Would you throw me the body shampoo, please?”

Then Asuka added, “We ran out of ours.”

A very unladylike snort followed that bit. Shinji guessed it was either Lt. Yamaguchi or Dr. Akagi. Mentally, he shrugged and went for the bottle of shampoo. “Yeah, sure, here it goes.” He threw the plastic bottle over the bamboo divider, missing Kaji’s raised eyebrow.

A second later, Asuka yelped. “Ouch! You idiot! Look where you’re throwing.”

“Um... sorry... It was an accident.” Shinji’s inner Robin was trying to get his attention over something, but the young pilot was distracted by Kaji’s “Psst!”

Shinji turned around, to see Kaji holding a finger over his mouth, asking for silence, and then tapping his hear and pointing to the other side of the pool.

“He hit me in my most essential part.” Asuka whined.

Misato answered. “Let me take a look.”

Asuka giggled, while Misato’s voice commented. “Wow, Asuka! Your skin is so soft and smooth!”

The redhead giggled some more. “No! You’re tickling me!”

Shinji blushed by reflex. A new ‘Psst!’ from Kaji distracted him again. The man mouthed silently. “They are playing with you. It’s just a game.”

Shinji nodded, and inner Robin reminded Shinji he had clearly heard the splash of the bottle hitting the water. So, he hadn’t hit Asuka at all.

He nodded at Kaji, and sat back on his place, while Asuka and Misato kept their game of “Make Shinji Blush”.

He heard Dr. Akagi saying, “Well, it’s time for dinner, we will wait for you at the restaurant. I want to shower first.”

Lt. Yamaguchi also excused herself.

As night fell, Shinji and Kaji looked at the sun setting. They could still hear the women’s voices, but their words weren’t clear enough to understand.

“Um... Kaji...” Shinji’s arms rested on his raised knees. His left hand gripping the right.

“Yes?”

“Do you think we have a chance against the Angels?”

The man took a long time to answer. “I hope so. You are doing well, the three of you.”

“It’s just... I don’t know what the future will bring.”

“No one knows. All we can do is try to be ready, but the only guarantee is that it will surprise you.”

Shinji noticed a series of puckered scars in Kaji’s torso. The man nodded. “These?” He pointed at the scars, “A few of those surprises, but they are from a long time ago. They are in the past.” His eyes stared at the distance for a long time. Shinji kept quiet, respecting the man’s introspection.

Author Notes

A lot of references to the Twilight Zone, I know; but I think it would be almost inevitable that a person in that situation would try to get some handle to manage it. Mari is referencing one of the most famous episodes of the series, “Time Enough at Last”, although she misremembered the title.

Kamandi is referencing one of his team-ups with Batman, whom he still calls Captain Bat.

BTW, I’m not exactly breaking the rules about time travel for Mari and the the base (not the ones I established in previous chapters). There is a way to time travel from the Evangelion time to the future, but only in very specific circumstances, and still, it is very risky.

Dr. Leslie Thompkins used to be an important secondary character in Batman. She was one of the first persons to deal with Bruce Wayne’s trauma, after the murder of his parents. She was, for a while, the unofficial doctor of the Bat-Family, for those cases Alfred wasn’t actually trained to deal with, or when he needed another person to make shifts during long-term treatments.

She used to run a clinic at the worst neighbourhood at Gotham City (and that’s saying something…).

Due to the Batman titles going more and more to the Grimdark side than I was willing to take, I dropped all titles soon after the “Bruce Wayne; Fugitive” storyline; so I missed her most infamous story, the death of the Fourth (Fifth?) Robin; the former Spoiler, Stephanie Brown. Still, I got the gist of it. For this story, Dr. Thompkins won’t be even near to that characterization. She will be a gruff medic, with a rough bedside manner, but a good person in the end.

One of my favorite parts of the revamped Superman after Crisis in Infinite Earths was the relevance granted to Project Cadmus, originally created by Jack Kirby, as part of his work in Jimmy Olsen’s title in the 70’s. The King had an incredible imagination, and he poured it in his work at both DC and Marvel. But without him, Cadmus was rarely used until after Crisis, mostly in the Superman titles.

The most important contribution of Cadmus for DC was probably cloning a Kryptonian/human hybrid: Superboy. Right after the Death of Superman.

While it was less and less used in the Superman titles, Cadmus was a prominent part in the Superboy title for a long time. He even worked there!

BTW, I don’t really believe in the Superman/Luthor origin of Superboy, so I won’t use it at all. For my purposes, Conner’s human genes were donated by Paul Westfield, leader of Cadmus during the Death of Superman event.

Project Cadmus has been seen in the Arrowverse; well, at the Supergirl side of the shared Multiverse. (Just to be absolutely clear, I’m working with the New Earth version.)

I though the nameless Bridge Bunny could do with some characterization. And as one of Evangelion themes is lack of communication, I thought her having a crush on Makoto, whose crush on Misato is quite well known, would add a new layer to an already tangled web.

How could the Phantom Stranger miss such an important event as Shinji’s birth? Eventually, we will see this event from the Stranger and Shinji’s POV, but that will be in the future.

BTW, I’m not sure of exactly where Shinji was born. I couldn’t find it, so I settled on Kyoto, I thought it wouldn’t be a stretch to think the Ikaris would stay at the city for a while after college.

If you have reference about Shinji’s birth place, please PM me and I’ll correct it.

I’m having fun preparing ground in the XXXIth Century. The Legion of Superheroes is one of my favorite series, and I love the intricate universe available.

I promised a Secret Origin, and I will deliver a Secret Origin!

Just what happened to Captain Marvel? That’s a scene for another interlude.

One of my earliest memories is of reading the Mexican reprints of Mistery in Space, published here in and umbrella title: Titanes Planetarios (Planetary Titans, it included most of the DC Science Fiction titles).

Adam Strange (renamed Adán Luna. Adam Moon, back to English) was one of my favorites in the rotating cast. I still have a few of those comics, including the earliest one I remember, the one with the strange guru-like creature with a crystal ball for head (Mistery in Space, issue 71).

Adam’s appearance here is an homage to those little tales. I would like to get a trade of all those stories, not only the Adam Strange, but all of them, including Star Hunters, I remember being very intrigued by the premise, but sadly, only got a couple of issues.

Mr. Miracle was part of one of Jack Kirby’s most enduring works. The Fourth World saga, composed of the Mr. Miracle, Forever People, and New Gods books (with some parts of Jimmy Olsen, Superman’s Pal for good measure). The Fourth World gave us THE definitive villain in Darkseid, the utmost threat for the DCU.

Kirby tended to go all out with his creations, and the sheer scale of the Fourth World is amazing. Although Darkseid debuted in Jimmy Olsen’s title, it was in Mr. Miracle that the actual scope of the New Gods and their war started to shine. From humble origins as a mysterious stranger who is mentored by an old scape artist, Thaddeus Brown, and avenges his death at the orders of a gangster; Scott Free would soon be involved into cosmic struggles.

Chapter Text

Note , the parenthesis indicates languages other than Japanese, in this case, English and German.

Tokyo-3
Geo-Front,
NERV HQ
Analysis Room
Three Days After Sandalphon. 11:25 A.M.

Dr. Ritsuko Akagi leaned back on her chair. The analysis of the recordings made during the volcano mission and later fight in the way to the Matsuhiro secondary NERV base was well under way. Both EVAs had performed well within their usual parameters. And both pilots had come out of the mission in one piece and good spirits; the day spent at the Hot Springs Resort had done wonders for the team moral. The fact that she herself had been invited was an unexpected bonus.

By Commander Ikari’s orders, she had started with the analysis and evaluation of Unit-01, followed by the same for the pilot, Shinji Ikari; while Lt. Maya Ibuki worked the same analysis for Unit-02 and its pilot. The boy had really grown into the job, defying all the projections made before his arrival. True, the kid was eager to please, and lacked confrontational impulses, but instead of the meek and docile doormat he was when he arrived to Tokyo-03; he had started to rely in diplomacy and redirection to achieve his objectives.

Hell in a handbasket! The kid seemed to actually have objectives of his own, instead of folding to whatever was asked of him. At least, that was the impression she had. Her few, short talks with him mostly stayed into the realm of his performance with the EVA and his health.

To the dyed blond amusement, Shinji had made some inroads into Asuka’s hard shell of insecurities. The red headed pilot tolerated his presence to an unexpected degree, even seemed to look him out occasionally. Especially considering her fury after their battle against Gaghiel. Even more amusing, he was defrosting Rei Ayanami. Interestingly, Asuka herself was cooperating with that endeavor. The expected bad blood between the two female pilots just didn’t occur.

Still, at the moment, the Commander was unwilling to disrupt the dynamic between the pilots, all three had much better synch rates. And, in any case, he had ways to crush their spirits when he deemed it necessary; so for the moment, the pilots had a shot at a fleeting happiness. Robbing them of it at the right moment would set them for their role in the Human Instrumentality as had been foretold by the SEELE think tank.

Dr. Akagi shook the ash from her cigarette, and crushed its butt into the overflowing ashtray, where it joined a couple of packs worth of cancer sticks. She exhaled the last lungful of smoke, enjoying the warmth in her lungs.

In the next station, Lt. Maya Ibuki raised her eyes from the reading she was analysing. "Dr. Akagi? I found something strange." She printed a set of readings, and ripped the long sheet of paper from the machine.

"These are Asuka’s encephalographic patterns from the last synch test." She said as she put the print in a long table. "And these were taken during the fight at the valley."

Dr. Akagi examined the wavy lines. "Time stamp?"

"The fight started here." Maya pointed at the beginning of the sheet. "The readings are normal for Asuka in a stress situation, similar to the ones we have from previous battles."

Dr. Akagi nodded, she was familiar with the brainwave patterns of the three pilots in base, she even had a passing familiarity with the records of the Fourth Child, from the USA; who, by all accounts, seemed to be a bit in the crazy side; but then again, all pilots had some kind of psychological problem; it was actually a prerequisite to be an EVA pilot…

"So far, normal for her, yes. I take it there’s something?"

Maya nodded twice, and pointed at another section. "This drop here is when she was knocked out by the Angel’s energy beam." Brain activity dropped down for a short while. "This spike is the mild electric shock we used to wake her up. Look at the brain activity after that."

A short silence followed while Dr. Akagi examined the jagged lines in the printout. "They don’t match." She straightened up, and fished for another cigarette. She lit it up with the lighter she had received when she graduated from college. A gift from Misato. "Was there any interference? The energy beam could have messed up the A-10 connectors."

"Might be." Maya sounded doubtful. "But Asuka’s brainwaves dropped again, after 9 seconds of activity. Like she was unconscious again. That was just after her synch dropped under the activation threshold. "

Dr. Akagi held the smoke for a couple of second, before exhaling. "And 13 seconds later, her readings go back to normal."

"Yes. The abnormal reading lasts for just those 9 seconds. After that, she goes back to normal for the rest of the battle." Maya scrolled right to the end of the printout.

"Really strange. Schedule Asuka for a medical exam. The most complete we can do. She might have some kind of brain damage we hadn’t detected before."

Maya nodded again, her normally happy features sombre. "What about Shinji and Rei? If this was caused by the EVA, they might present similar symptoms later. Asuka might be the first because she is the one with the most hours in the interface. First in Germany and then here in Tokyo-3."

"Good thinking, Maya. Schedule them all, we start with Shinji, tomorrow. Notify Captain Katsuragi he will stay here the whole day." She made a mental note to ask NERV-2 for the same tests performed on the Makinami girl.

And she also had to keep those results from Maya, the Lieutenant didn’t know about the Fourth Child; and she wouldn’t for a while yet. Her very existence was to be kept secret for a while, until the Marduk Institute ‘found’ her, officially.

"But… but Shinji didn’t present any strange readings, Dr. Akagi. Shouldn’t we start with Asuka?" It was unusual that Maya argued against her orders, but sometimes she felt she had the duty to do so. It was one of the reasons she was Dr. Akagi’s personal assistant. She never argued unless she had very good reasons.

Thinking fast, Dr. Akagi answered "We will use him as a control to make sure the equipment is in good working order. Asuka will follow, and Rei will be the confirmation subject."

Maya smiled. "Oh, right. Of course, Dr. Akagi. I will call Captain Katsuragi immediately."

Dr. Akagi nodded, and went back to her own station. ‘I would like to start with Asuka, Maya,’ she tought, ‘but the Commander wants to prioritize Unit-01; and after it, the Third Child.’

She shook the ash from the cigarette in the ashtray, and went back to her own analysis of Unit-01 and Shinji’s performance. She hesitated, it might be a good idea to go to bed early, she was sure tomorrow would be a very long day...

Undisclosed Location
Unregistered Island Near the Coast of Madagascar
Underground Building 12
Assembly Cell; 11:30 AM (Tokyo-3 Time)

When his turn to speak came, a thin man in a black uniform with yellow highlights pushed an envelope along the table, until it was in easy reach of his commanding officer "My agent in NERV reports an interesting finding, M’am. I thought you should be informed at once."

The woman reached for the envelope, and with a curt nod, extracted the documents inside. She skimmed the content, while a predatory smile spread over her lips. "You did well to bring this to my attention. We have been looking to recover this for years. Those SEELE bastards covered their tracks well enough at the time, but they got overconfident! This tech must be back in our hands soon. I want you to assemble a team at once, you have full choice of both members and equipment. As you brought this to me, it’s only fair you get to oversee the operation."

"Thank you, my Queen. The tech will be recovered."

"Cover your own tracks better than they did. I don’t want the recovery to be tracked back to us. We have been successful all this time because we have been discreet. Remember Kobra, the League of Assasins, Intergang, Les Mille Yeux, the 1000? They all got overconfident. And they are no more than mere footnotes to history now."

"I already have some ideas for the extraction, my Queen. I was preparing a dossier for you."

"Bring it to me tomorrow for my final approval. I may have some changes to your team."

"It will be in your hands first hour tomorrow morning."

"Perform well, and you’ll earn a promotion. Dismissed."

"Thanks you, my Queen. I will not fail you."

Hiding his excitement, the man went out the room. Once outside, he leaned back against the wall, his right hand rubbed his left shoulder, imagining the golden hexagonal patch he would get once he returned to the nest with the recovered bounty.

Now, he would need to procure, or better yet, set up, the right kind of transport for the main objective. Sure, the Queen would reward him nicely for recovering the data, but recovering the final product would be infinitely better!

Six coffins and their occupants. Maybe more, if the rumours were right and Magnus had made more of his toys. He should take extra measures to not to awake them, as they would be quite... reluctant to cooperate.

And all it would need to happen... was to pull a few fuses in the right places.

And the right man to pull them..

Tokyo-3
Katsuragi-Ikari Apartment
Three Days After Sandalphon. 5:18 P.M.

"I see. Okay, Rits, I’ll tell him." Captain Katsuragi put the phone back in its cradle. "(Shinji! Rits needs you at HQ tomorrow. She says you have to stay all day long, So prepare a change of clothes and something to entertain yourself.)"

Shinji finished serving dinner for the four of them. "(Ah... sure.)" he furrowed his brow. "(I thought my next synch test would be this Friday.)"

"(It is, but Rits says she needs to calibrate some of her gizmos.)"

"(So. The vaunted Third Child is now the standard we are being measured against?)" Asuka smirked. "(What do you say, Wonder Girl?)" she nudged her fellow pilot with an elbow.

Before answering, Rei served herself a generous portion of the salad Shinji had prepared, "(Of the three of us he seems to be the most average. I agree.)"

Asuka’s jaw dropped. "(Was that a joke, Wonder Girl? Please tell me that was a joke!)"

A tiny smile on Rei’s lips set Asuka’s laughter off. Shinji smiled at them. He knew his quasi-sister was freeing herself from the Commander’s conditioning, but hearing her joke, although in a very subdued way, was very good.

Once dinner was done, Asuka excused herself, and went back to the apartment she shared with Rei.

"(Where does she go in such a hurry, Rei? She always disappears at this hour.)" Misato pointed her chopsticks at the door.

"(I am not privy to that information. She takes a box with her and goes to the roof. I asked her about it, and she said it was a private matter, and she would tell us when she is ready to share.)"

Misato looked at the door with a curious expression. "(I wonder what she does in the roof... There’s nothing there but a lounge and the water tanks.)"

Shinji gathered the dishes, and while he took them to the kitchen, he said, "(Leave it, Misato. She’s not breaking any rules, does she?)"

"(Well... I guess not. But aren’t you curious? She might be writing you love letters or something.)"

Shinji blushed immediately. Rei rescued him. "(Asuka has her own room and installed a lock the day after she moved in. She has all the privacy she could need to write.)"

"(Riiiight... Way to kill the mystery, Rei.)" Misato seemed to deflate a little. Still, it had been worth the effort just to see Shinji blushing.

Yekaterinburg, Russia
Central Stadium
Temporary site for the C.C. Haly and Norton Bros. Circus
Same Day; 5:28 P.M. (Tokyo-3, Local Time)

"(C’mon, people! We need to set the tents up! The main show is inside, but the money comes from the outside stalls! You’d like to eat well tomorrow? Set them up!)" The Ringmaster shouted to the men under his orders.

"(Have some heart, boss!)" the foreman whined. "(We’re freezing our...)" he interrupted himself, just in time. He had seen that M’raia girl get angry over some idiot’s language. The rest of the crew had needed half an hour to free him from the tangle of steel bars the girl had wrapped him in, interestingly, the man had been both completely immobilized and perfectly safe inside the ball of metal bars. "(... our ears off.)" he finished up.

"(And I am in a tropical resort, Chester?)" the Ringmaster answered acidly. "(The faster the tents and stalls are up, the faster we can all get inside and polish some big, nice, and hot chocolate mugs!)"

"(Yeah, yeah, I see your point, boss. Okay, you mugs! You hear the boss! He’s inviting all of us for some hot chocolate when we done with this!)"

The crew members smirked at each other, they knew perfectly well that the chocolate would have a generous portion of whiskey, added discreetly. "(On it, chief!)" they yelled back and went back to work.

The tall thin girl walked to the Ringmaster. "(Hi, Mr. Norton. Can I help? Shilo and Oberon went to get cement and gravel for the big finale, and I finished setting the platform in the Stadium.)"

"(Sure, kid.)" He turned around, "(Madame’s tent’s over there, ready for her to put her things in.)" He pointed at a place near the end of the parking lot.

"(Thanks!)" she chirped with a smile. She passed next to the big men who were busy setting up tents and stalls. They all hurried up to greet the girl. Very respectfully. She was stronger than any four of them put together! Back when the escape artists started to work at the circus, a few years before, some of the roughest crewmen had been quite discourteous to the girl. One had been sent to the hospital for his troubles. The guy had tried to hit the girl over some imagined offense.

Nope, the guys who thought themselves to be tough guys didn’t last long in the Haly Circus. Especially if they tried to get fresh with M’raia. But treat the girl with respect, and she would go to the end of the world to help you out.

"(Madame? Are you in?)" M’raia knocked delicately on the wagon door. The door opened, and a slender woman, incongruously dressed with a flowing, purple dress came out. Her shoulders were bare, and her long black hair flowed at her back. There were a few grey strands at her temples, but they just added character to her beauty.

Her green eyes sparkled, and her full red lips parted in a welcoming smile. "(M’raia, hello. Is my tent ready?)"

"(Yep, Mr. Norton sent me to help you set your stuff up.)"

"(I see. Come in, help me with the chest. I’ll carry the sign.)"

The dark haired woman grabbed the wooden sign to be placed outside her tent, while M’raia lifted the big chest containing the decorations. M’raia could carry everything by herself, including the table and chairs; but Madame always insisted on doing her part.

"(Do you have time for a reading later, M’raia? I think it might be interesting. And I need the practice.)"

The lass laughed for a moment. "(Sure! But please keep your special deck in its box!)"

"(Oh, you know I only use that one when it’s needed.)" the card reader smiled.

"(Good, I don’t want to see people I know in the cards ever again. I don’t wanna get nightmares...)"

They arrived at the tent, and while M’raia put the chest inside, the woman set the sign on an easel.

Under her full professional name, an invitation had been written in Cyrillic letters. It read:

"(Madame Xanadu.
Fortune Reader.
Enter Freely of Your Own Will.)"

Tokyo-3
Geo-Front, Dr. Akagi’s Lab
Four Days After Sandalphon. 3:07 P.M.

"Can we take five minutes, Dr. Akagi? Please..." Shinji Ikari was sick and tired of the unending series of tests and calibrations, calibrations and tests, tests and tests, and calibration tests. He had come to hate both words. He had brought a couple of books, as Misato had advised him. One was his Physics textbook, the other the autobiography of Ralph and Susan Dibny, "A Nose for Mysteries"; published just a couple of months before.

But the young man hadn’t had the chance to read a single book. Dr. Akagi and Lt. Ibuki insisted on him being tested with a series of strange machines, somehow, he even had the feeling not all that tech had even been developed on Earth.

"Keep silent, Shinji, or we will have to re-start."

Shinji sighed. This batch of tests had been going on for two hours, with no end in sight. He turned his attention inside, and began to compile a list of questions he would like to have answers for. With a groan, his inner Robin put his imaginary shoulder to the wheel, he was tired too.

Somewhere in the ocean, near Tokyo-3 Bay
Same time

A little box buried in the silt lit up, and a sound carried through the dark waters.

"Ping!"

Tokyo-3
Katsuragi-Ikari Apartment
7:25 P.M.

‘(I’ll never admit it, but I really miss the Boy Wonder’s cooking...)’ Asuka played with her food, pushing an unrecognizable morsel around the plate. With Ikari at the Geo-Front, the task of making dinner had fell on Misato’s hands. ‘(How can she burn the exterior of chicken nuggets and keep the insides frozen solid? HOW?)’ she thought. ‘(It is an affront to science!)’

Somehow, Misato was even able to eat that! Asuka guessed it must be a combination of her atomic curry and the three cans of beer she had drained while preparing... no... making? Nope. Ruining dinner was a better description... And she was almost an hour late.

Rei had been spared from the torture thanks to her vegetarian diet. The bluenette had simply mixed some vegetables in a bowl, with a ready mixed dressing the Boy Wonder had left to be found in the freezer, and she was set. Oh, the unfairness of the universe!

As Asuka contemplated the possibility of bolting away to see if the German restaurant Misato had suggested Shinji was open, the electronic lock opened, and the Third Child entered the apartment. The German girl’s hopes for an edible meal were dashed as soon as she saw Shinji’s face.

"...grooooooo..."

His eyes were half closed, his head tilted to one side, and after a long pause he stumbled inside the apartment. For a moment, it seemed he had forgotten to come inside. He dragged his feet inside, walking like a zombie. Asuka exchanged an apprehensive look with Rei. Apparently, the tests they would take during the next few days were awful! Misato hurried to help Shinji. The boy pulled weakly at the school bag he had taken with him. Rei took it from his hands, and deposited in the usual place next to the door. Automatically, Shinji took off his shoes and put them in their place.

"Shinji! Are you okay? What happened?" The worry in Misato’s voice was evident.

"Lots of testssss..." Shinji drawled. He looked at his colleagues. "Don’t bother to take anything... Just a change of clothes..."

"Do you want to eat something? I made some chicken nuggets and Rei can make you a salad or something."

He rubbed his face with a hand, "...gnnn... I just want to sleep, Misato." He stumbled into his room, and a few seconds later, they all heard him just fall down on his bed, leaving the door open.

Misato peeked inside. Shinji had simply let himself fall on his bed, not even bothering to remove his socks. She did it for him, and covered his body with a blanket. "After all the times you’ve done this for me, I guess it is fair." She whispered, and as she walked out the room, she turned off the light. By then, his young ward was snoring softly. And drooling on his pillow.

Tokyo-3
A Lonely Cabin, Somewhere in the Outskirts of the City
7:42 P.M.

"(I want this equipment. Handle the acquisition discreetly. I don’t want it tracked back to me.)" The thin man in the black suit handed a simple printout to the other man. His eyes were hidden behind sunglasses, the local man guessed it was either to intimidate him or to hide his identity. But actually, it was just to hide the dark bags under his eyes, it had been a long trip. And the jet lag was killing him. If it weren’t for the large dose of black coffee he had drank before the appointment, he doubted he would even be awake.

"(Sure, I can do that. I even have some stuff in my inventory. The trucks I’ll need to get. When do you want the delivery?)" The short man chewed on the end of his unlit cigar, rubbing the stubble on his chin.

"(Five days. My crew and I will check it out and made sure everything work fine.)" ‘(and it will give us time to explore the city and get rid of this damned jet lag.)’ he thought.

"(Hey, man! I deliver quality! And you’re paying good money, I’d like to get some repeating biz, you know? It’s waaay better to get trust than to just scalp people. Especially for the kinda money you are willing to pay. And I’d also like you to recommend me and my crew to any friends of yours who might want a deal like this.)"

"(Right. You deliver as agreed, and I’ll make sure of that.)"

A down payment was deposited in the account, and both men parted ways. Each to his own associates.

Tokyo-3
Geo-Front, Dr. Akagi’s Lab
7:47 P.M.

"Well, Maya. All results are absolutely normal." Dr. Akagi leaned back on her chair, exhaling a lungful of grey smoke. "Shinji’s brain is as normal as it can get, even with exposition to the EVA’s interface."

"I’m glad of it, Dr. Akagi. He’s a nice kid."

"Well.. yes." She took another drag of the cigarette. ‘Pity he will be a basketcase by the end of the year.’ she thought.

"Should I schedule Asuka for tomorrow?" Maya stretched her arms above her head, making her spine pop. "...ooohhhh... I needed that."

Akagi snorted in amusement. "Sure, let’s hope we can find whatever made that weird reading. You may go home, Maya. I’ll inform the Commander of the results."

"Thanks, Doctor. I’ll call Captain Katsuragi before leaving. I’m dead tired."

Tokyo-3
Ayanami-Soryu Apartment
7:56 P.M.

While Rei busied herself with reading an abstruse textbook about biochemistry, Asuka hesitated between raiding the fridge in search of her chocolate ice-cream reserve to wash the taste of dinner from her mouth (and to hell with her diet), or going up to the roof for the next hour or so.

In any case, Rei was deeply absorbed into her reading.

"Hey, Wonder Girl, are you scared?" Asuka finally decided on raiding the fridge. Her little trip to the roof would wait for later.

Rei looked at her. "Of what?"

"Of whatever tests Dr. Akagistein and her Igoruki helper have in mind for us, of course."

"Who? I have no knowledge of those persons in NERV’s personnel."

Asuka sweat-dropped. "It was a joke, Wondy. You saw Ikari, right? Who knows what Dr. Akagi and Lt. Ibuki made him do?"

"Oh, I see." She closed her book. "We can ask him tomorrow."

Asuka looked at her sideways from the kitchen. "That’s it? Aren’t you worried?"

"I think Ikari is only tired. Should he not be in good health tomorrow, then we will have reasons to worry."

Right then, the phone rang. Rei answered it.

It was Misato, tomorrow would be Asuka’s turn.

Somewhere Outside the Material Dimension
Same time

A dark shape stirred in her solid energy cocoon. It was almost time to awake and start its mission.

Matarael pinged back at the beacon.

Soon it would cross the dimensional barrier and walk to her destination. In the meanwhile, it would take every nanosecond of sleep available, going back to its creator would be a tiring enterprise.

Tokyo-3
Geo-Front, Commander Ikari’s Lair
Next day, 8:25 A.M.

"As you can see, sir, Shinji’s results are completely normal. We couldn’t find any hint of a defect or glitch in him nor in the interface systems." Dr. Akagi spread the printouts all over the Commander’s desk.

With two fingers, Commander Ikari pushed his eyeglasses up his nose, and tented his fingers in front of his face, "I want the Second Child examined with a microscope if necessary." Gendo Ikari decreed. "I don’t want her anywhere near an Evangelion Unit, in case this is not a defect from the operating systems of the EVA or the interface. Neither she nor the other pilots are to know of this development. In case of an Angel attack, the Second Child is to be held in reserve."

"Yes, sir. I’ll log it immediately."

"You will inform me of the results as soon as you have them."

Tokyo-3
Geo-Front, Commander Ikari’s Lair
Spiritual plane, 8:25 P.M.

"Oh, hell and damnation! I may be a high school drop-out, but even I can see why this happened…" Deadman facepalmed and sweat-dropped at the same time. He needed to talk to the Phantom Stranger immediately, but feared to miss any other information Dr. Akagi and Commander Badshave could discuss in the meanwhile.

Undisclosed Location
Unregistered Island Near the Coast of Madagascar
Queen’s Private Cell; 10:12 PM (Local Time)

In her private suite, H.I.V.E.’s Queen Bee prepared herself for the night. As always, the hedonistic woman indulged herself in a long bath, the water perfumed with exotic essences, and imported bath salts. Carefully, her attendants washed her long red hair, and treated her skin with youth preserving oils.

Her attendants towelled her body with care, and took their time to dry and brush her hair. She was immensely proud of her beauty, and took great pains to keep it. It had been years since the last time she had taken a lover. After her disastrous liaisons with that flexible buffoon, she had taken great pleasure in ruining him. But as a rubber ball, Plastic Man had bounced back, even joining the Justice League! Her left eyebrow twitched minutely. She reigned her own impulse to from at the unwelcome memory.

She dismissed her drones for the night. Tonight was a time for memories, and those were the only things she possessed that would not be ever shown off to anybody else. Her memories and feelings were for her, for her alone, and no one else.

Once she was by herself, she pushed a hidden panel at the back of her quarters. A secret door slid silently over exquisitely designed rails. At the other side, her secret chamber waited for her.

As she crossed the threshold, light fixtures in the ceiling lit in sequence, illuminating the place from entrance to the further wall.

The chamber was empty of any furniture, except for a dais full of buttons and levers, and a series of screens. A plexiglass cylinder placed in the centre of the room shone softly in the light, reminiscent of an obelisk or an altar. Inside it, a deform body stood. The Queen caressed the transparent surface. Her emerald green eyes shone with unshed tears.

Her fingers traced a simple logo set of the surface of the dais, a double "R", the letters were mirror images of each other. A few years over two decades before, that logo was known and respected all over America. Her economic ability and ruthless business practices had placed her almost at the top of the money food chain. Only Lex Luthor was more ruthless than her, and only Bruce Wayne was luckier.

She snorted at the faces her memories had shown her. Both her rivals were gone now. One dead in a ludicrous accident, and the other had slipped quietly into oblivion, after realizing his biggest ambition, becoming the most powerful man in the world.

She herself had come to an epiphany, and that revelation was so painful she had vanished from the public eye, dedicating all her considerable resources to one single goal, rebuild and revive her lover.

She walked around the cylinder, studying its occupant with a love and devotion in her stunning green eyes that no one could have thought her capable of.

He looked like a man, midway between a caveman and Quasimodo. Immensely strong and smart, and as amoral and merciless as her. At the beginning, he was just a mean to an end, wiping Bruce Wayne’s smile and fortune. But at the end, she had legitimately grown fond of the android, and he of her. Pity she had realized that only after his demise.

After his destruction, she had been obsessed with recovering the only man worthy of her affections.

And now, after all these years, the means to restore his incredible mind were at her fingertips.

She smiled at the delightful irony of it all. The destroyers of her love would be the means to resurrect him!

She chuckled softly for a moment; her laughter grew in intensity until she was cackling like a madwoman. She began to dance alone, turning around the plexiglass cylinder; hugging herself, imagining she and her love were dancing over the remains of their enemies.

Somewhere in the ocean, near Tokyo-3 Bay
Five Days After Sandalphon
7:52 A.M.

The little box buried in the silt lit up again, and a sound carried through the dark waters.

"Ping! Ping! Ping!"

Tokyo-3
Katsuragi-Ikari Apartment
Same Time

"So, feeling better, Boy Wonder?" Asuka asked, quite worried, today was her turn to stay under Dr. Akagistein and Igoruki’s tender mercies. She shuddered for a moment, before her pride reminded her that she, the Great Asuka Langley Soryu wouldn’t show any hint of weakness.

"Yeah…" he drawled, barely stifling a yawn. "It was just a combo of boredom and having to concentrate for too long on a single thing."

"Sheesh… You had us worried when you opened the door all Night of the Living Dead. By the way, how did you manage to get here in that pitiful state?"

Shinji started to work on breakfast. Just seeing him work at the kitchen was a source of hope for Asuka. Last night Misato’s Special (Last) Meal had been weighing heavily on her belly. She was amazed to even be functional. Maybe the ice-cream had settled her stomach… ‘Note to me, buy more ice-cream.’ she thought.

After a short pause, Shinji answered. "I didn’t, Lt. Ibuki took pity on me after she saw me bumping against a wall on the way out the GeoFront, and offered to bring me here. I just had to take the lift and that was it. I guess I’ve come here so many times I can do it in autopilot."

Misato came out her bedroom at that moment, smartly dressed in her NERV uniform. "Ready, Asuka?" she said as she sat at the table. She didn’t lose any time in downing a mug of coffee in a few gulps. How she managed to drink the hot beverage so fast without scalding her throat was as big a mystery as to where did she put all those beer-calories she drank every day.

"Sure. Just let me eat something and we can go." The redhead began to eat with proper manners. No hurry. The tests couldn’t begin without her anyway.

"Let me prepare a couple of bentos for you two. Frankly, the food at the mess hall…" Shinji shook his head and left the rest unsaid.

"No objections on my part, Boy Wonder." Asuka smiled sweetly at him. ‘For a pervert, the Boy Wonder is quite the gentleman.’ she thought.

A short while later, both Asuka and Misato had gone to NERV. Shinji was busy preparing breakfast for himself and Rei. She wouldn’t take long to arrive. Misato had asked Asuka to be ready at an earlier hour than usual, just so the pilot could eat something before the tests.

As he was finishing with their own bentos, Shinji noticed the color shift that preceded the arrival of the Phantom Stranger. Immediately he put everything down, and wiped his hands on a kitchen cloth.

"Good morning, Shinji."

"Good morning, Stranger. Is there a problem?"

The mysterious man nodded, "Yes, and I fear it is my fault." His voice sounded... worried.

Shinji furrowed his brow. "What happened? Can I do something to help?"

"Yes, but not before you know exactly what happened. It was during the fight with the Eight Angel. Miss Soryu lost consciousness for close to half a minute, and it was necessary to take some urgent measures to help her."

"Wait, she was out for only a few seconds."

"So it seemed, but the truth of the matter is more complex than it appeared." He extended a hand towards Shinji, palm up.

After a second of hesitation, Shinji took it. "Where are we going?" as their hands made contact, a slight greenish glow covered Shinji for a moment, then it disappeared, absorbed by Shinji’s body.

"We will stay here this time; I need to introduce you to a friend and ally. He has been helping me to help you. He is our ace in the sleeve, a spy in NERV, and a back-up for you and your fellow pilots. In fact, if it weren’t for him, Commander Ikari and SEELE’s plans would proceed as they intended." A chill went up and down Shinji’s spine.

"Hey, kid." A new voice joined them. Shinji turned around, still holding the Stranger’s hand. The voice belonged to a strange apparition. A tall, thin man, clad in red, with a face like a ghost. "Boston Brand, AKA Deadman, at your service." The man was sitting Indian style, over the flat screen TV; there was no way a human being could sit there, there was too little space, and his weight should either tip or crush the screen.

Shinji took half a step back, but a moment later he gathered his wits, and bowed deeply to the man, releasing the Phantom Stranger’s soft grip on his own hand. "Nice to meet you, Brand-san. I thank you for your help."

"Glad to help, kid." Deadman jumped down from his perch, and floated towards the two. "Wish I could shake your hand, but there’s the little problem I am really dead, you know. Just a wandering ghost" He shrugged and smiled sadly. "Thing is, we need to get you up to speed, and fast. The next Angel is about to appear; and this time, the redhead gal will have to sit on the bench."

"Wait, why?"

"Let us start at the beginning." The Phantom Stranger motioned for both to sit. Shinji sat on the couch, while the Stranger occupied a chair. "During the battle with Sandalphon, Miss Soryu was knocked unconscious. Deadman had to intervene."

"Wait, Stranger, Ikari doesn’t know what I do." The ghost turned towards Shinji. "Ahem," he coughed into his left hand and then flew around Shinji; the young pilot’s eyes following him. "I am... a body snatcher; that’s my power, I go into people’s bodies and control them for a little while. If you see somebody acting strangely around here, it’s probably me. I’ll let you know whenever that happens." He added.

For a moment, Shinji just stared at him, thinking. He nodded at Deadman.

The Stranger continued. "With Miss Soryu unconscious, Deadman hijacked her body to help in the battle. That had two unforeseen effects. One, he isn’t able to pilot an Evangelion, at least Unit-02, it is very resistant to having him in control. Dr. Soryu won’t let it synch with him."

"Go on." Shinji’s brow furrowed in thought.

"I had to go deep into Unit-02’s core, and um... chat with Dr. Soryu, both of her. Meanwhile, Asuka woke up."

"It seemed to be the end of it. Miss Soryu resynched with EVA-02 and you both finished the battle. However, Dr. Akagi and Lt. Ibuki checked the readings taken from EVA-02’s sensors, and found out that Asuka’s brain-waves had changed."

Shinji’s eyes opened wide in surprise. Inner Robin had worked out the problem. "They don’t match because they aren’t Asuka’s! The readings are of Brand-san’s mind!"

The Stranger nodded solemnly. "Commander Ikari has decided to sideline Miss Soryu for the moment. Until the cause of the glitch is found. At the moment, he suspects a previously undiagnosed mental disorder."

"Oh, gods..." Shinji put a hand on his forehead, eyes wide. His mouth felt like he had a ball of cotton in it. "So that’s the reason for all those tests!"

"We have an idea, but we will need your consent. Hijacking Miss Soryu was an emergency measure, but to resolve the situation, we need you to be aware of what we need to do."

Shinji pressed his lips together in a sharp line.

Somewhere outside the Material Dimension
Same time

A dark shape stretched in its energy cocoon. It was time to start its mission.

Matarael pinged back at the beacon. A booming noise crossed the void between worlds, a bright segmented cylinder opened in the void, and the chrysalid travelled through it into the Earth dimension.

The 9th Angel had arrived.

With a little push of its will, Matarael’s outer skin began to harden. It would take a little while to be ready to walk back to its source. it decided to spend the time reviewing its plans.

Matarael leaned towards simple plans, anyway.

Tokyo-3
A Lonely Cabin, Somewhere in the Outskirts of the City
Same Time

"(Here we are, my good sir. Just as promised, I deliver. Lucky me, I’ve had this one in reserve for a little while, and my boys worked all night long to get it ready for your inspection.)" The short man tapped the white truck with a gloved hand. "(Untraceable and in perfect working order. You’ll notice it has been painted to look like a service truck from a well-known company. My crew made sure it has authentic decals and paint patterns. It won’t be noticeable in any street of Tokyo-3. They are everywhere.)" The truck looked well maintained, but somewhat beaten. It would not attract any attention from the authorities, as long as the driver committed no traffic violations. "(This is just the test model, if you approve it, we will get two more in similar, but not identical, colors. Each one will transport two of the containers as you asked for.)"

The thin man examined the vehicle with a critical eye. He removed his sunglasses to see better. "(Very good. The rest of the items?)"

The short man opened the back of the truck, "(Acquired and installed as you wanted. Heavy duty winches and loading platforms, cleared space for transport of the items, according to the measures you gave me, plus a couple extra inches, just in case. Anyway, the safety webs can handle the weight, plus a couple hundred kilos extra. The electronic countermeasures equipment for each truck will be like this one.)" He opened the heavy steel case in the back of the truck. It contained a sophisticated device, plus a little book in Japanese and English. "(The operational manual, just in case you need them.)" He put it in his client’s hands.

"(Appreciated. My crew knows how to use the devices, but having the manuals at hand could be useful.)"

"(Next item on your list, a full set of cutters and picklocks, including electronic picks for any lock in use currently. I trust you’ll find everything is in order.)"

The thin man nodded. "(My people will check the truck and depending on my tech chief approval, we will make the second payment.)"

"(Great! In the meanwhile, would you care to join me for breakfast? My staff took the liberty of preparing a small but tasty buffet.)"

The thin man smiled. "(Now that you mention it, I would be honored to accompany you.)"

He grinned, this were proceeding according to the scenario. Even better. With some luck, the job could be completed even sooner than originally planned.

Tokyo-3
Geo-Front, Dr. Akagi’s Lab
11:48 A.M.

"Okay, Asuka," Dr. Akagi’s voice startled Asuka. "You can come out the sensor array, time for lunch."

‘Blessed be all the gods in Heaven and Earth!’ she thought, ‘The Boy Wonder wasn’t exaggerating! This is supremely boring and tiring...’ She rubbed her eyes, trying to get rid of the spiderweb feeling she had in her frontal lobes. Picking up the first bento, she sat to eat.

Meanwhile, Dr. Akagi and Lt. Ibuki checked the readings. "So far, it seems her brainwaves are completely normal. Just like Shinji’s." Maya commented.

"Hmm... yes... Let’s see how she responds when we introduce some variables in the testing. Maya, make sure the secondary battery of tests is ready. Once Asuka re-enters the array, let’s give her, say... an hour to settle in a routine and then we start with the new tests."

"At once, Dr. Akagi."

At the other side of the wall, Asuka felt a chill run all over her spine. She shrugged, thinking it must have been a cold draft. After all, the lab was usually a cold place.

Seen her on the CCTV screen, as she ate the food Shinji had prepared reminded Ritsuko of her own hunger. "Okay, Maya; let’s take half an hour to eat something."

"I’ll call the kitchens to get something sent here, Dr. Akagi."

Dr. Akagi nodded, still studying the readings they had collected so far. They were absolutely normal. Not even a single hint of a drastic deviation from Asuka’s usual readings.

‘Could it be a problem with the sensors themselves?’ she mused. "I’ll have to run a diagnosis on the whole net..." She dreaded the idea. That would mean hundreds of work hours, chasing the glitch around until it could be found and eliminated.

Somewhere in the ocean
Seven Days After Sandalphon
12:36 P.M.

Once Matarael decided its exoskeleton was hard enough, and began the long walk towards Tokyo-3. The little box buried in the silt lit up for the last time; and, having accomplished its mission, it disintegrated in a small shower of energy particles and a series of ‘Ping!’s, each one shorter and louder than the previous one, until they ran together in an ultrasonic warbling only a Kryptonian could have heard. An observer would have seen a small cluster of black dots surrounding the place the little box occupied, appearing, growing, shrinking and disappearing again.

Tokyo-3
Geo-Front, Dr. Akagi’s Lab
Same Time

Dr. Akagi pressed the button on the intercom unit in her office. It was a direct line to Commander Ikari’s Lair. She managed to pull the papers together in a neat pile and took the first sheet, the one that contained the summary of her findings. The rest were the readings and preliminary conclusions.

Once she heard the electronic tone that indicated the Commander was there, and there were no other listeners at the Lair, she spoke directly, reporting her findings. "Sir. The analysis of the First Child’s brainwaves has yielded no anomalous results. Her readings are perfectly normal, and consistent with previous records. There are no traces of the anomaly detected in the Second Child’s brainwaves. I must conclude that the cause of the anomaly lies in the Second Child herself."

"I see. Keep the Second Child off the active roster until the cause of the anomaly had been detected."

She heard the tone that indicated an urgent call. Then the click when the Commander pressed the button to open a different communications channel. "Stay on the line, Doctor Akagi."

"Yes, Sir."

The line fell silent then. She stayed next to the comm, waiting for the Commander to resume the call.

Tokyo-3
Geo-Front, Central Dogma
A Few Seconds Before.

Captain Misato Katsuragi smiled warmly at Lieutenant Makoto Hyuga. "Makoto, hi! Thanks for delivering my laundry."

Makoto smiled awkwardly. His crush on his superior officer was very well know in Central Dogma. Some of the workers had a running pool on how long would it take him to actually try to ask Captain Katsuragi on a date. No one gave any odds on his favor of Misato Katsuragi actually accepting the invitation. "It was nothing, Captain, glad to help."

Before she had a chance to answer, an alarm beeped.

"Hey, we have a live one. Captain Katsuragi, the Army reports an Angel sighting." Lt. Aoba straightened up on his chair. Looking back at his superior officer.

"Lt. Hyuga, Confirm." Captain Katsuragi slipped easily into her professional persona, leaving behind her happy-go-lucky demeanor in an instant.

The bespectacled bridge bunny obeyed, checking the sensor net deployed around Tokyo-3. "Blue Pattern confirmed, Captain. It’s an Angel. It moves slowly, but its course is set towards Tokyo-3."

"Sigh. Of course it comes here. Where else could they go? Las Vegas?" Tiredly, Misato rubbed her temples. "Call the pilots, send them a Section 2 car. I want them here as soon as possible." She rubbed her temples. "And call Commander Ikari."

"At once, Captain."

Tokyo-3
A Lonely Cabin, Somewhere in the Outskirts of the City
An Hour Before

"(Okay, boys, you have the operational times down to the second. Our man inside will blow the fuses of the GeoFront while we get into the maintenance tunnels. Those tunnels are rarely checked, and they are set for inspection a month from now, so we have a good window of opportunity to get the goodies out. So, let’s get to work. We pull off this, and the Queen will reward us generously!)"

The group of H.I.V.E. agents raised their fists as one. "(For the Queen!)" they shouted, and with military precision, boarded the vehicles. All looked like the service truck of three different, and ubiquitous, companies based on Tokyo-3. They weren’t delivery vehicles, as that could have tipped off some attentive watcher, those were intra-company trucks. The agents had been outfitted with the appropriate uniforms, of course. However, once inside NERV, they would change into their black and yellow H.I.V.E. suits, just in case something went pear-shaped; he wanted his men to have access to armor and weapons. No need to go unprotected into enemy terrain.

Every detail had been planned, checked, and confirmed. They had studied the city maps. Not the commonly available maps made for inhabitants or visitors to the city. These were the infrastructural maps. Detailing where the false buildings that covered the Evangelion operational equipment were, also the exit hatches, maintenance tunnels, ammo and weapon depots for the giant robots. And most important, where the access tunnel to the connection with the Garden of Eden was. For some strange reason, that was the name NERV had chosen for the Scientific Division warehouse, located in one of the deepest levels of the GeoFront.

The agent shrugged, who was he to criticize the naming conventions of another organization? After all, he was a H.I.V.E Drone, working for the Queen Bee. If NERV wanted to go biblical when naming their stuff, well, that was their right.

He slammed his hand twice on the door of his own truck, signalling the other two trucks it was time to go.

The other drivers honked once each, signalling their own readiness.

The convoy advanced towards the closest access to the tunnels. Soon, they were traversing the tunnels, on their way to their target.

However, they would have desisted had they not been in a radio-dead zone. One so deep into the ground that any sound coming down through ventilation shafts was so distorted by echoes and reverberation it was effectively unrecognizable as anything but a murmur.

On the way to Tokyo-3
Same time

Matarael’s long legs moved with deceiving speed. True, it took only a step at a time, but its sheer size meant it covered a lot of terrain with each step.

Just ahead, many machines seemed to watch it intently. it returned the looks. Matarael was uniquely qualified to return hostile looks. In any direction. its main body was shaped like a half sphere, while the flat part on the upside had only four, very small eyes, set between the bases of her legs; the rest of its body was covered in gigantic, staring, unblinking eyes.

Several soldiers felt their blood turn to ice. The eyes covering the spider-like Angel’s main body seemed disturbingly human-like. Only their lack of expression and their own discipline kept them from freaking out and emptying their ammo holds in a single burst.

Having learned from previous experience, the army chose not to waste ammo on trying to attack the Angel.

Ironically, Matarael’s A-T Field was so weak, the weapons that rested silent would have been, for once, effective.

Tokyo-3
In route to the Geo-Front.
Present Time.

Shinji Ikari sat rigidly on the back seat of the Section-2 Sedan that had picked him and Asuka. While the redhead chatted excitedly about her next, inevitable victory; Shinji concentrated on keeping his breathing even and relaxed. Not an easy task. He whispered his mantra once again, "I Will Not Break."

"Hey, Boy Wonder!" Asuka backslapped him on the centre of his chest. "Look alive, will you? We are about to get another kill mark." Her smile was contagious, and in ordinary circumstances, he would have shared some of her enthusiasm. "And you look like you’re about to fall asleep in the way!"

Shinji looked into her eyes and gave her a half-smile; knowing this time, the German pilot wouldn’t be able to participate in the fight. But, for appearances sake, he had to hide that vital piece of data. Showing an eagerness he didn’t really feel, he raised a fist. She fist-bumped back with her own. "We will kick its posterior." He said, nodding twice for emphasis.

She nodded back. Turning towards the driver, she asked. "Hey, you. What about the First Child?"

The stone-faced S2 man didn’t turn his head, his eyes scanning the street ahead, looking for any potential trouble. There were no other vehicles on the street. The warning sirens had been promptly obeyed by the inhabitants of Tokyo-3; everybody who wasn’t needed for the fight, had already been evacuated. "The First Child is already waiting for you in her EVA Unit." He answered in a flat tone.

"Well, at least Wonder Girl takes this seriously." Asuka nodded once for herself, crossing her arms.

Shinji’s mind turned back to the plan the Phantom Stranger and Deadman had concocted to get Asuka back into active duty. He didn’t like it too much, but Inner Robin had not found any viable alternative plan.

Tokyo-3,
GeoFront,
NERV HQ
Central Dogma

"What? Why wasn’t I informed of this?" Misato slammed her hand on a console, barely missing the coffee mug that rested on it.

"Commander’s orders, Captain Katsuragi." Dr. Akagi answered. "I am not privy to his motives;" she lied smoothly. "but this time, the Second Child will not fight."

From his nest, overseeing Central Dogma, Commander Gendo Ikari hid his eyes behind his orange glasses. "Captain Katsuragi, you are dangerously close to insubordination. Control yourself." He pushed the eyewear back up his nose, in a fluid movement that somehow managed to convey a threat. "The Second Child will not participate. She is to remain in reserve. Is that understood?"

Misato swallowed the lump in her throat. "Yes, sir. May I speak to her?"

"Be brief. You have ten minutes to return to your post." Gendo Ikari’s lips barely moved behind his tented hands. A sharp reflection slid over his orange-tinted eyeglasses.

"Yes, Sir." Misato answered through clenched teeth, barely containing her anger. She stomped out of the bridge, as soon as she was out of Central Dogma, she ran.

Tokyo-3,
GeoFront,
NERV HQ
Pilots Changing Room
One Minute Later.

Just as Asuka had pressed the button on her wrist, the soft hiss of the plugsuit adjusting itself to her body filled her ears.

A familiar voice cut the silence. "Asuka?"

"Oh, Allo, Misato. I’m ready!"

Misato averted her eyes. "Sorry, Asuka. The Commander ordered you to stay in reserve."

"WAS? But why?"

"I don’t know. This is very strange." Misato grabbed Asuka’s shoulders. "Please be ready to deploy. I don’t know what is happening, and I like it as little as you do."

Asuka’s eyes narrowed dangerously for a moment. She controlled herself after a second, she shook her head. "Very well. I’ll be next to EVA-02’s cage, ready." The last words were said through clenched teeth.

As the two females exited the room, they met Shinji. The young pilot wore his own black and blue plugsuit. He looked at them for a moment, and asked worriedly. "What’s going on?"

"Commander Ikari side-lined Asuka. She is to stay in reserve." Misato grumbled.

"What? Can he do that?" Up until that moment, Shinji had held on to a thin sliver of hope. A hope that had been crushed in an instant.

"It seems he can." Misato grumbled. "As it is, he almost threatened me."

Asuka’s face reddened in fury. Shinji grabbed her forearm for a moment, releasing it almost immediately. "Asuka, keep your cool. You have done nothing wrong. But if you don’t control yourself, you might be permanently off the roster. At a minimum, he will throw you in the brig for who knows how long. I didn’t like it and I don’t want you to spend any time there. And I don’t want to fight alone again."

That admission surprised Asuka. "Wait, in the brig?"

"Later, ask Misato to tell you the how and why, later. Right now, we have an Angel on the way. "

"Is that fear I hear in your voice, Boy Wonder?"

"Hell, yes! You are our best fighter in close combat."

"Don’t you ever forget it." She nodded. She was still angry, but knowing that Invincible Angel Slayer Shinji admitted both his fear and his inferiority to her, she felt a little better.

"Never." He turned to Misato. "Um? Is there a way for Asuka to monitor the fight?"

"Show-off. You want me to see a fight I won’t be allowed to be in." She mumbled.

He looked at the German pilot. "No. It’s not that. It’s just that if that Angel has something up its sleeve, I want you and Misato to find a way to counter it. I don’t want another run with the dance outfits." He shot a rueful look at Misato, who just returned an appreciative look at him. She had realized Shinji’s strategy about Asuka.

"Oh." A little blush of shame threatened to rise on the redhead’s cheeks. To cover it, she turned to Misato, but before she could say anything, Misato took advantage of the momentary silence. "Good thinking, Shinji. Asuka, I’ll send a feed to the waiting room outside the cage. The mike will be set to my comm-bead, and only to my comm-bead. I want no chatter, got it?"

"Got it. I’ll only use it if I think of a strategy or see a weakness."

Misato grabbed her shoulders. "Good. Shinji, to your plug. I’ll go back to Central Dogma."

Just as she turned, Asuka and Shinji exchanged a look loaded with meaning. Both nodded once, and went their separate ways.

Tokyo-3,
GeoFront,
NERV HQ
Pilots Changing Room.
(Spiritual Plane)

A red clad ghost floated next to the group. Unseen, he raised his two thumbs at the young man. "(Well done, kid! If the hothead didn’t like you before, she does now.)", he said. "(Now, I hope what we rehearsed will pay dividends.)" He rubbed his forehead and made to crack his knuckles. "(Well, this is new to me, usually I just jump in with both feet, and then play it by ear.)" He kept pace with Shinji until the pilot entered the plug.

Deadman saw Shinji tap his fingers on the control yoke, signalling he was ready to do his part.

"(Okay, buddy. Here we go!)"

Tokyo-3,
GeoFront,
NERV HQ
Evangelion Unit-01 Cage

Shinji tapped his fingers on the control yoke to signal Deadman he was ready for the first stage of the plan. From then on, he had until Unit-01 was deployed on the surface to talk to his mother and get her to cooperate with the plan.

‘Mom? Are you there?’ he sent into the Evangelion core. A feeling of Recognition and Acceptance enveloped him.

‘Listen, I don’t have much time. I’ll explain fast and I need you to help me.’

Surprise . Questioning. Agreement.

‘There is a ghost who will occupy my body for a little while. Please work with him as you would with me. It is very important that he pilots Unit-01 for a few minutes.’

Outrage. EVA-01’s throat began to growl.

Shinji sent his next thoughts frantically, trying to calm EVA-01 before it began to trash in its cage. ‘No, Mom! Listen to me. I agreed with him. We need to do this. It will be only for a couple of minutes, then he will go and I will continue. No one in NERV should even realize it! He won’t be fighting!’

Dr. Akagi’s alarmed voice interrupted them. "Shinji, what’s going on there?"

"S-sorry, Dr. Akagi. Unit-01 is getting temperamental again. Give me a second and I’ll have it back under control."

"Make sure of that, Shinji; I don’t want a berserker EVA again. Especially inside the GeoFront!"

Shinji held his breath for a moment, exerting his will to calm the biomechanoid. The growling receded.

Doubt. Questioning. Doubt.

‘He is a friend,’ Shinji continued. ‘He has helped us before. The Phantom Stranger vouches for him. His name is Boston Brand. If he doesn’t pilot for a couple of minutes, Asuka won’t be allowed to keep on fighting. I’ll explain everything later, please, help me.’

Surprise. Recognition. Surprise. Questioning. Acquiescence. Resignment.

Shinji could have sworn that Unit-01 even sighed a little.

"That’s better, Shinji. As soon as Rei and Unit-00 are in the lift, we will launch you both. "

"Thanks, Dr. Akagi."

Misato added, "I’m sending you the route the Angel is following, and the likely point of interception for you and Wonder Girl, now."

"Roger, Control. Misato? What’s the plan?"

"Start with medium range weapons, Robin. The pallet rifle will be available once you get to the surface. Wonder Girl will use the sniper rifle while you get closer in case you must get personal. If shooting it isn’t enough, then you advance for close range combat. She will continue on a support role." The Op Chief’s voice answered, there was a frosty, professional tone in Misato’s voice. Shinji knew the coldness in her voice was not directed at him, but at Commander Ikari. Misato wouldn’t want to risk being demoted or thrown to the brig during combat.

"Roger, Control. Do we have visual on the enemy?"

Lt. Ibuki answered. "Yes, Robin, sending image to both Units." Shinji heard a few clacks from her keyboard. A moment later, an image opened on his display. It seemed to be from a security camera somewhere in the commercial section of the city. He gasped. The image showed a titanic four-legged... thing. It was like a spider with a body full of eyes.

"I’m gonna need a bigger boot..." He mumbled. Nervous laughter rang from Central Dogma.

"Good one, Robin! Squash that monster!" That was Lt. Aoba.

"Lt. Aoba. Unless you have anything useful to contribute with, Cut. The. Chatter." Commander Ikari’s dry and cold voice drained off all the fleeting good mood Shinji had accidentally created.

"Yes, Sir. Sorry."

Misato turned her head fractionally towards Aoba, smirking a bit. The long-haired bridge bunny had actually paled. She would have to talk to him later.

"Unit-00 at the platform." Rei reported.

"Launch the EVAs!"

Both Aoba and Hyuga tapped the launch signals on their consoles. A tremendous lurch flattened both pilots against their seats, as the biomechs were lifted by a combination of high-pressure pneumatic pistons for the initial impulse and magnetic impulses in sequence for the rest of the trip.

Just as the Evangelions were halfway into the tunnels, darkness enveloped the area. Both launch platforms kept going up due to their enormous inertia, but they stopped just a few hundreds of meters inside the individual shafts that would convey them to their designated deployment places. The safety gears kicked in as soon as the upwards magnetic impulses ceased, to keep the platforms from crashing down into the cages.

"What..?" Shinji mumbled.

Surprise. Alarm. Questioning. Came from the EVA-01’s core.

Tokyo-3,
GeoFront,
NERV HQ
Evangelion Units Deployment Shaft
EVA-01’s Control Plug
Spiritual Plane

"Now what? Just as we were getting ready! Damn! I should be used to this kind of thing to happen by now!" Deadman looked around, seeing only darkness outside the EVA. The only light around was in the EVA-s cockpit. Next to him, the energy counter began its dizzying countdown towards 0:00:00. "Oh, damn!"

Tokyo-3,
GeoFront,
NERV HQ
Central Dogma

"What the Hell?" Misato yelled on her mike, but her voice was only heard on Central Dogma. A few emergency lights went online here and there, but they were not enough to light adequately the cavernous space of Central Dogma.

Tokyo-3,
GeoFront
NERV HQ
Next to EVA-02 Cage.

"(What the Hell?)" Asuka mumbled when the images on her screen vanished, followed by all the lights in EVA-02’s cage. She stood up from her chair, gritting her teeth. "(If this is somebody’s idea of a fucking joke, they are gonna pay with skin!)"

Asuka knew where the emergency kits were stored, and located the nearest one by touch. Soon, she had a miner’s helmet on her head, and the light on. It was enough to see where she was going to. Angry, she stomped her way towards Central Dogma.

Tokyo-3,
GeoFront
NERV HQ
Elevator Shaft Nr 34.

"Now, what?" Ryoji Kaji pushed the buttons on the elevator. No response, not even from the Alarm button. "Damn… No power. This is bad."

The red emergency light kicked in. He waited for a few minutes, listening carefully, with his ear on the door. Nothing.

Kaji looked at his hands for a moment. "I’m no use if I just stay here. I must get out." He looked around, there was a maintenance hatch over him, but it was too high to get there jumping.

He sat on the floor, and emptied his pockets, looking for something he could use to get back to Central Dogma. He put the gun and spare ammo, along with a half-eaten pack of chocolate cookies, back in his pocket; and went through his belongings. "Ah, yes; my Swiss Army Knife; Made in USA, and a pocket flashlight, with a long cord. This should be enough." Kaji put everything else back in his pockets, and began to work.

With the screwdriver included with the knife, he began to twist open the screws that held the control panel in place. There wasn’t anything he could do about the lack of electricity to operate the elevator; but with a little luck, he could use the opening to reach the maintenance hatch and get out of this hanging metal coffin.

A few minutes later, he had pried open the cover. Putting the pocket knife back into his pocket, he rolled his shoulders a couple of times, and made a couple of exercises to warm the muscles on his legs and arms. Then, he put a foot on the decorative rail, and in a single bound, he lifted himself up. In a fluid movement, he put the other foot inside the control panel, taking care of not touching any wires inside. He lifted his body to the ceiling, and hit the hatch with a hand, testing where the hinges were. He noted their position, and allowed himself to land back on the elevator floor, crouching to reduce the impact. He loosened his muscles again, and repeated the movement; this time, opening the hatch with a sound like a gunshot in the confined space of the elevator.

"Okay, third time is the charm! Up, up, and away!"

This time, he grabbed the edge of the hatch, and with a grunt, lifted his body up.

A moment later, he stood on the grimy surface on top of the elevator. He wiped his hands on his pants to get rid of the dust. Using the little flashlight to look around, he located the maintenance ladder on the wall. He put the cord around his neck, and the flashlight on his mouth; adjusting the included bead to make sure the cord wouldn’t slid off. It wouldn’t do if he lost the only source of light around. He switched off the flashlight, and waited for his eyes to get used to the darkness. Covering the top of the flashlight with a hand, to maintain his nocturnal vision for as long as possible, he looked around, "Of course, " he said, feeling a twinge of disappointment. "There’s no maintenance door on sight." He sighed.

"The things I have to do in this job…" he mumbled to himself, and began to climb. "I hope there’s one closer up than down…"

Tokyo-3,
Somewhere in the GeoFront Maintenance Tunnels

The three trucks rolled steadily towards the Garden of Eden, oblivious to the events above them. When they were plunged into darkness, the drivers simply turned on their lights, and put a little extra distance between them.

Occasionally, they had to stop to manually open a hatch. It was relatively easy, unlike the access hatches on the surface, these were designed to open easily. A fatal design flaw.

Tokyo-3,
GeoFront,
NERV HQ
Central Dogma

"Why the Hell are you putting up candles, people!?"

"Asuka! What are you doing here?" asked Misato, who up to that point was busy trying to find a way to get the EVAs to the surface before the Angel invaded the GeoFront. Up on The Perch, as some of the bridge bunnies called the raised level Commander Ikari watched the events from, Asuka could see both Commander Ikari and Vice-Commander Fujutsuki working on big sheets of paper. With a severe case of lack of intimidation, thanks to her anger and frustration, Asuka started a very nice rant.

"I decided to come here and find out what is going on! If I can’t fight, then at least I have to do something better than cooling my heels on the dark! Now, are you going to let me help?"

Misato thought about it for a couple of seconds. ‘The Commander can go to Hell and stay there for all I care. This is an emergency!’ She thought. "Okay, Lt. Ibuki will fill you in on the situation. Then you come here and see if you can find another angle to work."

Asuka nodded quickly, crossing her arms for a moment. The redhead pilot stomped her way towards Lt. Ibuki’s console. "Right, then. Let’s do it. Ibuki! The executive summary."

Maya wasn’t quite ready for the seriousness Asuka took the situation with. Finally, she reacted and began to relay the data she had.

Tokyo-3

Matarael arrived unopposed into the fortress city, most of the buildings had already been lowered into the Geofront, so it could walk with relative ease. It stopped for a couple of minutes, getting its bearings, and studying the terrain, looking for a good point to make its own door towards the signal that called it irrevocably.

Tokyo-3,
GeoFront,
NERV HQ
Evangelion Units Deployment Shaft
EVA-01’s Control Plug

After the surprise blackout, and unable to ask his ghostly ally, Shinji had consulted with Inner Robin for the best course of action. He flipped the comms switch, as there had been no answer from Central Dogma, there was only one person he could talk with.

"Wonder Girl, do you copy?"

"Yes, Robin. Comm units in the Evangelions are operational."

"Good. Look, we don’t have much time. We only have our onboard energy supply, and we will be stuck here for who knows how long. We have to save energy. Turn everything off, except for life support, and put the comms in receive only."

"Understood. Shutting systems now."

The holoimage blinked off, and Shinji started his own deactivation process, not without sending a last communication to the EVA core, and tapping a signal on his control yoke.

Basically, both messages were the same. "We have to wait and see what happens."

Agreement. From the EVA’s core.

From the spiritual plane, Deadman answered, most for himself than for Shinji. "Sure, kid. I’ll be here when you need me."

He laid down over the control yoke, crossed his arms over his chest, and readied himself for the waiting.

Tokyo-3,
GeoFront,
NERV HQ
Central Dogma

"So, basically, out biggest problem is how to get the emergency batteries to Robin and Wonder Girl?"

"It is, Miss Soryu. We don’t have the means to move them into the tunnels. Conceivably, we could use some of the electric vehicles to get the batteries to the launching area, but raising the batteries to where the EVAs are is far beyond our current capabilities." Vice-Commander Fujutsuki laid the facts on the table.

Asuka smirked. "Really? That’s all?"

Misato studied Asuka’s smug facial expression. And a moment later, a big smile made its way on her own face. Asuka nodded in complicity.

"Sir. We do have the means. However, I’ll need Commander Ikari’s permission."

"Granted." Was the short and dry answer. "What do you need?"

"I need to move six EVA batteries into Unit-02’s cage, and a way to get Asuka into the plug."

"The Second Child is not cleared for combat operations." Commander Ikari’s voice was cold as a grave.

"I won’t be fighting. …Sir." Asuka swallowed a bit of her pride, if she could contribute to the battle, she would do it. "All I will do is get the batteries to Units 00 and 01. Then I will stand down and get EVA-02 back into the cage."

"It is our best bet, Sir." Misato added. "Once EVA-02 has been fitted with the batteries, we will have the means to recharge both Units."

Dr. Akagi intervened. "I think it is feasible, Sir. We have no other way. Disabling the launch platforms to get the EVAs back down would cause catastrophic damage to the mechanical systems. The damage Unit-02 would cause to the structures would be relatively minor." Inside, she still had some apprehension, but compared to what would happen if, or better said, when, the Angel penetrated into the GeoFront, it was very minor indeed.

Tokyo-3,
GeoFront,
Somewhere in the GeoFront Maintenance Tunnels

The three trucks stopped for a few minutes, to confirm they were following the right route. It turned out they had taken a wrong branch, and had to continue to a ventilation shaft, where they could turn around and retrace their way.

"Damn!" The leader mumbled through clenched teeth. "We better get good time on the rest of the operation. The black-out will ruin NERV’s chances to detect us, but the longer we stay down here, the longer they have to locate the sabotage and repair it!"

Tokyo-3,
GeoFront,
NERV HQ
EVA-02 Cage.

"Okay, people! We only have a shot at this, so pay attention and do your part!" Misato shouted on the megaphone. She and Lt. Hyuga had coordinated the transport of the six enormous external batteries the EVA Units could be fitted with, allowing them an operational time of 15 minutes, instead of the 5 minutes they could manage with their internal batteries. The biomechs didn’t use them all the time because they took a very long time to charge, they were too big for the EVAs to move freely once they had been fitted with them, and were vulnerable to attacks. All in all, only good for emergencies. Such as this one.

Another team, led by Lt. Aoba, had dragged a set of diesel generators to the cage, along with a good amount of fuel for them. Currently, the generators were busy, charging EVA-02’s internal battery. The machines provided a humming background noise, covering the grunts and puffs the third team provided. They were in charge of manning an improvised rig to move the plug into position, so Asuka could pilot the titan for the next part of the plan.

Asuka was somewhat impressed that the cold and distant Commander Ikari was down on the lines, pulling ropes just like any other grunt. She would have thought the cold man would have stayed up on the perch, watching everybody work... The sight did moderate her temper a bit. She was still angry about him side-lining her. As EVA-02’s pilot, it was her duty and privilege to fight the Angels. She wasn’t one to stay back and cheer for anybody else.

Asuka herself had cooperated with the design of the rig to move the plug, and was now keeping a nervous watch on the energy counter for EVA-02’s on-board battery. They had to charge the battery enough for the EVA to have time to put its own set of two external batteries on.

To save time, she and Misato had prepared a second rig, this one to raise one of the batteries to a point it would be easier for EVA-02 to manoeuvre its body and snap the battery on its place on one of the shoulder pylons.

"Hello?" A dirty and battered Kaji appeared through the main door of the cage, eliciting a happy squee from the German-raised pilot, who ran to him. She had almost hugged the scruffy man when he raised a hand to stop her. "Wait, Asuka! I’m all dirty and you’d just contaminate the LCL."

The pilot stopped, her arms still ready for a hug, looking dejected for a moment, until she actually looked at him. He really was dirty. Like he had dragged himself through a grease pit. "Kaji! What happened to you? Where have you been?"

Kaji steered clear from the bunch of candles that illuminated the place, and wiped his hands on his pants. They were ruined anyway, so a little more grease, dirt, and grime wouldn’t be even noticed. "I got stuck in an elevator. I had to climb up the shaft until I got to a maintenance door, and I’ve been looking for anybody for a while. And let me tell you, that place is a dirt trap. Not that I expected anything else. Anyway, I went to Central Dogma, found it empty, I thought it would be better to check on the cages, heard noise in here, and here I am. Now, say, what can I do to help? I guess things are bad if you’re trying to launch an EVA manually, right?" He clapped twice to rid himself of some dust.

"Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner!" Sarcastically, Misato cut in with her megaphone, from the upper level. "Get your ass up there and pull the ropes with the rest of the team!" She pointed at a group of men, Kaji nodded and went to join them. "I’ll see you later, Asuka. I better do as our beautiful boss tells us." He grinned at Misato.

"I can hear you, you cad! You’ll get no cookie from me until we are out of the woods! We have an Angel on its way, and we need to get this show on the road as soon as possible! Now! Move! Move! Move!"

"Hmm... cookie." He answered cheekily.

Tokyo-3,
GeoFront,
NERV HQ
Somewhere in the GeoFront Maintenance Tunnels

The Drone infiltration teams had finally found a place they could turn around and right their way towards the Garden of Eden. The convoy maneuvered in a tight circle, until they could go back to the correct junction. Many levels above them, Matarael kept its silent walk, unopposed by any human agent.

Tokyo-3, NERV HQ
EVA-02 Cage.

"We have done our part, Asuka, now it’ your turn!" Misato shouted in the megaphone.

The redheaded pilot nodded. "Will do, Misato!" Asuka had put on an overall and leather gloves, to protect the plugsuit from the friction with the rough rope. She pulled herself up, climbing expertly, putting her gymnasium exercises to good use. She took care to wrap the hanging end of the rope around her ankle, giving herself a steady support as she went up. Once on place, a group of men pulled the rope to get her next to the plug. With a graceful move, she boarded the capsule. Once she had discarded the overall and gloves, sitting on the cockpit, the white cylinder was pushed into its place, and the armor pieces at the Evangelion’s back slid into place.

Not losing a moment, she started the activation sequence. A green light spread through the place, as the EVA-02 ‘s four green eyes lit up with inner fire. She waited for Misato to signal that all the restraints that kept EVA-02 firmly on its mooring had been releases. She couldn’t smell the hydraulic fluid spilled from high pressure hoses, roughly cut with fire axes, to release the giant.

On the ground, Kaji was one of the men charged with making sure the fluid didn’t come near the candles. Personally, he wasn’t sure if it would either lit up in flames, or douse the candles. He and his group had put a series of sandbags around the candles.

EVA-02 external speakers blared to life. "Huntress here, all systems nominal. I have two minutes time on my battery." Carefully, she released the last moorings, and slowly, she turned the EVA around; walking back towards where she knew the battery awaited, hanging from a rope rig. She slowed her movements even more, allowing the rope teams time for placing the battery on the right place, and stabilizing it.

Misato, using a pair of chemical lights, and following Lt. Ibuki’s instructions from her place at the back of Unit-02, guided Asuka in position. Misato’s forehead was covered by shining beads of sweat. Leaving apart the stress of the moment, the temperature inside EVA-02’s cage had been steadily rising, due to the generators, the people inside, the candles, and the lack of ventilation. Resisting the impulse to wipe her forehead clean, Misato shook her head and concentrated on the work. "Steady back, steady back." She whispered, more to herself than Asuka. The girl was doing a text book example of maneuvering the huge machine in tightly controlled moves.

On the other side, Kaji and Commander Ikari did the same, guiding the battery teams, until they had placed the battery as close to its position as possible. Now, everything depended on Asuka’s skill. If the redhead pilot was even an iota less able than she liked to boast, all their effort would be wasted.

"A bit to the right. Half a meter, people." Kaji shouted.

The team obeyed instantly. The battery was finally in position. He signalled Misato, so she could, in turn, signal Asuka to move back.

"Back, back, back."

A series of clicks and snaps rewarded them. The first battery was on place!

"Battery time increased to eight minutes. We are ready to go!" Asuka’s jubilant shout was followed by a cheer from all the NERV staff at hand. Even the Vice-Commander joined in. The only exception was, not surprisingly, Commander Ikari. The man just wiped his brow, and glared at the teams. "Captain Katsuragi. Good job, now, direct the Second child on putting the second battery on Unit-02."

"Yes, sir." Misato acknowledged the order. This time, they didn’t have the dwindling energy on the EVA to add pressure to the work.

Under Misato’s guidance, EVA-02 simply took the other battery, and with a little twisting around, was able to snap it on place without more help.

"Yes! Well done, Asuka!"

"I’m ready for the next phase, Misato."

"Grab the other batteries, I’ll wait for you at the launch platforms!"

"Roger."

Tokyo-3, NERV HQ
Evangelion Units Deployment Shaft
EVA-01’s Control Plug

Shinji felt tempted to tap his fingers on the control yoke, but held on. He was so busy trying to think of a way to accomplish the mission, that he missed the strange, scrapping noises that came from the outside. Then, a gong-like sound cut through the cockpit. "What?"

"Hey, Robin! The cavalry is here! Turn your EVA on!"

"Asuka?" He mumbled, not too coherently. He realized she had no way to hear him, and turned the comm system on, hailing Unit-02. The image of Asuka appeared a moment later. "Huntress? How?"

"Teamwork and a lot of brains, now, listen. I have a set of emergency batteries with me, and this shaft is kinda narrow. So listen carefully."

Several uncomfortable moments later, due to the strange contortions EVA-01 had to go through so it could put the batteries on, he had enough energy available.

"Okay, Robin, now I need you to put Unit-01 on stand-by. I have to go back down for a set of batteries for Wonder Girl. Keep your comm open, when Misato gives the go signal, get up and kill that Engel, right?"

"Roger, Huntress, and thank you."

A pleased expression crossed Asuka’s face on the holo-screen, but it disappeared as soon as he noticed, being replaced by a professional mask.

Tokyo-3

Matarael walked leisurely towards the point it had chosen for its entry into the GeoFront. its senses had located a ventilation shaft, below which there was a tunnel that ended up right in the place the Call originated from. The spider-like Angel just had to gain entrance there, and it could accomplish her mission.

Its largest eye looked down. At the bottom of the shaft, it could see three little, inconsequential, easily disposed of, vehicles. With the equivalent of a mental shrug, Matarael began to cry.

Tokyo-3,
GeoFront,
NERV HQ
GeoFront Maintenance Tunnels
Ventilation Shaft
(Exactly Under Matarael)

"This is the place, Drones. We only have to cross that hatch, and it’s easy riding to the Garden of Eden." The leader consulted his maps, confirming their place in the complex. "Uh? We had light from above just a moment ago. What happened?"

He looked up just in time to see the last sliver of light from outside being eclipsed by a massive form, leaving them in almost absolute darkness. A moment later, an acrid smell assaulted his nose. Orange colored liquid fell from above, a rain of a strange liquid fell from the sky!

Everything it touched hissed as it turned into corrosive steam. He and his team had no time to do anything, except scream.

Their remains would be found later, while the construction crews repaired the damage caused by Matarael, but no one could even recognize them, practically dissolved into atoms by the Angel’s acid tears.

Their remains would be dumped into a waste disposal unit, to be neutralized and recycled into bricks.

Tokyo-3,
GeoFront,
NERV HQ
Evangelion Units Deployment Shaft
EVA-00’s Control Plug

"Energy levels satisfactory, Huntress. "

"That’s what I wanted to hear, Wonder Girl. Misato? Do you copy?"

"Control here, Huntress. The relay chain works nicely. Patch me through to Robin and Wonder Girl."

"We are here, Control." Shinji answered. Rei followed him a moment later. There was a slight delay on Misato’s answers, due to the signal being passed from a walkie-talkie unit to another.

"Good, at my signal, release the EVAs from the platforms and climb up the shafts. Your exit points are next to weapon depot buildings. Use the Progressive knifes to open them and retrieve your weapons. The rest of the plan is still on."

"Roger, Control. I will attack at medium range with the Pallet Rifle, while Wonder Girl supports on long range with the sniper rifle. Confirm."

"Confirmed. Now, Go back to full operational status!"

"Confirmed." Both pilots answered.

"Go!" Both Units deployed their Progressive Knifes, and with swift, sharp movements, cut the hydraulic hoses that kept closed their last moorings, Unit-02 had used its own Progressive Knife to cut the leg braces. Immediately, both Evangelions began to climb the shafts, dislodging pieces of reinforced concrete and steel on their way up. It would take them around seven minutes to get to the surface. One minute to open the surface hatch... With a little luck, they would destroy the Angel before their back-up batteries were empty of charge.

For a moment, Unit-02 seemed to be ready to follow them. But Asuka desisted. Disobeying now would only serve to prove Commander Ikari she couldn’t be relied on. And she had already proved the contrary.

"Good luck, you two." She whispered. Then, with her normal, self-assured voice, she added. "I’ll stay here to relay transmissions."

Tokyo-3,
GeoFront,
NERV HQ
Evangelion Units Deployment Shaft
EVA-01’s Control Plug
Spiritual Plane

Deadman grabbed the back of Shinji’s control chair. "That’s it, kid! Wooooohoooo!" He pumped his fist, cheering for the pilot. "Just don’ forget the plan!"

Tokyo-3, NERV HQ
EVA-02 Cage.

"They are on their way, Control."

Misato sighed with some relief. Next to her, Kaji stood, a worried look on his face. "Wait, Asuka is not with them?"

"No, she’s out the active roster, Commander’s orders." She answered with a tinge of sadness on her voice. Kaji nodded. There was another mystery to investigate now. He added it to the list.

Tokyo-3, Surface

A terrible screeching noise broke the silence on the city. Two sets of purple fingers appeared between the two slabs covering the exit hatch. The metal groaned under the strength of those fingers, and eventually, it broke open. A hand shot out, grabbing the edge of the hatch, then the other, both slowly pulling a gigantic body outside.

Cautiosly, Unit-01 peeked out, looking around, until its eyes located the long legs of the enemy. "Angel on sight, Control. I can’t see the main body, but the legs are visible. I don’t think it has seen me. Wonder Girl? Are you out yet?"

Rei’s level voice answered. "I am." From the distance, Shinji heard the crunching sound of a depot building forcibly open. Rei continued.

"Weaponry obtained, Robin. Moving into designated position."

"Roger. Obtaining Pallet Rifle." Shinji stopped. This would be a good time to enact their plan. He tapped the signal on the control yoke.

Tokyo-3, Surface
EVA-01’s Control Plug
Spiritual Plane

"Thought you had forgotten about me, kid! Here we go!" Deadman hijacked Shinji’s body. As expected, there was a moment of resistance. Not from Shinji himself. None of his hosts even realized he had occupied their bodies. No, it was the soul inside Unit-01 who resisted.

Outrage. Contained Anger. Aquiescence.

‘Good day, Mrs. Ikari! I am Deadman. Me and my pal, the Phantom Stranger, are friends of Shinji’s; he told you about me coming here, I expect.’ Deadman sent into the EVA’s core.

Grumbling Agreement.

‘Okay, I get it. It’s not the best situation, but I’ll be here just for a couple of minutes. Then I’ go.’

Unit-01 settled down into a reluctant synch. The synch rate dropped down to 54%, lower than usual; but still, a reasonably high enough synch to work with. Deadman weighted the progressive knife on Unit-01’s hand for a moment, threw it up, making it spin end over end several times, and caught it deftly by the handle. With a swift movement, he stabbed the weapon depot, opening it like a can.

Once he had opened the depot building containing the Pallet Rifle, he sent a message to the EVA’s core. "That’s it, Mrs. Ikari. I’ll go now, okay? No hard feelings, please. Oh, I will be around, just in case Shinji needs me." And he released Shinji.

The boy had expected a moment of disorientation, but Boston had left him in a god point to see what was going on, and he simply retrieved the weapon. ‘I guess everything went according to the plan.’ He thought, ‘I’m back, Mom. Now, the Angel.’

Relief. Relief. Relief. Agreement. The synch rate shot back up to the normal level.

Putting the Progressive Knife back into its place in the pylon, Unit-01 grabbed the Rifle, and cautiously, walked towards the point he would attack. Pausing only to call Rei, he arrived without incident.

"Robin in position. Wonder Girl, confirm."

"In position, ready to support you on your signal, Robin."

"Control? We are ready."

"Attack!"

Both Evangelions opened fire simultaneously. Depleted uranium bullets, each one as big as a fridge, crossed the air towards Matarael, while a concentrated pulse of energy flew out the Sniper Rifle muzzle.

The projectiles flew true towards their target.

Orange octagonal shapes appeared momentarily on the air.

And broke immediately.

"What?"

The projectiles and energy pulse went through the Angel like if it was made of air. For a moment, the titanic creature stood on its long spider-like legs. Then, with apparent slowness, it fell to the ground, one leg even fell down further, leaning on a building.

"Robin! Report!"

"Um... Control? You are not going to believe this..."

"Report, Robin!"

"The Angel seems to be dead."

Several seconds of silence followed. "Are you sure?"

"No, not really, Control. I’ll get close and confirm the kill."

"Step on it from orbit, Robin, it’s the only way to be sure."

"Asuka! Out of the line!"

"Can’t, I’m the last relay point, Misato."

"You know what I mean! Robin, confirm the kill. Be careful."

"Understood, Control."

Unit-01 closed the distance to the 9th Angel. The eerie creature was absolutely immobile, its many eyes still disturbingly open. Just for good measure, Shinji shot it again, five rounds, rapid fire. This time, there was no AT-Field flaring. The bullets simply riddled the body with more holes.

"Well... That was strange. It is dead."

Hills Near Tokyo-3
Sunset time.

"That was strangely anti-climactic." Asuka lay face up on the grass, hands on the back of her neck, her left ankle resting over her right knee, her foot bouncing rhythmically up and down. The tree pilots still wearing their plugsuits. "I mean, the Army could have done it!"

"I don’t think they were in any hurry to repeat their past performances." Shinji added.

"Anyway, I guess you two get new kill-marks, don’t you?"

"I told Misato about that. Rei and I will refuse them unless you get yours. Without your help, we would still be stuck in the launch shafts."

"Really, Boy Wonder? Quite the gentleman." She rose on her elbow, and kissed Shinji on the cheek, enjoying the red blush spreading on his face. He tried to say something, but could only emit garbled sounds. Asuka smiled to herself. ‘He may be a pervert, but he really is a gentleman.’

Rei observed. "Look. The lights are coming back."

By sections, the lights of Tokyo-3 were returning.

"Good, I need to get rid of this LCL, and I don’ t like to shower in the dark. Let’s go home, people. Dibs on the first shower!"

Tokyo-3,
GeoFront,
NERV HQ
Garden of Eden
Spiritual Plane
(Before the Battle)

The soft sound of steps was the only thing that disturbed the silence that had reigned supreme in the Garden of Eden, an enormous warehouse in the lower levels of the GeoFront.

A shadow walked between the discarded projects, relics from another ages, misunderstood technologies. Looking for whatever the Drones from H.I.V.E. had come to Tokyo-3 in search of.

Unknown to the drones, the Phantom Stranger had watched them ever since they had entered the maintenance tunnels.

By listening to their hushed talks, the Phantom Stranger had pieced together a possibility, a chance for help later on.

It never hurt to find more help. Not when the very existence of Humankind was at stake.

The black-out H.I.V.E. had caused was a gift in disguise. Until then, the Garden of Eden had been hidden to his senses, but without power, whatever means NERV used for that purpose, had failed. Still, once NERV restored power to the GeoFront, the place would once again be opaque to him; so, he had to confirm his suspicions now.

The Phantom Stranger walked purposefully, letting his senses guide him. Finally, he stopped, his blue cloak flared around him for a moment.

He stood in front of a series of metal coffin-like containers, with a plexiglass window; each containing a humanoid figure, each figure made of a different metal.

Each figure perfectly sculpted with individual features, there was no way to confuse one of them with another.

Each coffin clearly labelled with the name of the metal in question.

Mercury. Tin. Iron. Platinum. Lead. Veridium. The Phantom Stranger knew of them. The Metal Men. Thought to be simply robots with incredibly life-like programming, giving them human-like personalities. Actually, they were mechanical shells housing human souls. For a fleeting moment, the Stranger’s face betrayed a hint of anger. He looked beyond the six coffins.

There were two more coffins, labelled Gold and Copper.

Gold had been destroyed years before. Before Second Impact, the original field leader of the Metal Men had been destroyed, not in body, but in soul. He was gone forever, but his body had been recovered, and reverted to its anonymous, original state. Now it looked like a store mannequin. His place had been taken by Doctor William Magnus, creator of the little device that housed the souls of the Metal Men in its computerized innards. In a desperate moment, after Gold’s destruction, Doc Magnus had placed his own soul in a Responsometer, animating a shell made of a green alien alloy, renaming himself Veridium.

Copper never had been activated, lacking a soul to animate the body. It waited patiently for that single spark of life.

The Phantom Stranger turned around, and walked away from the Garden of Eden.

Author Notes:

The Haly Circus will take some time to get to Tokyo-3, of course. But it will get there right on time.

Ralph Dibny and his wife Susan will eventually make an appearance in this story, still happily married, and having come to terms with the absence of so many friends since Second Impact. Their autobiography doesn’t exist in continuity, I just thought they would write and publish it to homage their friends. The title not only alludes to Ralph’s strange tic of moving his nose side to side whenever he found some mystery to investigate; also to his talent to find those little mysteries everywhere, no matter what he was doing at the moment. Many of those little adventures were published in the back-ups of Detective Comics.

And just because I can, they will have a nice set of companions to herd around.

Ralph and Sue are among my favorite characters (yep, I do have a lot of favorites!), and their fates in both Identity Crisis and 52 just weren’t how I would have liked them to go (the alternate version of them in I Can’t Believe it’s Not the Justice League would have been preferable; and I’m including Maxwell Lord in that statement). So, I’ll take the chance to give them a nice retirement. The Dibnys will make an appearance soon, not only Ralph and Sue, but a few new Dibnys will be around.

At the moment, Ralph is the only known survivor of the JLA; meaning, on Earth. Superman is in Almerac, Batman is dead, Zatanna is helping to keep Maya alive. I have plans for the others, but I’ll be revealing them in future interludes. Wonder Woman and Green Lantern (Kyle) are kinda busy now. Martian Manhunter and Plastic Man disappeared at different times.

Ruby Ryder, our mysterious Queen Bee, had several appearances in The Brave and the Bold, the Batman team-up book. Frankly, I thought she had more to do in the DCU, but it seems her creator, the amazing Bob Haney, was the only writer to use her (and certainly, she had nothing to do with H.I.V.E., that is my doing).

Personally, I think Ruby Ryder could have gone to be one of the best DC villains, she was Post-Crisis Lex Luthor before Post-Crisis Lex Luthor was created. And she was waaaay better looking than the bald guy. Coincidentally, both are redheads.

She only had four appearances, total, all of them in TBatB. And it was precisely the last one, the inspiration I needed to weave another connection between the DCU and the EVAverse.

The box in the ocean ties with very important elements in the background of the story. I’d like to say more, but those are major spoilers!
Feel free to speculate, please. :D
I’ve been dropping little hints for a long while! And this is not even the first box, BTW.

I will reveal it all when the story catches up with The Origin of NERV episode. Not only this version of NERV and SEELE (as partly seen in some of the Interludes so far), but also the Angels and their how and why. At this point in the story, the Phantom Stranger knows, but he likes to be mysterious that way.

There’s a little homage to the King himself, Mr. Jack Kirby in this chapter. Is hard to find a creator with a bigger shadow on the comics medium. Kirby was amazingly creative, as I have said before. This particular scene pays homage to one of his more enduring techniques, knows as Kirby Dots or Kirby Crackle. If you have seen those little agglomerations of spots to show an energy discharge, well, those are Kirby Dots!

IIRC, he first used them in the pages of Fantastic Four, but he took them with him when he returned to DC in the 70s, and since then, many other artists have adopted the technique, to the point it is currently ubiquitous.

Kaji gets to work fast here, but that’s more because he isn’t getting distracted trying to seduce Misato than any other thing.

"Five Rounds, Rapid." In Doctor Who, this was the standard operational procedure for the Brigadier, during the Third Doctor’s era, whenever confronted by an alien menace. Usually it did not work...

The Metal Men still have a part to play in Evangelion. Eventually they will come out to play.

Why are they in NERV’s hands? There is a very good reason for it!

Chapter Text

Note , the parenthesis indicate languages other than Japanese, in this case, English and Martian

Tokyo-3, NERV HQ
Central Dogma Cafeteria
Three Days After Matarael
11:45 A.M.

"Graaaargh!" Dr. Ritsuko Akagi moaned into her hands. "This cannot be possible!"

"Rits? What do you mean?" Misato poured a cup of coffee and took a couple of chocolate cookies from the economy-sized box Kaji had graciously donated. Donated… yeah, sure… She furrowed her brow and smiled at the same time. Every time Kaji was around Central Dogma's cafeteria, he took several to munch during the day. Misato thought it was just one of several squirrely depots of his. He had been like that ever since she knew him, back in college. Anyway, back to the present.

"Doesn't matter… I am royally accumulating overtime this month, that's all." Ritsuko moved her laptop computer aside, and began to bump her forehead against the table. Thump. Thump. Thump.

"Rits, knock it off. It can't be that bad. You and Maya got the Magi back in working order in record time!"

"It's not that! And I can't speak about it… Commander's orders…"

Misato raised her open palms. "Oooookay, that's my cue to get away. I'm still angry at him for benching Asuka, and I don't want any other problem. Sorry, friend, you're on your own with this. Whatever it is…" She took her coffee, and hurriedly went back to her office. She still had some paperwork to check and sign. The last Angel might have been a paper tiger in the end, but still, she had to coordinate the removal of the damnably creepy thing from the city.

Ritsuko and Maya had already been to the site, and taken a lot of samples. Once they had decreed it was no longer needed to keep the Angel in (more or less) one piece, the removal process could begin. Misato considered herself lucky that the strange acid the 9th Angel could 'cry' had a short effective time before degrading into, funnily enough, something almost like LCL. At least it smelled like it. And while it was still active, it had exactly the same color. It was easy to know when it was inert, it became a murky red color.

Even luckier, thanks to the Angel being incredibly vulnerable to bullets (a first), and that the city had been immobilized due to the blackout, the city itself had suffered very little damage. Most of it, caused by Shinji and Rei's shots going through the thing and impacting a couple buildings behind the Angel.

Repairs were already under way, and by the end of the month, the damage would be completely gone.

Whistling happily, Misato went on with her day. The only thing that could make it better would be Commander Ikari relenting at last, and reactivating Asuka.

The girl had worked hard during the preparatives of the battle, and her help had been invaluable. She deserved to be back on the roster.

Tokyo-3
Geo-Front, Dr. Akagi's Lab
12:03 P.M.

"Maya? Bring the records from the Eight Angel battle, please; and also the analysis of the Second and Third Children's brainwaves."

"On my way, Dr. Akagi."

Ritsuko leaned back on her chair and exhaled a dense cloud of smoke.

Eight minutes later, Maya arrived, her arms holding the prints and the data-sticks for her analysis.

"This is everything, Dr. Akagi."

"Okay, let's begin." Akagi shook her head, dreading to find what she knew would find. "You check Asuka's record from the Eight Angel fight, I'll go with Shinji's from the last fight."

Tokyo-3
Geo-Front, Dr. Akagi's Lab
Spiritual Plane
Same Time.

A red clad ghost snickered softly, comfortably sitting over Maya's computer monitor. "I wish I could point you to the answer, but it will be more fun watching you two running around chasing the Ghost in the Machine. Namely, Mrs. Brand's Handsomest Boy." He jumped back, spinning over himself three times before landing with perfect grace.

Tokyo-3
Geo-Front, Dr. Akagi's Lab
Three Hours Later

"How can it be exactly the same brainwave pattern? It makes no sense!" Maya sighed. They had checked every sensor reading, every way to split and compare the EEG readings.

"They can't have the same pattern, Dr. Akagi. Every person's brainwaves are as individual as fingerprints!"

Dr. Akagi lit up another cigarette, took a long drag of it, held the smoke for a couple of seconds, and exhaled it with evident frustration. "We can't deny it, Maya. Both readings show exactly the same pattern. It's impossible for Shinji and Asuka to have identical brainwave patterns, even for just a few seconds." She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. "It must be some component in the plug. Or worse, in the EVA neurological system."

Maya's eyes opened wide. She caught the unspoken message. "I-I'll notify the maintenance crew."

"You do that. I'll notify Commander Ikari."

Tokyo-3
Geo-Front, Dr. Akagi's Lab
Spiritual Plane
Same Time.

"Aaaand I'll notify the Phantom Stranger." Deadman mockingly mimicked Dr. Akagi's voice. "See you later, Doc! Have fun!" He waved goodbye at the two women, muttering "The Phantom Stranger will be pleased to know the ruse worked like a charm!"

And he disappeared, traveling through dimensional planes, towards the Quintessence Plane.

September the 23st, 2002,
Gotham City, Wayne Manor
Guests Room (Blue)
8:00 A.M.

Reverently Alfred Pennyworth covered Thalia's face with a sheet. She had passed on during the night. Peacefully in her sleep. Her mouth even held a small smile full of relief and hope. Alfred could appreciate such an end, one he had desperately hoped for his own ward, Master Bruce; but the life he led almost guaranteed it would not be.

He sighed sadly. The day would be full of activity and he had many things to do. Still, seeing Master Richard holding the baby Lady Thalia had brought to them lifted his heart.

The baby would be a blessing for the couple. Some years back, that thrice damned clown had shot Mistress Barbara in a futile attempt to drive Commisioner Gordon over the edge of madness. She had survived, but had been paralyzed from the waist down, and her uterus had been gravely damaged by the bullet. She would never be able to have any children of her own.

Alfred bowed his head for a moment. A last farewell to a woman who had lived torn between love and family.

She had peace at last.

A Possible XXVIth Century
NERV-2 (Nevada)
Evangelion Unit-04 Cage
2 Days After Unit-04 Reactivation

"(Well, most of the systems do work)". Mari Illustrious Makinami pontificated from her position, under a console at Central Dogma. "(We have energy, thanks to the S2 Organ in Unit-04, and the main systems are back online. We will have to replace some minor components before this base can be back to 100% efficiency. And anyway, we don't need that. We can be quite comfy with a 60%.)"

"(I'm amazed, young Mari)". Dr. Canus observed. "(I have spent most of my adult life looking for information about life before the Great Disaster, and not even in my wildest dreams I could have hoped to meet somebody who lived before it!)"

"(Hey, Doc, word to the wise: Don't go around making a girl feel old!"), playfully, she smacked him in the shin.

Canus laughed. "(Certainly it wasn't my intention! I just meant you came to us from that strange and wonderful time!)"

"(I'm just pulling your leg, Doc. Now, pass me one those tablets. Let's see if these work.)"

She accepted the packages the humanoid dog passed to her. She opened one, and with a magnifying glass, examined a piece of plastic and metal, way beyond the good doctor's knowledge.

"(Amazing! And you say one of these planks holds the knowledge of a human lifetime? Could I speak to that person?)"

"(It doesn't work like that, Doc. These aren't people, not even copies. It's just an easy way to convey the amount of data they can hold. You could think of them as… hmm… books. Imagine a big library, full of books.)"

"(I am…)" Canus closed his eyes, and judging from his expression, he imagined himself in his personal paradise.

"(Okay. Now, imagine you could have all that knowledge at your fingertips. Instantly.)"

"(Oh… yes…)" He smiled beatifically.

Mari looked at him from the floor. Even from there, his facial expression was evident. "(You are perving out, Doc. Knock it down a peg or two.)"

"(Oh, sorry.)" Had his face not been covered by fur, his blush would have been plainly visible.

"(Okay, each one of these tablets, can hold the equivalent to a whole library of data; and access it in just a few moments. So fast, you and I could think it is instantaneous.)"

Canus opened his eyes. "(Wonderful!)"

At that moment, Kamandi entered Central Dogma, still clad with his usual ragged jeans and blue leather boots, he couldn't help but feel a small stab of jealousy at the easy rapport Mari and Canus had. He shrugged once, and it passed. "(I checked around. All access points are closed. And Unit-04 is generating energy just as you said, Mari.)"

"(Cool beans, Blondie! Now, let's see is this works as it should)". She closed a panel, stood up, and pushed a few buttons on a keyboard. "(Pay attention, boys. I'll need you to do this later on other systems.)"

The next minutes were a simple lesson on how to use the base's computers. Very basic, but enough to check the integrity of the systems. It would be a long time before the base was anywhere near to where Mari wanted. But they had time.

Dr. Canus was on the Seventh Heaven! Technology from before the Great Disaster was rare enough, and he usually had to be content to examine broken remains.

Working tech was the finding of a lifetime!

Having somebody to explain it to him and actually teach him to operate it! By Grant! That was a certifiable miracle!

Kamandi wasn't by any means as enamored of tech as his friend, but he could appreciate it could make life way easier.

As they went out Central Dogma, neither noticed a blinking icon appearing in one of the screens. It was shaped like a rectangle, with two lines coming from the upper corners, uniting at the center of the rectangle.

September the 23st, 2002,
Gotham City, Wayne Industries
Richard Grayson's Office
9:45 A.M.

"(Lucius, glad you came by!)" Richard shook the hand of the tall Afro-American man who had been key for the continuing prosperity of the Wayne Industries conglomerate. His financial acumen, long term planning, and plain skill on reading people had been invaluable.

"(Any time, Richard)". He greeted his boss with long time familiarity. Unlike his predecessor, Bruce Wayne, his heir insisted on fostering a sense of camaraderie with his people; also, he had known Richard since he was at college. "(Now, what can I do for you?") He sat at the elegant chair in front of the big desk. "(I guess you need something new.)"

"(Yes. Well… turns out yesterday,)" Richard took a stress ball, and threw it up, catching it with the same hand. "(an old woman came to Wayne Manor, and brought with her a baby. Apparently, Bruce had an affair with her grand daughter about two years, two years and a half ago; I'm not sure. I need you to arrange some verification. If he is, in fact, Bruce's son, Barbara and I want to adopt him. If he isn't, we still want to adopt him. We just want to be sure.)"

Lucius Fox nodded. He had been expecting such an event for years. Apparently, Bruce Wayne had been amazingly discrete about his affairs, and only a couple of gold-diggers had tried to baby-trap him, and had been brought to court so fast their heads were spinning even before the judge received the paternity tests results. "(I see. What about the woman? Did she produce any proof?)"

"(Sadly, she was very sick, and died during the night. Dr. Thompkins is taking care of the death certificate, and the woman will be buried in a nice cemetery. I only have her first name, Thalia. I don't know the name of the grand daughter, who according to the woman, died a couple of weeks ago. Please see if you can track her family. Apparently, she was an immigrant, she spoke some kind of foreign language I didn't recognize, and her English was quite bad.)" Richard knew she wouldn't show in any database in the world. Not only she was way older than she usually looked like, but she also hadn’t even been registered by any government. Also, the League of Assassins had their own means to trick most identification currently in use. By the time of their end, they were working on ways to fool DNA matching.

"(Sure, I'll send you a private detective we can rely on. He has worked with my people a couple of times in the last year. Have you notified the police?)"

"(Barbara already spoke to her father. Commissioner Gordon is managing that end of the matter. He has people checking on the missing persons database.)"

June the 26th, 2001,
Salem, Massachusetts
Tower of Fate

"(Are you sure you want to do this?)" A strawberry blond woman asked, her long hair held by a ponytail, it floated behind her as if submerged in the primordial sea. Her translucent form walking slowly around the other woman. A tall, slim woman, clad with a modified stage magician suit; top hat, black jacket, black bowtie, golden corset over a shiny black one piece suit, a red sash on her waist; her long legs covered by a beautiful set of stockings, and shining black slippers. She only needed the stereotypical black wand with white tips to complete the look, but she didn't actually need it.

Zatanna Zatara weighted the golden helmet on her hands. It seemed to watch her with the empty eye holes on its featureless front. The fin that adorned the top of the helmet shone in the weak light. The glint promised power at the cost of her individuality.

"(No,)" her voice trembled, and looked at her hostess' eyes. "(I don't want to, Inza. But...") She exhaled slowly. "(But what I do want is... it doesn't matter.)"

"(Nabu can be a harsh master, I know.)" The ghost of Inza Nelson seemed to shrink in herself. "(I lived with him for several decades... And he sometimes ran Kent ragged. I lost count of how many times he was this close to dying simply because Nabu didn't remember he was pushing my husband's body way beyond the human limits.)" She shook her head for a moment.

On the table next to them rested a blue suit, with golden gloves, boots and trunks; plus a golden medallion, the Amulet of Anubis; and the golden Cloak of Destiny; those were the garments of one of the most powerful magic users in the universe. Well... of his host body at least. Kent Nelson was once the chosen host of a Lord of Order, Nabu the Wise.

Nabu had been once advisor to pharaohs in Ancient Egypt; and centuries later, a superhero. The entity needed a host on the material plane to act. And the way he manifested was through his main talisman, the Helmet of Nabu. Once a willing host put the helmet on, he or she (or even them as was the case with the last hosts, Eric and Linda Strauss), would transform into a composite entity.

"(Well... I think it was enough time to say goodbye, don't you think, Inza?)", Zatanna wiped a tear from her eyes, and visibly composed herself.

"(Dear child, there is never time enough to say goodbye.)" Inza answered sadly, her barely-there touch on Zatanna's hand granted the young magician a measure of comfort.

Zatanna stood up, "(ayaM ot em ekat dna, eltnam s'etaF htiw em sserD.)" she chanted her spell backwards; and a moment later, her magician suit had been replaced by the blue and gold of Dr. Fate. The medallion hanged heavily from her neck and the cloak flared high behind her for a moment, then draped over her body like a shroud.

With trembling hands, she put the heavy helmet over her head. Her eyes shone with inner light; her pose changed to the proud stance of a war-mage from Ancient Egypt. Silently, the new Dr. Fate disappeared from the Tower. Once she was gone, the ancient buiding, a simple square tower with a crenellated top, strangely devoid of doors or windows, folded over onto itself, and disappeared too.

Tokyo-3
Katsuragi-Ikari Apartment
Three Days After Matarael
04:17 P.M.

Shinji Ikari sat at the kitchen table, working on his homework. Misato was still at NERV, Rei at her apartment, and Asuka had gone to the roof to do whatever she did up there. As she had made clear, it was her private time, and if they really needed something from her, she always had her cellphone at hand.

As Shinji reached for a book, the colors shifted around him. The unmistakable sign that the Phantom Stranger was around.

The man stood next to the door, and tipped his hat to the young pilot. "Shinji."

"Stranger! How did it go?" His book and homework forgotten, the young man jumped to his feet, anxious to know the results of their work.

The mysterious man's lips twitched in almost a smile. "Dr. Akagi is now chasing an equipment malfunction. As we expected, she found Deadman's brainwaves in your operational recording of the fight against Matarael. She now believes the change in brainwaves and the drop in the synch rate were caused by some defective component in the Evangelion units themselves. As the anomalous readings have not occurred in Unit-00, she is concentrating on the other two. She has also initiated discreet contact with the Second Branch, in Nevada. She asked to see the record of their pilot's synch and activation tests."

Shinji sighed, relieved. "So, Asuka?"

"I am confident her status as a pilot will be reactivated long before Sahaquiel arrives. In the meanwhile, I want to introduce you to someone who will help prepare you for what's coming."

"Who?"

The Stranger walked to Shinji's collection of books and magazines about the metahuman champion from the past, and pulled a book from its place. For a moment, he seemed to weight in on his hand, then he put it over the table and as soon as he released it from his hand, the book's pages began to flip by themselves, until they stopped around the middle of the book.

Shinji looked at the pages, surprised. "Him? But isn't he..?"

"Yes. He is dead. But there is still a place he can reach into the material plane. Even though he didn't really believe in supernatural matters, he was chosen to wait for the right ones to guide and train. You are one of them."

Shinji nodded, his lips pressed together into a thin line, his face full of determination. "What do I need to do?"

"Put your heart into your training. Listen to his words. And above all, persevere; he is not an easy person to know and deal with. Now, grab some warm clothes. We are going into one of the few places on this world where snow still falls." With a flick of his hand, the book returned to its proper place in the bookcase.

"Sure," Shinji could barely contain his nerves and enthusiasm, but Inner Robin brought a question to ask the Stranger. "Wait, there is another pilot?"

Metropolis, USA
Planet Media, Editorial Offices
The Day Before Matarael; 05:00 PM. (Local time)

"(Olsen! To my office! NOW!)" Perry White's unmistakable bellowing voice reverberated all over the main room of the Daily Planet.

"(On my way, Chief!)" Olsen answered from the other side of the room, hurriedly closing his laptop.

"(How many times do I have to tell you? Don't call me Chief! I hate that.)" Perry grumbled while James Olsen closed the office door, laptop still on hand.

"(Sorry, Perry.)" Olsen sat on the offered chair, while Perry walked laps behind his desk, as was his custom. He moved as much as possible when he needed to think.

"(Bah, just leave it! Now, I want you to get in contact with your sources again. Check if they have found anything about Luthor. The man has been living like a recluse ever since his second presidential turn ended.)" White's face twisted in disgust. "(It's been seven years since then. No one has seen hair nor hide of him. And shut your mouth, I know what you were about to say.)"

Olsen closed his mouth and smirked. "(Sure. Luthor has been too quiet, Perry. Since Superman disappeared, he well... it's like he just lost it.)"

"(He lost it, yes.)" White passed a hand over his thinning hair. He chewed on the end of his unlit cigar; it had been several years since he had stopped smoking in the Planet's offices, but still, having a cigar in his mouth gave him something to bite. "(He became a model citizen, and no one has been able to see what kind of shady deals he has been up to. It really looks like he cleaned his act.)" Perry sat heavily on his chair, rumbling his next words. "(And I don't believe that for even a single second!)"

"(Me neither, Perry.)" Olsen opened the laptop, and typed a few commands. A second later, pictures appeared on his screen. Most were of Luthor during his presidential campaign; smiling that disgustingly oily smile of his, shaking hands with the voters or government officers; a few were from the day he stepped down from office. "(But I think it wasn't really after Superman disappeared. Big Blue was last seen back in early 2003. Luthor slowed his shady business around mid 2001, after Mercy Graves was shot dead in the line of duty, and he was wounded himself.)" From the way Olsen said it; the word 'Duty' seemed dirty by association.

"(Dreadful woman that one.)" Perry grumbled. His reporters had had more than one fight against Luthor's personal bodyguard, "(Kent and Lane, God Bless her Soul, used to clash with her back in the day.)" The veteran publisher's eyes lost focus for a moment, remembering. His eyes flickered to a framed picture hanging on the wall, it had been taken years before, when Kent had published his second novel, Under a Yellow Sun. It was taken for some guy whose name he couldn't remember, a friend of Olsen. The group was sitting at a table during the presentation of the book, Kent, Lane, Olsen and himself, all smiling for the camera. '(Now, that was a good night.)' White thought.

After close to ten seconds, Olsen asked. "(Uh, Perry? Do you think Clark… will… come back?)"

The man sighed heavily and shook his head. "(I wish he would, Heaven knows we need people like him. But, no one has even seen him since I don't know when. I spoke to his mother last Christmas, and the poor woman hasn't heard of him for over ten years!)"

The unspoken conclusion hung heavily between the two men. Until Perry slammed his hand on the desk. "(What are you waiting for, Olsen? Get to work!)"

Jimmy stood up, galvanized by his boss' exclamation. "(Yes, Sir!)" and saluted.

Once the redheaded man was out. Perry smiled. "(Hah! I always knew a tour in the Army would do him good.)"

Gotham City.
Selina Kyle's Apartment.
October the 8th,2002; 02:18 A.M.

She was halfway through the living room and called out her name, forgetting for a moment just where she was.

"(Harl?")

There was no answer. Of course there wouldn't be any answer. Harley Quinn had been shipped out of Gotham. Her sanity broken by the horrors that damned clown had subjected her to. Her vibrant personality was completely gone. All that remained of her was a broken shell, mumbling barely understandable words.

Her eyes stopped on a framed picture over a side table. A memory of the good old times, back when they were three naughty friends having fun, robbing rich guys blind and being chased by the biggest and baddest good boy in the world.

She was in the bottom of the image, her cat ears being pulled by Harley, while Pam pulled Harley's pigtails. All three smiling at the camera, held by some guy Pam had enthralled with a kiss.

Selina caressed the picture with her fingertips, "(I miss you, gals...)" She whispered. Pamela Isley, AKA Poison Ivy, had simply disappeared after Second Impact hit, putting her life upside down.

Her heart broke a little more as she saw the frame on the wall. It was an old newspaper clipping, the headline read "(Catwoman's Crime Spree Stopped by the Batman)" and a picture of her, tied up by wrists and ankles with batline and a batarang still hanging from the knot. A note had been pinned to her cowl. The text was unreadable, but the bat shape at the top was better than a signature.

She smiled sadly, Bruce was gone too. But unlike Harley, who might one day, with a lot of luck and work, recover. Or Pam, who might simply reappear, Bruce was gone. Forever.

Dick had told her so. From his hospital bed, while recovering from yet another surgery to try to give him as much mobility on his leg as possible.

She rummaged into the drawers, until she found a bottle.

Meanwhile, her black cat, Isis, rubbed herself against her ankles, begging for food. Selina Kyle cried silent tears of pain, loss and frustration.

She put the bottle down, and washed Isis' bowls. Once dried, she filled them with food and water. As the feline ate, Selina took the bottle, contemplating the liquor inside.

For long minutes she studied the way the light played on the amber liquid.

Finally, she put it down again and closed the drawer.

"(Not today. Not today.)" She whispered, and put the bottle back into the drawer, pushing it to the back.

"(Good. I was hoping you'd take the right choice.)" A voice whispered from the couch. Somehow, the whisper was loud enough to be heard at the other side of the apartment.

Selina crouched instantly, and her fingers tensed into claws. Her fingernails had lost some of their sharpness during her mourning, but would be up to the task of dealing with the intruder. It was a man, sitting on the rocking chair, his elbows resting comfortably on the cushioned arms, his fingers tented in front of his face.

"(Easy,)" the voice said. "(I mean you no harm.)" The figure held up his empty hands. It was a man, half-hidden in the shadows. Selina saw he was wearing a trenchcoat, and a fedora projected a deep shadow over his face, hiding it completely.

"(Who the Hell are you?)" She hissed, preparing helself to attack at the moment the man made any sudden move.

"(That would be the Question, indeed.)" He answered, tilting his fedora upwards. A surprised gasp escaped her lips.

Selina Kyle had seen many strange things since the first time she had taken the identity of Catwoman, but nothing had prepared her for the sight of a man without a face.

Where his features should have been, there was only skin, perfectly smooth skin.

Tokyo-3
Roof of the Building where the Katsuragi-Ikari and Ayanami-Soryu Apartments are Located
Three Days After Matarael
05:47 P.M.

Asuka Langley Soryu sat on the usual bench at the roof of the building, watching the city below. Next to her, a cardboard box had just been closed. Its content well cared for.

Asuka flexed her fingers, rubbing the fingertips against her thumbs; they hurt a bit, but they hurt less these days. Soon she would be ready to prove to the Third Child just who she was.

She shook her head, flipping her long hair around.

Funny. Although being sidelined had hurt, knowing both the Third and First Child spoke in her favor, and were willing to refuse their kill-marks for her lifted her heart. She knew she wasn't the easiest person to get along with, she had the self-sabotaging habit of pushing people to see if they would abandon her, and they usually did, proving they weren't their friends, but somehow, Shinji and Rei, and even Misato, had stuck to their guns for her. Plus, the praise she had received (through clenched teeth, in the Commander's case) for her contribution in the emergency operations during the Ninth Angel's attack, well...

Interestingly, she had been more praised for her ingenuity than her actual piloting. It was a strange new feeling, one she treasured.

Hey eyes roamed once again over the cityscape, looking for the place that creepy Angel had been killed. The cranes of the clean-up crew would be there for a long time. The size of the Angel was truly monstruous, and the removal operations would take a long time before that section of Tokyo-3 could be cleared, repaired, and used again.

A far away sound of cutting reached her ears. A big piece of one leg swung slowly from a high tensile cable, as the crane lowered it to the ground. Asuka had seen the crews at work before, but only for a few minutes, and never in the city itself.

It was almost hypnotic. The men would swarm over the titanic creature, preparing each section for cutting and transport. Asuka didn't know what they did with the pieces, but she guessed they would be destroyed, somehow. Once the Angels were dead, their bodies began to decompose, just like any other creature in the world.

Misato had told her of their problems with the Fourth Angel's body, the stench had been incredible after the first week. They had to use lasers to cut it to pieces and transport the fragments to somewhere they could safely dispose of them.

The Fifth Angel was at the same time, less and more of a problem. The crystalline thing didn't actually rot. The body was a single crystal, made of some matter Earth science couldn't even begin to analyze. However, it was incredibly hard, and the removal crews had to work very hard and spend a lot of cutting tools to barely made a dent on the cutting lasers were useless, as the light was refracted before making any dent in the body.

The Third Angel had obligingly disposed of itself, by blowing itself up. The Sixth, well... it had done the same, just under water. Asuka furrowed her brow. That was the moment she had realized Shinji was a little pervert. But... what if what Misato had said was true?

The baka had several chances already to perv out over her. And still... He hadn't taken the bait. He was acting like a Gott-damned gentleman! Her plan to expose him as a perv was taking too long to yield any result.

She sighed. Her relationship (her WORK relationship, she hurried to amend herself), with Ikari was complicated. So, Asuka went back to the Angels.

The Seventh Angel, also exploded, but this time, it had been by THEIR design, not like the Third and Sixth, which had tried to take the EVA pilots with them. And the Eight; creepiest looking Angel so far (even counting the spider-like Ninth Angel, a weird bird-like skeleton ranked higher in her creep-o-meter), had decomposed so fast the science crew barely had time to get some samples.

She stood up, and arched her back until she heard a series of popping noises. She had been up there for about an hour.

Time to go down and see what the Boy Wonder had cooked. She took her box, and went back into the building.

Titan, Moon of Saturn
J´Onzz´Zahar (J´onzz´ Remembrance)
October the 18th, 2002 (Earth Calendar)

"(He´s awakening, Your Highness.)" The voice rang in the darkness around him. He could smell some kind of disinfectant. At least that was what the smell brought to his mind. He had been to hospitals not only several times, but in several worlds, and the only thing they all had in common was that they all had a sharp smell.

"(Unngh...)" he tried to sit, but gentle hands restrained him.

"(Please remain down. Your body hasn´t mended completely.)" The owner of those hands spoke with a curiously familiar accent. It was, apparently a male, judging from the timbre and cadence of the voice.

"(W-what happened?)" He put a hand on his forehead. There was some residual pain, but it seemed to be receding.

"(We are not sure. You appeared in a flash of light, at the outskirts of the city.)" It was a new voice; sharp, feminine, and certainly it seemed to be used to be obeyed. "(You were very lucky, ten mecrats in the wrong direction, and you would have appeared right outside the atmosphere bubble. Too much methane for you to breath comfortably. Even we have to change our respiratory systems to go out.)"

"(Where am I?)" The standard question, he knew; a big cliche it there ever was one. But nevertheless, that question was necessary.

"(You are in J´Onzz´ Zahar, a colony city from H´ronmeerca´andra; this moon is called C'eridyallca´andra. At the moment, you are a guest of His Majesty King Jemm and Her Majesty Queen Cha´risaa. I am Mender Ordeen. You´re from Per´elandra, right? Oh, sorry, I meant Earth, let me go back a bit, we are in the moon you call Titan, orbiting the world you call Saturn. Am I saying the names right?" Adam nodded, and the voice continued. "I guess you can call me Doctor Ordeen then, if you are more comfortable with that title. They are more or less equivalent, I´ve been told.)"

"(Could you please turn on the lights, Do—I mean, Mender Ordeen?)"

"(Just let me know if your eyes hurt, I´ll light the room gradually.)" The voice sounded a bit pleased.

"(Thank you.)" A few moments later, there was enough light to see his hosts clearly. Mender Ordeen was a short humanoid, with red skin and a short goatee. The other was a regal looking woman, her skin was as white as chalk, and she wore a crisp mane of black, rigid filaments swept back, forming a neat and precise dome shape around her head. Her brow was very prominent; actually, it looked very familiar. A golden necklace hung from her neck, and she was dressed in a simple black garment that accented her figure. Her posture was imposing and haughty, but not hostile.

"(Queen Cha´rissa, I guess. I apologize for my lack of knowledge about the right protocol.)" Adam bowed his head, lying down on a bed, it was the closest he could be to actually bowing.

"(Indeed I am Her. Your apology is accepted, for now. Who are you?)" the woman nodded sharply. It looked like she was in a hurry.

"(Adam Strange, Your Majesty. Born on Earth but mostly living at Rann.)"

Her face changed in a flash, the guarded, semi-hostile frown softened immediately. "(Adam Strange? Ally of the Justice League? Friend of the Martian Manhunter?)"

Finally, it clicked. Her brow was very similar to J´Onn J´Onnz´! Adam decided to start on a good footing. "(The very same, Your Majesty. It´s an honor to meet you.)" If the Titanians were friends of the Martian Manhunter, maybe they could help him go back to Rann.

"(Then you are an honored guest here at J´Onzz´Zahar. Mender Ordeen and his team will see to your needs. Once you have recovered, we must speak at length. Worry not about protocol, my husband spent some time on Earth.)" A shadow crossed her face for a moment, but didn´t elaborate. She turned towards Ordeen. "(Keep me informed of his progress, I shall speak to my husband.)"

Ordeen bowed deeply, in a way a human could never do. "(As you wish, my Queen.)"

As she stepped out, Adam saw that a group of eight bodyguards surrounded her immediately. Four of them had red skin, the other four, white. He waited until the sounds of their steps had vanished.

"(Mender Ordeen, by any chance, and abusing of your hospitality, do you have any way I could contact Rann? I´d like to talk to my family.)"

"(Let me ask. I´ll let you know. Meanwhile, I would like to talk to you, there´s a lot of things about Earth I would like to know. It´s like a hobby, you know? And we can take the chance to teach you some of the protocol we abide to.)"

Maya´s Dimensional Plane
June the 27th, 2001,

In her left hand, the new Doctor Fate held the right hand of Pamela Isley, better known as Poison Ivy. In her right hand, she held the hand of Firestorm; the Swamp Thing and Dr. Mist were on the other side from the Fire Elemental, while Witchfire and Nightshade were next to Poison Ivy. At both sides, many other mystical entities formed the circle of willing souls that would preserve Maya´s strength for as long as they could, by forming a kind of magical circuit with the earth´s living soul. Some were human, some had been human, some others could be human, and some others, never had been and never could be human. Some were heroic in nature, some were not, a few were very neutral in outlook.

But they were all of one mind in this matter. Maya had to be sustained. Should her lifeforce falter, all life on Earth would be gone in a matter of weeks.

"Are you sure this will work, Fate?" Firestorm asked. His yellow/white, fiery eyes held a certain disquiet. The fire man remembered when Dr. Fate and Zatanna had been two separate persons; and, despite the distance he had on his memories, he remembered fondly his time in the JLofA. He appreciated the irony, he himself was used to be two different persons, and not necessarily the same two at the same time.

Dr. Fate´s strange composite voice reverberated from under her helmet. "For a while, it will be enough, yes." She nodded gravely. The eyes of the Lord of Order human form turned towards an entity that didn´t form part of their chain. A tall man, clad with a black suit, a long flowing blue cloak and a fedora of the same color. The cloak rustled softly around him, as if the wind was blowing; but in this dimension, there was no wind at all. "Phantom Stranger. Will you join us?"

"No. Doctor Fate." The Stranger bowed his head in a gesture of respect. "I am not allowed to."

Zatanna´s voice snorted under Fate´s helmet. "I knew it…" Nabu the Wise kept his council; at the moment, Zatanna Zatara would keep some independence, but with time enough, she would merge with his own consciousness. The process had not been completed with his best host yet, Kent Nelson, due to several factors; mostly, that he was merely human and needed occasional respites from the flow of magic that Nabu´s presence subjected him to. But Zatanna had been born a homo magi, a little known variant of humankind; and as such, magic had been part of her since the time she was conceived.

Doctor Fate didn´t pay any attention to her disagreement. "I expected so. What will you do while we stand here?"

"I may not be able to join you in this, but I won´t be idle. There are many threats that would strike when Earth is in such turmoil. I´ll coordinate those whose power will be best employed on the Material Plane. And those who can help protect the Earth from its enemies while you work on healing her."

"Do so. Maya needs us."

The Swamp Thing rumbled his disturbing, halting, voice. "Stranger… keep my wife… and my daughter… safe."

"Abby and Tefe will be waiting for you. I have already set protective measures around them. Tefe will be weak for a while, as her lifeforce is tied to Maya at a deep level."

Swamp Thing´s red eyes shone wet for a moment. "Thank… you…"

With a last nod, the Phantom Stranger walked away from the mystic gathering.

He had much to do, as always.

As he walked away, his steps echoed softly around him, as always.

He walked with purpose, determination.

Even on the road back to Hell.

Ruins of Tokyo-3
A Possible Future, 2016

The strangely dressed man knelt among the rubble. For long minutes he hid his face behind his hands, weeping silently, until something inside him broke. "Again! Again! And again!" He shouted, rising his head to the heavens. Two streams of tears ran down his cheeks. "Must this be the end of yet another world? Another race lost to oblivion?"

Trembling violently, he stood up; his dark green cape and the puffy sleeves of his white tunic flapping pathetically in the dead wind. "Haven´t I been punished enough?" He screamed at the heavens. The air around him was thick with ashes. The smell of freshly spilled blood all around him. But there was not a single body in sight. Just puddles of an orange liquid, slowly flowing down to the sea.

The violet haired man turned around, looking at the gigantic face that seemed to peer down at him from above the clouds. It was the face of a teenage girl, magnified to an inconceivable size. In her hands she held a sphere made of points of light. The simple difference in size meant that he couldn´t even comprehend the ways the perspective seemed to deform her body.

"I have seen whole universes die! Whole realities even! PLEASE! I beg you, whomever you are who holds the keys of my fate and soul. Please! Release me from this torment!" The man broke down in sobs. His voice dropped to a whisper. "Please. Please. Just let me die..."

All around the man, the city of Tokyo-3, that once had been the zenith of human achievement, lay in ruins. Toppled buildings all around. Even the mighty Geo-Front had been breached and destroyed. A hole the size of a small city open to the skies like a gaping wound.

Nine white figures stood in the bay, crucified by their own hands. The remains of a red colossus laid between them, like a deer devoured by wolves. A few pieces of the body and its armor were recognizable still. They had killed and devoured the titan, killing its pilot in the process. They hadn´t even touched her, the mere shock of sensory feedback had done it for them. Her body had dissolved inside the combination of a plug and a cockpit she had been in when the End of the World had come to claim her and the human race in a swift strike.

Next to the grieving man, unseen and unheard, a woman with chalk white skin and black clothes stood in a respectful mourning, watching in silence as the man begged for a release she couldn´t grant him.

"So, this is how it ends for you, my friends." She said at last, her sad voice breaking a bit. "I will miss you all."

A cloaked figure, holding an open book, appeared next to her. He opened the large tome by a page close to the beginning of the book; and slowly and carefully, crossed two lines across a page. His face hidden in the shadows of his hood, Destiny waited until the ink dried; and solemnly and silently, closed the book. "There are others who will take their place on this world, my sister."

"I know. I´ve seen to them when their time comes. But it will never be the same. They are hurt and lost."

"You are getting somewhat sentimental, Death."

"Maybe," she answered after half a minute. "I like this guise, now I´ll have to put it back at the end of the closet, and take a new form. Maybe a siberian tigress, this time. They will appreciate it, I hope."

"I am sure you´ll choose well. As for myself, I have no preference. Will I see you at the wake for them? The others are waiting for us."

"I´ll be there in a few hours, brother, I have some last matters to attend here." Death nodded curtly, holding herself, as if she could feel a cold wind; but the air around was hot and dry, like the desert wind.

Destiny disappeared, while Death stood next to Pariah; as the cursed scientist from another reality wept, not even noticing when the night came.

When the sun rose, Death walked to an apartment building, her soft steps guiding her unerringly to a particular apartment. The door opened before her, she didn´t hesitate to enter.

On the couch, a red-clad ghost sat, the very image of misery. His head hung limply over his chest, his hands hung limply between his legs. He barely moved when she got near him. "Hi, boss." His voice was heavy and dry. "I´m sorry. We failed."

"It was not your fault, Boston." Death´s hand lifted Deadman´s chin softly. "You did all you could. I find no fault in you. Now come. We must go and pay our last respects."

"Must I go? I would like to stay here a bit longer. I owe them at least this."

"Stay for a while, Boston. You are the last, so there is no hurry."

"Boss? Could I ask you a favor?"

"If it´s in my hand to grant it to you, yes. You know the rules."

"It´s not a big thing. I would do it myself, if I could, but... I can´t. And it hurts."

"Tell me." Her voice was gentle and comforting, a sad smile parted her lips. Deadman´s heart lifted a bit.

Deadman pointed at a beautiful cello, lying on the floor, abandoned by its owner some time before. "Could you put the cello back in its place? Please." He looked at her expectantly, as if he had asked for the impossible.

Silently, Death nodded. Her body shimmered for a fleeting moment, and with loving care, put the instrument back into the case. She secured the clasps, and leant it against the wall. She caressed the case, as if saying good-bye to an old friend, who had gone before it was the right time.

"Thank you, boss. It means a lot to me." Deadman stood up, and bowed his gratitude to Death.

"I´ll wait for you at the Garden, Boston."

"I´ll be there, boss. I just want a few minutes to say goodbye."

"Don´t be long," she said softly.

Down at the edge of the sea, Pariah sobbed still. He would stay there for a long time, until his curse dragged him to another place. To another time of death and destruction at a unimaginably vast scale. To bear witness to the end of another race, or another world, another universe, another reality; perhaps.

Such was the price of his sin.

Author Notes

This version of Mari was trained as a pilot for almost as long as Asuka, but she feels more comfortable working with electronic systems. So she was unofficially, a techie in Branch-2. Plus, the manuals for most of the equipment on base are available in dead tree form. The trio hasn't found them yet, as Mari chose to reactivate as many main systems as possible.

I know, a crew of three doesn't even qualify as a skeleton crew for a place as big as Branch-2, but they will manage for a while.

Of course, Alfred is recalling the events on The Killing Joke (one shot, May 1988).

Dr. Fate is a strange hero to say the least. He was created back in the Golden Age (More Fun Comics, Issue 55, May 1940), and has, except for a brief period between the Golden and Silver Ages, been around in the DCU.

Back during the JSA series (1999-2006), written by David Goyer and Geoff Johns, his hystorical background was vastly expanded, tying the character with Black Adam, Metamorpho, and Hawkman. Specifically, in The Return of Hawkman story arc (issues 22 to 25; May to Aug 2001) and JSA B.C. (issues 43 and 44; Feb and Mar 2003).

Thinking about it a little, Dr. Fate IS creepy. Just imagine putting on the helmet that gives you powers, only to be supplanted by the consciousness of an entity older than the world. This aspect was used to good effect in the Young Justice cartoon (Season 1, Episode 19, Misplaced), and that was the inspiration for this scene. In YJ, Zatanna (who debuted in Hawkman, issue 4; Nov 1964, in the first part of the story-arc Zatanna's Search, which ran in several books) was spared by the sacrifice of her father, John Zatara (First appearance: Action Comics, issue 1, June, 1938; the same issue Superman debuted!), who also did cast his spells by speaking backwards.

Jimmy Olsen was first introduced in the radio series The Adventures of Superman on April 15, 1940, and was officially incorporated in the comics in Superman #13 (November–December 1941). Although an unnamed kid in Action Comics #6 (November 1938), is credited as the first canonical appearance of Jimmy Olsen. Olsen had his own title Jimmy Olsen, Superman's Pal, for quite a long time (October 1954 until March 1974), with a lot of curious adventures, and gaining a respectable amount of temporary superpowers, from the interesting to the utterly ridiculous. And during Jack Kirby's tenure on the book, several ideas were permanently introduced to the DCU, mainly Darkseid, the New Gods, and Project Cadmus (and reintroducing the Newsboy Legion and the Guardian, with a new generation of Newsboys, and a clone of the Guardian).

Perry White also debuted in radio, in the second episode The Adventures of Superman (February 14, 1940). His first comic book appearance was in Superman #7 (November 1940). He has mostly had the same personality, but occasionally also gained superpowers, not with Olsen's frequency, but yes, he did. The novel Under a Yellow Sun, a novel by Clark Kent is another of those curious experiments, the book was actually published as a one-shot, IIRC, it runs two parallel storylines, one is the novel by Clark Kent, the other is about the events that inspired the story in universe.

The original version of Lex Luthor first appeared back in Action Comics #23 (April 1940), although his most recognizable characteristics were first introduced with the Ultra-Humanite. Luthor has had several incarnations through the years, but the one I'm using here is the Post-Crisis version introduced in Man of Steel #4 (1986)

Of course, Luthor had to survive Second Impact. Just like in canon, he ran for President, and won. However, in this version of the story, he was reelected, after a tempestuous first period due to Second Impact.

This is not the last we will heard of Lex Luthor in this story.

Maya; the Earth's living soul, was introduced in Firestorm, vol 2; during the Elemental War story arc (issues 90 to 93; Oct 1989 to Jan 1990); she is another of DC's underused characters. I think only John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake have shown her in comics. First during their Firestorm run, back when ol'Flamehead was the Earth's Fire Elemental (later reversed…), and during Final Night, in The Spectre, issue 47 (Nov 1996).

Personally, I think she is an interesting character, who could have much to do with all four elementals. Back then, they were Swamp Thing (Earth), Firestorm (Fire), Red Tornado (Air), and Naiad (Water). Their status as elementals was later annulled, except, AFAIK, for Swamp Thing and Naiad (whose soul had crossed over by the time Final Night was being published, and hasn´t been shown since).

Firestorm (created by Gerry Conway and Al Milgrom, back in Firestorm, the Nuclear Man issue 1; March 1978) is a very strange character, originally, a fusion of two people, Professor Martin Stein and jock Ron Raymond, Interestingly, Ron was in complete control of the composite creature, while Prof. Stein was reduced to the role of a passenger in Firestorm consciousness, forgetting whatever happened during the time they were joined.

Several people have been incorporated into the Firestorm Matrix. After Prof. Stein died due to a brain tumor, the first new person, Mikhail Arkadin, joined the Matrix. However, someway, this new Firestorm wasn´t controlled by any of its components, but by a third consciousness, who only manifested itself during the fusion. During a brief time, a third human (Jama, during the Eden story arc, Firestorm issues 77 to 79; Nov 1988 to Jan 1989) was incorporated into the Matrix, but he died at the end of the story.

Eventually, it was revealed that this Firestorm was actually a somewhat defective Fire Elemental. The addition of Ron disrupted the process. At the end of the series, in Firestorm 100, only Prof. Stein was present in the Matrix, in complete control of the body. (This is the Firestorm featured in this story; however, he is once again fused with Ron Raymond.)

By the time of Identity Crisis, Ron Raymond was the only person in the Matrix, but after the Shadow Thief hit him with Shining Knight´s sword (somehow… In Identity Crisis 5, December 2004), Firestorm exploded (again, somehow…), and the Matrix was passed to another person, Jason Rusch, who was the basis and consciousness of the new Firestorm, but had to fuse temporarily with any other person to become Firestorm.

Later on, there was a whole group of Firestorms! But I´m not going there. The series was interesting, but I felt the character of Firestorm got lost in the shuffle.

One interesting thing I get to do in this story is using many, many ideas and concepts that received little or no continuity from DC. And to connect them!

Back during John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake´s run in Martian Manhunter, they introduced several interesting ideas, that to my knowledge, didn´t receive any follow up. One in particular is just what happened to the two saturnian races that were colonizing Saturn´s moons. The original idea of saturnians comes from the title Jemm, Son of Saturn (created by Greg Potter and Gene Colan, in Jemm, Son of Saturn, issue 1, Sept 1984. As a personal note, I wont ever read this comic, I absolutely dislike Gene Colan´s disregard for anatomy), the character was originally a copy of the Martian Manhunter, due to some editorial stuff that impeded them from using J´Onn. The character was largely forgotten until the Rock of Ages story arc in JLA issues 10 to 16 (Sept 1997 to Feb 1998). By then, Jemm was a serious mess, having been brainwashed by Lex Luthor to be a part of the Injustice Gang. Jemm was rescued by the JLA, and the Martian Manhunter took him under his care to help him recover.

The therapy was to be administered at Z'onn Z'orr, a Martian city transplanted to Earth by the Spectre (Hal Jordan; however, I will not have Hal Jordan as the Spectre in this story. For my purposes, Jim Corrigan didn´t lay down the mantle of the Spectre, he is still around, but until his moment comes, he will be out of sight), but Jemm was psychically hurt by J´Onn´s brother Ma'alefa'ak.

Rescued again, Jemm was once more treated by J´onn, and his mental damage was largely undone at the end of the Rings of Saturn story arc in Martian Manhunter (issues 13 to 16, Dec 1999 to Mar 2000): Jemm, as ruler of the Red Saturnians, and Princess Cha´rissa, for the White Saturnians, sealed a peace treatise by marrying both royal houses and races to each other, hoping to end the long running war between them. AFAIK, that was the last mention to the Saturnians by DC.

As a Legion fan, I felt that there had to be a link between the Saturnian races, and the later occupants of the planet. Especially their best known daughter, Imra Ardeen, AKA Saturn Girl, founding member of the Legion.

(Just between us, I haven´t read the story with the telepathic Laothian race, so I´ll simply ignore it.)

The last scene was a strange one to write, I had no intention to write Death and Destiny at all! However, as I was writing the first draft of the scene, I felt just having Pariah weeping for humankind was somewhat lacking, and that Deadman had to pay his last respects at least. Just as I was thinking on how to link both scenes, Death decided to appear, followed closely by Destiny.

I feel the scene is so much the better with them around. Don´t you?

Now, back to Pariah, the character was one of several who debuted during the Crisis on Infinite Earths, (specifically, in Crisis on Infinite Earths, issue 1, April, 1985). He was a scientist from another, previously unknown universe; who broke the ultimate taboo in the DC multiverse: trying to watch the origin of the universe. His actions caused the destruction of many whole universes, and he was doomed to appear just before any of them was obliterated. I don´t need to say that the guy has a severe case of PTSD. And who could blame him for that?

Chapter Text

Note , the parenthesis indicates languages other than Japanese, in this case, English.

Somewhere in Tibet
Nanda Parbat
(Outside the Normal Flow of Time)

The Phantom Stranger opened the door of Misato’s apartment, and at the other side, Shinji saw a place that looked like the stereotypical open centre yard of a temple, surrounded by elaborate columns of stone. A gust of cold air enveloped him, carrying a few snowflakes. The Stranger motioned for him to pass through.

"...um… Stranger...? How long do we have before we go back to Misato’s?"

"Don’t worry about that. Nanda Parbat is a magical place. Time passes here, yes, but not at the same speed than in the outside. We will return to the apartment in time for you to continue with your work. No one will notice your absence. A whole day will pass here, and only six minutes will have passed on the outer world. I will take you back to Tokyo-3 before anybody notices your absence." He paused while Shinji absorbed the news, once the pilot nodded his comprehension, the Stranger continued, "For now, that’s all the time you can stay. There will be longer periods later, depending on how long you can disappear from Tokyo-3. But, for the moment, concentrate on your lessons."

Once at the other side, Shinji recognized immediately the powerfully muscled man sitting on a marble bench, his back resting against a column. He was completely immobile, his thick arms crossed over his barrel chest. The only sign of life was the nervous movement of the rough toothpick he held in his mouth, even at a distance, it was clear it had been cut by somebody, instead of being made by a machine. Shinji hadn’t know what to expect, but this was not exactly the image of Wildcat he had in his mind, based on the few scraps of information he had gathered about the Justice Society of America. This man was… rougher.

He wore a one-piece suit made of some lustrous black fabric, a cat-like mask covered the upper half of his face, leaving his mouth and chin exposed; he had about three days’ worth of stubble. His hands were wrapped in white strips of cloth, leaving his fingers free but covering his knuckles. Exactly the way boxers protected their hands under their gloves.

Shinji thought the man was in a very obvious and very terrible mood. His jaw set belligerently, his hands tense, his eyes almost closed. The young man gulped, and decided to follow Inner Robin’s advice. ‘Don’t interrupt him. Wait until he acknowledges your presence.’

Shinji choose a point free of snow and knelt in silence, placing his hands on his knees. Next to him, the Phantom Stranger stood immobile and silent. But there was no hint of fear in his stance. It was more... respect for the man’s musings. The blue cloak flapped silently in the breeze.

Shinji checked his coat was zipped. He had pulled the hood up as soon as they arrived to wherever they were. He looked around, keeping his head down. It was the first time he had seen snow, outside of pictures or movies. The whole place was a shocking contrast to Tokyo-3, with its unending summer; especially as they had come directly from Misato’s apartment. There was not even a single cicada making noise. Instead, the soft hiss of the wind and the somewhat dulled crunch of the snow under his shoes had been the only things he had heard so far. He breathed deeply, drinking the serene ambience of the place.

Finally, several minutes later, Wildcat stirred, "(Stranger.)" he said. The man’s voice was rough, not like a smoker’s, but Shinji couldn’t place that particular quality. He also realized that the man was speaking English, but just like he had when the Phantom Stranger took him to watch the Flashes in action, he was able to understand him way beyond his actual knowledge of the language.

"Wildcat." The Stranger answered, tilting his head downwards.

The man turned his head minutely, to look at Shinji, after a second, his eyes returned to the Phantom Stranger. "(You know, every single time I meet you, I get in hot water. I don’t like it.)" He grumbled. “(I didn´t like it in the 50s, didn´t like it in the 60s, in the 70s, in the 80s, in the 90s, and I certainly don´t like it now.)”

He turned to Shinji, looking at him up and down. "(So, this is the poor schmuck who got roped into the job, uh? Don’t looks like he amounts to much.)" The toothpick moved to the other side of his mouth, before returning to its original place. A moment later, Wildcat took the toothpick out of his mouth, and carefully tucked it into the left ear of his cat-mask.

"His name is Shinji Ikari, Third Child and Unit-01’s pilot." The Phantom Stranger’s hand rested protectively over Shinji’s right shoulder. The pilot bowed his head.

Wildcat swung his legs over to turn on his seat, and his hands rested on the marble slab. "(As I said, the schmuck.)" He stood with the grace of a... of a cat. Each movement of his was like a wave of oil, fluid and heavy. But something told Shinji the man could move like lightning when he wanted to. He certainly had the reputation, but seeing him move was a whole different thing. Shinji kept silence.

"(On your feet, kid, you’re making me nervous. I don’t put much stock in ceremony, anyway.)" Wildcat motioned him to stand.

Shinji obeyed. He stood up, and slapped his pants a couple of times to shake the dust and snow.

"(Okay, we have lots to do if I wanna get you up to speed. Think fast!)" And he threw a jab at Shinji’s face. The boy reacted and dodged with a swift movement back; still, Wildcat’s fist almost connected. But stopped about a quarter of an inch away from Shinji’s nose.

"(Good. Nice reflexes.)" Wildcat nodded once, satisfied with Shinji’s fast reaction. He rubbed the knuckles of his right fist against the palm of his left hand. "(Do you box?)"

For the first time since arriving, Shinji spoke, keeping his eyes down respectfully. "(Yes, Wildcat-Sensei. The Second Child has taught me the basics. We spar for two hours, three days per week. One hour with her, the other with the First Child.)"

Reluctantly, Wildcat smiled and nodded with a curious lateral movement. "(Good start, but that won’t be enough.)" With his thumb, he pointed at a bunch of protective equipment. "(Put that on, I wanna see what you can do.)"

He himself put on a set of padded gloves.

Later

"(Now try to kick me, kid. Make me rue the day I said mean things about you!)"

Shinji kept his fists up in front of his torso, and kicked towards Wildcat’s left tight.

"(Higher, kid! Knock a couple teeth outta Momma Grant’s favorite boy’s kisser!)"

Shinji panted, and kicked higher. Easily, Wildcat blocked the kick with his forearm. "(That’s better! But I am still dancing!)"

The pilot focused his will, and threw a series of punches and kicks at the older man. All were blocked, deflected or turned. Wildcat wasn’t even breathing hard.

"(C’mon, kiddie! Hit me!)" Wildcat mocked him. "(Tell you what, if you don’t take this seriously, I will hit you back in two minutes.)"

Shinji nodded, looking into his opponent’s eyes. "Yes, Wildcat-sensei."

Wildcat jumped from one foot to the other, "(Drop the sensei, kid. It’s Mr. Grant.)"

Shinji nodded, keeping his eyes on his new trainer. "Yes, Mr. Grant."

"(On three. One. Two. Three!)"

Shinji attacked in another flurry of fists and feet. Again, Wildcat maneuvered expertly around and between Shinji’s attacks. Two minutes later, Shinji hadn’t connected a single strike.

Wildcat kept dodging him, until Shinji overextended a punch, and received one on the shoulder, on a point his protective equipment barely covered. It felt like a hammer blow.

He gritted his teeth.

"(Wass’up up, kid? That was a love tap!)" Wildcat smiled mockingly behind his mask.

Shinji kept silent, watching Wildcat from behind his own gloved hands. He threw a couple of feints, just like Asuka had taught him. Wildcat dodged them with ease, and threw a jab. Shinji had expected that, and as he jumped back, he kicked. His left foot connected with Wildcat’s right side, just under the ribs. The big man stumbled a step, more due to the surprise than by Shinji’s strength; and grinned like a loon. "(That’s it! No more kiddie gloves! T’was about time!)"

To Shinji’s surprise, the man didn’t press the fight, he simply bowed to signal the end of the sparring session, and punched a small gong instead of using the little hammer that rested besides it.

"(Stranger!)"

From the shadows, a couple of white slits opened. The mysterious man coalesced from the darkness.

Wildcat threw a towel at Shinji, who barely caught it, as his fingers were still encased in the padded gloves.

"(The kid has a small chance.)" Wildcat pronounced, taking off his mask; and wiped the sweat off his face. his features were those of an old boxer, including the cauliflower ears and a nose that seemed to have been broken several times. "(He needs to train, but he has the fire in the belly. Give me a couple of years, and he could go toe-to-toe with Robin. You know which one. The one that god-damned woman trained.)"

Shinji raised his eyes. "Robin?"

"(Yeah. Good kid. Good fighter. The bat was a total sour-puss, but he knew how to choose his companions.)" Wildcat slapped a hand on Shinji’s back, almost knocking him down.

"Could you tell me about him? I mean, Robin."

"(A fan, uh?)" At Shinji’s enthusiastic nodding, Wildcat rubbed his chin, thoughtfully, and said. "(Sure, tell you what, I’ll tell you about Robin some other day, you gotta be a better fighter first. Now, go and shower, I’ll make something to eat in the meanwhile. By the way, no hot water here unless you get some wood and light a fire. Enjoy your shower!)"

Wildcat slapped Shinji’s back once more. "(I left you a pot of ointment at the bathroom, you’ll be right as rain tomorrow.)"

"Some kind of mystical recipe?"

"(Nah, simple muscle ointment. You can get it an any American drugstore. I swear by it. The recipe they used back in 1943 was better, but the stains were really hard to get off your clothes. This one doesn’t stain.)"

Shinji came out trembling from the bathroom, the water was cold! Still, it wouldn´t do to try to avoid the training, he guessed the cold water was a part of it. After all, Wildcat had been around during the Great Depression. Hot water must have been a big luxury for him.

Shinji waited for him in the now empty refectory, the long tables that long before has served dozens of people, lay mostly abandoned. Finally, Wildcat entered the room, holding a pot in his hands. "(Time to eat, kid. You must be hungry.)" He put the pot on a piece of cloth set over the table. "(And cold, I see. Dig in, it will warm your bones.)"

"Thank you, Mr. Grant." Shinji took the ladle and poured a generous portion on a bowl. He set it in front of Wildcat, who simply pushed it back at him. "(No need, kid. I don’t exactly need food anymore.)" He said, with finality.

"But…"

Wildcat put his mask back on. "(I. Don’t. Need. It. Go ahead, eat your fill. It’s my momma’s recipe. Chicken soup, she was famous in all the neighbourhood.)"

Shinji nodded, and began to eat. To his surprise, it was really tasty. "(Mr. Grant, could you teach me to make it?)"

Wildcat looked at him strangely for a moment. "(Uh… sure… Later, kid. Momma Grant’s recipes must be taught leisurely. And I have to show you the right way to cut the chicken anyway.)"

Once he had eaten his soup, Shinji pushed the bowl away, and looked seriously at his new mentor. "Mr. Grant? If I may be so indiscrete of asking, could you tell me how did you meet the Stranger?"

Wildcat snorted. "Well... I see no reason not to tell you, he brought you here for a reason, after all; and I guess knowing more will not do you harm. See, it was many years ago... I was getting back into the hero business, after the JSA disbanded back in 1949. Things were finally beginning to get better; so I was all by myself, chasing some rich kid who had stolen some kind of voodoo hocus pocus trinket..."

Gotham City
An Alley Behind a Music Store
Glendale Neighbourhood
Friday, May the 18th, 1956; 11:58, P.M.

"(You better give up, kid. I got you trapped like a mouse in a rat-trap, and the cops are on their way.)"

"(No! You don’t know what she’ll do to me if I don’t get it back!)" The teen wrapped his arms protectively around the statuette.

Wildcat took a step towards the frightened thief. The kid was actually not a bad guy, except for the little detail of having stolen a priceless statuette from his father’s collection.

The kid scrabbled against the wall, looking for some way to flee. Suddenly, a shadow engulfed him for a moment. When the light came back, a strange man stood over him. His face was hidden by the shadows his fedora projected. He wore a black trench coat over what looked like an expensive black suit, so dark it seemed to be made from shadows. The man extended his hands conciliatorily, covered by white silk gloves.

"(Wha..?)"

"(Wildcat.)" The man tipped his hat at him. "(There is no need to worry about Steven Cartwright. The evil influence that led him to steal this mystic trinket is gone. He will remember the events as a foolish prank. Meanwhile, we must talk.)" The man picked up the statuette, and examined it for a moment.

"(Who the Hell are you, buddy?)" Wildcat tensed his fists. But had to scramble to catch the statuette.

"(Men call me the Phantom Stranger. Follow me, for your help is needed.)"

"(Yeah, sure, I don’t think so. You better come with me.)" Wildcat poked at his chest with a thumb.

"(The sorceress who manipulated Cartwright is getting ready to spread a net of decay over Gotham City. And we are needed to stop it.)" The man waved a hand, and the alley disappeared around them.

"(What? Damn! I hate this magic garbage! Doc Fate and Spec were creepy enough, but you are taking this to a whole new floor.)"

They appeared over a roof. The Phantom Stranger signalled Wildcat to peer over the edge. "(There. At the centre of the circle. That’s Tala, Sorceress of the Night. She and her enslaved minions are preparing to cast the last spell over the city. If they finish it, Gotham City will be dragged into Hell for all eternity.)" Six teenagers, three boys and three girls, worked under the orders of a pale woman, dressed in a black dress. Her long black hair whirled around her with each movement.

Wildcat answered sarcastically. "(A-ha, sure. Mystic stuff is not my bag of sand, buddy. The only spelling I’ve done was a spelling bee back in elementary school; it was a very long time ago and I was really bad at it. I’m not about to magic anything to stop that crazy chick, right?)" Still, he hadn’t taken his eyes from the scene. The kids moved in a way he remembered quite clearly. They were being controlled. And he hated that. A wet leopard growl grew in his throat.

The voice of the Stranger brought him out from his memories. ("No. I need you to fight those golems while I stop Tala.)"

"(The ugly statues, right? Don’t seem very dangerous just standing there.)"

"(They are there to protect Tala from intruders. They are deadly in close combat.)"

"(Really? Don’t look so though to me.)" Wildcat rubbed his knuckles in anticipation. "(Just let me have a go at them.)"

The Phantom Stranger waved a hand, and a set of metallic gauntlets appeared over Wildcat’s hands.

"(Now we’re cooking!)" He exclaimed.

The Phantom Stranger appeared in front of the altar, amidst a cloud of white smoke. "(Enough! Stop this foolishness at once, Tala!)"

The tall and slender woman, with long black hair and white eyes turned around. "(No, my love! The stars are right tonight, and the time is now! I shall conquer this plane and give it to you as proof of my love!)"

"(Never! Your love is tainted! We are as different as night and day, and the two shall never meet!)"

"(Shall we dance this dance again, my love? Let me show you the depths of my love for you, let me show you what I can give you! Every whim, every wish you have are in my hand to give you!)" Tala’s voice was full of desire, of longing.

"(No!)"

A mystic bolt surged from the Strangers hand, but before it touched the beautiful sorceress, it split up into six. The light hit all the minions, and they dropped bonelessly to the ground.

"(Tsk, tsk, my sweet honey.)" Tala whispered. "(I already have all I need from them.)" She snapped her fingers, and the statues began to move.

Before the first animated golem could attack, a black shadow jumped down on the roof, and punched the statue. His muscles, hardened by a thousand fights, managed to crack the face of the statue.

"(So yer a though guy, uh? Let’s see how though, willya?)"

Wildcat jumped backwards, and landed like a cat. He turned around, and ran towards another golem. At the last moment, he slid down on the floor, passing under the legs of the creature. Before the monster could turn around, Wildcat jumped to his feet, and pushed the statue. Disbalanced, it fell down on the floor, and broke into small pieces.

"(Hah! I knew it!)"

Tala’s attention wavered for a moment. "(No! You don’t know what you’re doing!)"

"(I’m trashing your ugly wind-up dolls, babe! What else?)"

Tala’s distraction was costly, the Phantom Stranger threw a spell at her, banishing the sorceress into another dimensional plane. Her scream of frustration lingered for several moments, until it disappeared in the wind.

"(Okay, that was fun.)" Wildcat stood up amidst the broken fragments.

"(Wildcat! Behind you!)" The Stranger’s urgent shout warned him barely on time. Wildcat jumped, and felt the fist of the golem impact the floor behind, right where he had been a moment before. A net of cracks spread from the point of impact. Had he been there, he would have been crushed into paste.

"(Damn! I got cocky.)" He mumbled through clenched teeth, before kicking the legs of the statue and rolling out of the way. The golem fell down, and broke into pieces. "(Four to go!)"

The Stranger’s hand moved into strange positions, and the rocks were bathed in a pure, white light. "(Keep fighting! Don’t let them reassemble!)"

"(What? They rebuild themselves? I hate when they do that!)"

"(I’ll stop them, but you must destroy them first!)"

"(Sure, leave me with the hard work!)"

"(After that, it was just a matter of hitting them, turn them into little piles of pebbles, while the Stranger kept them from coming back for a second round.)"

He put a hand against his chest, "(Still, the last of them managed to kill me. And it stung like the devil. I got a nasty scar out of it.)"

"It killed you?" Shinji’s eyes opened in amazement.

"(Long story, kid. One that’s better told some other day.)"

"Yes, sir."

"(Now, get ready, your ride home is here. Go get your stuff)" Ted Grant jerked his thumb towards a shadowed arch. The Phantom Stranger appeared there.

"(Yes, Mr. Grant.)"

While Shinji went to the room he had been assigned, Wildcat turned to the Stranger. "(Should’a brought him before.)"

The Stranger looked at him levelly. "(He wasn’t ready. It would have done more harm than good.)"

"(What about the girl?)"

"(She still needs more time to heal some of her deepest wounds. Revealing her the same truths I showed Shinji would push her over the edge. She is approaching the point she will be able to face the truths that have been hidden to her eyes.)"

"(Hrumph... And what are you doing to prepare her?)"

"(Shinji is guiding her. His soul and hers are entwinned in a deep level.)"

"(Like Carter and Shiera?)"

"(Exactly. Although their previous lives have been less conflicted.)"

"(Damn...)" Wildcat rubbed his face. He was about to say something else, when he heard Shinji’s steps. "(Bring him back as soon as you can. I better teach him how to fight dirty.)"

Author Notes

Wildcat is one of the longest running characters in the DCU, he was part of the original JSA, and although he is not one of the most famous heroes, either in or out Universe, he is quite popular. In universe, he is also one of the most respected heroes of the WWII veterans. Also, he is one of the most effective teachers for unarmed combat, having trained several generations of heroes.

During the JSA run in 1999-2006, a new factor was added retroactively, a literal reserve of nine lives. He was cursed to become a werecat, but the curse was changed to give him the nine lives, plus a few extra features of the feline kind. Enhanced senses and agility.

He has recovered from deadly wounds in very short time. Currently, he has nine lives that reset back to nine after a while. But if he is killed nine times in a certain period of time, he will die like anybody else.

So, for this story, he used up those nine lives in too short a while (Second Impact, of course…) Wildcat is dead, and like Deadman, he can only have a physical body in Nanda Parbat, with the difference that if he steps out from its limits, he will go to the next plane. Deadman just goes back to being a ghost.

Wildcat is referring to the third Robin, Tim Drake, who had a series of trainers very different from Bruce Wayne’s: The most infamous is, of course, Lady Shiva.

Shiva began as a support character in Richard Dragon, Master of Kung-Fu. Eventually, she struck out on her own, and has been literally looking for good fights, though she accepts to train worthy students, if they manage to impress her. Her final exam usually is "Survive, you pass."

Interestingly, Shiva has surpassed the original protagonist, I mean, when was the last time Richard Dragon had a big role to play in the DCU? It might be due to the fact that Richard Dragon wasn’t originally created as a DC character, he was the protagonist of a series of novels, and DC published his comic for a while. At first, he was quite separated from the DCU, but the series was eventually incorporated in the main universe.

Nanda Parbat is DC’s Shangri-La, a mystical place only a few chosen people can even find. It is also the place Rama Kushna mantained as her domain. Time runs strangely in Nanda Parbat. Years can pass inside its limits, and only a few days on the outside.

Nanda Parbat has been featured, very differently, in the CW Arrowverse, this version is the base for Ra’s Al Ghul’s League of Assassins.

Deadman is quite familiar with the DCU Nanda Parbat, as it is the only place on Earth he has a physical body, but it only lasts for as long as he stays in there.

BTW, there is a Secret Origin for Wildcat’s toothpick! Check JSA, issue 10, May 2000 for the whole story!

Tala was one of the few recurrent enemies for the Phantom Stranger, she debuted in Phantom Stranger, issue 4, Dec 1969.

I had to adjust her timeline a bit, For this story, her first appearance, and fight against the Phantom Stranger occurred in 1952. At this point in the timeline, they have been clashing intermittently for close to four years.

She has been very underused in DC. Even her few appearances in the animated JLU were kinda underwhelming, as she was, basically, Gorilla Grood’s moll, and later Luthor’s. She was not exactly a big name in the ‘Legion of Doom’.

The flashback adventure here is completely my doing. However, I tried to emulate Bob Haney’s style of storytelling. I owe a lot of what I am trying to do here to his run in The Brave and the Bold, and it felt right to do a flashback in his particular style. Simple, direct, and full of action!

During Haney’s run in TB&tB, Wildcat was one of the most frequent co-stars. Curiously, his adventures with Batman were out of canon; as back then, DC had an active Multiverse, and Wildcat resided in Earth-2. Even more interestingly, those same adventures could actually work Post-Crisis, as it was said that one of Batman’s mentors had been precisely Wildcat!

About the Phantom Stranger, the way I described his appearance in the flashback, corresponds to his original look, with a trench coat instead of his characteristic cloak and medallion. However, in canon, the change of look from the trench coat (and visible eyes, no less!) to cloak and medallion occurred in Phantom Stranger, issue 4, Dec 1969; the same issue Tala made her first appearance in! Another bit of trivia, this issue also marked the first time the Phantom Stranger actually used magic on plain sight, his previous appearances (and disappearances) could be explained with some trickery.

For this fic, the first meeting of the Stranger and Tala happened in 1952, and it only needs some minor adjustments to work. Of course, Dr. Thirteen had quite a long career unmasking frauds and conmen. He wrote his autobiography (the same book Shinji got back in Chapter 2) sometime after retiring from active work, and was succeeded by his son (not canon compliant). Tracy Thirteen, (should she appear in this fic, I still haven’t decided), is the granddaughter of the Dr. Thirteen who first met the Phantom Stranger sometime during the 1950’s.

Chapter Text

Note , the parenthesis indicates languages other than Japanese, in this case, English.

Tokyo-3
GeoFront, NERV HQ
Commander’s Lair
3 Days Before Sahaquiel

"Understood. I’ll depart immediately." Commander Gendo Ikari pushed a button on his telephone set, and after receiving an answering beep, put the device back on its cradle.

A minute later, Kozo Fujutsuki entered the darkened room. "Any news?

"Yes. The search teams finally located it. We are to supervise the recovery and bring it to Terminal Dogma." There was a certain eagerness in Gendo Ikari’s voice. As if the universe was folding down to his wishes.

Hiding his disgust, Fujutsuki looked away. "I hoped it had been destroyed along with Adam." At least that would have delayed the demented plans of SEELE and the even worse scenario Gendo Ikari had planned years before.

"Impossible. There is nothing on Earth that could damage the Lance of Longinus. Get ready to depart in two hours. We will rendezvous with a helicopter sent by the Pacific Fleet in Tierra del Fuego and continue by air until we reach the main group." He paused. "It seems the damages to the Over the Rainbow weren’t serious, despite Gaghiel’s efforts."

"Indeed; still, they had to refit or replace a flight elevator and the main propeller. It wasn’t really designed to be carrying Unit-02’s weight around." There was no enthusiasm in Fujutsuki’s voice.

"We should be at the site of Second Impact in a couple of days."

Fujutsuki sighed and rummaged in a hidden cabinet. He pulled a bottle of whiskey and two shot glasses. He put everything on top of Gendo’s gargantuan desk. "As if I didn’t have enough nightmares already." He poured the liquor and downed one drink in a single gulp. It would not be enough to settle his nerves, and he wouldn’t dare to drink more, although he was really tempted to do so anyway. "That place is an unending sea of horror."

Gendo examined his glass, and drank measuredly. "And yet, it’s the purest place on Earth." He almost smiled at the thought.

Kozo looked at him sideways, they had always been at opposite sides of that particular philosophical point. "I should go. I’ll arrange the transport before I leave. Chopper or VTOL?"

"I have no preference; arrange it to your satisfaction. I’ll manage the administrative front." The Commander pulled a series of folders and proceeded to sign several forms by hand. His neat script flowed easily over the paperwork. It had been prepared months before, waiting for the time.

"Who will stay in charge? Dr. Akagi?"

"No, Dr. Akagi is busy tracking... a possible problem with the Evangelions interface; unless there’s an emergency, she and Lt. Ibuki will continue with that. Captain Katsuragi is a better choice. Despite her bout with insubordination on behalf of the Second Child."

Fujutsuki raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure she’s ready? Even on a temporal capacity?"

"There’s no one better suited for the role than her. Her desire for revenge makes her easy to manipulate, plus, the reinstatement of the Second in the combat roster will keep Katsuragi on her feet. She will do nothing to risk the pilot’s status." Gendo tented his hands in front of his face, thinking. "Even if there is an Angel attack while we’re away, I’m sure she will manage to pull off a victory. Somehow her mind is up to the challenge posed by unearthly entities bent on our destruction."

"Which one is next?" Fujutsuki poured himself a second drink.

"Sahaquiel."

"The Angel of the Sky? I wonder what kind of monster it is." The eyes of the old professor unfocused as he thought on the next eldritch entity to come to Tokyo-3.

Gendo’s deep voice brought him out from his musings. "The Dead Sea Scrolls are not clear on its shape. SEELE speculates about the way it will look, but if the previous Angels are any indication, we can’t even imagine it until we see it. There are several hints, but no definitive description."

"Hrumph..." Fujutsuki downed his drink. "I guess it would be too much to ask what kind of abomination we are facing next."

"Indeed."

Tokyo-3
GeoFront, NERV HQ
Commander’s Lair
Spiritual Plane

"(Hmm... I wouldn’t say no to one of those, Ol’Man. Pity I can’t risk hijacking either of you.)" Deadman shrugged and jumped down from an imaginary platform. Gendo’s office was seriously lacking on any furniture except for his desk, and it annoyed the vagabond ghost to no end. He liked to have improbable things to sit on. And sitting on the desk stopped to be fun a long time ago.

"(Anyway, the Phantom Stranger will want to know about your trip.)"

Quintessence Plane
Four Minutes Later.

"(Are you absolutely sure that’s what they said?)" It was rare, and very disquieting, to see any sign of agitation on the Phantom Stranger’s face. Usually, the mysterious man was stoic to the point of apparent callousness. Hard emotions, like anger or desperation, only surfaced during or after a difficult magical battle. Even during the Crisis in Infinite Times, the Stranger had kept his cool.

"(Yeah, I’m sure. It was either the Spear or the Lance of Longinus, I don’t really know the difference, and in Japanese is even more confusing. Anyway, Commander BadBeard said somebody had located it, and they are going down to at least Tierra del Fuego to get it. It must be down in the Antarctic Sea, wherever Adam kicked the bucket.)"

"(These are grave news. The Spear’s resting place must have been knocked down from orbit by Second Impact." The Stranger shook his head, dreading to think of the possibilities. "If NERV or SEELE gain possession of the Spear of Destiny...)"

"(I hate to ask, and I know am gonna regret asking... but... What is the Spear of Longinus? The name sounds a bit familiar, but I can’t remember where I have heard it before.)" Deadman floated around the Earth globe, still spinning serenely in the eternal night of space, enveloped by a soft greenish glow, evident only in the night side. Deadman continued, "(I guess it can be a game changer.)"

"(Have you met the Spectre?)" The stress in the Stranger’s voice was pretty much in evidence. He looked like he needed to sit down.

"(Can’t say I’ve had the pleasure. I’ve heard some ludicrous stories about the guy, like he is a pompous drama queen with a nasty sense of humor, and that he can do practically anything he wants, like growing to the side of a mountain, or razing a whole country to the ground like he was the wrath of God.)"

"(The stories are true. The Spectre is the incarnation of God’s Wrath. Literally.)" Deadman gasped, and the Stranger continued. "(Vlatava, a country in Europe, permanently besieged by civil war, exists no more, destroyed by his hand. It only took him a moment to kill every single living creature on Vlatava. Not even the microbes were spared from his anger.)"

Deadman whistled his amazement "(I must have been sleeping that month… And this Spear, what? Is it his weapon?)"

"(No.)" The stranger conjured an image of the Spectre, tall as a mountain, shouting his anger to the heavens as a wave of fire ran through the land. He held a man in each fist; one was dressed in a military uniform, the other looked like a metahuman, clad in a green and black suit, with a long black cloak with green lining, that hung limp at his back. Both men screamed in horror at the destruction the Spectre wrought on the land.

Deadman could not speak after seeing such destruction. Men, women, children, animals. All burning to death at a gesture from the pale-skinned giant.

Sombrely, the Phantom Stranger concluded, "(The Spear of Destiny can kill the Spectre.)"

Tokyo-3
Aida Household.
Two Hours After School

"Hey, Kensuke!" Toji spoke in the intercom at the door. "Are you there? Open the door!"

The door beeped open. "Sure, come in. I’m in the dark room. You got it?"

Toji kept speaking at the Pin-Pon unit, even though the door was already open. Anyway, it was easier than waiting until Kensuke finished whatever he was doing in the dark room. And he didn’t have any wish of barging in and ruining a batch of pictures, or worse, the negatives. It had happened one, and it took them a while to recover from the loss. "Yeaup. I got you your package. Mr. Takashima says you still have some credit, but it’s not enough for another pack. He says you have to build up your account again."

"Well, bring it in; just let me finish with this batch and I’ll see you at the living room. I’ll go to the store later to get more credit. There’s some sodas in the fridge, go ahead and get one for me, please."

Toji entered the small house, and put the package on the coffee table. It wasn’t large, but it was heavier than it looked. He wiped his forehead. Luckily it hadn’t rained, yet. A few days before, he and Kensuke had to ask Shinji for refuge from the rain.

A couple of minutes later, Kensuke appeared. "Phew, man! Who would have guessed that Rei would become so popular?" He rubbed his hands together, and opened the box Toji had brought. "Ah, yes. With these supplies, we can print a lot of sets of Fire and Ice pics!"

"I know!" Toji smiled, thinking of the money they had raked in since they decided to include Rei in their sets of girls’ pictures.

Tokyo-3
Ayanami-Soryu Apartment.
Same Time

"Bless you." Both girls had sneezed simultaneously.

Asuka furrowed her brow in annoyance. "Somebody must be talking about us, Wonder Girl."

"How do you know it?" Rei put the book she had been reading down on her lap.

"We both sneezed at the same time. And I don’t remember having seen you do that before."

Rei thought about it for a moment. "It is rare, yes. But I don’t see any causal relationship between talking about a person and said person sneezing."

"There shouldn’t be, but believe me. It happens."

High Atmosphere Orbit.
Above Spain

The airless expanse of space wasn’t conductive to any type of sound, but had there been air enough to conduct the sound, there would have been a small boom and a series of ‘Pings!’ surrounding a strange, segmented cylinder. One that was longer in the inside than in the outside. At the centre of the tube, a small box floated, analysing the interplay of several forces. Gravity, electromagnetism, cosmic rays, residual air, etc.

A few minutes later, there was a second boom. And the "Ping!"s vanished.

There was nothing there anymore.

However, valuable data had been obtained and relayed.

Somewhere outside the Material Dimension
Same time

A titanic sphere stirred in its slumber. The processing core at its surface ran through several simulations, and decided that the insertion point previously selected wouldn’t work after all. It ran through the available data, and selected another place. A new booming noise followed an energy discharge, and the next probe was sent.

Tokyo-3
Katsuragi-Ikari Apartment.
Same Time

Shinji sat down at the table, rigidly working on his homework. Wildcat had really worked him over in their last session. He had been at Nanda Parbat several times during the previous days, and thanks to the strange properties of time there, Shinji had accumulated a couple extra days to his life, for a moment, he thought idly it would affect the date of his birthday, but shrugged the thought away.

The young pilot rolled his shoulders for a few seconds, trying to get rid of the residual pain. He had no bruises; it was just muscular fatigue. Wildcat had assured he would be feeling fine after one or two days using the ointment he had given him back in Nanda Parbat.

When the man said that the kiddie gloves were off, he meant it. Shinji had learned more in the few scant hours he had spent in the solitary temple, than in all the time he had been sparring with Asuka and Rei.

The old veteran had demonstrated a lot of fighting manoeuvres, responses, attacks, holds, grapples, weapon improvisation, situation awareness. Shinji barely could hit the big man. But every time he did so, Wildcat just smiled crookedly and stepped up on his own fighting style.

It was a mix of many different disciplines.

Shinji turned out to be a natural. He learned easily and fast. However, it seemed he could only catch Wildcat once with each new technique. The man was slippery and faster than he looked.

During one of their occasional breaks in training, Wildcat had revealed he was a fan of the old Jackie Chan’s movies. And suggested Shinji should watch a few. "(The man is a gifted athlete, a comedy genius, and a very fine combat choreographer.)" Mr. Grant had said. "(Watch him improvise weapons anywhere, and you will start to see the world in a different way.)"

He took a cup from the table. "(Just an inoffensive cup, right?)" Shinji knew where he was going. He nodded back at his teacher. "(But, it can also be a weapon, a distraction, even a shield.)"

"(You are progressing nicely. Soon you’ll be able to actually fight back at me. Then I will show you ways to take down enemies bigger than you.)"

"Using superior fighting techniques?"

"(Nah, kid. I’ll teach you to fight dirty!)" The grin on Wildcat’s face was disturbing. He pulled a big, wicked looking knife from a stand, and twirled it on his hand. "(But that’s for later. Right now, we are going to make dinner! First thing to do, cut the chicken in pieces.)"

Undisclosed Location
Unregistered Island Near the Coast of Madagascar
Underground Building 12
Assembly Cell; 12:23 AM (Tokyo-3 Time)

The Queen Bee of H.I.V.E. looked around her, weighting the atmosphere. She waited for any of her drones to speak. She was in an extremely foul mood. There had been no news from the recovery team sent to Tokyo-3.

She pointed at the drone sitting at the other end of the table, the lowest of the group in terms of the pecking order. "(Inform.)" She whispered, choking down on her anger.

The man answered. "(My Queen, there have been no communication from the team. Not even an emergency signal. They simply disappeared from the radar. Even their sub-cutaneous trackers stopped working.)"

"(Find them. Bring them back here.)"

"(Yes, my Queen. I’ll send a group after them. We have the contact data for the seller who got them the equipment they used.)"

"(I don’t care for the details. Do whatever you have to do to find them and bring them back here.)"

The drone nodded, gathered his documents, and prepared to exit the conference room.

"(Stop right there.)" The Queen stood up. "(You better work on infiltrating a new drone in NERV. As you are going there, we should take the chance. Check the roster for any drone who can do the job. The higher the place you can get them, the better.)"

"(Yes, my Queen. I’ll depart as soon as I have selected a team and chosen the infiltrator.)"

"Don’t forget to check with Doctor Cyber, I want you and your team to have an extra incentive to do your work."

The man paled. He was very familiar with the kind of incentives Dr. Cyber liked to put into use...

...and into drones...

Somewhere in the Antarctic Ocean
Dead Water Zone
Over the Rainbow, Flagship of the Pacific Fleet; Command Bridge.
Two Days Before Sahaquiel’s Appearance, 10:18 A.M. (Local Time)

An Ensign turned towards the unmistakable leader of the Pacific Fleet. "(Sir, we are near the objective.)" the Admiral put his coffee mug on the table.

"(Send word to our guests, Ensign. The sooner we pick up whatever thing they got us to carry back to Japan, the sooner we get rid of them.)"

The Captain looked at his superior officer. "(Indeed, Sir.)"

The Admiral took a sip from his cooling coffee, and seemed to swallow a bitter pull along with it. "(Hrumph. What an idiot. The old guy is tolerable, I guess, but his boss... I’m pretty sure the kid must have gotten the good genes from his Mother.)"

"(The crew seems to have settled on giving him and his companion the cold shoulder.)"

"(And the cold coffee. And the cold food. I venture.)" The Admiral hid his grin behind his mug of coffee.

"(Lukewarm at the most, Sir. After all, we are close to the South Pole.)" For all the satisfaction the Captain felt, nothing was revealed in his flat voice. Still, he allowed himself a smug grin.

Similar smug smirks spread on the bridge crew member’s faces. All Pacific Fleet crewmen on the Over the Rainbow considered themselves indebted with the Third Child, his warning before the Sixth Angel attacked and sunk the Othello had saved many lives.

However, his father... He carried such an insufferable attitude that not a single sailor would give him the time of the day if it wasn’t for his position in NERV.

The sailors were, at first, very glad to be hosting the father of the Pilot who had left such a positive impression, even on the Admiral of the Pacific Fleet. But after many cold answers, that good will had eroded to nothing. Sure, they wouldn’t resort to open hostilities, but simply dragging their feet when away from the view of their superior officers, that they could, and would, do.

Therefore, all the little tasks that could be delayed, were delayed. Nothing too obvious, but enough to make their discontent very clear.

Hell, even the Admiral played that game!

Tokyo-3
Katsuragi-Ikari Apartment
One Day Before Sahaquiel’s Appearance
07:25 A.M.

Shinji Ikari was almost ready to go to school when the colors shifted around him. He looked around for the Phantom Stranger, but the mysterious man wasn’t anywhere in sight. Puzzled, Shinji looked around once more. This time, he noticed his own shadow had changed. Instead of the slim shadow of a gawky teenager, it was the Phantom Stranger’s shadow!

The radio turned on by itself, for a moment, the frenetic voice of an announcer blared the virtues of a liquid dish soap, only to be replaced by the soft voice of the Phantom Stranger. "Shinji, urgent matters require my immediate attention, Deadman has his own mission to attend to. We will come back as soon as possible. In the meanwhile, trust in your friends. According to my analysis of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the next Angel will attack from the sky; hopefully, after we have returned. Otherwise, I’m certain Captain Katsuragi is more than able to develop a plan to confront the Angel; but if, and only if, she can’t, I can implant a suggestion in your subconscious mind, to propose a plan. This carries some risks, as it could very well raise the Commander’s suspicions. Voice the plan only if there’s no other way."

Shinji had to sit down for a moment, his blood had turned into ice and his legs to jelly. he nodded, and said. "Um… sure… Will it hurt?"

"No. You won’t even notice it."

"Okay, go ahead." A momentary dizziness, and nothing else. "That’s it?"

Colors and shadow went back to normal. Shinji grabbed his backpack, and opened the door, to find both his neighbors were already there, Asuka had her finger on the intercom button. "Good, right on time, Wonder Boy. Let’s go."

Somewhere in the Antarctic Ocean
Dead Water Zone
Over the Rainbow, Flagship of the Pacific Fleet; Observation Deck
One Day Before Sahaquiel’s Appearance
Same Time

Two men watched the blood red ocean around them. Neither spoke. One mused about the pristine condition of the word around them. A world completely free of sin and corruption.

The other mused about the dead condition of the word around them. A world completely devoid of life, of potential.

Both thinking about the mysterious Lance of Longinus. And what it would mean for the plans traced long ago. SEELE’s and Commander Ikari. At a minimum, the Lance would allow NERV to keep Lilith under control. It was a miracle the creature still was immobilized by the titanic nails that held it on the crimson cross it had been found at the lowest level of the GeoFront.

They kept silent for a long time.

Somewhere in the Antarctic Ocean
Dead Water Zone
Over the Rainbow, Flagship of the Pacific Fleet, Observation Deck
Spiritual Plane, Same Time

A red clad ghost entertained himself with simple acrobatics. "(Man, I’d prefer to walk the railings outside as a high rope, but I need to watch you guys in case you say anything interesting.)" he sighed, resigned, "(Which it seems I’m gonna wait for for a very long time. C’mon! Say something! Recite the alphabet, a poem even! Just say something already!)"

"(Damn... Just how did I get this job?)" Deadman paused dramatically, "(Oh, yes... Got murdered on the job I had, was turned into a meddling ghost by an Asian goddess, investigated and solved my own murder, partnering with the Batman a lot of times in the process; met strange and interesting people; investigated a murder, and foiled an attempt on Robin’s wife, followed the breadcrumbs, gossiped about it to the Phantom Stranger, and got saddled with following you two Masters of the Boringverse around. Once this damned plot you guys and the old farts of SEELE gets completely trashed, I’m taking a sabbatical!)"

Earth Orbit, LaGrange Point 3
One Day Before Sahaquiel’s Appearance
09:26 A.M. (Tokyo-3 Local Time)

Soft footsteps echoed in the empty halls of a floating, translucent, green citadel.

Their owner stopped in front of a three-sided pillar, slowly rotating in the air. Inside it, floated a body, immobile inside the glowing green prism. The Phantom Stranger looked upon the faces of the citadel’s creator, owner, keeper, and only occupant.

"(What do you want? Do you even know what I do here?)" three voices asked. They came from inside the pillar. In it, the man seemed frozen in time, like an insect in amber. His visage was different. As the pillar rotated around him, his face changed with each facet of the gigantic prism. He wore a curious armored suit, made of flowing green light. It made him look like a futuristic knight.

The first face he showed was old, with wrinkled, yet dignified features, full of strength despite his old age, his white hair seemed to have been blond many years ago.

The second face belonged to a middle-aged man, his brown hair showed silver hair on his temples. His face set with anger and determination.

The last face was young, yet it was worn beyond is years. His black, thick hair seemed to rebel against any attempt to tame it.

"(I have come here, to ask for your help, Emerald Guardian. Earth is in dire peril. I need to locate an object in orbit.)" The Stranger held up a hand, and over his palm appeared an image. It was roughly round. An agglomeration of dirt and rocks. The image turned around, showing what looked like a crude sculpture of a human skull. “(Or confirm it is not orbiting Earth anymore.)”

"(This artificial asteroid was created years ago by the Spectre, the Incarnated Wrath of God, to preserve and contain the Lance of Longinus.)"

The Emerald Guardian stirred a little. "(You are distracting me from my work. I need to focus all my attention, all my will on it.)"

"(I shall replace one of you in the meanwhile.)" The Stranger answered without any hesitation.

"(Very well.)"

A minute later, one of the three came out of the prism, it was the younger of the trio. He shook his head and stretched his arms and legs. "(I’ll be glad when the Earth’s atmosphere is finally stabilized.)"

The Stranger nodded once. When he stepped into the prism, he spoke again. "(Indeed. I thank you three for your unfaltering work adjusting the climate. Without you, Earth would have drifted into either an Ice Age or a Fire Age.)"

Kyle Rayner fixed the image of the artificial asteroid in his mind, and walked to a platform where two lanterns awaited. One looked like an old railroad lantern, the other, like a futuristic version of the same. He took the later by the handle, and pressed his right hand onto the center of the lantern.

"(In darkest night,
In brightest day,
No evil shall escape my sight
Let those who worship evil’s might
beware my power, GREEN LANTERN’S LIGHT!)"

A wave of green light inundated the room. "(Man, it’s been a long time since any of us recited any oath… Maybe next time I’ll recite Alan’s. Yes, that would be nice.)"

Over the Indian Ocean
Five Minutes Before Sahaquiel’s Appearance

A series of "Pings!" went unheard in the vast orbital space. A new glowing cylinder floated next to a little box, floating free in the eternal night. The box took multiple readings, and sent them back to its sender, which proceeded to analyze the data packages.

This new orbital position nearly fulfilled the Mission requirements. Still, the timing was a fraction off.

Sahaquiel calculated complex combinations of time, speed, distance, comparing millions of possible results.

Had it been capable of both the emotional response and the mere physical movements, Sahaquiel would have sighed and shrugged. The orbital position was satisfactory.

Barely.

Still, it was close enough for its purposes. The creator signal was clear and strong. Sahaquiel determined to fulfill its purpose from this place. After all, the creator would direct the impact to the best place on the planet to remake it at his own design. Sahaquiel was to be his tool to wipe the slate clean and begin with the long process of rebuilding it into a suitable place.

The energy cylinder closed on itself, while the box kept on pinging.

A silent boom later, a new energy cylinder opened into place, this one was big enough to accomodate Sahaquiel’s mass and volume.

The Tenth Angel’s arrival destroyed the box. Behind it, the tunnel closed.

Sahaquiel unfolded and extended its body. His original, spherical body become a strange vision floating in space.

Tokyo-3; GeoFront; NERV HQ.
Central Dogma
Two Minutes, 5 Seconds After Sahaquiel’s Appearance

Lt. Makoto Hyuga turned back, to inform his finding. "The Angel appeared suddenly, two minutes ago."

A diagram appeared in the main holographic display, showing the initial estimated orbital trajectory of the massive object. A female voice issued instructions. "Send Search Satellite Number Six to that orbit."

A moments later, SS6 transmitted the first image of the latest threat to life on Earth.

It had a massive central body, showing a colossal, unblinking eye in the center, similar to the ones in the Ninth Angel’s body. Disturbingly human in shape, disturbingly inhuman in expression. The pupil was blood red, while the iris was sickly green and the sclera was yellow. Three antennae like eyelashes in each eyelid.

Two branches protruded from the central mass, one to each side. They ended in a round secondary mass, from which three mayor protrusions grew, extending away from the secondary masses, like grotesque fingers, plus two minor fingers. In the center of the secondary masses, there was a circular eye like structure, with the same colors than the central eye.

There was no time for a more detailed examination. Sahaquiel emitted a shock wave with its AT Field, destroying SS6 with contemptuous ease.

And establishing a radio dead zone over half the northern hemisphere, including the whole of Japan.

In the meanwhile, Shinji waited. Knowing he had some plan implanted in his memory, hoping he wouldn’t need to reveal it.

Earth Orbit, LaGrange Point 3
Three Minutes After Sahaquiel’s Appearance

Kyle Rayner enjoyed a breath of fresh air. He and his two companions had stood on guard for over a decade. By now, the three of them knew each other better than anybody else.

But he didn’t have time for enjoying the momentary freedom. He himself had never met the Phantom Stranger, but his two companions had. The mysterious man never appeared unless things were dire indeed. And if he needed to track a sinister looking chunk of dirt and rock, it was important. So, after a brief deliberation, the youngest Lantern was selected to search for the object.

"Okay, Kyle, get back to work, that coffee was nice, although it was a simulation." He mumbled. "The blue guy didn’t give you this ring just for fun. Get to work, get to work. Find it, find it." He kept babbling on. He had almost forgotten the sound of his own voice. And after so many years of mind communion, it was an incredible experience.

Systematically, his awareness attacked the long and tedious labor of locating a needle in a haystack. "Nononononono, not a needle in a haystack. I’m looking for a grain of sand in the ocean! Yes, in the ocean! After a hurricane! I can do it. I can, I can."

Tokyo-3; GeoFront; NERV HQ.
Strategy Room
Two Hours After Sahaquiel’s Appearance

Misato heard the reports. This Angel was a literal living bomb. If it dropped on Tokyo-3, it would erase the city completely. There would be nothing left. Only water.

‘Dammit!’ she growled, ‘We just can’t catch a bre...’ Her eyes lit up.

She looked around to the other occupants of the strategy room. Their faces Illuminated from below by the image projected from the floor.

"I have an idea. Ritsuko, just how strong are the EVAs AT Fields?"

Tokyo-3; GeoFront; NERV HQ.
Women’s Restroom
Two Hours; Twenty Five Minutes After Sahaquiel’s Appearance

As if the hanging threat of a kinetic bomb weighting hundreds, or maybe even, thousands of tons wasn’t enough, the Angel’s AT Field also disrupted communications,

Captain Misato Katsuragi studied herself on the mirror.

Yes, she had an idea.

Yes, it was a very long shot.

Yes, if it failed the consequences would be catastrophic.

Yes, she admitted to herself her plan put NERV Japan at risk. She had given everybody a chance to evacuate to Matsuhiro. The MAGI were still backing themselves up at the secondary base.

However, the main tech crew had refused to evacuate. A moving show of confidence on her capabilities.

And a big weight on her conscience if her plan failed.

Tokyo-3; GeoFront; NERV HQ.
Strategy Room
Three Hours, 4 minutes After Sahaquiel’s Appearance

"No need for last wills. The three of us won’t fail." Shinji closed his fist with determination, his two fellow pilots nodded their agreement.

"Great! And don’t forget it, I’ll pay for the best dinner ever! Vegetarian for you, Rei."

Misato turned around, leaving the strategic room, for some reason, it showed an aerial view of the GeoFront, from above NERV’s HQ. It was incredibly real.

As soon as the echo of her steps vanished, the pilot’s confident smiles dropped down.

"Hey, Wonder Boy, you really sounded enthusiastic about this absurd plan." Asuka’s smile turned sarcastic as she poked at Shinji’s ribs with a well-placed elbow..

Shinji looked at her sideways. "I have two reasons. I have faith in Misato. She has not failed us yet. Even when everything is against us, her harebrained plans work."

"Oh. And the other?"

Shinji began walking out the room. He turned and looked her in the eye, smiling. "I fight at Huntress and Wonder Girl’s side. How could I lose?"

Rei walked behind him, and nodded when she passed him by.

Asuka thought about it for a second, and ran after them. "Damn right!"

As they went to the lockers, Shinji sighed in relief. Whatever plan the Phantom Stranger had put in his mind, he was glad he didn’t need it.

He trusted in his friends.

That was more than good enough.

They would catch that Angel.

"I will not break." He whispered. "We will not break."

Somewhere in the Antarctic Ocean
Dead Water Zone
Over the Rainbow, Flagship of the Pacific Fleet; Observation Deck
1 Hour After Sahaquiel’s Appearance

The two men watched around from the Observation Deck; their spirits affected by recent events in different ways. For one, it was one more step closer to the realization of his plans. For the other, it was one more step closer to damnation.

Over the carrier’s flight deck, lay an incredibly massive and ancient object. A relic of impossibly powerful creatures. The key for the next step for mankind.

For SEELE, the Lance of Longinus meant the means to keep Lilith imprisoned inside the GeoFront; the way to control, and if necessary, destroy Lilith or Adam themselves, should they wake up from their long slumber. The destruction brought by Adam during the scant minutes he was awake fifteen years ago appalled even the callous souls of SEELE’s High Council, although it didn’t take them long before they hid from their consciences with long and convoluted rationalizations. Anyway, they had already murdered half the world, in the name of forcing the other half into Instrumentality. Backing up now would mean it had been all for nothing.

For Commander Gendo Ikari, the Lance represented a way to stop SEELE’s plan. Using it at the right moment, he could get rid of it, depriving SEELE of a way to stop his own Scenario. Invalidating theirs in the process was a nice bonus.

Antarctic Sea
Over the Rainbow, Flagship of the Pacific Fleet; Observation Deck
1 Hour After Sahaquiel’s Appearance
Spiritual Plane

Deadman looked again at the massive object resting on the carrier’s deck. He whistled his astonishment. "(Wow… You guys don’t play around when you are planning the apocalypse…)" He floated around Commander Ikari, watching the tiny, barely visible, smug grin that appeared on his lips. "(Now, I wonder what are you guys planning to do with this thing… I really hope you got a bag of really big marshmallows instead of some way to kill the world…)"

GeoFront, NERV HQ
Central Dogma
Last debriefing before the 10th Angel Operation.

The tech crew, the pilots, and the chiefs of operations and Project E gathered before the holoprojection, showing the best estimation the Magi had managed. The possible area of impact covered most of the map of Tokyo-3 metropolitan area and surrounding wilderness.

Maya put their dread into words. "Because of the Angel’s ECM jamming, we’ve lost track of it."

Dr. Akagi didn’t lighten the mood with her own words, "Since it’s impossible to calculate the collision point exactly, the MAGIs estimated a drop zone based on the data that had been collected before it was lost," she pointed at the projection, "this is it."

Shinji’s stomach sank like a lead ball. Despite his own trust on both Captain Katsuragi and the Phantom Stranger, he knew catching the Angel wouldn’t be easy. He tightened his right fist, and whispered his mantra once. "I will not break."

Next to him, Asuka’s disbelieving exclamation hid Shinji’s words, "The range is this wide?"

Undisclosed Location
Unregistered Island Near the Coast of Madagascar
Hive Base, Underground Building 2
Queen Bee’s Chambers

The Queen Bee tapped the fingers of her left hand over the polished surface of the table. Next to her, Dr. Cyber fidgeted with the mask covering her whole face. Two segmented eyes looked impassively at the world, but the Queen was very familiar with Cyber’s body language. "(So, did you have any fun?)"

"(Indeed I had, my Queen.)" She chuckled in response. "(Each one of your agents in Tokyo-3 was implanted with a couple of capsules full of nano-bots of my own design. By the time they are settled in the city, the nano-bots will be fully integrated in their nervous systems.)" Cyber waved a hand airily, while showing a remote control with the other. "(Should you press this nice little yellow button,)" she pushed the control towards the Queen, "(their empty little brains will fry in a flash.)"

"(Yellow?)" the Queen Bee arched her perfect left eyebrow.

"(Yes. I find red buttons so very predictable and boring, I try not to use them.)" She released the clasps that secured the mask on its place. "(But, should you simply want to remind them that they are under your constant vigilance, just twist the mauve dial and press on it. It goes up to eleven, of course.)" The mask was put aside, revealing a beautiful face, eerie in its immobility. It was almost a second mask. The treatments authorized by the Queen Bee had restored her features, but the facial muscles had been mostly paralyzed. Returning the mobility was not really a priority for Dr. Cyber, she actually liked not having to think on keeping her "resting bitch face."

"(What does it do? Causes pain?)" The Queen weighted the remote control on her palm, noting the pictures and names of each agent on a small screen. It was clear she could choose which agent would be subject to the nanobots’ effects.

"(Oh, no, nonono. I have found that pain can be cause for much suspicion should they be in, say, mixed company. And a poor motivational tool in some cases. No, I aimed for a subtler effect, pressing the button makes a random muscle twitch for several minutes. Level 1 affects a muscle behind the ears, it can actually move them almost a couple centimeters back and forth. Very funny to watch I assure you. And supremely annoying for the receiving individual.)"

"(And at…)" The Queen swallowed her disgust over Cyber’s newly found sense of humor, "(…say… Eight?)"

"(One of the big muscles at the lower back, can get very, very painful if you keep the button pressed for over thirty seconds. The effect will last for several hours, and it feels just like they had thrown their backs. Nothing a full night of rest will not cure. And just so you know, my beloved Queen, Eleven can break bones, I thought you would like to have that one.)"

Earth Orbit, LaGrange Point 3
Emerald Citadel; Central Chamber

For both Alan Scott and Hal Jordan, joining their awareness with the Phantom Stranger was a weird and humbling experience. Both of them had access to a power source on a cosmic level. The Phantom Stranger was both wielder and servant of an even higher source.

The Gestalt consciousness worked now with an ease and precision they hadn’t before. Minute adjustments on the barely visible emerald shell around Earth were made. However, while both Scott and Jordan minds worked now almost as a single entity, the Stranger’s mind was not available to them. It was shrouded by a kind of mist or fog. Still, they had glimpses of strange scenes.

One was of an angel speaking to another. A real angel, not the eldritch abominations that attacked Japan in the last months. The Emerald Guardian had memories of a true angel, serving alongside Kyle Rayner in the last incarnation of the Justice League. But Zauriel had an edge to his personality, as he had experienced both innocence and betrayal. The angels in the memories didn’t have that edge. One of them was even more innocent than the other.

The next images showed an old city, stricken by an earthquake. The survivors helped each other, rescuing people from their fallen houses. A white haired man worked non-stop, removing debris, feeding people, or burying the dead. His eyes were so sunk into his face that they were not visible at all.

After that, a man walked through a medieval city, hiding his face in the shadows of his hooded cloak. In his arms, he carried the dead body of a young, beautiful woman. He carried the body to the forest close to the city, and buried the woman next to a big oak tree. He knelt, and pulled the hood off his head, revealing his white hair and shadow hidden eyes, a tear fell on the ground.

Meanwhile, the Phantom Stranger received images from both Scott and Jordan. The railroad engineer who survived the sabotage of a train, receiving the power and responsibility of the green flame, the embodiment of ancient magic. His long fight alongside the Justice Society, the loos of his first wife, who abandoned before he even realized she was pregnant with twins. Both children were later adopted into very different families, but both inherited some measure of power. Todd became a living shadow, and took the name Obsidian; while his twin sister wielded a similar power to her father, power that tinted her skin and hair a vibrant shade of green. She took the name Jade, and both siblings were founding members of a group of young heroes, Infinity Inc.; most of them, heirs or wards of the Justice Society members. The siblings met their end some time after Second Impact, victims of the Impact Wars. Yet, they had died saving lives. Cold comfort for their Father, but comfort at the end.

From Jordan, the Stranger saw his self-destructive tendencies, culminating into his destroying the Green Lantern Corps and the Guardians of the Universe and the conversion to Parallax. When Second Impact hit, Parallax was away, looking for some way to reverse time itself and restore not only the destroyed Coast City, but also to change many other events, both big and small. The Zero Hour event had failed, but Parallax was willing to try again. When he returned to Earth, it was to find a planet in turmoil. Apart from the armed conflicts that flared all around the globe, the planetary axis had changed, causing a drastic climatic change. His own power was theoretically enough to keep the planet from destroying itself, but even with all the power of the Green Lanterns at his disposal, he still needed to rest.

So, after a brief clash of wills, the three wielders of the emerald power had been united into a single entity, the Emerald Guardian, who watched over the whole planet, keeping the weather in balance. However, the very shell that stabilized the atmosphere also acted as a greenhouse, increasing the temperatures, and perpetuating the summer season. Keeping the temperature in a safe margin took all his/their concentration and will.

The shell had a minor, tertiary effect, it tinged all stars with a slight green shade. Most astronomers ascribed this to some floating dust released during Second Impact.

Gotham City, Wayne Manor
(Sublevel 4, Batcave)

Bruce Wayne Jr. finally cracked the code in the hidden panel behind the big grandfather clock in the ground level of the manor. It had taken a very long time to do it. Somehow, his uncle and aunt had something very interesting down there.

Now that both were out for some social event or another, it was his chance. Bruce had taken care not to do any noise that could wake up Alfred.

Cracking the code had taken a lot of planning and effort. For some reason, announcing he wanted to take advanced computation classes had amused his surrogate parents, and Aunt Barbara had smirked at Uncle Dick, like they had shared some very private joke only they would understand. Still, they had found him a tutor and encouraged him to learn all he could. Adding that class to his already busy schedule had been a big pain in the neck, especially as it came just after his physical training. Somehow, he thought, physical exercise should not be immediately followed by an intense brain exercise. But both Dad and Mom had put the foot down.

Bruce felt a small pang of regret at doing this behind their backs, but his curiosity was overwhelming.

After long minutes of cycling through possible passcodes, the panel beeped green, only to ask for a full palm print. "Dang! If only I had brought a holoprojector with Dad’s print. Oh, wait, I did!" The small holo unit flashed over the reader screen, and a new green light pit up. The locks opened one after the other. "Wow… I don’t know what is behind door number one, but it must be a doozy!"

Finally, the door opened, and Bruce stepped into a narrow hall, apparently a natural formation in the rock. The only light available was the one from his small keychain lantern. Over his head, he could see a series of lamps, but he didn’t find the light switch.

Finally, the narrow hall opened into a big cave, Bruce heard the difference immediately. In the far distance, he could hear some water dripping. The light of his lantern revealed a polished floor, covered in dust. All around him, tall boxes covered with dusty sheets.

Curious, he pulled one of the sheets, under it, a showcase, museum style, containing an old ventriloquist dummy, characterized as a stereotypical gangster from the 1930’s, with a cigar in its mouth, a scar marring the features under its left eye, and a tommy-gun in its right hand. Bruce scratched his head. "Underwhelming, Dad." He looked closer at the dummy. "Wait, it that a real gun?" it certainly looked like.

Bruce pulled another sheet down. Under it, a female mannequin dressed with what looked like a dark green swimsuit made of leaves, with light green tights, and the drawing of an ivy branch on the sides. "Okay, this is officially weird."

He looked around, until he found the light switch. After pushing it, long unused lamps lit up, revealing a gargantuan space, a section, the one he stood presently, was full of exhibits. At the other side, what could be a gigantic computer set up. Another section looked like a garage, if the shapes of the objects under the sheets were actually cars and motorcycles.

"C’mon, Dad. Why do you keep a museum under the house? It looks like a haunted house. Whoa!" The last lights to start revealed an incredibly big replica of a coin! And next to it, something that looked like a dinosaur playing ghost. The very tip of its mouth peeked from under the biggest sheet he had ever seen. A replica of a playing card hung from the ceiling. "Why would Dad want to hang a Joker?"

During the next hour, Bruce Wayne Jr. explored the place. He didn’t realize that he was being watched from afar, through several surveillance cameras strategically placed.

Gotham City, Wayne Foundation HQ
Sublevel 7 (Inactive Secondary Batcave)

"Well… He found it, just as we thought." The redheaded woman sighed. "I just wish this wasn’t needed, Dick."

"So do I, honey. If I could be sure, I would spare him our old lives, but the way things are going, not preparing him would be the height of irresponsibility."

A sad sigh answered, "I know. Hard to believe there are still a few villains around, and some of them have children of their own. Killer Moth of all people is a single parent of a girl almost Brucie’s age! Spoiled rotten even. Glad he took the hint and retired after the Iceberg Lounge Massacre."

"Not that him was actually too much of a menace before Second Impact." Dick shrugged dismissively.

"Ha! For a self-styled anti-Batman, he was a push-over." Barbara’s smug grin told everything about her opinion of Killer Moth. "I mean, the first time I fought him, I was a barely trained amateur on a costume ball, for God’s sake! My utility pouch didn’t even have any batarangs, and if I had had them at the time, I wouldn’t have known how to use them!"

"And you took out his men with just a bit of martial arts!" He said proudly.

"And I was quaking in my boots for a good hour after that. That was quite the adrenaline rush, that and meeting Batman."

"You know, all those times we teamed up were the best times of my teenage years." He hugged her from behind and kissed the top of her head. "By the way, did I apologize for being that condescending?" He said.

Her voice was full of warmth when she answered. "Yeah, you did; in deed if not in word." She sighed with nostalgia. "A pity we didn’t actually get married then."

He chuckled. "True. You looked amazing in that wedding dress. My tux was an affront to good taste."

Before she could answer, a beep from the laptop called them back to the Batcave. "Shh… He’s about to uncover our mannequins."

They watched as their adoptive son pulled the sheet from the longest case. Their eyes were misty with unshed tears, remembering the companions lost to Second Impact and its consequences.

Inside, perfectly made mannequins stood up in eternal attention, their featureless faces look ahead blankly. Each one dressed in the uniform of a member of the Bat-Family. A simple plaque at the bottom of the case shows each one’s name: Huntress, Spoiler, the original Robin, the second, the third, Batgirl, Batwoman, Nightwing, Azrael. They were all there. Surrounding a black and blue costume, Batman’s.

Another case holds a very different uniform, a black so deep it’s disturbing to look at, it is also the only one without a cloak. A red bat is proudly displayed in the center of the chest. The black hood covers the face completely, the white eye slits almost seem to look at Bruce. The plaque below simply says "Prototype Stealth Suit, Mk. 3".

The teen stood there for long minutes, trying to process what he had found.

Meanwhile, Dick and Barbara Grayson held hands, lost in their memories of years past.

Somewhere in the Antarctic Ocean
Dead Water Zone
Over the Rainbow, Observation Deck.
1 Hour Before Sahaquiel Impact

On the return trip from Second Impact Ground Zero, Vice-Commander Kozo Fujutsuki and Commander Gendo Ikari spent their time watching the horizon from the highest point on the Over The Rainbow.

"Nothing living can exist in the world of death we call Antarctica. Or should I simply call it Hell?" The old professor mused, Four steps behind his once pupil, now Commander Gendo Ikari. That was the furthest he allowed himself to be from Ikari in the small glass and steel cubicle. Four more steps behind him, the door to go back down into the ship. There was no need at all to go to the deathly cold and dry Antarctic air. The cubicle had its own heating system, separate from the rest of the ship.

Down below, Fujutsuki could see the few ships from the Pacific Fleet that had survived Gaghiel’s attack unharmed, surrounding the carrier. Their prows cut the red waters with deliberate efficiency, weaving between the tall spires of crystalized stone that rose from the waters; the ships left behind a white foam, that lasted for hours. Fujutsuki knew that from the air, those waves and foam looked like a scar on the water.

Commander Ikari looked dead ahead, his head didn’t move a single millimeter left nor right. He stood near the glass, enjoying the view, his left hand in the side pocket of his dark grey jacket. When he spoke, a hint of smugness tinged his words. "Nevertheless, we, Mankind, are here. We’re living things, and we’re alive."

He paused, his eyes explored the horizon; and the waters, red as blood. Fujutsuki answered with a hint of reproach, "That’s because we’re under the protection of Science."

If Commander Ikari found Fujutsuki’s pessimism annoying, he kept that to himself. He simply answered, "Science is the power of man."

After a long time in the red ocean, Vice-Commander Fujutsuki felt quite pugnacious. "That arrogance is what caused the tragedy of fifteen years ago."

Somewhere in the Antarctic Ocean
Dead Water Zone
Over the Rainbow, Observation Deck.
Spiritual Plane, Same Time

"(Agreed, old man! Your bosses did an awful job with this place.)" Deadman commented, pacing the ceiling of the observation deck, upside down. "(But worry not, we are working on stopping the Third Big One.)"

He stopped his walk to glare at the two co-conspirators. "(What I’d like to know is exactly why do you guys get into these philosophical debates at the drop of a hat.)" Deadman shook his head, "(Granted, the place just doesn’t lend itself to a party, but really, guys; you have these bizantinical discussions that last hours. And I can’t even fall asleep. I swear, you are the most boring villains I’ve even meddled with.)"

A stray thought crossed Boston Brand’s mind, "(Hmm…)" he rubbed his chin in thought as he spun around, having gone back to his favorite sitting position, Indian style, floating at around three feet from the ground. "(Wasn’t around here, and I mean down here in the South Pole, where Superman’s little Fortress of Solitude used to be? I wonder what happened to it. Big Blue wasn’t the type to just leave his toys unguarded…)"

The ghostly acrobat looked around, vainly hoping to see the last Kryptonian building in the whole Universe.

Outskirts of Tokyo-3
Starting Point for Unit-01
Seven Minutes Before Sahaquiel Impact

Shinji Ikari held the control yoke with trembling hands. It would be the first time since Ramiel he would sortie against an Angel without the unseen support of the Phantom Stranger or Deadman. His lips thinned in a determined gesture. "I will not break." He barely mouthed the words of his personal mantra once more.

Behind him, the umbilical cable fed energy into EVA-01’s batteries. No one at NERV knew just how much energy it would take to stop the Tenth Angel, so, the only prudent action was to keep the EVAs connected to the mobile generator until, literally, the last second. The machines had been left running by the few crewmembers who stayed behind. They were currently huddled in the closest underground bunkers, hoping they wouldn’t be needed until the operation was done.

In the background, Shinji could hear some of the abstruse technobabble from Central Dogma, the three Bridge Bunnies running through their operational checklists. Maya’s voice was almost musical as she revised data, Makoto sounded more professional, while Hyuga almost sounded bored, yet as professional as his two colleagues.

At Shinji’s sides, two holoscreen images floated in the LCL, Asuka and Rei. He pressed the comm button. "Huntress, Wonder Girl."

Asuka shook her head. She realized then she had been biting her lip in impatience. "What’s the matter, Robin? Nervous?"

"Yes. This is something we never planned for."

That simple admission surprised Asuka, she herself would have hidden her dread under her usual mask of bravado. "Well... Nothing to worry, about, Boy Wonder! Huntress and Wonder Girl will watch your back."

Shinji smiled back at her, noting the simple nod of agreement from Rei. "I know. That’s about the only reason I’m not in the middle of a panic attack."

Misato’s voice interrupted them. "Guys, I don’t like to cut in, but telemetry says we are getting data on the Angel in any moment now. Be ready to take your positions and run as if all the demons in hell were after you."

"Copy, Captain." The three teenage pilots chorused.

Each teenager glanced at a holoscreen, showing their position in the map, and the area each of them would cover.

The projected area of impact had been evacuated a long time before. All civilians relocated to the nearby cities of temporal refuges. NERV HQ was practically deserted. Only the most indispensable personnel remained, with a few volunteers.

Tokyo-2
College Campus Grounds
Provisional Shelter Nr 34
One Hour Before Sahaquiel Impact.

"Hey, Kensuke..." In the cell phone, Toji Suzuhara’s voice sounded tired and fearful. He and his family had been evacuated to Tokyo-2 with the rest of the civilian population of Tokyo-3. It had been a very long day.

"Hey, man. Everything okay?" Kensuke passed the phone from one ear to the other. "You don’t sound so good."

"Just tired, I finally got Sakura to sleep. All that movement, you know. We got lucky one of dad’s friends was coordinating the evacuation for the Hospital. He got Sakura and me in one of the first ambulances."

"Glad to hear that, man. I am here with my dad in a camping tent. I’m glad I am used to sleep in one."

"I hadn’t thought of that, Kensuke. You finally got your money’s worth on that tent, uh?"

"Yup," he smiled, Toji had often joked about Kensuke’s camping trips. "And the crew here already distributed food and water, so I’m set for today and tomorrow."

"Uh... good. Urm... hey, Kensuke... Could you do me a solid?"

"Sure, what do you need?"

"Uh... could... could you check if.. uh... if Hi-if everybody from school arrived safe there."

Kensuke smirked, he knew exactly about whom Toji was actually asking. "Well, Takashima and her mother are in the next tent, you should hear her complaining about everything."

"A-ha, good; who else is around?"

"Hayashibara and his sisters, they are in the next row. And I saw the Class Rep lugging Pen-Pen around."

"Cool." A few seconds of silence followed.

A young man in the coordinator’s uniform waved to get Kensuke’s attention, and gave him a sheet of paper. The student nodded thanks, and looked at the flyer.

"Uh, Toji, I have to go. There’s gonna be a shutdown on the cell phones. I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?"

"Uh? Oh, sure, buddy. And thanks. I’ll tell Sakura you said Hi. Stay safe."

Somewhere in the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean
Poseidonis-3; Royal Palace
Queen Mera’s Semi-Private Chambers
Six Minutes Before Sahaquiel Impact

Queen Mera brushed her long red hair carefully. There were several gray strands running through the long mane. They had appeared back in 2000, as the surface dwellers counted time. She passed a strand between her fingers. A tear vanished in the ocean’s cold water. Her eyes flickered out the window, finding two small tombstones standing proudly on a near rock. A male voice shook her out her reverie.

"Everything is ready, Your Majesty."

She looked at her friend. A sad smile on her lips. "How many times must I tell you, Garth? You have the right to call me Mera."

He bowed carefully. "Maybe, but I really don’t want to get into the habit of being that familiar with you. It would send all kinds of bad messages. Anyway, we must hurry, Your Majesty." His hands trembled a bit, a reminder of that terrible day when their world had been through the maelstrom, and of everything they had lost then.

She rolled her eyes at her oldest living friend in this world. "Is Mareena ready yet?"

"Not an easy task, my Queen. But she’s already up and swimming around." Both walked calmly along the hall to the throne room. A courtesy she always extended to him. His nerves had overloaded during Second Impact, as he had tried to contain the tsunami caused by the sudden vaporization of unmeasurable tons of water and ice.

He could swim, but the effort always demanded a high price for it, he would be wracked by headaches for days after any heavy effort. Hence, he now was the Queen’s personal valet. He had a small army of servants at his disposal, whom he coordinated efficiently.

The two old friends arrived at the small gym built in the lower level of the palace. Garth knocked on the heavy door, and paused for a moment before opening it.

They were greeted by an "Eeep!" and a wave of compressed water. Mera stepped in front of Garth, and cancelled the effect. The wave dissipated instantly.

"Oh, sorry, Mother!" A slim girl with long silver hair blushed. "I lost control for a moment!"

"No harm done, Mareena. Just be more careful next time."

"I will. Sorry, Garth." She waved shyly at her mentor.

The man with violet eyes smiled back warmly, "No need to apologize, Princess Mareena. I hope you will be ready for the ceremony."

Her eyes widened in surprise, "Oh-oh-oh! I forgot!"

Mera shook her head, still smiling. "Go to your room and get ready. We will pick you up in half an hour."

"Yes! Going out now!" Mareena kissed her mother’s cheek and waved goodbye at Garth as she swam past them.

Garth sat down on a bench. "Arthur would be proud."

"He would. Very proud." Mera sat down next to him. "I wish he could have seen her grow."

"So do I."

They kept silent for a minute. Both remembering old times and old friends.

Second Impact had not been kind to the Atlanteans. The tsunami had destroyed Poseidonis completely, the dome collapsed under the pressure wave. Atlantis itself had been almost destroyed. The survivors of both cities had struggled to survive for several months, until the collective surviving population of both Atlantean races found a place to settle and rebuild.

Unlike their state cities pre Second Impact, segregated by race, the people of Poseidonis-3 was a melting pot of the human-shaped Atlanteans and the Merpeople of the original Poseidonis.

Earth Orbit, LaGrange Point 3
Emerald Citadel; Same Time

"Where are you, where are you, little piece of rock? Tell me where you are. I’m looking for you!" Kyle Rayner sang between his teeth, while he checked the orbital projections on his screen. According to the info the Phantom Stranger had given him, the artificial asteroid created by the Spectre to keep the Spear of Destiny should be in high orbit, but Second Impact had not only changed the planetary axis, but it had also thrown off the orbits of all artificial satellites at the time.

Many had been knocked from orbit, some others had fallen down to Earth. But, if they were lucky, the skull-shaped rock would have only changed orbit.

Kyle kept looking, discarding one object after another, and tagging each to erase them from his tracking screen. It would have been exhausting work for him back when he received his ring. Now? Child’s play. Tracking micro-changes to the biosphere and adjusting the emerald energy shield was way more demanding. Still, it was a task that would take him a long time to end.

Occasionally, he glanced at a second, smaller tracking screen. This one showed the trajectory of a big chunk of heavy and strange matter. Somehow, it had simply appeared inside the green barrier around the planet. Had it depended on him, he would have left the Emerald Citadel to try to stop it from colliding with Earth. But the Gestalt had been very clear; this exotic threat would be stopped, the defense against this intruder fell on the hands of new heroes. The Evangelion pilots would face this alone. Still, Kyle Rayner was almost ready to drop everything, he shook his head, receiving a wordless message from the Gestalt. Both Alan Scott and Hall Jordan had been very insistent on the reliability of the Phantom Stranger’s words. If the mysterious stranger was sure the kids would be up to the task, then that was it. The gestalt would go on with their self-imposed mission.

The teenagers were alone in this.

Outskirts of Tokyo-3
Starting Point for Unit-01
Two Minutes Before Sahaquiel Impact

"All EVAs, start your engines." Captain Katsuragi’s voice rang clearly in the comms.

Three titanic war-machines knelt down, positioning the fingers and toes like athletes before a race. One foot firmly planted on the ground; the other’s toes set against the ground. Fingers splayed out at their sides, lightly touching the concrete floor. The three EVA Units dug their toes in the ground to ensure they would have enough traction on the first step.

Miss to continued, "All we have is a rough estimation of the trajectory, based on optical sightings. So the MAGI will guide you until the distance is 10,000 meters. After that, you’ll have to use your own judgement." A pause, "I’m placing my trust in you three."

Lt. Hyuga cut in, "The Angel is approaching, distance 20,000."

"Commence the operation!"

Asuka took the initiative at Shinji’s nod. "Ready!"

The three EVAS put weight on their fingers, straightening their bodies like track athletes.

"Set!" Three umbilical cables were ejected from the machines, falling to the ground, their falls arrested by the in-built rocket brakes.

"GO!"

All Evangelion units bolted off, setting seismographs amok all over Japan. They ran through forest, city terrain, and open ground. Their feet gouged deep depressions on the ground, destroying and compacting concrete to dust and rubble.

Both Unit-00 and Unit-02’s route crossed over high voltage lines, as they got closer to them, Rei Ayanami commanded her EVA to jump over them, like a runner in an obstacle track. The lines were disconnected during the operation set-up, but if the EVA got tangled, the whole operation would be at risk. So, Rei made sure to jump higher than strictly needed.

In her red machine, Asuka did the same, though not so carefully, the German pilot was sure EVA-02’s mass and weight would be more than enough to snap any cable in her way.

At their wake, the cables shook like whips in the shockwave of their steps.

"Distance, 12,000"

Unit-01 increased its speed, to the point its slipstream pulled a gigantic cloud of dust behind, breaking windows and upturning the few cars left in Tokyo-3. Shinji had learned a few tricks from watching the Flashes in action, and now was putting them to good use. He didn’t know it yet, but Unit-01 was close to break the sound barrier.

In the outskirts of the city, in the middle of the surrounding suburbs, Shinji saw the gargantuan mass of the biggest Angel yet to appear. A quick mental calculation later, and he changed course.

"Huntress! Wonder Girl! Converge to my position!"

"On my way!"

"Copy, changing course."

Unit-01 changed its stance, braking hard, just as the Flashed used to do; its feet creating a long trench in the middle of a residential neighborhood at the top of a small hill.

Over him, the cloud cover dissipated around the Angel. It’s eerie, unblinking eye seemed to look straight at him.

From the EVA’s core, Shinji felt Dread and Purpose in equal measure, he sent a reassuring feeling back at his mother.

EVA-01 stood in the middle of the street, "AT Field! FULL SPREAD!". Unit-01 raised its arms, ready to do the impossible. Evangelion Unit-01 deployed its own AT Field, at a level Shinji had never done before. Briefly, he thought about Green Lantern, and how the ring-wielder used his power ring to create almost indestructible force fields. Around him, all the buildings at the top of the hill disintegrated into fine dust.

Shinji focused all his will force in Unit-01’s energy barrier. He felt the Angel’s field through EVA-O1 hands, it was like touching a live wire. Over him, all he could see clearly was the pupil of an eye that was three times wider than his EVA’s height.

Both energy fields collided against each other. A series of concentric octagons appeared in the air, Shinji willed the AT-Field to bleed the kinetic energy around him, robbing the Angel of its destructive momentum.

Through the EVA’s soles, he could feel the approach of his companions. It was a fleeting moment, as the weight and inertia of the Angel pushed down against the EVA, the giant’s feet compacted the ground even more, turning it into compressed stone.

Asuka was the first to arrive. "Wonder Girl! I’ll clear your way! Deploy Progressive Knife!"

"Deploying Field. Knife at the ready." Without stopping their mad run. The red and blue EVAs arrived followed by their own clouds of dust. The addition of their fields pushing back the Angel.

While Unit-01 held the Angel at bay, Unit-02 held her PK high, stabbing the enemy’s field and opening a gash. Dropping the weapon, Asuka directed her titan to open it even more, holding the edges apart as wide as she could.

Still running, Unit-00 speared its weapon in the center of the abysmal pupil. A shower of spark covered the three EVAs. Suddenly, the eye liquefied, and the Tenth Angel’s mass flopped bonelessly over them.

Their fields pushed against the dead weight, while the incredibly massive Angel fell over the hill like a shroud.

A moment later, its flesh bubbled like hot tar, and detonated like an N2 Mine, creating a deep crater under the three giants. Uncounted tons of earth and rock disintegrated into nothing.

A cross made of light rose high into the sky, marking the death of Sahaquiel, the Tenth Angel.

Underneath, three AT-Fields had fused into one, protecting EVAs and pilots from the conflagration above them.

Earth Orbit, LaGrange Point 3
Emerald Citadel;
Fifteen Minutes After Sahaquiel Impact

"Gotcha!"

Author Notes

I’m not completely sure if Deadman has interacted directly with the Spectre or not in DC canon; but for this story, he hasn’t.

Back in The Spectre run by John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake (1992 to 1998), a story arc dealt with a severely unhinged Spectre (issues 13 to 22, collected in The Spectre, vol. 2, Wrath of God). And indeed, the small, war-ravaged European country of Vlatava was wiped from the face of the Earth by a catastrophe of biblical proportions, courtesy of the Spectre. Having judged that the very land was so soaked in hate and anger the only way to save it was to annihilate it (issue 13, Dec 1993). The only survivors were the supervillain Count Vertigo, last member of the royal family; and the leader of the opposing army, General Hafza. And only because the Spectre decided that letting them live was more of a punishment than killing them with the rest of their respective peoples.

There is a Lance of Longinus in the DCU, but it’s better known as the Spear of Destiny. Very different from the one in Evangelion. It has a long and conflicted history. Starting with being the one a roman soldier used to pierce Christ’s side. During WWII, Hitler had it in his possession, and almost set off Ragnarök with it. Only the intervention of the Spectre and the JSA stopped the world’s destruction. (check the Last Days of the Justice Society of America TPB, collecting the original one-shot from 1986, plus several Secret Origins stories about the JSAers.)

Hitler’s hate tainted the spear, slowly turning any wielder into a paranoid tyrant.

Sometime in the future, the Spear will be purged from Hitler’s taint, and will be used in a very far (possible) future by a heroine, Avatar. This is shown in Legionnaires Annual 3, from 1996.

I made a mention of Crisis in Infinite Times. I have always wondered just how the Crisis in Infinite Earths was remembered in the Post-Crisis DCU... I mean, the Crisis happened, but without a Multiverse it had to be very different from its original version.

About the only mention I’ve seen was in the Justice League miniseries Incarnations (specifically, issue 5), written by John Ostrander, and it was a bit lacking in detail. It showed a bit about how the Crisis itself happened, but no details on the aftermath.

For this story, the Anti-Monitor tried to wipe-out alternate futures, erasing many of the possible futures DC used to have. However, some of them still survived as possibilities, like Kamandi’s world or the Legion of Superheroes XXXIst Century.

Personally, I wonder what happened with Kensuke and Toji’s business of selling girls pictures to the male population at school. I don’t remember it even being mentioned again.

Maybe the demand dried up, maybe they were caught, maybe they simply decided to stop. Or maybe they kept on it until the evacuation of Tokyo-3.

Sure, Jackie Chan’s movies are far-fetched, and mostly comedic in nature, but there is a solid background in the way his characters fight. A more serious style of improvisational weaponry is Jason Statham’s trade, especially in The Transporter movies.

Wildcat’s approval isn’t canonical. I just thought the man would really enjoy watching a short guy pummel wave after wave of enemies by using whatever he has around. And scared silly most of the time, but still fighting.

Dr. Cyber is a little known member of Wonder Woman’s Rogues Gallery. After Second Impact, she ended up working for H.I.V.E. as a tecnical advisor. Queen Bee has tempted her to her side with expensive restorative treatments and surgeries to repair her disfigured face.

Lest’s just say that her incentives are very... motivational...

The Emerald Guardian is a composite being, made from three bearers of the Green Lantern; the first, Alan Scott, the original Green Lantern. He debuted back in , first appearing in All-American Comics (Issue#16, 1940). He got his power from a magical artifact, the fabled Aladdin’s Lamp, turned into a railroad man lantern (check Secret Origins issue 18, Sept 1987 for the whole story).

There’s an extra Secret Origin for that particular Green Lantern, but I’m going to ignore it. It was too forced to my taste. But if you want to check it, it was in Green Lantern issue 19 (Dec 1991)

The second Lantern here is Hal Jordan, turned into Parallax after Coast City was destroyed during the Reign of the Supermen storyline. He debuted back in Showcase issue 22 (Oct 1959), and for a long time he was one of the most active heroes in the JLA and the Green Lantern Corps. Coast City’s destruction pushed him over the edge, and in his grief and madness, he single handedly destroyed both the GLC and the Guardians of the Universe. This happened in the story arc Emerald Twilight; in Green Lantern, issues 48 (Jan 1994) to 50 (Mar 1994).

The only surviving Guardian, Ganthet, escaped to Earth, gravely wounded, and delivered the last set of ring and power battery to a young graphic artist named Kyle Rayner.

The third component of the Emerald Guardian. Kyle Rayner debuted in Green Lantern 50, in the last pages. For quite a while, he was the only Green Lantern in the galaxy.

The Orbiting Citadel and the armor the Emerald Guardian wears are both inspired by the Green Lantern appearing in Kingdom Come (four issue miniseries, 1996).

The images in the Emerald Citadel correspond to some events from Secret Origins (issue 10, Jan 1987). A very good read, and part of my head canon for this story.

Dr. Cyber’s incentive plan by twitching muscles was shamelessly ripped from a Star Wars (Expanded Universe) novel, it’s been a while since I read it (blame the sequels killing my interest in the franchise for a very long while), so I can’t remember which one it was. Probably one of the Jedi Academy trilogy by Kevin Anderson (Jedi Search, Dark Apprentice, and Champions of the Force; all published back in 1994). And it was Han Solo who was subjected to the interrogatory enhancing technique of the twitching muscle, one on his cheek, specifically.

The thing about muscular spasms being able to break bones comes from one of my all-times favorite novels, Nerves, by Lester del Rey, the science is quite off from a modern perspective, but the narrative is amazingly gripping. Look for it if you have the chance!

Back in the 1970’s, it was decided to return Batman to his origins, and that meant discarding or de-emphasizing some elements that had stayed for decades. One of them was Robin, who finally went from High School to Hudson University, and moved out from Gotham City and the Batcave. Other was the Wayne Manor itself, as it had been too associated with the 1966 Batman TV show. Bruce Wayne and Alfred moved to the penthouse of the Wayne Foundation building. In time, using an old abandoned subway station as the new Batcave. (How they moved the giant penny and the robotic tyrannosaur, I have no idea… Maybe the robot carried the penny.)

During this period, there was a comic book titled Batman Family, and many of the issues featured stories with Robin and/or Batgirl. As hard to believe it is, there really was a story about their wedding, and Robin wore an awfully bright red suit! With a yellow cape! At this point, the green gloves are quite subtle. (Batman Family, issue 11, May 1977)

xxx

I haven’t forgotten about Starfire, she is one of my favorite characters, especially drawn by the great George Perez (I got a sketch of her when Mr. Perez visited Mexico City some time ago. It was great to watch him work on it for a few minutes!). Kory has her own tale to tell, but it’s not the moment yet.

The exhibits in the Batcave are, respectively: Scarface, the dummy onto which the Ventriloquist projected his evil impulses. The Ventriloquist is a relatively little-known rogue, having only a few appearances outside the comics. Both the Ventriloquist and Scarface debuted in Detective Comics (issue 583, Feb 1988). Personally, I would like to see the character in the big screen, played by Christopher Lloyd, whom I am convinced could play both characters to the hilt!

The second exhibit is the original Poison Ivy suit, of course. She was one of the first new villains who debuted during the short Batman revamp in the mid-1960’s (in Batman, issue 181, June 1966). Back then, she was just a felon with an amazing ability with plants and a mind-controlling kiss. Later on, her origin and abilities were expanded, until she became a kind of a variant plant elemental, somewhat related to the Swamp Thing; and with an unhealthy fascination with the vegetal kingdom.

The big penny, the mechanical dinosaur and the hanging giant joker playing card have been part of the Batcave for so long it’s hard to imagine it without them. The penny debuted back in World’s Finest (issue 30, Nov 1948); the dinosaur is from Batman (issue 35, Jun 1946), and the giant playing card came from Detective Comics (issue 114, Aug 1946).

The Batman suit in the case is the classic version of the costume, grey and blue, with the bat over a yellow oval; not the completely black suit from recent years. And the prototype is, of course, the suit from Batman Beyond. Although the Mystery of the Batwoman movie came after Batman Beyond, for my purposes, the events of that movie happened here, and that Batwoman character was retired after the movie events, Batman kept the Batwoman suit, and both reverse engineered and added to the tech, with his own improvements. It wasn’t ready to use on time to face the last scheme of Ra’s al Ghul, and was put on the mannequin by Alfred. Dick has continued to work on it, as a kind of hobby. (Of course, the next Batman will eventually use it.)

The Batwoman suit in the case belonged to Kathy Kane, who was closer to the original character from the 1950’s than to the current version. She debuted in Detective Comics (issue 233, Jul 1956), and her niece, Betty Kane, became the original Batgirl (Batman issue 139, Apr. 1961). Both characters had a big crush on Batman and Robin, respectively, and the same taste for bright primary colors. By the time Barbara Gordon debuted as Batgirl (in Detective Comics issue 359, Jan 1967, although I think she technically debuted first in the TV show, played by the beautiful Ivonne Craig), both characters had been largely forgotten, except for a few appearances. Batwoman in the Batman titles, and Batgirl as part of the West Coast group of Teen Titans.

By the way, the references to Batgirl’s first outing are from the original version of the story, although I really like the version of the events from Secret Origins 20 (Nov. 1987), I decided on the original. Mostly because the Batman in SO is kinda creepy.

After Crisis in Infinte Earths, Batwoman was erased from continuity; and Batgirl became Flamebird, still with a crush on Robin, but with a different backstory. Firebird was featured in just a few stories, as her personality was kinda annoying, and never got any popularity (the only story I’ve read with her was in the Hawk & Dove annual 1, 1990 ; and I got it just a few weeks ago, in digital form).

From his first appearance, Killer Moth presented himself as the criminal counterpart to Batman (Batman, issue 63, Feb 1951), not a bad idea by itself, but the execution… let’s just say that it was not up to the challenge.

Killer Moth’s having a daughter comes directly from the Teen Titans cartoon. Kitten might show up, but not Fang, that guy is too creepy for my taste. Curiously, in the Latin-American dub, Killer Moth’s voice was provided by no one other than Framk (not Frank, FraMk) Maneiro, the Batman voice actor (from Batman TAS), while Fang was voiced by the Flash’s actor (from JLI/JLU. In Superman TAS, Flash was voiced by another actor)!

In my opinion, the Teen Titans tv version of Killer Moth is more interesting, having actual powers, a really nice suit, an army of mutating giant caterpillars and a very spoiled daughter with a freaky boyfriend.

As I rewatch the episodes, I have realized that quite a number of lines feel very, very, forced. In some cases, I have tried to steer the dialogue to a more natural flow, but sometimes, it’s just impossible to avoid the exposition.

On the other hand, it was quite unusual to see the consequences of major events at a civilian level. Toji and Kensuke’s stay at the bunker before Shamshel was one of those rare occasions, but it was done mostly to set up their presence on the hill when Unit-01 almost fell on them.

Superman’s Fortress of Solitude has had several locations during the years. The original (Pre-Crisis) Fortress, or Secret Citadel or Secret Sanctuary, depending on the writer, debuted back in Superman (issue 17; Jul 1942), located inside a mountain near Metropolis, on what would later be known as Earth Two.

In Earth One, the Fortress was inside a mountain range in the Arctic, this is the most enduring version, with its characteristic giant golden key set at some distance of the Fortress itself. I’m not quite certain where this Fortress first appeared, but a quick check at Wikipedia hints that it was in 1958, there are no details on which title it was. The Silver Age Fortress of Solitude lasted until in Action Comics (issue 583; Sept 1986), the second part of the last story featuring the Silver Age Superman: "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?"

For this story, I’m referring to the location that was used Post-Crisis, debuting in Adventures of Superman (issue 461, Dec. 1989). Superman had little to do with the construction of this Fortress, as it was built by a Kryptonian device, the Eradicator, which eventually would gain sentience (and cause a lot of problems...)

There were a couple of other Fortresses of Solitude, but as I am not familiar with them, and I think they debuted after the year 2000 (Post-Second Impact), I’m not considering their inclusion here.

I have something planned for the Fortress of Solitude, already incorporated in the timeline I wrote some months before. It will be shown eventually.

Aquaman debuted waaaay back in More Fun Comics (issue 73; Nov 1941). Although his best time as a character might have been during the 60’s, when the Filmation cartoon show was on the air. It featured three short stories in each installment; two with Aquaman, Aqualad, and Mera (often as comic relief, along with Tusky the Walrus), plus one with a rotating cast of characters from DC; Green Lantern, the Atom, Hawkman, Flash (and Kid Flash), and also the Justice League or the Teen Titans.

For me, this was the first contact I had with the DC characters, and I am still fond of the show, despite the shortcomings it had from both the format and the times. Of course, many things in the show fell down by the wayside, like the overabundance of alien races. But it was a fun show, and Aquaman was not a laughable buffoon.

That was mostly due to the Superfriends show, where the writers had no idea on how to use Aquaman effectively but still put him in most of the episodes. Usually, he just stood uselessly in the background or was forced into the plot.

Aqualad debuted in Adventure Comics (issue 269; Feb 1960) and for a long time, he was one of the best-known sidekicks, partly due to the Filmation show. However, his partnership with Aquaman was to suffer a terrible blow, during the Death of a Prince story arc (available in a TPB). Garth would be one of the Teen Titans who discarded their sidekick identity, and took a new identity, Tempest; in a 4 issue miniseries of the same name in 1996.

Mera, Aquaman’s wife, debuted in in Aquaman (issue 11; Sept 1963), and had a long relationship with the King of the Oceans. For her background here, I’m taking elements from the original version, like the brief life of her firstborn, Arthur Curry Jr. (Aquababy, as he was usually known), and the JLU version, like her daughter Mareena, the same Aquagirl from the Batman Beyond and Justice League Unlimited animated shows.

Chapter Text

Note, the parenthesis indicate languages other than Japanese, in this case, English, NeoGenii, and Interlac.

Earth Orbit, LaGrange Point 3
Emerald Citadel; 1 Hour After Sahaquiel Impact

Kyle Rayner created a very detailed tracker for the Phantom Stranger. The small device was a little bigger than a deck of cards. The screen on it showed distance and direction of its target in a holographic display hovering above it.

The youngest Green Lantern stepped back into the green, glowing prism, at the same time the Phantom Stranger stepped out. The mysterious man took a moment to recover. He had had many weird experiences during his extremely long life, but being part of a Gestalt consciousness was something new.

"(You have my thanks, Emerald Guardian. It is my hope your long watch will soon come to an end.)"

The prism spun slowly, revealing Allan Scott´s face. "(So do we.)" three voices chorused.

Hal Jordan showed his face in the next facet of the giant crystal. "(But we will stay in our post until we are no longer needed.)"

The Stranger tipped his hat respectfully.

The rotation of the prism showed Kyle Rayner´s face. "(The tracker will guide you to the asteroid you showed us. Once you are there, it will dissolve back into green energy.)"

"(Recovering the Spear of Fate will be a great step into restoring the planet.)" The Stranger nodded his thanks, and soon, the soft noise of his footsteps was the only sign of his departure from the floating green citadel.

Outskirts of Tokyo-3
Sahaquiel Crater, Unit-02 Plug
Two minutes After Sahaquiel Impact

"Robin. Wonder Girl. Report." Asuka´s voice betrayed her stress. After the apocalyptic explosion, all comms were filled with static. An image began to form in her holo-screens. A shadow tried to resolve in her screen. It was a broken silhouette full of static snow. It was barely recognizable as the face and upper torso of Rei Ayanami.

"Wo—er G-rl h—-." Rei´s voice crackled in her comm. "I´m reas-bly -kay." Asuka sighed in relief. "Glad to hear you, Wondy. Any sign of Robin? Repeat, Glad to hear you, Any sign of Robin?"

"Indi—ec- cont-c. No c-mms. -eat, in—rec- co—act."

"Clear that, Wondy. Indirect contact? Repeat, clear that."

"Uni- On- ssss in con—ct wi—Unit Ze-. Tapp- code."

Asuka paid attention to her ears. She could hear some distant tapping under the residual noise from the detonation.

"Robin. Can you hear me? One tap for yes. Repeat, Confirm, tap once if you can hear me."

A single gong-like sound.

Asuka breathed easier. "Good to hear you, Boy Wonder. Now, you two, get comfy, it will be a while until the recovery crews get here. Put your EVAs on stand-by. Repeat, go to stand-by."

"Recei—d and con—rmed." Rei´s voice cut through the static noise.

Another tapping from Unit-01 answered for Shinji.

Asuka settled down on her seat, pushing several buttons on the control yoke. Unit-02 knelt on the bottom of the crater, assuming a stable position, as the recovery protocol dictated. The outer view went dark, and soon, all the systems of the giant mechanoid were on minimal output.

Even the inner lights of the plug dimmed until she could barely see around.

A little smile appeared on her face. Once again, the trio had won a hard victory in the face of adversity. She laid back on her seat, and laced her fingers over her belly. It would be better to be comfortable, it would be a long wait.

1948, May the 6th, Unplotted Island, Pacific Ocean
(Somewhere Between Hawaii and the Continent)
Codename Wild Lands, Future Site of Project Mureau

A tall, thin man in a US Army uniform yelled at the squads of soldiers who maneuvered heavy crates on the top of a hill. "(Okay, boys, I want you to set the prefabs right there. The brass needs us to make the next generation of heroes, and I won´t be found lacking!)"

"(Jeesh, Dr. Grant, you gonna bust something. We know wattadoo, juss let us do it!)" A tall, muscular man slapped the first man´s back with enough force to make him tumble. He took a big cigar from his mouth, and used it to gesture at the construction site. "(Worry not, good sir. Ma boys an´ me will have yer research center up to specs in no time. We are well ahead of schedule; and, weather permitting, yer lab will be up and running in a couple a´months, tops. These new prefab buildings are a hoot to assemble. I always liked puzzles, but building them babies up is more fun.)"

"(Sergeant Grimm, hi. Yes, I guess I´m just a bit eager to begin.)"

"(I guess yoo don´ have enuff to occupy yer mind, Doc. C´mon, le´ss do some honest woik for a change. Ya know haw to work the ´dozer?)"

"(Uh, no…)" The Seargent pulled Dr. Grant by the arm.

"(´S no big deal, I´ll teach you. We need to clear the foliage over there and flatten da ground.)" he waved at a small hill covered with vegetation. "(As youse can see, it´s far from where ma boys are working right naw, so we can take o´r own sweet time putting ya´ up ta speed.)" He slapped the scientist´s back once more, almost knocking him down. "(Leave it to me, Doc, and yaa´ll have a whole new career reel soon!)"

Somewhere in the Antarctic Ocean
Dead Water Zone
Over the Rainbow Observation Deck
47 Minutes After Sahaquiel Impact

An orderly knocked on the observation deck door. Fujutsuki opened it, and received a single sheet of paper from the sailor. The young man saluted, "Should I wait for an answer, Sir?" His voice was exactly the right degree of insolent to not be reprimanded.

Fujutsuki read the paper with practiced ease. "Commander? There was an Angel attack while we were recovering the item."

Gendo Ikari turned around, he had actually been waiting for such news. "I see." He looked at the sailor. "All the data available will be sent to my cabin immediately, understood?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Dismissed."

The sailor saluted and closed the door behind him.

"So, I guess the situation has been solved satisfactorily." Fujutsuki commented, arching an eyebrow.

"Indeed. Otherwise, the old men would be now screaming for blood." Ikari walked down the stairs, towards his cabin. "It seems Katsuragi has proven to be worthy of her station."

Somewhere in the Antarctic Ocean
Dead Water Zone
Over the Rainbow Observation Deck
Spiritual Plane

"A moment, just wait a god-damned moment!" Deadman floated around the Commander, practically screaming in the face of the most powerful man in NERV Japan. "That´s it? Not even a token show of worry?" He rubbed his face with a hand. "Man, I hope to be there when the kid kicks you right in the …"

"(Deadman.)" Next to the ghostly acrobat, the Phantom Stranger appeared without even a hint of noise.

"(Jeez, man! Don´t do that! Are you trying to give me a heart attack? You could have killed me if I wasn´t already dead!)"

"(My apologies.)" The mysterious man nodded once. "(My mission was partially successful. The Green Lanterns have located the Spear of Fate.)"

"(Good. And these guys located the biggest fork in the whole universe. Just look down, and check that baby out.)"

Over the landing strip of the Over the Rainbow, a long object rested, wrapped in tarpaulins.

"(This confirms my suspicions. SEELE had no knowledge of the Spear of Fate, or they disregarded its existence. I had feared they would try to locate the true Spear of Longinus.)" the Stranger whispered.

"(So this guy Longinus wasn't about the height of an Evangelion. What a relief. Then what in Gotham is that thing?)"

"(Last Scion´s Tine.)"

"(Who?)"

"(An entity older than the universe itself.)"

Deadman pinched his nose theatrically, and rubbed his face with both hands, up and down, "(Man, this cosmic stuff is getting too cosmically cosmic for me. Could I go and make some evil minion´s life a bit harder, please? Just a couple of hours, please. I miss that.)"

The Phantom Stranger shook his head slowly. "(Maybe later. First, I must recover the true Spear. However, there´s no need to hurry at the moment. I´ll go to Tokyo-3 before recovering the Spear.)"

"(Ooookay, you do that. I´ll keep an eye on those two. They might say something interesting when they get the report on whatever happened on Tokyo-3. Give my regards to the kid, okay?)"

At the lack of an answer, Deadman turned around, finding himself alone in the observation deck. "(Damn! He did it again!)" He chuckled. "(I wonder what the Bat said about that…)"

A Possible XXVIth Century
NERV-2 (Nevada), Recreation Room 3 (Projection Room)
4 Days After Unit-03 Reactivation, 6:30 P.M.

"(Okay, boys and pups! We have all worked our butts off setting the main systems up again, and WE DESERVE A REWARD! Let´s see if this thing still works.)" Mari Illustrious Makinami pushed several buttons on the ancient device. A little hand-held device, black in color and full of buttons on one side. Canus eyed it with curiosity. Mari handled it like a simple tool, while he would have been too busy studying it to do anything with it.

"(I certainly hope it does. Kamandi has talked about one adventure of his that involved one of these devices, or something functionally similar, and I am really looking forward to seeing a working one. And with a recording of those ancient times!)"

"(Not actually a historic recording, doc. Remember what I told you. Most of these are just entertainment. And this one is a trip to the other side of the mind! You have my personal guarantee you will feel a little messed in the noggin´ before the movie ends)" Smiling, Mari looked at her friends over the frames of her glasses, before pushing them back up her nose.

"(Still. The experience should prove enlightening.)" Canus´ canine mouth curved in a big, goofy smile.

Mari pushed the last button, and the lights in the whole room dimmed. She turned back to the door, and yelled, "(Yo, Blondie! Hurry up with the popcorn! You´ll miss the beginning!)"

"(Coming. I just don´t see the point of this particular foodstuff. You yourself told me it´s not very nutritious.)" Kamandi opened the door of the debriefing room, pushing with his back, as his arms were full of bags of popcorn and bottles of soft drinks.

"(You, my delightfully muscular friend, are a philistine! You cannot watch a classic movie like this without popcorn!)" Her smile was contagious. Kamandi put a bag of popcorn on her hands, and passed another to Dr. Canus, keeping another for himself.

"(Oh, my goodness. What´s this?)" Canus took a single popcorn and sniffed it carefully, before putting it in his mouth and chewing it appreciatively. Meanwhile, Mari was breezing through a series of menus on the screen. Finally, she selected ´Play Movie´.

"(Traditional snack, Doc. Now, shush, the movie is about to begin. Remember, don´t get alarmed, everything is under control. Mine, to be honest.)" She waved the remote control in the air, emphasizing her point. "(I control the vertical, I control the horizontal. If at any time, you feel overwhelmed, just tell me and I´ll stop the movie, oky? You too, Blondie.)" His two companions nodded.

The screen went dark.

September the 24th, 2002
Gotham City, Wayne Manor, 12:30, P.M.

Alfred Pennyworth opened the main door of the stately mansion he had worked in for so many years. Standing in the porch was a well-known red-headed man, "(Mr. Dibny! A pleasure to see you again!)" Ralph Dibny shook Alfred's hand, a gesture the old butler wasn't really used to from his master's visitors.

But Dibny wasn't really one to go with many social niceties. "(Been a long time, Alfred. Sue sends her regards.)" he smiled at the old butler.

Alfred stepped aside, allowing the visitors to enter. "(Please give her my regards too, Mr. Dibny.)"

Once inside, "(Alfred, are the Graysons home? Lucius only told me Dick would have a job for me, but didn´t go into any details beyond checking some old woman´s identity.)"

"(Indeed, sir. Allow me to take your coat. Master Richard waits for you at the study. Mistress Barbara is taking care of the baby.)" Efficiently as always, Alfred took the garment, and hanged it in the visitor´s closet. He guided Dibny through the wide halls of Wayne Manor.

"(A baby? I thought…)" Ralph almost bit his tongue, he didn´t want to pry in private matters. Although the once Boy Wonder and the Elongated Man had not worked closely, both men were well acquainted with each other, thanks to several common friends. Especially, Bruce Wayne.

"(That is the case, sir. But circumstances have changed in that regard. Master Richard will explain everything to you.)" The pair arrived at the study door. Alfred knocked on the wooden panel, "(Master Richard? Mister Dibny is here to see you.)"

"(Come in!)" was the clear answer from inside.

Alfred opened the door, and allowed Ralph to enter. "(If you excuse me, gentlemen; I will go back with Mistress Barbara and see if she or the baby need something.)"

"(Sure, Alfred.)"

"(Dick! Looking good, I see married life treats you well.)"

"(Hey, Ralph. You too.)" Dick Grayson stood up with some effort, and shook Dibny´s hand, he also slapped his left shoulder with the camaraderie of colleagues who know and respect each other´s work. He served two cups of coffee. "(Black with three sugars, Ralph?)"

"(Just like Barry used to drink it!)" Both men laughed a bit, Ralph dropped on the comfy chair next to Dick's, and took the cup. "(Your friend Lucius said you had a case for me. Missing person?")

"(Not exactly. I know exactly who she was.)" He opened a folder on his desk, and tapped on two pictures. One was of the old woman in question, while the other was of a young woman with exotic facial features. "(Talia, daughter of Ra´s al Ghul and occasional paramour of Bruce´s.)" A sour gesture accompanied the name of the infamous terrorist.

"(I knew it! I thought it was a bit weird for you of all people to need an actual private detective, even if it was the world-famous Ex-Elongated Man.)" Dibny laughed openly.

"(I want you to help me with a smoke curtain. Let me explain.)

A couple of coffee mugs later, Dibny gathered all the documents back in the folder.

"(Then, in a nutshell, you want me to do a missing person case back to front. Instead of digging up clues, I will just travel around, pretending to follow those clues, and then present you with a nicely detailed dossier about where the baby came from. Right?)"

"(Yes. I need to establish a credible background for the baby. I have a copy of Bruce´s travel logs all around the world, you know what he was actually doing, so you can start thinking of where and when the baby could have been conceived. You´ll get to travel a lot with Sue, like a working vacation.)"

"(Let me check with her, she has been a bit under the weather lately, and I wouldn´t want to leave her alone for too long. Or drag her along through some bad places.)"

"(Really? Hmm… Hey, you could go with Dr. Thompkins for a check-up. I´ll ask Lucius to arrange the Wayne Enterprises health package for both of you.)"

"(Uh, Dick, …I wouldn´t…)"

"(It´s no bother, Ralph. You two were there for me when I needed it. If you hadn´t, I would be a complete mess right now. Making sure you are both well and healthy is the least I could do to thank you both.)"

"(Okay, kid. I accept, I´ll tell Sue as soon as I get back to our hotel.)" Ralph and Dick shook hands, sealing the deal.

Almeracian Empire, Throne World
Royal Palace of the Ruling House of Almerac
April the 3rd, 2003 (Earth Calendar)

Kal Max-El, Prince Consort of the Almeracian Empire, trashed around in his bed. He woke up suddenly, gasping for air. Next to him, Maxima, Warrior Queen slept peacefully, oblivious to his discomfort. Kal sat up, wiping the sweat from his face. He tried to go back to sleep, but it was useless. He just turned around, unable to surrender to sleep again. He had a terrible premonition. "Something awful has happened." He whispered. It would be useless to try to go back to sleep. That premonition would nag at him incessantly, until he knew what had happened and done something about it.

Paying attention to his wife and queen, he realized she wasn't breathing, her heart didn't beat. Alarmed, he extended his senses, trying to locate the Royal Physician, but there was not a single noise in the Royal Palace. The silence was complete and unnatural. Then, just as he was preparing himself to fight whatever was happening around him, he noticed a subtle shift in the colors around him.

Kal turned around, looking for any hidden threat. Instead, he found a vision he had known very well back on Earth, but never expected to find here, hundreds of light years away from his adoptive planet. A dark garbed man, his eyes hidden by the shadow of his fedora, stood immobile by the door. Clasping his left hand in the right. A golden medallion hung above them, shining softly in the light. The man's blue cloak hung heavily around him.

Kal furrowed his brow in surprise, as he addressed the unexpected apparition, "(Phantom Stranger? It's been, what? Two years since the last time?)"

The Stranger nodded, but didn't answer the question, instead, he opened the door and beckoned the hero to follow him. "(Superman. I apologize for the intrusion. Walk with me, we have grave matters to speak about.)"

"(Has something happened on Earth?)"

"(This affects more than just Earth.)" The Stranger walked out, his cloak flaring behind.

Superman's fists closed in readiness and followed the mysterious man.

Somewhere in the Antarctic Ocean
Dead Water Zone
Over the Rainbow, Commander Ikari's Cabin.
1 Hour 46 Minutes After Sahaquiel Impact

"I dare say Katsuragi and the pilots have exceeded all your expectations, Ikari." Vice-Commander Kozo Fujutsuki put the Tenth Angel report on the small table.

Commander Gendo Ikari tented his fingers in front of his face, and kept silent for a long while, thinking. "Indeed. It seems they have earned an acknowledgement of their capabilities." He exhaled a breath of cold air. Somehow, his cabin seemed to have some problem with the thermostats, it was always a bit too cold. Just enough to be uncomfortable. The techs on board had trouble adjusting the damned thing. He demanded another cabin, but those had been designated for reupholstering, and were bare of any furniture, and even the insulation had been taken apart.

Fujutsuki raised an eyebrow. "New ranks?"

"Only for Katsuragi. The Third Child did perform beyond what I could expect. Plus, a little encouragement for him will put him in a better emotional position for later in the game. His obsessive tendencies will work in our favor."

Somewhere in the Antarctic Ocean
Dead Water Zone
Over the Rainbow, Commander Ikari's Cabin.
Spiritual Plane, Same Time

As the Commander reread full report the sailor had delivered, Deadman grabbed intangibly Gendo Ikari's shoulders, and hissed in his ear, unheard by the object of his anger, "(You are a cold-hearted reptile, Commander. Can't you ever pay a sincere compliment to anybody? Much less your own blood?)" Boston Brand kept reading over Ikari's shoulder, pointing at the paper with his right index finger. "(What Shinji did was first class heroics! Heck, even the Bat would be impressed, and that guy was the very definition of demanding!)"

Naturally, Ikari continued speaking, not noticing the fully spirited rant his unknown companion delivered with great enthusiasm and anger. "(Well, if you two villainous reprobates won't do something nice for the kid, I will! Or my name isn't Boston!)"

Outskirts of Smallville, Kansas.
Kent Farm, Kent House, Kitchen Table.
December the 11th, 2002; 8:26 A.M.

Jonathan Kent polished carefully his eyeglasses, as he thought. Next to him, Martha, his wife, patted the hand of their green skinned visitor. The Kents were two of the select few to whom he was willing to show his true shape, a long limbed, green skinned humanoid with an elongated head and several ridges on his back. "(I never expected things would get so bad, J'Onn. Are you sure you cannot stay the night, you don't look so good.)" He looked critically at his glasses, checking they were really clean, and put them back on.

The Martian Manhunter looked haggard, tired to the core of his being, but still strong. "(I've been running myself ragged all around the world.)" He sighed, and with a very human gesture, pinched the bridge of his nose, as if warding off an incoming headache. "(I'm thinking of discarding several of my secret identities for a while. As things are, Superman can do so much more for morale than the Martian Manhunter.)"

Martha squeezed his hand in support, "(I think it would be for the best, dear. You could suffer a heart attack, or…)"

The Martian smiled warmly at her, "(That won't happen, Martha. I'm physically incapable of that. I don't really have a heart as humans do. But I appreciate the sentiment; I can suffer fatigue as much as any human can.)" He paused, looking at the ceiling for a long moment. "(But just being here with you two, rest even for a few precious hours and be myself, to be among friends I know and trust, is a balm for my soul.)" Slowly, he reached for a chocolate cookie, and bit it carefully, prolonging the flavor. "(I think I'll just keep a few of the more prominent identities, the ones best placed to do the most good long-term. Japan still needs a calming influence, Takata can be that influence. The country is a key piece of the whole global economy, and if they fall…)" he closed his eyes and shook his head, dreading the thought of a renewal of the hostilities an economic collapse could cause.

Jonathan nodded. "(Do as you think best, J'Onn. We will miss your Josh identity, but we can cope. Clark sent a nice set of gold nuggets and sapphires from Almerac. It's enough to pay the salaries of several workers for several years.)" he paused, "(Clark said it was traditional for the consorts' parents to receive a kind of… )" he smiled crookedly, "(…dowry!)"

"(I miss him, Jonathan, Martha. More than I thought possible. Even with so much death and loss, it makes me a world of good to know he is still out there. And that he has a chance at happiness. I hope we can meet his children one day.)"

Their eyes wandered to a simple framed picture, hanging on the wall. Clark hugging Lois from behind, while she looked over her shoulder, both smiling, and with their eyes full of love. The picture had been taken in happier times, back when they had returned from their honeymoon and were welcomed back at the Daily Planet with a small party.

"(Yes…)" whispered Martha, "(There are days the only thing that can make me go on is knowing he has found love again, and that Maxima is strong enough to bear his children.)"

A heavy silence fell on them for a few minutes. Finally, J'Onn stood up. "(Children, yes. That's the reason I came here; to ask for your guidance; and maybe, your help.)"

"(Sure, what can we do?)"

J'Onn smiled tiredly and pulled a pack of pictures from somewhere. "(These are some of the orphans left by Second Impact.)" He spread the pictures on the table. "(They are special in more than one way.)" He took one picture, a girl close to sixteen years old, with big blue eyes and short black hair. "(Traya Sutton, twice orphaned. First in the war-torn Bialya, and more recently when Red Tornado, her adoptive parent, disappeared. Her adoptive mother, Kathy Sutton, fears for their safety.)" Martha took the picture, looking at the lonely look in the girl's eyes.

Next, he took another picture, a dark haired girl of about seven or eight years, her features were a mix of caucasian and asian. "(Lian Harper, daughter of Arsenal. He died with some of his fellow Titans in an ambush by the Secret Society of Supervillains.)" Both sorrow and anger were evident in J'onn's voice.

Next, an afro American girl of about seventeen, "(Anita Fite, also known as Empress, she is not exactly an orphan, but her situation is very complicated)", he pulled a picture that showed a boy and a girl smiling to the camera; both were close to four years old. "(Donnie and Oshi Fite; they look like her children, but they aren't. He is registered as such in the system, she is registered as adopted; but actually they are her parents.)" He raised his eyes to look at his hosts reaction, "(Did I mention it was complicated?)" He sighed. "(There are a few others who are now in the process of being assigned foster families, or going through red tape to relocate. I'd like to get them all close to each other. Both for protection and socializing. The adults have offered to help. Kathy Sutton, for example, is willing to do accounting and taxes; while Ishido Maad, long-time partner of Donald Fite, can help with security and physical labor.)"

Jonathan and Martha exchanged a look that conveyed a whole conversation in just a couple of seconds. It was Jonathan who spoke. "(And you need somewhere safe for them? It will be good to have some children running around here, my friend. It will be very good.)"

"(Thank you both, )" J'Onn took their hands in his, squeezing softly in thanks.

April the 18th, 2009
New Genesis, Supertown

Highfather stood next to a complex solid light projection. Hundreds of ships clashed in space. Through the windows, muted flashes of light broke the darkness above. If he didn't know that those flashes of light meant the death of his people, friends, relatives, fathers, sons, mothers, daughters of New Genesis; he would have thought the lights were pretty.

Highfather's eyes hardened for a moment, he couldn't allow sentiments to dictate his orders. With a heavy heart, he ordered an attack on the flank of the Apokoliptian armada, knowing that the only way to win this battle was to sacrifice more sons and daughters of New Genesis.

A voice jarred him from his strategies. "(Highfather.)"

"(Stranger.)" He answered, not looking at his fellow quintessence member. "(This is not a good moment, my people hang by a thread at the precipice.)"

"(I look for knowledge, Izaya.)"

"(I am sorry to deny you, but I need to focus on saving as many as I can. If knowledge is what you seek, ask Metron. You'll find him near the Promethean Wall, in his unending quest for the secrets of the Source.)"

"(I'll do so. My thanks, Izaya. May New Genesis shine always in hope.)"

And he disappeared.

Meanwhile, in the Hall of the Source, a flaming hand wrote in the wall of fire. "(Unbreak the boy, unbreak the girl. Forge anew the sundered soul to heal the Earth.)"

Lightray was the only New God who witnessed this, as soon as the flaming words disappeared back into the wall, he flew to Highfather to tell him of the new cryptic message from the Source itself.

"(Esak,)" Highfather called a young boy; had he been human, he would have been close to eleven years old. "(Please take Lightray's place watching the Wall of the Source.)" He turned back to the blonde New God. "(Child, please go and meet the Phantom Stranger at the Promethean Galaxy; he will be found with Metron. Tell the Stranger the message of the Source and come back as fast as you can.)"

Lightray smiled widely at the chance to do something and stretch his legs, idleness wore heavily on him. "(Immediately, Highfather.)" And he disappeared in a beam of light.

Izaya the Inheritor nodded tiredly, and turned his attention back to the battle.

Outskirts of Tokyo-3
Sahaquiel Crater; Unit-02 Plug
1 Hour, 14 Minutes After Sahaquiel Impact

"Okay, guys. I want the recovery cranes ready and working as soon as the dust settles. Remember to pound the ground before deploying the stabilizers!"

"Yes, sir!"

The crew boss chewed a piece of gum, he adjusted the binoculars over his nose, and examined the bottom of the crater. "Man… I hope the city decides to turn this hole into a reservoir. It will fill nicely before the rains end." Just as he spoke, a thunder broke over the site. "Damned static electricity…"

The dust on the sky accumulated a big charge, it would take some time before the unusual electric storm calmed down enough for the recovery crew to do their job. Still, they had spoken to the First and Second Children, who relayed answers from the Third.

Unit-01's comms had been fried by the Angel's explosion.

A Possible XXXIst Century
Frontier of the Almeracian Empire
Legionnaires Diplomatic Mission
3 Days After Diplomatic Contact

The Legion cruiser dragged the block of space ice containing the strange bio-mech back to United Planets territory. R.J. Brande looked at the hologram showing it and the cruiser, lost in thought. It had been a long time ago.

'(Unit-01)' he mused for himself. '(What are you doing here...?)'He paused to drink from a small goblet. One he had received a couple of centuries before, when he lived under a different name. '(Last time I saw that sprock-damned giant was almost a millennium ago.)'

His thoughts went back to Lournu. The Carggite young woman he had practically rescued from her birth planet. Back when they had met, she was an escaped patient from a mental hospital. He remembered just how lost and scared she looked, and just how desperate her surface thoughts had been. He had spent a long time suppressing his natural gifts, but the girl practically screamed her loneliness, her despair, and her hope into his mind. He would have helped her anyway, even without the memories that had surged into his mind.

Her short hair and amber right eye had brought to mind a memory long buried by the centuries. A very different teen appeared in his mind's eye. A girl so inexpressive she had been unfavorably compared to a doll. She had died a long time before, but the features of both held a clear resemblance.

'(We worked along very well after Third Impact was averted, Rei. Earth wouldn't have recovered so fast without you.)' He thought.

Brande relaxed his control over his body shape, and his eyes turned crimson red for a moment. Quickly, he reasserted control, and his eyes went back to their usual color.

He waved on the internal comm. "(Lournu? Any word of our friends?)"

"(Not yet, Mr. Brande. Superboy and Sensor will call when the Almeracian shuttle arrives to the Throne world.)"

"(Thank you, child. Let me know when they do, okay?)"

A Possible XXVIth Century
NERV-2 (Nevada)
Recreation Room 3 (Projection Room)
4 Days After Unit-04 Reactivation

"(Doc? Doc?)" A very worried Mari Makinami snapped her fingers in front of Dr. Canus' face. "(Hey, Doc. Don't do this to me, please! Doc! Earth to Doctor Canus!)"

Finally, Dr. Canus'eyes focused back on his time-displaced friend. "(Hmm? Wha..?)"

Relieved of her worry, Mari blew out the breath she had been containing. "(Doc, glad to have you back! You spaced out for almost five minutes! Blondie went to get some water." She leaned back and sat heavily on the floor in front of Doctor Canus. "We thought you had punched out the big ticket to the other side.)" Mari sat back on the chair, and wiped her forehead with her wrist.

"(I… I… Um.. I don't know what happened…)"

"(What's the last you remember?)" Mari's voice was full of worry.

"(Well… I was thinking about the implications of what the people in the movie said… About the nature of reality and how they couldn't tell if they were living in the real world or in a computer simulation.)"

"(Oh, damn!)" Mari paled considerably, biting her lip. "(It's my fault…)" She lowered her eyes in shame. "(I underestimated the movie…)"

"(It was quite the experience, Mari.)" Canus was back to his normal, affable state of being. He smiled at her. "(Though I think it would be wiser to not delve too much in that.)"

"(You tell me, Doc.)" She thought for a few moments. "(That's it, no more movies like The Matrix for you, Doc. Not without serious training with easier stuff.)"

"(Maybe some other time. I really enjoyed the way they were jumping all around.)"

"(Yeah, they did a great job with the fight scenes, didn't they?)" Her face started to recover its natural color.

"(Indeed! Say, do you have any movies with that kind of fights?)"

"(Sure! I must have a couple with Terence Hill and Bud Spencer. Really light fare, nothing heavy to think of. Just simple comedies, and the fights are hilarious! Let's give it a couple of days before trying that, okay? I don't want Blondie to get ideas. He is very worried about you.)" She patted Canus' knee before standing up, and held her hand to help Canus to get up. "(Well, just let me tell Blondie you're okay, and then we can call it a day.)"

Mari pressed a button in the comm unit in the wall. "(Hey, Blondie! The Doc is back and it seems he's okay. Nothing really serious, he just spaced-out thinking.)"

Kamandi answered after a minute. "(I'm on my way, I'm almost there.)"

Gotham City, Wayne Manor,
September the 26th, 2002; 3:42 P.M.

"(Man, Bruce really did travel around that year!)" Ralph Dibny observed, shuffling the papers back into the file.

"(We all did, Ralph. Ra's al Ghul had all of us chasing shadows. The year 2000 was a long series of attacks by the Assassin's League.)" Dick Grayson sat back in his chair, and rubbed his eyes with his left hand.

Barbara Grayson added, "(Even my team and myself were at our wits end. We shut down several plots of the League of Assassins in America, while Bruce and his team traveled around the world doing the same. I lost several good friends to the League.)" Her eyes misted for a moment, until a determined frown chased the shadow away. "(I will miss them all to the end of my days.)"

Ralph kept silent for a moment. "(I share the sentiment, Barbara. We are the last of our respective teams. After so many fights and danger, we were closer than most families. You two are the last of the Bat-Family; Barbara is also the last Bird of Prey, and Dick is the last Titan. I am the last Leaguer alive. And I am completely depowered now. So, I keep playing at being a detective. Some days solving a mystery is the only thing that keeps me sane. Well, I could cope with having no mysteries as long as I had Sue. Without her, I would have crumbled a long time ago.)"

Dick sipped at his coffee, respecting their mutual losses. A long moment later, he spoke. "(You lost your power?)" and a second later, he slapped his forehead, while Barbara smiled patiently. "(Of course, Second Impact destroyed the gingo plantation in Yucatan… No more Gingold.)"

"(Right in one, Dick. I really miss them, especially my nose twitching.)"

A soft knock on the door was followed by Alfred's voice, and the opening of the door; as it was his custom, the old butler announced a visitor. "(Master Richard? Mrs. Dibny is here.)" From the angle of Alfred´s right eyebrow, Dick and Barbara knew something was a bit off, but unless Alfred thought it was grave enough, he would be discrete and not call attention to whatever the matter was. At least, not in front of guests.