Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction / Tenchi Muyo Fan Fiction / Transformers Fan Fiction ❯ Death is Never the End ❯ Chapter 2

0 hr, Cybertron Time. Planet Cybertron traveled through the galaxy like a giant hearse. It had no sun for it to orbit, no light to shine its metal shell, no warmth to heat its rocky core. No fires burned, and no shadows were cast; a metallic scratching, like a mechanical ghost's voice, was the only sound that echoed within the depths of its catacombs. Stasis pods lined the catacomb walls, like metal coffins.

Despite the haunting silence that permeated it, Cybertron wasn't a dead world. Warriors rested within the pods, conserving energy. They were waiting for an alarm to sound, for another battle to begin. They had waited for 3,650,000 Stellar Cycles (SC), or 4,000,000 Earth years.

The wait was over. Radar and radio antennas extended from Cybertron's surface, standing at attention like silent sentinels. They detected an energy signature, which was analyzed by Teletran-1 and compared to a record in the supercomputer's memory. Beep, beep, beep! Alpha Trion limped to a console. Unlike the other Transformers, Alpha didn't enter stasis. His duty was to maintain the stasis pods, and monitor Teletran-1 as it searched for energy sources. If the energy source were powerful enough, he'd awaken more Transformers, who'd harness the energy and use it to revive Cybertron. "By the Matrix!" He must awaken the other Transformers immediately, even though this would deplete Cybertron's limited energy supplies to critical levels; they faced a greater crisis. Teletran-1 had detected Angolomois energy, generated by Unicron the Chaos-Bringer, who once sought Cybertron's destruction and the Transformers' extinction, and who nearly succeeded.

Shockwave was the first to awaken, followed by Grimlock. 9,125,000 SC ago, the Cybertron Civil War began; they were enemies, fighting in opposing armies. 3,650,000 SC ago, Unicron came; they became allies, fighting a common foe. Now that Angolomois energy was detected, they were needed again.

"Report," ordered Shockwave.

"One hour ago, Teletran-1 detected an energy signature, being radiated from Sol-3," Planet Earth's designation. "The signature was identified as Angolomois energy, with a 97.0% probability."

"Impossible!" exclaimed Grimlock. "We scrapped Unicron!"

"Correction, we had confirmed the destruction of 60 to 80% of Unicron's frame," stated Shockwave. "Unicron's central processing unit was not among the components whose destruction was confirmed by the sensor records."

Grimlock turned to Shockwave. "Why do you fear a severed head? It's powerless without a body for it to control."

"We fear the unknown, and Unicron is an unknown," said Alpha. "We do not know how powerless, or powerful, he is."

"Then we must act quickly!" demanded Grimlock.

"Alpha Trion, send a probe to Sol-3," ordered Shockwave. "Grimlock, awaken a squad of the most powerful warriors. I will prepare a shuttle."

At 2 hr, a probe was launched from the recently repaired electromagnetic launcher. At 8 hr, Grimlock had awakened the Autobot warriors Slag, Sludge, Swoop, and Snarl, and the Decepticon seekers Starscream, Dirge, Thrust, and Ramjet. The Decepticon military transport Astrotrain was repaired, and was listening to Shockwave's report.

"How will we fight the Chaos-Bringer?" asked Astrotrain. "The Matrix was lost with Optimus Prime," the Autobot Supreme Commander who used the Matrix to destroy Unicron, and who gave his life in the process. "None of our weapons were effective against Unicron 3,650,000 SC ago, and I see no reason why they'd be effective now."

"Then we will research and develop new weapons," answered Shockwave. "We will find a way to fight Unicron." His voice was monotonous, expressing neither doubt, nor confidence. Astrotrain could only guess which emotions the apparently emotionless Shockwave held.

At 96 hr, the probe transmitted an image of a crater, which radiated a strong signature. It then transmitted images of a construct in Europe, the underground structure it shielded, and the rail transportation systems that serviced it. This construct radiated a weaker signature. An alert was transmitted from the construct, and a laser beam struck the probe. Although the laser had no effect on the probe, Shockwave ordered the probe to self-destruct.

The warriors and the seekers were practicing hand-to-hand combat and marksmanship, respectively. Shockwave terminated their training, and ordered the warriors to hear Alpha's report.

"Sol-3 is inhabited by sentient beings, which identify themselves 'humans.' Angolomois energy has been detected at this human construct, which we believe is both a fortified factory. There's a 59.3% probability that the humans are manufacturing components for Unicron, although there's only a 23.6% probability that they are able to assemble these components into an actual frame."

"Then we'll just exterminate these humans!" declared Starscream.

"No!" protested Alpha. "That's...!"

Starscream aimed his cannons at Alpha. "Silence! As Decepticon Air Commander, my word is law!" The other seekers followed their leader, and aimed their machine guns at Alpha.

Grimlock stepped in front of Alpha, shielding him. "Your word is exhaust fumes!" The edge of his sword was at Starscream's throat, the barrel of his cannon at Ramjet's head. The other Autobots followed their leader.

Astrotrain instinctively reached for his rifle, but Shockwave slapped his hand away from his weapons bay. Shockwave stepped between Grimlock and Starscream, and slammed his forearm against the Decepticon Air Commander.

"Eek!" cried Starscream as he fell.

"Terminate this nonsense, immediately!" ordered Shockwave. "We cannot afford to fight a second Civil War, not when Unicron threatens to scrap us all, Decepticon and Autobot alike!" The other Transformers, reluctant to challenge Shockwave, lowered their weapons. "Now," he turned to Alpha, "what course of action do you propose?"

"I propose the launch of a preemptive strike to destroy this construct and the components they're manufacturing. There's no need to exterminate the humans. In fact, they might thank us for freeing them from Unicron's influence."

Starscream laughed as he stood up. "Do you really expect the humans to let us destroy their construct? For all we know, they may have offered to repair Unicron in exchange for some of his power."

Alpha calmly turned to Starscream. "We shall see."

Shockwave turned to Astrotrain. "Astrotrain, transform." Astrotrain obeyed, transforming into a space shuttle. The seekers and the warriors entered the cargo bay. Shockwave entered the cockpit. "Astrotrain, takeoff. Destination: Sol-3." The shuttle flew away from Cybertron, its engines lighting up the planet's dark sky, the first light that Cybertron had seen in 3,650,000 SC.

***

DEATH IS NEVER THE END, Part 2

An Evangelion crossover by Sidewinder (aim9snake@hotmail.com), 2003, last revised 2007. Based on Ian Fleming, Kawamori Shoji, Fujishima Kosuke, AIC, Gainax, Hasbro, Marvel, and Takara's works.

***

2130 hr. Misato waited as the fire trucks sprayed water onto Unit 04, whose armor still glowed from the heat it absorbed during its hypersonic flight. After the Archangel was defeated, the humanoid disappeared. The C² vehicle's data recorder had recorded the dialogue between Shiro and the humanoid, which filled Misato with questions. 'What was the humanoid? An ally? An enemy? What kind of relationship did it have with Shiro? Did it act under the Shiro's influence, or vice versa? Was Shiro an ally, or an enemy?' Misato needed the answers.

A technician touched the prone Eva's armor with a gloved hand before he touched it with a bare hand. He turned to Misato and nodded.

Misato pressed the TRANSMIT button on her radio headset. "Pilot Bond, the external temperature's within tolerable limits. You can safely exit the entry plug."

"Thank you." A hatch on the back of Unit 04's neck slid open. The entry plug extended from Unit 04's neck before it opened. Shiro climbed out of the plug. Ryoko hovered beside him, holding his left forearm. Clatter, clatter! UN peacekeepers placed the selector levers on their G36 5.56 mm combat rifles to AUTO and aimed the G36s at Ryoko.

Shiro stepped in front of Ryoko, shielding her. "Is something the matter, Missy?"

"Pilot Bond, step away from the... bandit," ordered Misato, using the term for enemy aircraft. She didn't know what else to call Ryoko.

Shiro laughed. "Missy, does she look like a MiG?" He pointed his left thumb rearwards, at Ryoko. His right hand was at his side, ready to draw his pistol.

"Pilot Bond, we know the bandit is powerful enough to fight an Angel. Until we know more about it, we must restrain it."

"No! I won't let you take away my freedom!" Ryoko jumped above Shiro and raised a sword, ready to slash.

"No!" Shiro grabbed Ryoko's free hand and pulled her downwards.

During this time, the peacekeepers kept Ryoko in the their gunsights, even when Shiro was in the line of fire. The bullets could continue flying after penetrating Shiro's body, allowing them to hit Ryoko. "Don't shoot!" ordered Misato. She turned to Shiro. "Pilot Bond, step away from the bandit."

Shiro ignored Misato. "Run," he ordered. "Get to safety."

Ryoko's eyes were wide with surprise. "What about you?"

"I must stay. I answer to them." He turned rearward, to Ryoko. "You do not. Run."

Ryoko sensed that Shiro was resolute; she could do nothing to change his mind. She hovered three meters above the ground. "If Shiro Bond comes to harm, I'll kill you all, I'll kill your families, and I'll kill your friends." She disappeared.

"Gasp!" "Ahhhh!" "Ghost!"

*

Day Seven, Thursday. 0150 hr. "In 1292, Laird Roger I, Baron of Lionheart, left the safety of his castle to fight in the Wars of Independence." Shiro had heard this story many times, and now narrated it with skill that equaled Desmond's. "Lady Diana, the Baron's wife, prayed daily for the safe return of her husband. During one stormy night, a demon came, a giant that stood head and shoulders above the castle towers. Brave men took up arms in defense of Lionheart Hamlet, but they all fell beneath the demon's terrible strength. The deaths of these brave men did nothing to quench the demon's thirst for blood. It flew towards the castle, where Lady Diana prayed for salvation.

"Her prayer was answered; before the demon could destroy the castle, a shooting star lit up the sky. A gallant knight-errant, Sir Yosho, appeared beneath the star, and fought the demon. Their battle raged throughout the night; the countryside quaked, and the sky thundered, from the clashing of their swords. Finally, the sun rose, and burned away the storm clouds. Invigorated by the sunlight, Sir Yosho leaped into the air. With a mighty roar, he thrust his sword through the demon's throat. The demon's body was buried beneath the chapel, where it remains,"-- Shiro remembered that he had freed the demon-- "where it remained until two days ago.

"After the battle, Sir Yosho collapsed, bleeding from a hundred wounds. He was carried into the north tower, where Lady Diana personally treated him, in gratitude for his heroism. During the next three days, Sir Yosho's terrible wounds were miraculously healed. He bid Lady Diana farewell, and left to help other people in need. Before he left, Sir Yosho thrust his sword into the demon's coffin, to lock away the demon's power.

"The day after Sir Yosho left, God answered Lady Diana's other prayer. The Baron returned, having fallen off of his horse before the battle. Although he was denied the honor of fighting that battle, he was given another honor nine months later, when Lady Diana gave birth to their son. Laird Roger II became one of the heroes of the War of Independence, fighting beside Robert the Bruce in a dozen battles.

"Time has changed the land. The Wars of Independence are now but a distant memory, as are the brave men who fought it. Charles I had stripped the Bond family of our title, and ordered the razing of the Lionheart Castle. After the Civil War, the hamlet was renamed Lazenby. But the Bond family's honor remains, because men like my grandfather are willing to fight for it. Now I must fight for it." Desmond always ended the story with this reminder, that Shiro must uphold the family honor.

Misato stared at Shiro, who seemed invigorated by the narration. She was worn out, as if she was the one who endured a four-hours-long interrogation, not Shiro. She took a deep breath. "So is Ryoko a living weapon, created by a madman named Kagato? Or is she a demon?"

"That depends on who you'll believe in, the Sword of Heaven and Earth, or Desmond."

"Desmond?"

"Desmond Llewelyn, caretaker of Lionheart Castle. Nice fellow, if a bit superstitious."

Misato stood up and slammed her fist against the table. "Do you think I'm stupid?! Do you think I'm going to believe a fairy tale?!"

Shiro shrugged. "You can call my grandfather. He's familiar with the local legends."

"I will. Guards!" called Misato. Four peacekeepers entered the room. "Escort Pilot Bond to his cell."

*

Shiro laid on the cot, staring at the surveillance camera that was hidden behind a false brick in the wall. The cell enclosed him like a coffin. There were no windows; the only light source was a lamp on the ceiling, which was now shut off. His own mind wasn't as calm as the cell; he was angry with himself for suppressing the memory of the assassination. 'How can I dishonor the memory of my parents?'

Arms emerged from the cot, and curled to embrace him. Shiro instinctively rolled off of the cot, onto his feet, and assumed a combat stance. The intruder's head and shoulders emerged from the cot. "Good morning, Ryoko."

Ryoko sadly stared at Shiro. "Do you hate me?"

"Miss?"

"I want to make love to you, but you won't make love to me. Why? Do you think I'm a monster? Do you hate me because I...?"

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to hurt you." Shiro watched Ryoko fully emerge from the cot and sit beside him. "If you killed those people out of your own free will, I'd hate you for being a monster. But you never had free will; Kagato trained you to think of yourself as a weapon in his hands, and nothing else. This... is an unpleasant reminder of my current situation, where NERV sees me as a weapon in their hands, and expects me to see myself as one. This frightens me."

"Don't be." Ryoko reached for him.

Shiro leaned forward until his nose touched Ryoko's. The girl blushed, expecting a kiss. "Excuse me, I have to call my grandfather," he whispered, not knowing that Ryoko disabled the hidden camera and microphone. 'With his aid, I'll avenge my parents.'

"To bless our union?"

Shiro suppressed his laughter as he activated his codec. "Black Bishop, this is Black Knight, over."

Instead of his grandfather, Shiro saw a young woman with dark-brown hair and eyes, and three blue diamonds tattooed on her forehead and cheeks. "Bonjour Mon Cherie!" greeted the unidentified woman. "You've reached the Goddess Relief Office!"

Shiro frowned. "Who are you? How did you get this frequency?"

The woman giggled. "The answer to your first question is Peorth, Goddess 1st Class, unlimited license. As for your second question... I should answer it in person." The light was suddenly turned on, forcing Shiro and Ryoko to squint. Their eyes instinctively focused on what was being illuminated. Rose petals rained down from the ceiling; the cell became a stage, and the performing magician appeared as the petals settled onto the floor, coating it with perfume. "Ta-dah!" Shiro put Peorth in a chokehold. "Ack!"

"I say again, who are you, and how did you hack into MI6's codec net?" Shiro loosened his grip slightly, letting Peorth talk.

"I'm Peorth, Goddess 1st Class, unlimited license. I came from the Goddess Relief Office. From there, I have access to all information on Earth and its inhabitants."

Shiro tightened his grip. "Where is the Goddess Relief Office? FSB Headquarters, Number 1/3 Lubyanka Square, Moscow?" Shiro suspected that Peorth served the Russian Federal Security Service. "Or are you GRU?" the Russian military intelligence agency. He loosened his grip slightly.

"Stop being so damn paranoid! I don't serve the people who tried to kill you!"

"But you know who did, don't you?"

"Osato Kenshin! He hired Francisco Scaramanga!"

"The Japanese PM?" Prime Minister. "Why would he...?"

"Because you pilot the American Eva, and America is a Chinese ally! Osato wants to sabotage the American Evangelion Project in order to prevent China from getting Evas, which they might use against Japan!"

"Why should I believe this conspiracy theory? What evidence...?" Shiro gasped as the evidence-- dozens of computer files-- were projected onto the lower left corner of his eye. $2,000,000 was transferred from Osato's bank account, through three dummy corporations, to Scaramanga's. The JSSDF viewed China as a direct threat, and targeted the nation with 12 of its 20 intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) was concerned that Japan would threaten Chinese interests in the Spratly Islands, and considered targeting Japan with five more missiles, for a total of ten; China had 200 ICBMs. The PLA also offered financial and technical assistance to the USAF Evangelion Project. Osato...

Shiro released Peorth. "I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted. Now, I'm here to grant you a wish, which, I hope, will help you realize your dream." Peorth raised her index finger. "However, you're allowed to have one wish only."

Shiro thought for a moment. "My parents..."

Peorth sadly shook her head. "I can't bring the dead back to life; that's forbidden. Nor can I help you take someone's life."

"Then leave."

"Excuse me?"

"I'll realize my dreams with my own power; I don't need yours."

"Hey!" Peorth stomped in frustration. "This is no way to treat a Goddess 1st Class! I'm offering you a chance of a lifetime!"

"What price will I pay for this offer?"

Peorth recovered her self-control; she must work hard to earn Shiro's trust. "You already earned it; you defeated the mutants and saved Japan."

"Mutants-- the Angels?"

"The monsters you fought weren't angels. This is an angel." Gorgeous Rose emerged from Peorth's back, mesmerizing Shiro with her beauty. "The monsters were..."

Click, clang! "Put your hands above your heads!" screamed the peacekeeper who burst into the cell. Misato and four other peacekeepers stood at the door, aiming their weapons at Shiro, Ryoko, and Peorth.

"Pilot Bond, what the hell is going on here?!" demanded Misato.

The angel dived into Peorth's back the goddess as turned to Misato. "At ease, soldiers. Here, have a drink."

Misato noticed a change in the grip of her Heckler and Koch Universal Self-loading Pistol (USP) 9 mm. She stared at her hand, and was shocked to see that she now held a beer can.

"What the...?" "My weapon!" Clink, clatter! Beer replaced the peacekeepers' G36s.

Misato stared at Peorth. "Who are you?"

Peorth posed, a supermodel at a fashion show. "I am Peorth, Goddess 1st Class, unlimited license."

Misato sensed that Peorth was telling the truth. "Now that I know who you are, can you tell me who, or what, is she?" She pointed at Ryoko.

"She's Ryoko, a living weapon. Hakubi Washu and Kagato created her. Later, Kagato imprisoned Washu, enslaved Ryoko, and hacked into Yggdrasil; we were lucky that Yosho killed him before he caused too much damage. Don't worry; now that Kagato's dead, Ryoko is free to live and love like a human being." Peorth turned to Shiro. "As I was saying... I should give you some explanations so you'd understand. Everything in your reality is run by the Yggdrasil supercomputer, from the planets' paths as they orbit the sun, to a red blood cell's path as it travels through a capillary."

"Like in 'The Matrix'?" Misato's favorite movie.

Peorth dismissively waved. "Yggdrasil isn't that sinister; it doesn't use mortals as batteries. Anyways, 15 Earth years ago, an unidentified individual hacked into Yggdrasil and crashed the programs controlling Earth's ecosystem and human evolution; what you call the 2nd Impact, and what you call Angels, are two consequences of this."

"Human evolution..." Fear pierced Misato's heart, like a dagger. "The monsters that attacked Tokyo; they were human?!"

"Don't worry!" Peorth smiled. "The chance of you becoming one of them is only 0.000000000167%!"

Misato recovered her self-control. "Was the 1st Angel the hacker?"

"The who?"

Misato sensed that Peorth wasn't acting. "The 1st Angel, the giant of light that appeared in Antarctica shortly before the 2nd Impact."

Peorth lowered her head in thought. "I should look into this. Unfortunately, the hacker had caused too much damage to let the system identify him, or to understand his methods."

"So you can't stop him from causing a 3rd Impact?" Misato frowned. "I don't think that's good enough for my commander." 'That's definitely not good enough for me.'

Peorth smiled. "Don't worry, I'll explain it to him." The goddess disappeared in another rain of rose petals.

Misato opened the can and emptied it with one swig. "Hooahhhh! I needed that." She turned to the peacekeepers. "Go ahead. I know you need them, too." The peacekeepers nodded to each other before they aped Misato.

Five minutes later, Misato's cell phone rang. "Capt Katsuragi," called Prof Fuyutsuki Kozo, Acting Commander of UN NERV.

"Yes, Sir?"

"Release Pilot Bond. I say again, release Pilot Bond."

"Yes, Sir."

*

0005, Berlin Time. Dr Samuel Langley, commander of NERV Germany's 1st branch, watched a record of the battle. Ryoko and Unit 04 fought the Archangel. "Is that an Eva?" he asked, pointing at Ryoko.

"Prof Fuyutsuki identified it as 'Evangelion Unit 01A'," answered Special Agent Kaji Ryoji. He sensed Langley's skepticism. "I'm sure he has an explanation for this."

"I'm sure." Langley believed Fuyutsuki and Ikari shared responsibility for the incident that destroyed New Tokyo-3.

Dr Elise Fidelio-Langley studied Unit 04's image. "I thought Unit 04's S² engine was inactivate."

"It was," answered Kaji. "No one could explain how Pilot Bond was able to do it."

"He received a medical examination when he arrived at the 2nd US branch," noted Langley. "Order Gen Russhon to transmit the data to me." Langley turned to his wife, the new director of the Evangelion Project. "Perhaps the thermonuclear turbines acted as the S² engine's starter motor. Can Unit 02 be retrofitted with these turbines?"

Elise was visibly shaken by the question. NERV intended to use thermonuclear turbines to power the Evas; the plan was cancelled after Unit 03's turbines overheated during a static test, damaging the Eva and forcing the pilot to eject. "Yes, but the risks..."

"Pilot Bond has proven that the risks are manageable."

"How Shiro activated the S² engine is only one of many things we don't know about Unit 04. Asuka," Langley's daughter, Unit 02's pilot, "may not be able to emulate him. If she loses control..."

"She will not. Now prepare Unit 02 for transportation. I will confer with the Committee."

"Yes, Sir." Elise exited Langley's office, followed by Kaji.

*

0815, Tokyo Time. A thunderstorm raged within Misato's head. She groaned as she rose from her desk, her improvised bed. "Ite, my back!" Misato identified the thunder as a hand knocking on her door, and glanced at her wristwatch. "Oh, shit!" She opened her office door.

"Ma'am," greeted 1st Lt Hyuga Makoto. "NATO liaisons have arrived. They're currently meeting with Pilot Bond."

'So soon?' "Why didn't they contact me?" As the operations officer, Misato had authority over the Eva pilots; any contact between them and NERV was supposed to be arranged through her.

"They had documents identifying Bond as a RAF officer; legally, the British military has final authority over him."

Misato read between the lines. "So he won't help us if the Americans or the English disagree with our course of action, and we can't court martial him for disobeying orders." She remembered seeing USAF insignia on Unit 04's wings and forearms. "Do they have documents declaring that Unit 04 is the property of the US government?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"They don't trust us, do they?"

"I don't blame them. The Incident had caused the UN member nations to doubt our control over the Evas."

"We never had control over them; we only pretended to." Misato put on her uniform jacket as she exited the office. "Where's Pilot Bond?"

Shiro was in the Eva cage, where USAF crewmembers were servicing Unit 04. When Misato tried to enter the cage, USAF security policemen (SPs) intercepted her. "Ma'am, you're not cleared to enter this area," stated a SP.

"Bullshit! Who's your commander?!"

A heavyset man, wearing a battle dress uniform (BDU) and body armor, approached the cage door. "Lt Clifton James, US Air Force. How may I help you, Ma'am?" he asked in heavily accented Japanese.

"I'm Capt Katsuragi Misato, operations officer of NERV Japan! Your MP is giving me bullshit about my not being cleared to enter the cage! Of course I'm cleared to enter this area, just as I'm cleared to enter any area on this base! And don't you dare claim otherwise!"

"He's an Air Force security policeman, not a military policeman. And while this is your base, that,"-- Clifton pointed his thumb rearwards, at Unit 04-- "is our robot. And don't you dare claim otherwise."

Misato wanted to slap Clifton until his face was as red as a ripe tomato, but she knew the SPs would shoot her if she succumbed to her anger. "Fine! Don't expect us to help you if an Angel attacks Washington!" Her footsteps seemed to shake the floor as she left.

*

0500 hr, Berlin Time. Soryu Asuka Langley, the 2nd Child, looked out the window as the transport plane took off; this might be the last time she saw Berlin. When her stepmother called her at 0020, Asuka heard the fear in Elise's voice; although she was ready to be deployed, and had kept a suitcase packed with toiletries and three changes of clothing, Asuka was still surprised by Elise's message. "How's Shiro?" she asked as the city shrank.

"He's fine," answered Elise. She knew that Asuka still cared for Shiro, although their relationship ended three months ago.

"Don't worry, Capt Katsuragi is protecting him," added Kaji. He noticed Asuka's frown. "Are you jealous?"

"Jealous?" Asuka laughed, hiding that emotion behind mockery. "I'm not jealous, I just feel sorry for Misato; that man will drive her insane!"

"Or vice versa." Kaji laughed with Asuka; his laughter was drowned by a comment that rose from the depths of his memory. "Did Shiro really try to seduce Misato?"

"Yes." Asuka giggled. "I remember..."

They didn't hear the laser beam hit the cockpit; they felt it. Kaji only had enough time to scream, "Hang on!" as the plane crashed onto the runway.

*

A German infantry squad escorted Langley towards the subway car that would transport him to a research facility 70 km from the base. 'Is Adam secure?' The man slowed down to glance at his watch, wondering about the agent he ordered to secure the artifact; this saved him when a bunker buster bomb destroyed the car.

"Ahhhh!" Concrete chunks rained upon the vanguard, killing them and sealing the tunnel. "God in heaven!" The squad leader pointed to an air vent. "Sir, in here!" A soldier held the vent open as another pushed Langley into the air duct. "Hurry!" A laser beam hit the soldiers behind Langley, killing them. "Ahhhh!"

Burning corpses blocked the vent, trapping Langley. "God in heaven..." He crawled away from the subway.

Shockwave crouched in the 10-meter-tall tunnel, scanning the subway car's burning wreckage; he detected no signs of life. He raised his head. "Deploy the autogun," automated gun turret.

"Yes, Sir." Swoop dropped a blue bomb, the autogun pod, down the hole formed by the bunker buster. The pod fired retro rockets fired to slow its descent; tripod legs extended the moment it landed. The pod's tail became a turret, armed with a laser cannon and two missile launchers.

Shockwave received the report, "Autogun-1, active." The pod would prevent humans from escaping through the hole in the ceiling, while Swoop would prevent them from entering. "Autogun-2, active." Whoosh! Astrotrain, in his locomotive mode, raced to his commander after setting an autogun at the opposite end of the tunnel. "Report."

Astrotrain transformed into his robot mode to remove the agent from his cargo bay. "I caught this animal on the way here. He had this,"-- the Decepticon removed an embryo, encased in Bakelite, from his left "cargo pocket"-- "with him."

Shockwave scanned the embryo. "The Matrix!" Its energy signature was identical to the relic Optimus Prime used to defeat Unicron.

Astrotrain almost hit his head against the ceiling. "What?!"

Shockwave continued scanning. "Its energon supply is depleted; it is useless as a weapon. Nonetheless, it may have other uses." He turned to the stunned human in Astrotrain's hand. "Agent Thomas A. Anderson, Seele." He heard the human gasp, expressing shock at his knowledge. "I have several questions for you." His golden eye enveloped the agent in light.

Anderson felt the golden light burn into his mind, his memories, his secrets... "Noooo!"

*

Heat awakened Kaji; he guessed that five to ten minutes had passed. "Asuka? Dr Langley?"

"Ow..." Asuka held her head. Then shock opened her eyes. "Mother!" She checked Elise's pulse; her stepmother was alive.

The windows glowed orange; Kaji knew the plane's fuel was burning. "We have to get out of here!" He quickly checked Elise's neck and back for injuries; finding none, he raised the woman onto his shoulders.

"Get to the Eva! We'll be safe in the entry plug!" Asuka led Kaji into the cargo bay, where Evangelion Unit 02 rested. She uncovered a keypad on the gorget and entered a code to extend the entry plug. "Get in!" Elise, Kaji, and Asuka entered the cockpit; seconds later, the Eva shook as the plane's fuel tanks exploded. "Should we wait for a search and rescue team to get here?"

Kaji shook his head. "The crash may not be the result of mechanical failure or pilot error."

Asuka concealed her shock. "I understand. Get ready." She pulled a lever behind the pilot's seat; LCL quickly filled the cockpit. She put on her neural interface headset and gripped the control sticks. "Evangelion Unit 02, start!" The Eva rose from the wreckage, like a phoenix from its funeral pyre. Asuka turned east, towards the base...

She instinctively activated Unit 02's AT field as four streaks approached it. Boom, boom, boom, boom!

"Oh..." Elise clutched her head, awakened by the explosions. "Asuka? What...?"

"We're under attack," stated Asuka, as Unit 02 drew a progressive knife from the weapons bay on its left pauldron.

Dirge watched as Thrust's long-range missiles detonated harmlessly against Unit 02's AT field. "It must be a guardian," a giant Transformer whose power equaled an entire army's. "I advise you to retreat."

"Shock you!" cursed Thrust. "I'm going to scrap this thing if it's the last thing I do!"

"It will be if you..." Dirge sighed as Thrust accelerated towards Unit 02; the younger seeker rarely heeded his advice. He accelerated as well; if he couldn't stop the guardian, he'd die trying, earning a statue in the Decepticon Hall of Heroes. The seekers circled Unit 02 as they strafed it.

Thrust rolled, dodging a slash that would've decapitated him. He detected a minute decrease in the AT field's strength, after his short-range missiles struck it. "This is too easy! It can't scratch us! We'll wear out its shield with repeated attacks, and then it'll just be an oversized target drone!"

"Don't get cocky," warned Dirge. "It may have secret weapons..." He detected a sudden increase in the AT field's strength and proximity. "Evasive action!" He transformed into his robot mode, aimed his legs and engines at the Eva to stop himself, and transformed back into his fighter mode. As he rocketed away from Unit 02's unconventional attack, he heard a scream. "Thrust!"

Before the seeker could recover, Asuka charged, slicing Thrust in half as he spun towards the ground. "That should teach them not to mess with Soryu Asuka Langley!" She smiled at the resulting explosion.

Kaji noticed the warning, "ACTIVE TIME REMAINING 00:45:01," on the LCD. Without an S² engine or an external power source, Unit 02 must rely on its internal batteries, which would run for only one minute at full strength, as it had during the battle. "You only have 44 seconds of active time remaining. I advise you to take evasive action."

"Don't worry, I...!" Asuka noticed the smoke that rose from the base command center. "Papa!" Unit 02 ran towards the command center. Boom! "Ahhhh!" The missile was aimed just in front of the Eva's feet, causing Asuka to lose her footing. "Bastards!" Unit 02 slashed at the alien tank in front of it.

Grimlock transformed into his robot mode and flipped backwards to dodge the attack. "Keep shooting!" he ordered the warriors. "It only has 37.91 seconds of active time remaining!" Unit 02 automatically transmitted its cockpit data to the command center; Shockwave had taken over the command center, and was able to translate the human language.

"Stand still so I can hit you!" Enraged, Asuka was blind and deaf to the control system's warnings. She slashed at the Transformers on the ground and in the air, until Unit 02's batteries were spent.

Ramjet detected the AT field's collapse; he took advantage of this by ramming the hatch in the back of Unit 02's neck, knocking the Eva onto the ground. "Whoa!" He transformed into his robot mode and clutched his head. "What a rush!"

Dirge landed beside Ramjet. "Are you functional?"

"I'm prime!" Ramjet smiled. "Thrust's right! Without its shield, it's just a large target drone!" He stopped smiling when he remembered Thrust's fate.

Unit 02's entry plug was now exposed. Dirge detected the thermal signatures in the cockpit. "Shocking humans!" He tore open the plug. Kaji and Elise fell out of the plug; Asuka was kept in the cockpit by the restraints. "This is for Thrust!" He aimed his machine guns at the humans.

"Stop!" Shockwave's voice thundered within Dirge's head. "I need them to be functional in order to extract data from them. Bring them to me."

Dirge lowered his arms. "You're lucky that Shockwave wants you alive." A cruel smile appeared in his face. "Or not." He laughed; Shockwave was a skilled interrogator.

Without an integral radio, Asuka couldn't understand the seeker, but she could sense Dirge's anger and hatred. She shivered as the Transformers grabbed Kaji, Elise, and herself.

*

1311 hr, Tokyo Time. Misato was granted accompanied access to the cage; the Americans were willing to cooperate with NERV, but unwilling to trust NERV with the technology that made up Unit 04's armor. Clifton marched beside her as she approached Shiro. "Pilot Bond, the Berlin branch..."

"I know." Shiro wore a modified shark suit, a water survival suit that was issued to US and Royal Navy pilots-- the gray suit's plate armor made Shiro resemble a scale model of Unit 04. "BOND" and "O POS" were stenciled on the breastplate and backplate, while a Union Jack adorned the right pauldron.

"New suit?" asked Misato.

"Red," the color of the plug suit NERV issued him, "is not my color." An airman gave him seven magazines. Shiro loaded his MK23 before placing it into the integral thigh holster. He placed the remaining magazines into the six ammo pouches on the breastplate, before turning to Misato. "Who's the enemy?"

"We don't know their identities or their motivation. However, their technology is similar to that which makes up Unit 04's armor." She turned to Clifton. "Do you know anyone else with such technology?"

Clifton's face contorted with rage. "Are you suggesting that we're...?"

"Ahhhh!"

Clifton instinctively drew his M9 9 mm semiautomatic pistol as he turned to the screamer. He lowered the M9 when he saw Ryoko approach them; he'd learned that firearms didn't affect her. "Why can't you use the door?"

Ryoko ignored him. "Shiro, I'm coming with you."

"This isn't your fight," warned Shiro.

"Is it your fight?"

"Yes."

"I care about you. That makes it my fight."

Shiro sensed that Ryoko was resolute. "Very well." He put on his helmet. "Follow me." He led Ryoko into Unit 04's cockpit.

"Where the hell did she come from?" asked Clifton.

"A fairy tale," answered Misato.

*

0525 hr, Berlin Time. "... to Sol-3," stated Shockwave. (He had modified the base's communications system, so he could communicate with Alpha.) "13.69 SC ago, the humans recovered Unicron's CPU and the Matrix." The designations "Lilith" and "Adam," which identified these artifacts in NERV's records, were meaningless to Shockwave. "The humans studied the CPU and the Matrix, and discovered:

"One, Unicron's CPU is of biological construction,

"Two, 99.89% of the human genetic code is identical to Unicron's,

"Three, 99.89% of the human genetic code is identical to a spark core's biological components," a Transformer heart, which generated a structural integrity field (SIF) to make a Transformer's armor stronger than the individual metal plates, "including the Matrix.

"The humans attempted to access the Matrix's powers by conducting it through Unicron's Chains of Power; this caused a powerful energon surge," the event known as the 2nd Impact, "whose destructive effects were comparable to Angolomois surge Unicron generated during his attack."

"Interesting." Alpha turned to a monitor at his side, studying the data Shockwave transmitted to Cybertron; then he turned to Shockwave. "Are the humans attempting to repair Unicron?"

"I have found no evidence to suggest this. However, the humans have extracted genetic codes from the CPU and the Matrix, and used them to create one Unicron replicant, designated Evangelion Unit 01, and four Matrix replicants, designated Evangelion Units 00, 02, 03, and 04. These replicants are controlled by human pilots, and are being used as guardians. 170.67 hr ago, the humans lost control of the Unicron replicant, which destroyed the main replicant factory."

"The Unicron replicant is now a major threat," stated Alpha. "How should we deal with this threat?"

"We have commandeered the replicant factory at this construct; we are now using it to convert a warrior, Sludge, into a Matrix replicant. If Sludge is successfully converted, then we will convert the remaining seekers and warriors."

Alpha frowned. "Is this safe?"

"Sludge has a 63.2% chance of survival; this is acceptable." Shockwave sensed Alpha's skepticism. "A Matrix replicant has a 16.7% chance of victory over Unicron; a conventional Transformer has a 0.00278% chance of victory."

Alpha turned to the side and performed his own calculations. "I must agree." He turned to Shockwave. "Remember, our enemy is Unicron, not the humans."

Beep, beep, beep! The computer warned Shockwave that combat aircraft were approaching the base. "The humans do not share your opinion." Before Alpha could protest, Shockwave terminated communications with Cybertron. "Battle stations!"

*

0712 hr, Berlin Time. A squadron of Eurofighter Typhoons cautiously circled the Berlin branch; the intruders controlled the base's defenses, which had shot down many of their comrades. "Crusader One, this is Crusader Zero, over."

"Crusader Zero, this is Crusader One, over," answered the squadron leader.

"Crusader Shield," the Luftwaffe's defense of the Berlin branch, "has been terminated. I say again, Crusader Shield has been terminated, over."

"Crusader One to Crusader Zero, roger." The squadron leader transmitted, "Return to base," to the fighter pilots. As his Typhoon turned away from the Berlin branch, he saw a red star shoot towards the base. "God in heaven! Has NERV deployed a nuclear missile?!"

"No," answered his commander. "What they've deployed is far more destructive." (Fuyutsuki called the Russian President and Defense Minister, so they wouldn't identify Unit 04 as an ICBM, a mistake that would've started a war.)

*

Starscream and Shockwave stared at the monitor, which showed the approaching Eva. "Skyfire?!" Starscream extended his hand, as if he could touch Unit 04 through the monitor.

Shockwave turned to Starscream. "Identify Skyfire."

"He..." Starscream noticed differences between Unit 04's armor, and Skyfire's. "He's dead." Rage surged through his frame as he closed his hand into a fist.

Shockwave turned to the monitor; he sensed that Starscream wasn't willing to deliver more information on this Skyfire. "There is a 82.4% probability that its armor and its propulsion system is based on Cybertronian designs. I want to study it, after it has been disabled." He launched two missiles, which the Eva dodged with violent maneuvers that would've shattered a conventional aircraft's frame. The base's laser weaponry didn't affect Unit 04's AT field. "Impressive."

"Dirge! Ramjet!" called Starscream. "Come with me! We'll blast that guardian out of the sky!"

"Stop!" ordered Shockwave. "Unit 04 is powered by an integral generator, not internal batteries. The tactics we used against Unit 02 will not be effective against it."

Starscream angrily turned to Shockwave. "What are you saying? That we should just lay down and die?!"

"Negative. We do not yet have weapons that can neutralize its shield. Therefore, our first priority is to defend the replicant factory until Sludge is converted into a Matrix replicant. Draw Unit 04 away from the base. I will brief Sludge."

Starscream recovered his self-control; Shockwave was right. "Very well." He flew through a hole in the command center's ceiling, followed by the seekers.

*

Shiro sighed, relieved that he could deploy Unit 04's AT field at will. As he reduced the Eva's speed, he noticed three delta-winged aircraft approach him. "Ryoko, can you identify these aircraft?"

Ryoko looked over Shiro's shoulder. "Kagato once studied a record of a similar aircraft, which could transform into a humanoid. That's all I know about it."

A flash of light appeared beneath each seeker's wing. Remembering that Unit 04 was low on fuel, Shiro dived towards the ground, retracting Unit 04's wings and tailplanes before he rolled forwards. The missiles detonated harmlessly behind him. "Now you know something else; it's hostile." Unit 04's pistols slid out of its vambraces.

"I want to fight." Ryoko became intangible and exited the cockpit. She deployed her LH Wings, but didn't change into her demon form; although the alien fighters didn't seem to have weapons that could overpower her wings, she sensed that a greater challenge would appear soon, and wanted to conserve energy. (Each gem could generate as much energy as the sun, but Ryoko couldn't use so much energy without destroying herself.)

Starscream transformed. "Decepticons, attack!" He strafed Unit 04, drawing its attention away from the replicant factory. Boom! He casually dodged the 280 mm shell. "Is that the best you can...? Ahhhh!" He turned to his side. Ryoko was flying away from him, a LH Sword in her right hand. "Shocking human!" He fired his cannons.

Ryoko spun around. Flying backwards, she examined the seeker as she parried the laser beams. 'Its armor is similar to Unit 04's. Is it also from America? From Jurai? From somewhere else?' Although Starscream wasn't paying attention to Unit 04, Shiro couldn't take advantage of this; Dirge and Ramjet circled the Eva like ravenous vultures, trying to wear down the AT field with bullets, missiles, and cluster bombs.

Boom! "Ahhhh!" The missile detonated upon Ryoko's back, blowing her towards Starscream. The seeker instinctively slammed his forearm against her, knocking her into the forest below.

Starscream angrily looked down. "I don't need your help!"

Grimlock lowered his missile launcher. "Maybe. Maybe not."

Starscream turned away from Grimlock, towards Unit 04. He had only flown 20 meters when a giant fist slammed against his side. "Ahhhh!"

Ryoko watched the seeker fall into the forest. She retracted her fist, ready to punch, as she turned to Grimlock. "Round two..." The demon kicked trees into the air as she charged. "Fight!"

*

Swoop watched the cyborg in the Eva cage, which was once used to assemble Unit 02. Sludge had been changed into a protoform, a Transformer embryo, and implanted into Evangelion Unit 05. The micromachines that made up a protoform's tissues flowed from Sludge's superstructure, through Unit 05's arteries. The Eva's body was transforming; a second head emerged from the chest, and shorter legs sprouted from the legs. Swoop hoped that his best friend was okay; although Shockwave believed that they must fight fire with fire, Swoop remained skeptical. 'What if Sludge becomes another Chaos-Bringer? Will I have to kill him? What if I become another Chaos-Bringer? Will he have to...?'

An incoming message alerted the warriors who guarded the cage. "Sludge," called Shockwave. "Grimlock, Slag, and the seekers are engaging two Matrix replicants."

A rumbling roar, like distant thunder, permeated the cage, shaking the warriors' frames. "I... will... fight..." growled Sludge. The Eva's arteries glowed silver, like lightning, as the micromachines raced to finish their work.

"Do not rush," ordered Shockwave. "That may cause errors in the conversion, which will make you useless to us." The silver glow became dim, as Sludge recovered his self-control. "Shockwave out."

"Don't worry, Sludge," said Swoop. "Grimlock and Slag are strong; they can defend themselves." He hoped that he was right.

Click, click, click! Swoop, Snarl, and Astrotrain didn't hear the digital camera's sounds; it was masked by the sounds of the pumps that circulated LCL throughout the cage. They didn't notice Langley, the cameraman, as he photographed Sludge's conversion; as he hid in the air duct, his thermal signature was masked by the air conditioner. His main concern was the cyborg; he forced himself to forget his family.

*

0723. Grimlock and Slag zigzagged through the forest, strafing Ryoko to cover their escape. Ryoko laughed, celebrating her inevitable victory, as she parried; her sword focused her LH Wing's energy, and Ryoko was fast enough to move the sword in the path of incoming missiles and plasma beams. Five kilometers away, Shiro was imitating the hero of the 'Swordsman' movies, using Unit 04's LH Sword to spring into the air, towards the seekers.

"Dirge!" cried Ramjet. Dirge himself didn't make a noise as he was decapitated and dismembered. Unit 04 broke the law of gravity again. Ramjet barely escaped from the deadly cone that Shiro's thrusting formed; sparks flew from the seeker's chest. "Shock you!" Ramjet knew the split-second in which the sword touched the ground would be his only respite. He transformed, spun around, and aimed his machine guns at the Eva. Bang, bang, bang, click, click! "MG 1: 0000" and "MG 2: 0000" were displayed on the lower right corner of his optics. "Shock me!" He was out of ammo. "Starscream! How long do we have to baby-sit that shocking Autobot?!"

"For as long as the Autobot needs us!" answered the Decepticon Air Commander. He continued to battle, enduring the pain that shook his frame, so he could watch the Matrix replicants in action. 'Such beautiful power! I shall make it my own!' He nonchalantly shot at Unit 04, which parried the laser beams and returned fire. 'Beautiful!' he thought, as he dodged the shells.

The battle was interrupted by a missile's midair detonation; it was meant to attract the combatants' attention, not to cause immediate harm. Unit 04 and Ryoko turned to the base command center. Shockwave hovered above it, holding Asuka in his right hand.

A vidwindow opened before Shiro; instead of displaying the face of the individual who was communicating with him, it displayed the Decepticon insignia. "Evangelion pilots," called Shockwave. "Surrender your weapons, and evacuate the area. Otherwise, your comrade will pay for your illogic."

Without a radio, Ryoko couldn't hear Shockwave's message; she instinctively shot at the violet robot. To her surprise, Unit 04 moved into the energy bolt's path, parried the shot, and expanded its AT field to shield Shockwave. "Shiro?!"

Unit 04's loudspeakers buzzed. "Do as the robot says, Ryoko." Its AT field continued to isolate her as its eyes burned with Shiro's impotent rage.

"Your decision is logical," complimented Shockwave.

Ryoko stared at the enemy that Shiro was defending, and noticed the human in his hand. 'A hostage.' When Kagato was her master, he had ordered her to take hostages, and to kill the hostages when they were no longer useful. She remembered the pain and sorrow that their loved ones expressed when she killed the hostages, and now understood Shiro's behavior. "I'll get him." She smiled and winked at Shiro's surprise when Unit 04 turned its head towards her. "Trust me." Her sword dissipated as she fell backwards, into the forest. The seekers lost track of her when she resumed her original size.

Shockwave thought that Ryoko had been teleported away. "Your turn." His optic flared as he focused upon Unit 04. Shiro kept his arms down, so the cannons would be harmlessly pointed at the ground as they slid out of the vambraces; he detached the pistols from their guide rails, placed them onto the ground, and removed the empty AMRAAM launchers from the collarbones. "Accept-- Ahhhh!"

When Ryoko was intangible, she was invisible to radar and IR sensors; the Transformers didn't reacquire until she reappeared beside Shockwave and severed the fingers of his right hand. She caught Asuka as the hostage fell from her captor's hand, and then sped towards Shiro. As the Transformers' attention was turned to Shockwave, Shiro reattached its pistols to their guide rails, so Unit 04 could provide covering fire for Ryoko and Asuka's escape.

"Hang on!" ordered Ryoko. Although Asuka couldn't hear Ryoko, she unknowingly obeyed, to avoid falling from the sky. Ryoko made them both intangible before she entered Unit 04's cockpit. "Mission accomplished!" She smiled at her achievement.

Asuka stared at the helmeted figure. "Who...? What...?"

Shiro smiled at his ex-girlfriend. "Good afternoon."

Asuka sat on Shiro's lap as she reached for the controls. "Give me your headset! I'm taking charge!"

"Hey!" Ryoko grabbed Asuka's shoulders, pulling her away from Shiro. "This is his robot, and he is my lover!"

Surprised, Asuka first stared at Ryoko, then at Shiro. "Are you two...?"

"Shoot first." Shiro pushed both girls out of his line of sight, before he shot the two tanks that flanked him. "Questions... later."

*

Sludge wasn't deaf to Grimlock and Slag's howls of pain. "Noooo!" The Transformer, now 70.3% converted, used his new abilities to shatter his restraints and pierce the cage ceiling. Roaring, he jumped through the hole, towards the battle. As he landed, the earth shook with his new strength.

"Howl!" The impact was transmitted to Unit 04, knocking the Eva off its feet. Shiro shot at the charging gray giant. "Damn!" He rolled to the side, out of Sludge's path. "Ahhhh-howl!" Sludge kicked Unit 04 as it laid on the ground, unable to get up.

The girls felt the pilot's pain. As Asuka empathetically put her hand over Shiro's, Ryoko became intangible and exited the cockpit.

Stomp, stomp, stomp! "Howl!" Sludge staggered backwards, holding a hand over his left optic. He lifted his head to see Ryoko raising her sword as she flew around him, flanking him; he wasn't paying attention to Unit 04, and Shiro took advantage of this. "Howl!" Although the sword didn't sever Sludge's leg, the pain it caused brought the Transformer to his knees.

Unit 04 stood up, raising its sword to finish its enemy. Boom! Sludge slammed a fist against the earth, shaking it. "Whoa, whoa, whoa...!" The sword dissipated as Shiro waved his arms, trying to maintain his balance. Crash! He failed. As Sludge folded his humanoid legs into a reptilian tail, Unit 05’s reptilian head replaced his humanoid head. The reptilian legs on the humanoid legs raised Sludge's belly off the ground, transforming him into a beast that Shiro recognized from the 'Jurassic Park' movies. He raised Unit 04's arms. Before he could aim the pistols, Sludge pinned Unit 04's arms to the ground. "Howl!" The Apatosaurus' head began striking at Unit 04's, like a snake's, and Shiro was wildly shaking his head to avoid being decapitated.

"Let him go!" Ryoko's arms encircled Sludge's neck and lifted the Apatosaurus off of Unit 04. Without hesitation, Shiro opened fire at point-blank range. Howling in pain, Sludge slammed his tail against Ryoko's legs, knocking her off her feet and forcing her to release him. Now free, the Apatosaurus instinctively bit Unit 04's right arm.

"Argh!" Boom, clang! Out of ammo, Shiro returned the pistol to its weapons bay; he thrust the fingers of Unit 04's left hand into the ballistic wounds on the Apatosaurus' belly. Sludge endured the pain and tightened his grip on Unit 04's arm. Shiro clenched his teeth as he tore open the wounds, painting the Overtechnology (OT) armor with the Apatosaurus' blood.

"Sludge, disengage!" Although Shockwave's signal was faint, the authority in his voice still captured Sludge's attention. "You are outnumbered. If you continue to fight, your chances of survival are only 32.5%." Sludge refused to release Unit 04, even though Ryoko's sword was slowly moving through his AT field, towards his S² engine.

"Sludge, disengage!" repeated Grimlock. "Move north, towards the sea. Don't worry, we'll cover you."

"Yes, Sir." Drawing strength from his leader's words, Sludge whipped his neck backwards, throwing Unit 04 into the air.

"Shiro!" Ryoko climbed away from the Apatosaurus, and caught the Eva in her arms. "Are you alright?"

"The dinosaur...!"

Explosions threw dirt up in front of Ryoko, momentarily shielding Sludge from her vision. Ryoko instinctively turned to the source of the missiles. As Astrotrain shut his cargo bay doors, she could see Grimlock's optics flare as he and the other warriors lowered their missile launchers. (Dirge and Thrust's remains, and the autoguns, were already loaded into Astrotrain's cargo bay.) Ryoko raised one arm, ready to shoot, before she lowered it; the shuttle had climbed out of range. She turned to Sludge; at this range, her energy bolts wouldn't penetrate its AT field. "Damn! They got away."

"They'll... Cough!" Shiro put his hands on his chest, fighting for his next breath. "Cough, cough, cough!"

"Stop that! You're...!" Asuka noticed the red liquid that leaked from Shiro's collar. She removed his helmet. "Shiro!" Her ex-boyfriend was coughing blood, a sign of chest injuries. Asuka unbuckled his armor and peeled the plug suit off of his torso; she didn't notice Unit 04's frame touch the ground as Ryoko gently laid the Eva on its belly.

"Hey!" Jealousy filled Ryoko's heart when she saw Asuka touch Shiro's bare chest; she didn't know that Asuka was checking for chest wounds. She grabbed Asuka's hand. "What the hell are you...?" Ryoko noticed that Shiro's chest wasn't rising normally. "Shiro!"

Asuka turned to the face that had emerged from the entry plug hatch; she was too distracted to be frightened by Ryoko's ghostly appearance. "Help me!"

Ryoko placed her hand onto Shiro's chest. "Please don't die, don't die, don't die..." Energy flowed from her gems, healing Shiro.

"Asuka..." A lungful of blood dissolved in the LCL as Shiro spoke.

Asuka held his hand like meat in a wolf's jaws. "I'm here." She didn't sense the hatred that now flowed from Ryoko.

***

To be continued...