Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction / Tenchi Muyo Fan Fiction / Transformers Fan Fiction ❯ Death is Never the End ❯ Chapter 3

Day Eight, Fri. 0010 hr, GMT. James, Ryoko, and Shiro stood in Desmond's office. The Sword of Heaven and Earth stood upright on the floor; James held his hands over the pommel, Ryoko held her hands over James', and Shiro held his hands over Ryoko's. To an outsider, Ryoko and Shiro looked like medieval knights, pledging allegiance to their lord, with the night sky as their witness. In fact, Shiro were telling James the truth about Ryoko's origins, using the most effective method he knew of.

Blue light had enveloped them as the sword let James see images from Ryoko's memories. The light became yellow, outshined by a nearby lamp, after Shiro and Ryoko removed their hands from the sword. James placed the sword on top of the shelf and turned to Ryoko. "So you're an alien."

"Yes, Grandpa," answered Ryoko, unknowingly imitating Shiro.

"Who's Yosho?"

"He's a Jurai warrior. I don't know anything else; Kagato only gave me info on his combat abilities."

"What's Jurai?"

"A galactic empire and the name of its capital. The Jurai draw Jurai energy from royal trees, which they used to conquer and to rule 55% of the known galaxy."

"Are they a threat to us?"

"I don't know."

James accepted her reply; he now shared Shiro's trust in Ryoko. "So you need a birth certificate, an ID card, a passport, and,"-- he turned to Shiro-- "a codec?"

"We need a more secure communication means than Unit 04's loudspeakers."

James nodded. "They'll be ready in 24 hours." He had photographs of Ryoko and a copy of her fingerprints, which Shiro had given him that evening. "Now get some rest." He knew Shiro had been wounded; he'd seen, through Ryoko's eyes, what happened after battle.

"Yes, Grandpa." Shiro exited the office.

As James approached the door, he noticed that Ryoko had become intangible. "Ryoko."

Ryoko turned her head, leaving her arms and legs embedded in the wall. "Yes, Grandpa?"

"Use the door. Act human."

Ryoko blushed as she flew away from the wall and became tangible. "Yes, Grandpa."

"By the way, the hospital returned this while you were gone." James held a shirt, wrapped in a plastic bag. "I had it dry-cleaned," after DNA testing was done on the bloodstains. "Is it yours?"

"It's Shiro's." Ryoko could smell his scent. "I'll return it to him." She took the bag and walked through the door, towards Lionheart Castle's north tower.

The sound of the helicopter's rotors permeated the stairwell. Ryoko knew James was returning to MI6 HQ; now she could be alone with Shiro. She waved to the Special Air Service (SAS) commandos who guarded the guestrooms. After they let Ryoko enter her room, she took off her jacket, her t-shirt, and her jeans. She put on Shiro's shirt without buttoning the top four buttons, before exiting her room. The commandos understood; they turned around, hiding smiles as they left. Ryoko opened the door to Shiro's room. "Sigh." Although the TV was on, no one was watching it. On CNN, two old men were arguing over which measures the US President should take to improve the economy. "Boring." She grabbed the remote and changed the station. On the Cartoon Network, five magical girls were fighting a demonic youth. Ryoko evaluated their tactics. "Stupid." On MTV, a middle-aged man, wearing gold chains and holding a microphone, was screaming about sick dogs. (Ryoko didn't know that "bitches" was a derogatory term for women, because Shiro didn't use this insult.) The girl tossed the remote onto the bed and searched for something else to do. She noticed an open suitcase, which Shiro had left behind when he traveled to the US.

"'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'. Hmm..." As Ryoko picked up the DVD case, she noticed a jewelry box underneath it. Curious, she picked up the box and opened it. "Wow!" It was beautiful; a yellow gold ring with three leaves and two hummingbirds delicately sculpted around a sapphire rose. She put on the ring and admired how it accentuated her own beauty.

"Put it down."

Shocked, Ryoko turned to the door. Shiro's eyes were cold and hard, an expression that summoned terror from the depths of Ryoko's heart; she hated this reaction, but she couldn't resist it. She returned the ring to the box.

"Thank you." As Shiro approached the TV, Ryoko noticed the phone in his pocket.

"You were talking to her." 'The ring was meant for her; the gemstone matches the color of her eyes.'

"Yes."

Ryoko's vision blurred; her eyes felt hot and wet. "Why does she have your love? Why won't you love me?! I love you." She put a hand on his shoulder. "Isn't that enough?!"

Shiro put his hand over Ryoko's. "I'm sorry, but my heart isn't as free as yours."

Ryoko growled as she forcefully freed her hand. She became intangible and flew through the wall, towards her room. She buried her head into a pillow, so Shiro couldn't hear her cry.

"Sigh." Shiro sat on his bed, grabbed the remote, and changed the channel. On HBO, Romeo and Juliet were declaring their eternal love for each other. Shiro wished he could do the same with Asuka, but he knew that was no longer possible.

He didn't know Asuka was watching the same scene, from the same movie, on her laptop computer. As she sat in the passenger seat of a transport plane, flying 12,000 m above the Atlantic Ocean, she wished for the same thing... and was haunted by the same knowledge.

***

DEATH IS NEVER THE END, Part 3

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.

***

Day Ten, Sun. 1100 hr, Pacific Time. Tension filled the elevator, like a bowstring, as Fuyutsuki, Langley, Russhon, and their escorts approached the main OT research facility. (Fuyutsuki and Langley wore the black uniforms of NERV science officers. Russhon wore a flight suit with the words "US AIR FORCE" over "UN NERV".) "What I'm about to show you is vital to US national security. I do so under the orders of the Secretary of Defense, who is entrusting this secret to you." A frown, whose depth matched that of Russhon's suspicion, was visible when he turned to the NERV branch commanders. "I advise you not to violate his trust."

As the late Ikari's second-in-command, Fuyutsuki had dealt with Americans before. He suppressed the urge to laugh at Russhon's paranoia. "Yes, Sir."

Clang! The door opened when the elevator reached its destination; like an arrow, the tension was released explosively, as Fuyutsuki and Langley saw what laid within the lab. "Gasp!" "Gott in Himmel!"

The 10-meter-tall Transformer, though dwarfed by the 40-meter-tall Evangelion Unit 02 and the 44-meter-tall Unit 04, still filled the lab with a cold, mechanical air that unnerved Fuyutsuki and Langley, despite their experience.

"We found Valkyrie," the Transformer's codename, "in Alaska, in 1937," explained Russhon. "We first transported it to Los Alamos, then to here in 1957. We're still learning new things about it. We have to be careful, however." He pointed to where the Transformer's left leg was violently torn off; the leg itself was at the auxiliary research facility in Edwards AFB. "We accidentally activated one of the thermonuclear turbines in 1947; the damn thing flew for a half-hour before it crashed near Roswell." He turned to the NERV branch commanders. "I'm sure you know about the trouble that caused."

"Indeed." Langley moved towards the Transformer's head; Russhon waved at the guards, ordering them to leave Langley alone. He noticed that the head was caved in, as if a giant hammer had struck it. "Did you retrieve any information from...?"

"It was like that when we found it," explained Russhon. "If it wasn't, then we wouldn't be having so much trouble with AI, and Unit 04 would have a working dummy plug."

"A pity," noted Langley. "So this is the source of the technology that makes up Unit 04's armor."

'A lot more than that.' "We need Congress to authorize the budget to upgrade Unit 02," stated Russhon.

'Shortsighted bean counter!' Langley turned to Russhon. "Valkyrie's brothers already have this technology, and they can be converted into Evangelions. Without..."

"What?!"

Langley removed the digital camera from his coat pocket. "The monster that attacked Unit 04 in Berlin was not an Angel. It was originally a robot, similar to your Valkyrie." He showed Russhon a photo of Sludge, being escorted into the Eva cage. "The robots had attacked the Berlin branch in order to take control of the Evangelion assembly site." Sludge seemed to melt as the micromachines' programming was rebooted. "There, this robot was implanted into Unit 05's frame." Sludge's protoform was carried to the Eva's entry plug socket. The next photo showed the protoform flow into the socket.

"Damn." Unit 04's cockpit data recorder had verified the presence of at least seven Transformers. If they were also converted into Evas... "I'll discuss this with the Secretary."

"You must take immediate action," demanded Fuyutsuki. "The future of the human race may be lost during this delay."

Russhon angrily turned to Fuyutsuki. "Why don't you ask the Chinese? I'm sure they're grateful for the security breach that allowed them to copy Unit 03's blueprints."

Fuyutsuki frowned. "What do you mean?"

"NERV Security is insecure, NERV Intelligence is unintelligent." Russhon resented the fact that the 1st US branch at Hanscom AFB, Massachusetts, was under UN control.

"We were not responsible for the terrorist attack that fatally wounded the 3rd Child," protested Fuyutsuki. "However, the PLA..."

"They're not responsible, either. You see, a Chinese intelligence officer died during the attack. We didn't know she'd infiltrated NERV USA until we found this," he held a small silver crescent, "when we performed an autopsy. It's a codec, a radio that was implanted..."

"I know what it is," interrupted Langley.

Russhon put the codec back into his pocket. "If they were responsible, they'd certainly have warned her, and we'd still be blissfully ignorant of Dr Lee's true identity."

"Perhaps the PLA decided to sacrifice her in order to clear them of suspicion." Like most Japanese, Fuyutsuki didn't trust the Chinese.

"With a codec? Even the commies aren't that stupid. That's like crashing an B-3 Stormbringer in Tiananmen Square!"

"Then who's killing the Children?"

"That's what we'd like to know."

*

1300 hr. "Why standest thou afar off, O Lord? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?

"The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor; let them be taken..." Although Asuka wasn't a Catholic, her stepmother was, and she hoped that the psalm would help the comatose woman. She shivered, remembering why Elise was like this; at the Berlin branch, the violet robot had projected a light beam from his golden eye. Elise began screaming three seconds after the light enveloped her. Asuka first thought that Shockwave was using microwave radiation to torture her. Then she noticed how cold she was; the beam generated no heat. This didn't stop Elise from screaming, "You're hurting me!" to a Prof Engels. 'It's raping her mind!' Then the robot turned to Kaji; five seconds later, he was crying, "I'm sorry... I let you die so that I could live. I'm the one who should've died..." Then the robot turned towards Asuka. As the Eva pilot shivered, the robot continued turning, towards the computer console; both of them knew that, outside of the Eva, Asuka was powerless against the robot.

"Asuka." Langley approached the hospital bed. "Unit 02 is being retrofitted with Overtechnology armor. The procedure requires six days. During this time, I order you to..."

"By what right do you order me?" Asuka angrily turned to her father. "You abandoned us, your daughter and your wife, for this Overtechnology. Now you expect me to bend over and take this from you?!"

Langley frowned. "By my right as your father, and your commanding officer." Langley didn't realize that, by devoting the previous decade on the Evangelion Project, he'd neglected Asuka. To his daughter, he'd become as alien as Shockwave. "The Secretary authorized the procedure, on the condition that Unit 02's main pilot be identified as NATO military personnel, subject to military justice." The US trusted her allies in North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) more than the other members of the UN Security Council. "I have spoken to Gen Frobe, the Luftwaffe Chief of Staff. You..."

"I'm not your doll. I won't play 'dress up' for you." Asuka turned away from her father, towards her stepmother.

"Would you do so for Pilot Bond?" Langley knew about their relationship. "The robots attacked the base in order to take control of the Eva assembly line. When they return, they will have the power to generate AT fields. Shiro can not stand alone against them."

Asuka reopened the Bible. "What must I do?"

"Gen Frobe will fax to me the documents that you must sign in order to be commissioned as a Luftwaffe officer."

"Bring them to me." After Langley left, Asuka resumed reading Psalm 10. "Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the humble; thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear;

"To judge the fatherless and the oppressed," 'like myself,' "that the man of the earth may no more oppress."

*

Fuyutsuki found Ryoko alone in the mess hall. She glanced at him to acknowledge his presence, and resumed using chicken bones to make a model of Lionheart Castle's old chapel. "Beautiful," he complimented. "Gothic?"

Ryoko continued to stare at the model. "What do you want?"

Fuyutsuki smiled. "I just want you to be my friend. As a token of my friendship, I'm offering a commission from NERV." NERV intelligence officers had reported that Ryoko had been ignoring Shiro since the 4th Child was reunited with the 2nd Child. Fuyutsuki remembered how attentive the living weapon was towards Shiro, and accurately guessed the cause of Ryoko's change in attitude. Jealousy had given NERV an opportunity to control this weapon, and Fuyutsuki couldn't afford to miss this opportunity.

"Why should I work for you?"

Fuyutsuki had spent an hour trying to think of an answer to that question. Ryoko wasn't a soldier in a nationless army; she didn't need to join the United Nations Security Forces (UNSF) in order to find a use for her skills, or to attain bed and breakfast. "Why did you help Pilot Bond?" By answering that question with another question, he could draw an answer from Ryoko.

"I thought he loved me." Ryoko growled, unintentionally activating her codec. "I was wrong."

Peorth's image was projected onto the lower left corner of Ryoko's eye. "Bonjour Mon Cherie! You've reached the Goddess Relief Office!"

Fuyutsuki sensed Ryoko's surprise. "Is something wrong?"

Ryoko remembered James' instructions. "None of your business." She walked away from Fuyutsuki and picked up her cell phone, hiding the fact that she had a codec. "What the hell do you want?!" she hissed.

Peorth forced herself to smile; she forgot that only members of the Central Intelligence Agency's Special Operations Group (SOG), MI6's 00 Section, and four other intelligence agencies and services could use codecs. "I'm here to grant you a wish which, I hope, will help you realize your dream."

"Can you make Shiro love me?"

"No. People choose to love each other, through their own free will. No one, not even God, can take away this choice."

"Then get lost!" Ryoko deactivated the codec, pocketed the phone, and approached the exit.

"I know how to make Shiro love you!" The branch commander smiled at Ryoko's attention. "Shiro is attracted to strong and independent people, people like himself. By joining NERV, you'd prove your independence, that you're strong enough to take care of yourself."

Ryoko looked into Fuyutsuki's eyes. "Explain."

*

1330 hr. Ryoko found Shiro near the hangar, where Unit 04 was being repaired. "Shiro!" She embraced him. "I've been commissioned as a lieutenant in NERV! Now I can live independently!" As a former teacher at Tokyo University, Fuyutsuki was skilled in the use of rhetoric, which made his case valid to Ryoko.

Shiro smiled. "That's nice." As Ryoko's lips moved towards his own, he whispered, "Don't let Fuyutsuki get too close to you."

Ryoko froze; her surprise gave way to laughter. "Don't be jealous, Shiro! You know you're the only man for me!" She stopped laughing when she sensed how serious the pilot was.

"Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer."

"How close are you keeping me?" asked Ryoko.

Shiro answered with a smile.

*

Day 12, Tue. 1505 hr. "I am an Oberleutnant, an O2, while you are a Pilot Officer, a lowly O1!" stated Asuka. "I outrank you! Therefore, you must..."

Misato suppressed her laughter as Asuka declare her superiority over Shiro, now that the 2nd Child had recovered her confidence. As usual, Shiro responded with a witticism to deflate Asuka's ego and transform her face into a ripe tomato, red and swollen with anger; this one was about Asuka's "chain of command." 'I guess Asuka really wants to marry him. Too bad Shiro won't let himself be henpecked.' She noticed that Asuka had become quiet, and strained her ears to hear.

"Are you going to be okay?" asked Asuka.

"Of course."

"I know about Francisco Scaramanga. What if..."

"Have you been issued a weapon?"

"Yes, a SIG P229."

"Then you have nothing to worry about."

"Damn it! I'm not worried about myself, I'm worried about you!" Asuka shut her eyes in frustration; she couldn't suppress her tears any longer.

"Don't be,"-- Shiro saw his own image put his hands on Asuka's shoulders; Ryoko had activated her codec again-- "bored. You're in a state with legalized gambling and prostitution."

Asuka sadly laughed as she playfully punched Shiro's chest. "Idiot."

Ryoko grabbed Shiro's hand and pulled him towards Misato. "We must hurry! They need us at Matsushiro!" NERV Japan's 2nd branch.

"Let's go." Misato was silent as she escorted Ryoko and Shiro to the transport plane. 'What am I going to do about these two?'

*

Day 14, Thu. 1850 hr, Tokyo Time. "Tiger" Tanaka Tetsuro heard someone knock on the door of his mansion. "Good evening, Father," called Tanaka Sakura, his younger daughter. "Shi-chan's here."

The 91-year-old man was first elated, then depressed, at Shiro's appearance. 'He looks just like Jet!' thought Tiger, remembering the infant he adopted in 1969, the child he came to love as a son, the young man he trained to continue his legacy: to make Japan peaceful and prosperous, by preventing the rise of militarism that led to her involvement in World War Two (WWII). "Shiro-kun."

Shiro smiled. "Good evening, Ojiisama," Grandfather, the title Shiro knew Tiger by when his parents were alive. After Special Agent "Kissy" Suzuki Mie was killed in action against communist saboteurs, Tiger took responsibility of her child; it was the least he could do to repay her. When Shiro's parents were killed, Tiger blamed himself for failing to protect them, and sent the boy to England. Although Shiro now knew Tiger wasn't his biological grandfather, this didn't decrease the love he had.

Tiger returned the smile. "Good evening, Shiro-kun. How have you been?"

"Fine. How's Aunt Nadeshiko?"

Tiger's elder daughter entered his study, eager to meet her long-lost nephew. "Shi-chan!" Aramaki Nadeshiko embraced Shiro tightly. "Welcome home! How have you been?"

"I'm fine, Aunt Nadeshiko." He turned to Tiger. "Ojiisama, I need a favor."

Tiger smiled. "If you want Miss Soryu's heart, I can certainly give you some advice, as well as anything else you need to set up a romantic atmosphere."

Shiro didn't return the smile; the subject was too serious. "I need information on Francisco Scaramanga's employer."

Tiger's face became an iron mask, covering the smile. "I assumed that Bond could, through his friends in the American CIA and NSA," Central Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency, "deliver more info on Scaramanga and his employers."

"A credible source informed me that Osato Kenshin wired $2,000,000 to Scaramanga, seven days before the attempt on my life." Shiro saw no change in Tiger's expression. "You don't seem surprised."

"I knew Osato's father. Osato Teru had aided SPECTRE," the Special Executive for Counterintelligence, Terrorism, Revenge, and Extortion, "in an attempt to start a nuclear war between the US and the former Soviet Union. He thought this would free Japan. He never considered the fact that such a war would destroy Japan as well." Tiger sighed. "Now his son wants to start a war with China..."

"Using Evangelions to defend Japan against China's nuclear weapons."

Tiger smiled at Shiro's intelligence. "What else do you know?"

"After the Incident, 89% of the Diet voted to deny funding for NERV and the efforts to build Evas at Matsushiro. Osato seeks to regain approval to fund the Evas, on the condition that they fall under the JSSDF's authority."

"It's pointless; one Eva cannot defend all of Japan against 200 missiles."

"Will you help me?"

Tiger turned to Nadeshiko, the wife of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force Chief of Staff, and Sakura, the Japanese Secret Service (JSS) commander; both women were resolute. "We'll do all that we can."

"Thank you."

Nadeshiko put her hand on Shiro's shoulders. "Where are you staying?"

"I'll be living with Capt Katsuragi. Her condo is near the New Tokyo-3 1st Junior High School."

Nadeshiko hid her disappointment. "That's nice. Education is very important."

"Dinner should be ready." Sakura held Tiger's forearm and led the others to the dining room.

*

Day 15, Fri. 0729 hr. "... thermonuclear turbines into Evangelion Unit 02," stated Aida Kensuke as the boy turned the laptop to his side. The monitor showed Unit 02 in a hangar, being fitted with OT armor. Kensuke's father led the peacekeepers that provided security for Matsushiro, and the boy frequently hacked into his father's computer in search of information on the robots.

Suzuhara Toji slammed the monitor against the keyboard, closing the laptop. "Stop it! I don't wanna see those damned robots again!"

"But...!"

"The city was destroyed by an Eva, not an Angel! Evangelion Unit 01 destroyed my home! Evangelion Unit 01 buried my sister under the rubble that was once an apartment building! Evangelion Unit 01-- that monster..."

"All rise!" ordered Horaki Hikari, the class president. "Bow!" The students bowed to their teacher. "Take seat!"

"Students, this is..."

"The name's Tanaka, Tanaka Shiro," said the boy in the black business suit.

The teacher hid his anger at Shiro's arrogance. "As of today, he will be attending class with you."

Kensuke and Hikari stared at the tall boy with blue-gray eyes. 'He's a student?! He looks like a 24-year-old, not a 14-year-old!'

"He has lived in England for the past ten years, and is unfamiliar with our customs. I expect you all to help him understand our glorious culture." The teacher turned to Shiro. "Tanaka-kun, please take a seat."

"Yes, Sir." Shiro sat down behind Toji.

The teacher opened a textbook, turned to the chalkboard, and wrote, "The Second Impact." "On September 13, 2000, a meteorite crashed into the Antarctic continent, causing the Antarctic ice cap to melt in an instant. Consequently, the sea level rose..."

Shiro suppressed a groan. One reason NERV had financial problems was because the UN covered up the fact that the 1st Angel had caused the 2nd Impact; consequently, most politicians failed to understand how great a threat the Angels were, or how important the Evas were. In fact, the Nuclear Emergency Response Vector's original name was Gehirn, the German word for "brain"; it was changed in order to convince the US President and key members of Congress to approve funding for the organization.

The 4th Child opened his notebook to a map, and planned tactics to beat Liquid Snake, the final boss of 'Metal Gear Revolution 2'. 'Strange, the Metal Gear hangar looks like an Eva cage,' he noted, ignoring Toji and Kensuke as they argued about the identity of Unit 04's pilot.

"But for 15 years after that-- in only 15 years, we have greatly restored the world. This is not only due to the superiority of the human race, but also to the efforts, to the blood, sweat, and tears of your parents."

"Is it true that you're the pilot of that robot? Y/N"

Shiro stared at the message on his laptop. He typed, "?"

"Evangelion Unit 04."

Shiro hid his sense of surprise, and typed, "?"

Toji jumped out of his seat, knocking it over. "Stop playing dumb!" He shook his fist at Shiro's face. "Ever since the Incident, everyone's been transferring to other schools, evacuating Tokyo! Why'd you transfer to this school, unless you got something to do with the Evas?!"

Hikari stood up and shouted, "Suzuhara! Stop this behavior and sit down!"

Shiro stood up and looked down; he was 15 centimeters taller than Toji. "Is it a Japanese custom to threaten new students with violence?" His eyes looked like gun barrels; Toji shivered, expecting bullets to fly out of these eyes.

"No."

"Then leave me alone."

Hikari watched Toji sat down, followed by Shiro. "I'm sorry, Sir. Suzuhara's sister was wounded in the Incident; she's still in the hospital," she explained to the teacher.

"I understand. You may sit down." The teacher turned to the blackboard. "In those days, I lived in Nebukawa. It was already..."

Although Shiro didn't answer the question, Toji was afraid to ask again.

*

0810 hr. Ryoko stared at Unit 01's spare helmet, which was painted red and black to match the color of her demon form. It had a radio, an IFF system, and target designators to let her designate targets for other weapons systems. The mask looked demonic, like the one Ryoko wore when she served Kagato. 'Is this how everyone sees me? As a monster?'

"Pilot Ryoko," called Fuyutsuki, addressing Ryoko by her new title. "Are you ready?"

Ryoko sighed. "Yes." She changed into her demon form and put on the helmet.

"Testing, one, two, three," said Makoto, who was in the control booth. "Can you hear me?"

"Yes."

"Good. Evangelion Unit 01A, launch!"

"What?"

Fuyutsuki sighed and opened the cage door. "Just walk into the exercise area." After Ryoko exited the cage, he added, "We're going to test the radar target designator. Do you see the pillars?"

"Yes."

"Align the crosshairs on one of the pillars." A camera on the helmet allowed Fuyutsuki to see from Ryoko's point of view. "Say, 'Lock on target.'"

"Lock on target."

Beeeeep! "Ground target is locked on," noted Makoto.

"Good job. Now, do you see the blimps?"

As Ryoko tested the radar and laser target designators on ground and aerial targets, she didn't know Fuyutsuki had ordered 113.4 kilograms of plastic explosives to be installed in the rear of the helmet, so he could kill her if she became a threat. Fuyutsuki didn't know Shiro had hacked into his computer and replaced that order with one to install sandbags to serve as counterweights.

*

1050 hr, Beijing Time. Three J-11 fighters, structurally modified to survive acceleration to Mach 2.8 (3431.12 km/h at sea level), took off from Nanyuan AFB. Used as engine testbeds, they each mounted a third engine between their WS-10 turbofans.

One of them was the J-11N, modified to test OT. An opaque hatch covered the entry plug mounted in place of a conventional cockpit; LCDs displayed images from cameras mounted in the plane's nose, wingtips, tail, dorsal and ventral surfaces.

In the entry plug, 2nd Lt Arael Barak, an Israeli Defense Force/Air Force (IDF/AF) pilot assigned to the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), counted down in Mandarin. "Ignition." The thermonuclear turbine nozzle emitted an artificial solar flare, propelling the J-11N to Mach 1.2 (1469.33 km/h at sea level). The LCDs became white as water vapor condensed into a cloud, which enveloped the J-11N. The cloud dissipated as the plane continued to accelerate, revealing... darkness.

'Angel of Birds.'

'Who?' Arael radioed, "Control, this is Thunder Three. Say a--" An image burst through his memories, as violently as a bullet. "Ahhhh!" A four-year-old Arael stared at the coffins of his parents, accompanied by dark emotions: fear of the unknown, of what would happen to him now that Mama and Papa were gone; anger at the terrorist who took their lives, at his parents for abandoning him, and at himself for failing to prevent the suicide bombing that took away his mama and papa; and hatred.

Released from the pilot's hand, the control stick violently shook, as if a hurricane blew inside the cockpit. Lights flashed to warn the pilot that the plane was stalling. Arael didn't see heaven and earth revolve around the cockpit as the J-11N spun out of control; he didn't hear the alarms beep. As he curled into the fetal position, he didn't feel his knees slam against the entry plug hatch. All Arael could sense was the burning pain that consumed his mind, body, and soul. A strange thought entered his mind. 'I'm in pain because I'm weak. I hate myself for this weakness. I want the strength to end the pain. Give me strength!'

'You belong to me now.' Arael sensed... a change. He felt his skin melt and reform itself into feathers; he felt his arms and legs melt and reform themselves into wings. 'Behold...'

"Arael!"

The pain was extinguished. An AT field enveloped the J-11N, shielding the pilot from the darkness that tried to consumed him. Arael opened his eyes. 'What...?' Arael stared at his arms and legs; he could see human skin through tears in his plug suit sleeves. 'How...?' The pilot noticed the plane was slightly shaking, and turned his head to see a red and white Evangelion gripping the J-11N's right wing. Forward-swept wings had unfolded from the Eva's lower back, a sash on a noblewoman's robes.

The LCD superimposed an image of girl over the Eva's head; Arael recognized her blue hair, red eyes, and two blue daggers tattooed on her left cheek. "Thunder Three, this is Thunder Eight. Lightning Three," the J-11N's computer core, "reports rejection has set in on the neural interface system. Terminate the contacts and set flight control to manual, over," ordered the girl.

"Thunder Eight, this is Thunder Three. Wilco, over." He put his hands on the control stick and throttle, and his feet on the pedals, before turning to the girl. "Nazhi... thank you."

1st Lt Wei Nazhi, the Eva pilot, smiled. "You're welcome."

*

1200 hr, Tokyo Time. Kensuke approached Shiro, who was opening a lunchbox. "Looks great!" he lied; it looked ugly, utilitarian, unlike the folk art that Japanese housewives crafted. (Shiro made it himself.) "Your mom must have spent a lot of time on that!"

Shiro sighed. "She would have if she were alive."

"Oh. I'm sorry." 'Round two.' "My mom died when I was three or four. I still miss her; sometimes, I..."

"What do you want?" Shiro's voice was like a sound-suppressed firearm, quiet but threatening.

Kensuke looked around; the other students were busy eating and/or reading, and were unlikely to notice him. "You can trust me; I swear I won't tell anybody." He smiled. "You're the pilot of Evangelion Unit 04, aren't you?"

"What...?" Shiro was interrupted when Misato entered the classroom. "Hello, Aunt Missy."

"Bon--" She remembered Shiro's alias. "Shiro-kun! Your grandmother just had a heart attack!" the codeword for an Angel attack. "Come on! I'll take you to the hospital!" Misato turned to Kensuke. "Give this to the teacher!" She grabbed the boy's hand and placed a note in it.

Kensuke watched Misato lead Shiro out of the room. "Curiouser and curiouser."

*

1205 hr. As Misato sped towards Matsushiro, she could hear the people in the command center through the tactical radio in her car. "Evangelion Unit 01A, launch!" ordered Fuyutsuki.

"High-energy reaction detected in the target!" warned Makoto.

"What!?"

"It's exhibiting radial acceleration and concentration!"

"Evasive action!" ordered Fuyutsuki.

They heard Ryoko ask, "What?" through the radio. They didn't need it to hear her howl in pain.

"Ryoko!" cried Shiro. As the car approached Matsushiro, he could see the diamond-shaped Angel, which glowed as if it was encircled by Christmas lights.

"High-energy reaction...!"

They screamed as Ramiel, Angel of Thunder, fired its particle accelerator cannon at the car.

*

"AT field detected!" warned Makoto. "50 km east of the base!"

"Is it another Angel?!" asked Fuyutsuki.

"AT field has dissipated! Scanning last known location!" The monitor showed images from a UAV; Misato's Renault Alpine A310 laid upside-down, its body panels scattered between it and the crater that Ramiel created. "Misato!"

Buzz! "Not so loud, Lt Hyuga!" cried Misato.

"Women drivers. Ow!" cried Shiro as Misato's knuckles struck his forehead.

Ryoko's radio was still functional; she heard Shiro's cry. "Missy! If you touch my Shiro one more time, I'll tear off your arms and shove them up your arse!

Fuyutsuki sighed. "Send SAR Team Two to Pilot Bond's location."

"Yes, Sir!"

At 1210 hr, SAR Team One had brought Ryoko back to the command center. At 1225 hr, Misato and Shiro joined them. Ryoko embraced Shiro and cried about how worried she was, while Misato examined records of Ramiel's violent reactions to the base's defenses.

"So the Angel automatically attacks targets within a 50 km radius of itself?" asked Misato.

"According to the data we've collected," added Makoto.

'Then why did it attack us? Did it identify Shiro as a threat? And what generated the second AT field?' "Status of its AT field?"

"Active. It's strong enough to make itself visible by its phasing space."

Misato stared at the Angel's image. A drill bit extended from Ramiel's lower body, to the ground. "What's it doing?"

"Digging up the Eva graveyard," answered Fuyutsuki. "The storage space for the failures, the stillborn Evas that died before we learned how to build Units 01 and 00."

"Hmm..." 'What does it want with them?' "What's its ETA?"

"At this rate?" Fuyutsuki ordered the computer to calculate the drill's estimated time of arrival. "By 2301.54, it will breach all 22 levels of the 1st branch's defensive armor."

'10.5 hours.' "It's too risky to have the Evas close in..." She smiled and snapped her fingers. "The JSSDF's prototype automatic positron cannon! With that, we can launch a focused, high-energy attack without first neutralizing the target's AT field!"

Fuyutsuki ordered the computer to calculate the amount of power they'd need. "At least 180 gigawatts are required to penetrate that AT field. Where are you going to get that much electric power?"

"From all of Japan."

"Sigh. We have no other options. Proceed."

*

1245 hr. "This is the schedule for Operation Yashima." Misato pointed at the map. "The two pilots, Bond and Ryoko, will scramble at the cage at 1600 hr today. At 1630, prepare Units 04 and 01A. At 1605, launch. At 1630, arrive at the emergency base on Mt Futagoyama. Wait there for further instructions.

"At 2245, the operation begins."

Ryoko frowned. "That's it? That's your plan? To sit on our hands for the next ten hours, ten hours that monster can use to kill us one by one?!"

Misato sighed. "I just talked to Sections Two and Three of our Technological Development Departments. The cannon won't be assembled until at least,"-- she glanced at her watch-- "1550 hr. Even if Section Three hurries, the cannon's useless until the power supply system is set up. Section Two's currently 3.2% behind schedule, so they won't be finished until 2200."

Ryoko's cruel, mocking laughter flooded the conference room. "You might as well get down on your knees and beg for your lives. Hell, I'll do it for you!" She became intangible, flew through the ceiling, and turned to Ramiel. "Hey, Angel!" Ryoko put her hands together. "Please, please, pretty please with sugar on top, spare our so-called lives!"

"No..." The haunting voice thundered through the air, shaking Ryoko and everyone at Matsushiro. "For the wages of sin is death. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."

"Ow, my ears!" cried Ryoko.

"Oh my God..." Misato gripped her cross.

"Romans, 6:23 and 3:23," noted Fuyutsuki.

"Excuse me, I have to make a phone call." No one noticed Shiro's exit.

*

Beeeeep! Beeeeep! "Moshi moshi?"

"Aunt Sakura, this is Shiro."

"Shi-chan! Are you okay?" Sakura knew what had happened to Misato's car.

"Yes. I'm sorry I can't attend dinner tonight."

"I understand." When her father was the JSS commander, he often delivered this message by phone.

"Tell Ojiisama and Aunt Nadeshiko to enjoy their meals."

'It's hard for us to enjoy dinner when you're not here.' Sakura didn't say those words; they'd only trouble the young man's mind. "I will. Take care of yourself."

"I will. Thank you, Aunt Sakura."

"Goodbye."

As Shiro hanged up the pay phone, he sensed that someone was approaching him from behind. He instinctively reached for his MK23 as he turned around. "Good afternoon, Ryoko."

Ryoko blushed as she froze in midair, her arms extended. Then she flew to Shiro and embraced him. "Shiro! The cafeteria's closed, and I'm starving! Do you think your Aunt Sakura can get us some reservations at a nice restaurant?" 'I must make him lower his defenses, or I won't be able to teleport him out of Tokyo!'

"Ryoko, you know I must do my duty."

The girl stopped using a phony smile to hide her anguish. "But you'll get hurt! You might even-- might even..." She let her tears flow free.

Shiro waved his finger, signaling Ryoko to follow him. The girl's arms encircled his neck; as Shiro approached a window, Ryoko flew behind him, like a kite. Shiro pointed to the city outside of the base. "Can you see the people?" He saw Ryoko nod. "Can you choose one of them to take my place? Someone to die for me?" He saw the shock in Ryoko's eyes; he'd be out of character if he sincerely wanted this. "Neither can I."

"But...!"

Shiro silenced Ryoko with a kiss. He felt her tears upon his cheeks as the girl expressed her love. "I'm a knight. I fight to protect them," he waved at the city, "and I'm ready to give my life for them. That's the path I've chosen. If you disagree, you're free to choose a different path."

'No; my heart is bound to yours.' She saw him smile.

"Come. I know a restaurant that serves an excellent Cantonese cuisine." (The restaurant manager was a JSS informer with contacts in various criminal organizations.)

Ryoko put on the phony smile as she followed him out of the base, making him happy by pretending that she was happy; she knew that, until the cannon was ready, she could do nothing else to help him.

*

1905 hr. An F-2 fighter circled Tokyo-2, while its pilot waited for further orders.

"Golden Sword, this is Golden Helmet, over."

"Golden Helmet, this is Golden Sword, over," answered the pilot.

"Tenchu, tenchu, tenchu," divine retribution, a message that feudal assassins once left upon their targets. "Over."

"Tenchu received." The fighter dropped a 2000 pound (907 kg) satellite-guided bomb. Although the pilot didn't know the identity of his target, he believed his commander when the general claimed that the target was a communist mole that must be rooted out, quietly but quickly.

*

2244 hr. Toji yawned. "What the fuck am I doing here?"

Kensuke scanned the horizon with the night observation device (NOD) he "borrowed" from his father. "To watch the battle of the titans!"

"Is this show worth our lives?"

"The shelters won't guarantee our survival; even if we choose to stay in them, we might die, despite all the protection that NERV claims to provide us. We might as well see it before... There!" He handed the NOD to Toji and pointed at a horizontal cylinder beside a mountain road. "There's the positron cannon!"

"I see the cannon, but... where's the Eva?"

"It must be coated with radar-absorbing material and other stealth technology." Kensuke smiled. "Awesome!"

"Okay, I can see its silhouette..." He noticed that Ramiel was glowing. "What...?" The flash from Ramiel's cannon blinded him. "Ahhhh!"

*

"All cooling systems are at full power." "Temperature is stable. No problems." "Positron charge is nominal." "2nd connection." "Start all accelerators." "Start concentrator." "All power..."

The cannon had been assembled into a rifle, compatible with Unit 04's targeting systems. Shiro kept the crosshairs centered on Ramiel as he listened to the dialogue between Misato and the technicians. He mentally counted down to the moment when he was to squeeze the trigger and fire the cannon. '20 seconds... 15 seconds... ten...'

"Release all final safety systems."

"Adjustment for the gravity field and the planetary revolution is minus 0.0009." "0.2 to the critical voltage." "Seventh, tenth connection." "All power to the positron rifle."

'Eight, seven, six...'

High-energy reaction detected in the target!" warned Makoto.

"Shit!" Misato pressed the "transmit" button on her headset. "Pilot Bond, fire!"

Shiro and Ramiel fired simultaneously. The particle beams interacted like air currents, by violently pushing against each other; both beams were thrown 20 meters off target.

"Shit!" cursed Misato.

"Exchanging fuses... Recharging... The cooling system is..."

"Another high-energy reaction...!"

As the Angel recharged its cannon, Unit 04 jumped onto its feet and slid down the hill. The particle beam transformed Unit 04's former firing position into a crater. In the resulting light, Shiro saw Toji and Kensuke as they laid on the ground; this information was automatically transmitted to the C² vehicle.

"Shiro's classmates?" noted Misato.

"What are they doing there?" asked Makoto.

"Cover me while I move!" shouted Shiro.

"I've got you covered!" replied Ryoko. She held the airframe of a spaceplane-- an improvised shield NERV had issued her-- as she shot at Ramiel. Although the airframe was chosen for its high-temperature thermal protection system, Ryoko knew it could withstand Ramiel's particle cannon for only 17 seconds. 'Hurry, Shiro!'

"Moving!" Once Unit 04 reached the boys, Shiro opened the entry plug. "Get in!"

Toji stared at the figure in the plug. "Who...?"

Kensuke grabbed Toji's hand. "This is no time to argue!" Splash! "The NOD! Dad's going to kill me!"

"What...? It's water!"

"Don't worry, you won't drown," assured Shiro. He closed the hatch, ignoring Toji and Kensuke's fearful screams.

Clifton grabbed Misato's headset and put it on himself. "Plt Off Bond, you're not authorized to seat civilians in the cockpit!"

Misato grabbed the headset. "Hey! I'm in charge of this operation!"

Clifton wrestled with Misato for the headset. "And I'm in charge of Unit 04!"

"Trouble in the control system!" warned Makoto. "There's static in the nerve pulses!"

"Shit." Misato released the headset, letting Clifton fall onto the floor. "It's because 'Sir Shiro' just inserted two foreign bodies." Toji and Kensuke's brainwaves were interfering with the Shiro's ability to control Unit 04. "Is the rifle ready?"

"Ten more seconds!"

The particle beam penetrated Ryoko's shield; Section Two had underestimated Ramiel's power. "Howl!" 'It burns!'

"Ryoko!"

"Ahhhh!" Toji and Kensuke screamed as a wave of rage washed over them, drowning them.

"Static is being cleared away!"

"Roar!" Unit 04 placed the rifle butt in the pocket of its right shoulder as it charged. One shot pierced Ramiel's AT field; another shot, fired at point-blank range, shattered its diamond-shaped shell. Now out of positron cartridges, Shiro smashed the rifle butt against the Angel's exposed S² organ; the crystal fragments reflected the rage in Unit 04's eyes. "Die!" Crack! "Die!" Crack! "Die, die, die...!"

"Pilot Bond, cease and desist!" ordered Misato. "The target has been silenced! You're...!" Crack! She put her hand on her forehead, trying to block the incoming headache. "Oh my God! I can imagine the amount of paperwork I'll do when the JSSDF charges us for the damages!"

Crack, clatter! Thud! Unit 04 planted the rifle butt on the ground as it kneeled. "Ite..." Toji shook his head. "What the fuck...?" He saw a ghostly Ryoko enter the cockpit. "Ahhhh!"

Ryoko ignored the screaming boy. "Shiro?" The pilot was a motorized toy whose batteries had been removed, still and silent. Ryoko removed the helmet. "Shiro!"

Toji and Kensuke saw Shiro's reflection on the LCD. "Tanaka?!"

A red liquid was gushing out of the unconscious pilot's mouth. 'It smells like blood,' noted Toji. 'What the fuck is going on?'

*

Day 16, Sat. 0103 hr. "So you were in the mountains because you wanted to study nocturnal birds, and you were unaware that access to the area had been restricted?" asked Clifton. He decided to interrogate the boys at the infirmary, after the doctors had examined them. Behind him, Misato frowned at his paranoia; although the boys weren't a threat to them, Clifton had filled the infirmary with SPs. In fact, the SPs were there to guard Shiro, who was in a recovery room next door.

"Yes, Sir!" Kensuke had prepared the story in advance for this situation. He and Toji had rehearsed what they'd say to government and military officials if they were questioned. In fact, Kensuke's interest in ornithology was limited to its use as a cover for his peeping.

"And where'd you get this?" Clifton held the NOD in his hand.

"From my father."

The NOD was designed to be mounted onto a rifle. "You got a ¥540,000 night weapon sight from your father," deadpanned Misato.

"Who does your father work for?" demanded Clifton. "The KGB?" Like most Americans, he still referred to the Russian security service by its Soviet era name. "Or the Chinese...?"

"Halt!" called a SP. "Who goes there?"

"Major Aida Kosuke, UN Security Forces. I demand a word with your commanding officer."

"Dad!"

Misato raised her hand to stop Clifton. "I'll handle this." Misato approached the door. "Maj Aida, what is the meaning of this?"

Aida controlled his anger. "Capt Katsuragi, I am protesting your unlawful detainment of civilians, and demanding that you release Aida Kensuke and Suzuhara Toji, immediately!"

"Dad!" called Kensuke.

Ryoko felt Shiro's heartbeat slow down, like hers did when she was depressed. She raised her head from his chest, and looked into his eyes. "Are you okay, Shiro?"

Shiro hid his anguish with a smile. "Don't worry." He suppressed a sigh as he listened to a father express his concern, his love for his son; the words filled Shiro's heart with poisonous envy.

*

"... Angel's speech has been reported as being the prank of a cracker who had momentarily taken control of our emergency broadcast system," said Fuyutsuki.

"And what of the 4th Child?" asked Keel.

"The medics have performed a thorough examination, and have found no signs of physical injury. I believe the reports of his coughing blood are simply an illusion, a stress reaction on the part of the female pilots."

Langley frowned. "Are you suggesting that the 2nd Child is hysterical?"

'You called your daughter by her designation, not by her name. Is that all that she is to you? A tool?' "No, but..." Fuyutsuki filled the last word with sarcasm.

"Enough," interrupted Keel. He turned to Langley. "What is Unit 02's status?"

"The modifications are now 15.2% behind schedule; DARPA didn't consider equipping NERV standard Evas with Overtechnology when they designed Unit 04's armor." Unit 02 had matured; the engineers must amputate its lower legs, place the turbine housings under the knee joints, and fuse the regenerating tissue to the housings. Units 03 and 04 were immature when they were fitted with armor; the operations were easier to perform. "A static test of the thermonuclear turbines is scheduled..."

"Then make the necessary corrections." Keel's hologram disappeared when he signed out of Seele's communications network.

As Langley turned to Fuyutsuki, his eyes burned with a hatred born of envy.

Fuyutsuki watched Langley's hologram disappear. 'You fool; only a masochist would envy my current position.' He reached into his pocket and removed a plastic bag. Inside was a rosary, covered with blood, which was found within the crushed remains of Ramiel's S² organ. It was possible that the rosary was simply left behind by a mortal who, coincidentally, had passed by the place where the Angel had fallen. However, Fuyutsuki doubted that its location was accidental; he remembered Peorth's words. 'What are my chances of becoming a monster? Have I already become one?' He stared at the rosary; it answered his silence with silence. Fuyutsuki put the rosary back into his pocket, which was already full of frustration. 'Back to work.'

*

0805 hr. Misato groaned as she rose from her desk. "I should've put a futon in here." She glanced at her watch. "Shit!" She ran out of her office, past the mess hall, towards the cage. Bang, crash, clatter! Misato instinctively reached for her shoulder holster. 'Shit!' Peorth had taken away her pistol. Misato suppressed her fear as she crept towards the door. Clang, thud! "Makoto!"

"Ma'am!" Makoto crawled away from the door, out of the line of fire.

"Are you hurt?!"

Crash, clatter, boom! "No..."

"What happened?!"

"Pilot Bond drew his pistol and shot the TVs." Bang, crash, clatter!

"Ahhhh!"

"He doesn't sound very happy," commented Misato. "Maybe it was something he saw on TV?"

"Ahhhh!" Bang, crash, clatter! Although Shiro had destroyed the TV monitor, the speakers still functioned.

"... Tanaka Tetsuro will not be forgotten," said a familiar, charismatic and commanding voice. "This crime shall not go unavenged. I..." Bang, bang, bang, boom!

"The damn commies blew up a mansion in Tokyo-2," said Makoto. "The JSS commander was killed, along with several members of her family. The PM was delivering a speech..."

"Oh, no!"

"Ma'am? Is there something I should know about?"

"Tanaka Sakura was Shiro's paternal aunt," explained Misato. "Is anyone else in there?"

Makoto cautiously looked through the window. The floor was covered with broken glass and spent cartridges. Shiro cried as he sat on the floor, his suit torn and wrinkled. Ryoko's arms encircled him as she whispered gentle words to Shiro. The cooks, the food servers, and the custodians slid along the wall, away from the pilots, as they approached the exit. "Pilot Ryoko and the cooks."

Misato looked through the window. "Let the cooks leave, then wait here until Shiro calms down." She turned to Makoto. "There's nothing else we can do."

"Yes, Ma'am."

*

0903 hr. Beep, beep! "Black Queen," Ryoko's codename, "this is Black Bishop, over."

Ryoko picked up her cell phone. "Missy, please watch over Shiro."

"Sure." The boy was sleeping safely in Misato's condo, in her futon. His pistol was under the pillow, ready to be used in self-defense.

Ryoko walked to the balcony and climbed onto the roof. "Black Bishop, this is Black Queen, over."

"Black Queen, this is Black Bishop. I'm unable to contact Black Knight. What's his current condition? Was he grievously wounded?"

"Sigh. He recovered from the wounds he suffered last night, but this morning, when saw the news..."

"Which reported Tanaka Tetsuro's death."

"How'd you know?"

"Tanaka was... Black Knight's ojiisama. I'll explain this later. Now, what happened?"

"Anyways, he went berserk when he saw the news. We sedated him with beer. He's..."

"What?!"

*

Ring, ring! Misato picked up the phone. "Moshi moshi?"

"Misato," greeted Asuka. "I just heard about Aunt Sakura and Aunt Nadeshiko. How's Shiro?"

"Aunt Sakura-- you knew them?!"

"I've never met them, but Shiro did tell me about them. He gave me their numbers and email addresses. He said they'd do everything in their power to help me if I'm assigned to one of NERV's Asian branches." She paused. "I guess that's now out of the question."

"Damn it, why didn't you tell me?! I didn't even know Shiro had relatives in Japan before Tanaka Sakura visited me two days ago!"

"You never asked."

Misato groaned. "Never mind. Anyways, he went berserk, and I had to use three cans of my beer to sedate him." She wanted to use more, but Peorth had replaced the rest of her beer with the missing weapons.

"Wait, why'd you let Shiro drink beer? Why didn't you let me drink beer at last year's Oktoberfest?"

"What was I supposed use? A shot of morphine?! You know how paranoid he is! The moment he sees a syringe in my hand is the moment I'll look down the barrel of his pistol!"

"Okay, okay! Sigh... Can I talk to him?"

"He's sleeping right now. Should I...?"

"Never mind. Just call me later, and tell me how he's doing, okay?"

"Sure."

"Goodbye." Asuka hung up the phone.

Ryoko entered the bedroom. The girl looked like she had witnessed the atomic bomb attack on Hiroshima.

"What happened to you?" asked Misato.

"I just learned that it's a felony to provide alcohol to a minor."

"Ah."

*

Kensuke felt Mama's body shake, saw a red liquid flow from her mouth, and smelled something salty and metallic. He was scared, trapped beneath Mama's corpse, unable to free himself from the death that enveloped him.

"Help!"

*

Day 17, Sun. 0013 hr. Kensuke rocketed out of the blanket, sitting upright in his bed. 'What was that?!' Despite the terror it summoned, he tried to remember the dream. 'A memory?' It wasn't his memory. When Kensuke's mother finally succumbed to breast cancer, she smelled bitter, like the antiseptics the doctors and nurses had used. 'Tanaka's memory?'

He walked out of his room, towards his father's; Maj Aida remained at Matsushiro. Kensuke turned on the computer, typed in his father's password, and opened the files on Unit 04's pilot. 'Nothing. No name, no birth date, no height and weight... No gender! All it says is that the pilot is the 4th Child, one who has the x-factor that allows him to synchronize with an Eva.' (NERV injected children with cells, cloned from Adam, to test for this x-factor. The World Health Organization supported NERV, claiming the tests were for tuberculosis; they treated serious or fatal immunoreactions to the injected cells as symptoms of tuberculosis.) He stared at the words "NO PHOTO AVAILABLE" that stood in the space where the pilot's mug shot should be. 'What's your secret?'

Kensuke had a photographic memory; now he searched it for clues on the identity of Unit 04's pilot. He remembered the Union Jack on the pilot's right shoulder. 'Maybe...' He opened the files on foreign military personnel who were stationed at Matsushiro. 'Bingo!'

*

0720 hr. Toji stood by the classroom door, waiting for Shiro; he wanted to confront the pilot about the Incident, and make Shiro take responsibility for what happened to his sister. Kensuke sat beside him, his bloodshot eyes full of pride as he displayed the files he had uncovered. "His blood type is O positive. That means he sets the mood for a group and creates harmony among its members." Like many Japanese, Kensuke believed that one's blood type determined one's personality. "He's peaceful..."

"Peaceful?! Don't you remember what happened two days ago?!"

"No, you don't."

"Ahhhh!" Toji and Kensuke fell onto the floor, surprised by Shiro's sudden appearance.

The tall boy picked up Kensuke's laptop. "Impressive." He turned to Kensuke and smiled. "Are you good with computers?"

"Y-y-y-yes."

"Would you like to work for the Service? We'll pay handsomely for some info."

"D-d-don't you know everything already?"

"No; the Service doesn't have an intelligence network in Japan."

Kensuke lowered his head in thought. 'This is a chance of a lifetime! I can't miss it!' He raised his head. "Of course!"

"Good. By the way,"-- Shiro deleted the files-- "stop investigating me." His eyes were like gun barrels again. "That's bad for your health." He returned the laptop and took a seat.

Toji dragged Kensuke out of the classroom, into the cleaning closet; he didn't want to confront Shiro now. "You idiot! Do you know what you've gotten yourself into?!"

"Of course!" Kensuke smiled. "I'm in the Black World, the world of top secret military experiments on weapons systems that are reverse-engineered from alien technology." The smile became wider. "It's too cool!"

"Kensuke, you're my friend. Normally, I'd do anything for you. But this time..." Toji shook his head. "This time, I'm staying out of this. I don't need to look down the barrel of a 9 mm handgun."

"He was issued a Heckler and Koch Mark 23, a .45 caliber weapon," corrected Kensuke.

Toji shook his head as he opened the door. "Gasp! C-Class Pres!"

Hikari's face was blank, her expressions wiped away by shock. "Suzuhara-kun, I didn't know you were... like that."

"I'm not!"

Kensuke looked over Toji's shoulder. "Like what?"

"Toji and Kensuke are a gay couple!" exclaimed a girl.

"No!" "I...!" "We...!"

Shiro ignored the two boys as they attempted to defend their reputation against gossip. 'Ojiisama, Aunt Nadeshiko, Aunt Sakura...' He closed his right hand into a fist. 'I swear to God, your deaths shall not go unavenged.'

***

To be continued...

***

Two samurai march down a castle hall, escorting a squire to a room; the "nightingale floor," designed to provide a warning if an intruder walks on it, squeaks with each step. The squire marches to the refrigerator in the middle of the room, opens the refrigerator door, and takes out a can of Whoopass Cola. He puts the can and a glass on a plate, puts ice cubes in the glass, and turns around to exit the room; no one sees a hand reach down from the ceiling to open the refrigerator door.

The samurai escort the squire to the room of a daimyo, the Japanese nobleman they serve. The squire puts the plate on the floor in front of the daimyo, opens the can, and pours the cola into the glass. The daimyo raises the glass to his lips; then he sees Asuka run on the corridor wall in front of the door.

Asuka, wearing a ninja uniform, holds a can of Whoopass in her left hand; iron claws, fixed to her gauntlets and boots, let her walk on the walls. The daimyo points at her.

DAIMYO: How dare she take my favorite drink from my refrigerator!

The samurai draw their swords and charge out of the room, into the hallway, to pursue Asuka.

SAMURAI: Yaaaa!

Asuka's head turns; she smiles and draws her sword. The ninja slashes as she jumps across the corridor to the opposite wall, breaking the samurai's swords.

The samurai look down at the broken blades on the floor.

SAMURAI: Ahhhh!

They turn around and run for their lives.

Asuka sits in a tree on a hill overlooking the castle. She tilts her head back and empties the cola down her throat.

ASUKA: Ah!

She smiles and holds the can before the camera.

ASUKA: Never fear to live life on the edge! Open a can of Whoopass!