From: trmiller@mail.bcpl.lib.md.us Subject: [Eva][Fanfic] Apocrypha, Ep. 1: "Returning Prodigal" AUTHOR'S FOREWORD: If you wish to contact me by e-mail, my address is: trmiller@bcpl.net Warning: Numerous spoilers ahead. If you haven't seen through episode 20 of Neon Genesis Evangelion yet and want to keep the surprises until you've seen those episodes, save this fanfic - but don't read past this point until you've seen that much of the series. If you've seen through episode 20, or don't care about the spoilers, read on. :) Timeline notes can be found in the Afterword. Neon Genesis Evangelion: Apocrypha by Tim Miller Chapter 1: "Returning Prodigal" Over the intercom, I can hear the countdown. "10 ... 9 ... 8 ..." "Ready, Michael?" another voice asks me from the command center. "I think so," I reply shakily to the unseen voice. "3 ... 2 ... 1 ... contact -" And then everything goes white. My universe is ending. This can only be Hell; I am going insane - what else can this be? Something unimaginable, pressing on my mind from all sides - why haven't I died yet? I shouldn't be able to feel anything! And then I hear it - no, not hear. Not feel, either. But it's there. I'm not alone, but that's what terrifies me - I don't *want* to be with this ... whatever it is! What happened to the others? {They are dead} Where am I? {With me} {Forever} What happened? It is not until later that I begin to understand. Evangelion Unit 04 is alive. It is a fierce, alien life - like the life of humans, and yet so unbearably different; it is alive, it knows it is alive, but more than those it knows *what* it is. And it seeks ... What does it seek? What do *I* seek? What do I want? {can't die} {you won't die} {I won't let you} It needs me? What can it need? {together} I'm frightened ... no, terrified. Evangelion can't help me now. And yet somehow, it does. The source of my fear acts to calm my fear. My mind has been shattered many times over; somehow a piece of my thought stays coherent - that core of myself which my mother would say is my soul. And I begin to understand, finally, what little I can grasp. Evangelion awoke to know my presence, and only my presence. This is Hell to it too, the maelstrom outside us. Something mysterious, terrible, has happened to us both; all we can do is ride it out. And Evangelion knows only a little more than I do. I am older than it by nearly all of my fourteen years - yet only with its (his? her?) help can either of us escape. The fear is gone now, but nothing has replaced it. I only know that Evangelion and I are together, linked, united in something neither of us can control. Maybe together we can understand what has happened, but our destinies have brought us together. Whatever happens now, we can only meet it together, human and Evangelion. It knows so much more than I do - and yet its questions are as unanswered, and perhaps unanswerable, as my own. It is sentient, and yet it is an animal, wild and untameable - uncontrollable. But somehow I know it will allow me to control it. How strange ... why should I need to control Eva? It was built for combat - Oh. It didn't know that. Figures. But it'll fight. That seems to have answered one of its questions. Where are we? It doesn't know. Evangelion isn't a machine, it's alive. Did they know what they were building? I finally understand - - Blinding white light. Pure light. Is that ... the sun? Or is it God? Or has something else happened? Where are we now? What has happened? The alarms were going off in Central Dogma. "Report," said Commander Ikari Gendou as he sat down behind the command desk. "AT Field detected on the surface," Aoba Shigeru responded from his console. "We also picked up a Blue pattern, but it's not showing any more. "We have a visual on the object," Ibuki Maya added. "On screen now." The holographic display on the "front" wall of Central Dogma showed static for a moment, then cleared to show the "object" in question. There was silence in the command chamber for about half a second. "What's another Evangelion doing here??" exclaimed Major Katsuragi Misato as she entered. Ibuki keyed for a close-up of the Evangelion's nearer shoulder, on which the abbreviation "Eva" was superimposed over a large numeral 4. "Evangelion Unit 04 ... but that's - " " - the same one that vanished from the Second Branch," Ikari finished. "Is it still generating an AT Field?" "Confirmed," Hyuga Makoto nodded as he looked up from his panel. "But the Blue pattern has faded; we're reading the standard Evangelion sensor signature on all bandwidths." "There's no umbilical cable," Misato noted. "How's it generating - " She stopped, remembering. "Scan for the S2 engine." "Scanning," the technicians chorused. A moment later, Hyuga nodded. "S2 engine confirmed. Evangelion 04 is self-powered." Ikari Gendou folded his hands, staring at the primary display. "It doesn't seem to be moving ... status of our Evas?" "Shinji's still recovering from his ... ordeal," Misato answered. "So Eva-01 is out. Units 00 and 02 are still out of commission as well, from the damage inflicted by the 13th and 14th Angels." "Is pilot Ikari still physically injured?" asked Gendou, not looking at Misato. "When he emerged from Eva-01's core, he was completely intact - physically," responded Misato, looking intently at the commander. "But he shouldn't be piloting Eva again until we know he's stable mentally." "If he's alive, he can synchronize, and we need another Evangelion to stop Unit 04 if it makes any aggressive moves." Gendou looked towards Misato. "You have your orders, Major." Misato bit her lip, and turned to carry out her orders. As she did so, Akagi Ritsuko stared up at the display from her place behind the technicians' consoles. (We thought Evangelion Unit 04 was lost,) she thought silently. (What is it doing in Tokyo-3?) Minutes later, panels slid apart, making a square opening in the street near Eva-04. A pair of rails extended upwards from the opening, and within seconds, the launch platform carrying Evangelion Unit 01 slammed to a halt, delivering its cargo at ground level. Ensconced within Eva-01's entry plug, surrounded by oxygen-bearing LCL, a fourteen-year-old boy looked out at the "sister" unit to his own mecha - and Ikari Shinji doubted. "It's generating an AT Field, as detected," he said quietly. "But that's all it's doing - it's not even standing upright." He checked a readout, and added, "The entry plug is in place and occupied - there's someone inside Unit 04." Far below, in Central Dogma, Ritsuko turned to look at the commander of NERV - and the father of the pilot of Eva-01. "Whoever's inside Eva-04 may have answers to our questions," she noted to him. "And with two of our Evangelions still down for repairs, we could use Unit 04." "Agreed," nodded Ikari Gendou. "Shinji," he spoke into the comm system, "attempt to make contact with Eva-04's pilot." Unseen, Shinji relaxed almost unconsciously. The last time he'd been face-to-face with another Evangelion, it had been Unit 03 - under the control of the 13th Angel. One of his classmates - his friends - had been inside the entry plug, and control had been taken from him as - (No!) Shinji forced the memories back, wrapping his mind around the task of controlling his Eva as he guided it off of the launch gantry, walking it towards the other Evangelion. "Eva-01 to Eva-04," he said quietly, keying his comm system over to an external transmission. "Do you read? Over." Within Eva-04's entry plug, I look up as I hear another voice. It's not speaking English ... but Japanese. 'Eva-01 to Eva-04, do you read? Over.' Eva-01 ... I close my eyes for a moment, then look up as the display projected on the inside walls of my entry plug clears, allowing me to see the almost-familiar form of another Evangelion. Eva-04 is quiet around me, at least for now. I can only assume that this city is Tokyo-3, the main base of operations for NERV and the Evangelions. There - the comm system controls. I reach back for the memories of my Japanese lessons as the other pilot repeats his message. "This is Eva-04," the other pilot responded, and all but two of the occupants of Central Dogma's command chamber sighed in relief. Vice-Commander Fuyutsuki Kouzou, one of those two, looked over at Gendou silently. Gendou returned the look briefly as he ordered, "Continue, Shinji." Shinji nodded, and spoke into the comm again. "Eva-04 pilot, please identify yourself and prepare to exit from your Eva." There was a moment of hesitation from the other end. Shinji's hands tightened on his Eva's control grips as he thought he saw Eva-04 move slightly, as though starting to straighten up. Finally, the response came. "I ask that you identify yourself first. Please." "That's an American accent," Misato noted in Central Dogma. "I didn't know the Second Branch was approved to select Eva pilots." "It wasn't," Fuyutsuki responded as Shinji's voice sounded over the comm system again. "This is Ikari Shinji, pilot of Evangelion Unit 01. Now identify yourself, pilot of Eva-04." On the screen, Evangelion Unit 04 drew itself up, finally standing fully upright under its own power, just before its eyes dimmed and the plug hatch on its "backpack" opened, the familiar white cylinder of the entry plug being extruded from the Eva's back. A moment later, the hatch slid open and up, as a human form emerged from the entry plug. Shinji and Ibuki both keyed for close visuals at the same moment, revealing a young boy in a dark green plug-suit. His skin was of a slightly darker hue than Japanese, his hair straight and pitch-black. Eva-04's pilot reached down to the external intercom panel, and spoke into the handset. "This is Michael Theseus Fire Hawk, NERV Second Branch, Evangelion test pilot." Another sigh of relief seemed to emerge from the command staff of Central Dogma, again excepting the two highest-ranking officers. "Mr. Fire Hawk," Gendou spoke into the comm system, "return to your entry plug. Eva-01 will show you to the nearest retrieval platform." "Understood," responded the test pilot as he complied with the commander's instructions. In less than a minute, the LCL surrounded him once more and the touch of Eva-04 once again stroked against his mind. (Patience,) he thought. (Let's find out what's going on first.) It took far less time than the new arrival would have expected before Eva-04 was locked down, the latches securing it in the Eva hangar - ironically enough, in the place which had once been reserved for Eva-03. It took rather longer than that before he could exit, though. "It's not accepting the signal," Ibuki Maya reported. "The hatch isn't opening." She looked up from her console. "I don't understand it ... " "Mr. Fire Hawk," Gendou spoke, "please try again to eject your entry plug." "Acknowledged," Michael replied as he extended his will once more. (I have to leave for now,) he thought to the Evangelion. (Will you allow me to leave, knowing that I'll return?) {don't trust them} (We're on the same side.) {you and I} {not them} (I will return. I swear it. They won't stop me.) {they can't} The "backpack" hatches opened, the LCL was drained, the entry plug slid out and the pilot hatch opened smoothly. "Mr. Fire Hawk," Ikari Gendou inquired over the intercom, "what was the delay?" Michael laughed silently. "Eva-04 didn't want to let me go. I don't blame it for being wary; we've been through a lot," he said as he climbed out of the entry plug and onto the waiting walkway. Misato and Shinji were there waiting for him when he left the Eva cage. "Major Katsuragi Misato, director of strategic operations," Misato introduced herself. "All of the Eva pilots are effectively under my command." "A pleasure to meet you, Major ... Shinji," Michael responded with a nod to each. "You'll have to forgive me; my Japanese isn't very good yet." "This way, please," Misato gestured, and the three of them headed out of the cage. Over five hours later, Misato made her preliminary report to Ikari and Fuyutsuki. It wasn't very encouraging. "Michael claims to know absolutely nothing about the disappearance of Eva-04 and the Second Branch," she told them. "He wasn't cleared for combat, just sitting in an entry plug and synchronizing with an Evangelion for activation testing. Obviously, the Second Branch was attempting to activate Unit 04 with the experimental S2 engine." "What about the events following the disappearance?" Ikari asked. "He knows even less about that," Misato responded, "unless you believe him when he says he and Eva-04 went through Hell together." "How much has Shinji told you about his experience with the 12th Angel?" Ikari inquired. "Very little," Misato admitted. "But what I don't understand is how Eva-04 could return to the physical world *here*, thousands of miles from the place where it disappeared - even if a Sea of Dirac was involved, what generated it in the first place?" "Possibly Eva-04," Fuyutsuki suggested. "Was this the first time that Eva-04 had been activated?" "Yes," Misato nodded. "That was the first time Michael was in a real entry plug and a real Evangelion, too." She hesitated for a moment. "However .... there's something else you ought to know." "And that is?" Ikari looked at her from behind his dark glasses. Misato hesitated again. "Michael claims to have bonded with Eva-04." The silence from Ikari and Fuyutsuki spoke volumes. After taking a deep breath, Misato continued, "He says he thought he was going insane in those first moments after ... well, after the activation and the disaster that occured with it. The Eva's mind -" "They don't *have* minds," Ikari interrupted. "The Evangelions are under our control." "Or at least that's the idea," Misato shot back, briefly forgetting who she was talking to. "But may I remind you that Eva-01 has moved *without* power on three occasions, one of those leading to its becoming fully self- powered? And on the first of those occasions, there was no entry plug in place, occupied or otherwise!" "Major." Ikari's voice had a warning tone. "The Evangelions have no minds of their own." "How do you explain the fact that Eva-00 has gone berserk twice, and Eva-01 as well?" "Major, please continue with your report. We need to know if Eva-04 and its pilot can be placed on the combat roster." Misato's shoulders slumped in defeat. (So close to the truth,) she thought wistfully as she went on, returning to the subject at hand. "Michael says he had received almost no combat training prior to the ... incident. Synchronization exercises only. I don't think they expected him to see combat unless he was selected as an official Eva pilot, one of the Children." Ikari frowned. "Whoever was commanding the Second Branch went beyond their authority in selecting him as even a test pilot without approval from the Marduk Institute." Misato carefully did not reply to that comment, knowing full well that the Marduk Institute was just one of NERV's puppet organizations - a cloak behind which the Children, the few who could pilot the Evangelions, were chosen. "But regardless of that ... as I said, Michael claims to have bonded with Eva-04, and from what he's told me - we may have to train him for combat ourselves, Marduk report or not." "What do you mean?" Fuyutsuki pressed her. Misato looked at the Commander and Vice-Commander for a moment, then proceeded: "After the activation and their disappearance, Michael and Eva-04 were completely cut off from the outside world. Michael says that Evangelion Unit 04 is alive, and sentient, and has chosen him as its human partner - or words to that effect; he had to explain it in English, and my own English is spotty at best. Given the security level we have to maintain about this incident, I felt that we couldn't bring in a translator." Ikari nodded in approval. "Major Katsuragi, based on your talk with Mr. Fire Hawk, what is your recommendation?" "I suggest that we take him on as an Eva pilot ... and see if the Marduk Institute will classify him as one of the Children. He can stay with me, Shinji, and Asuka if necessary." "Are you sure that's wise?" Misato sighed. "Commander Ikari, Michael is very alone here. His father died in the Second Impact; his mother died or vanished along with the rest of the Second Branch in Nevada. I don't want to throw him out on his own because his grasp of Japanese is still uncertain; Asuka may be able to help him with that - I'm pretty sure Michael can't even read the language, but Asuka knows far more English than I do, so she can help him along." "Have you talked to Shinji and Asuka about this yet?" Fuyutsuki inquired. "No, I'll ask them when they get home from school. If they're agreeable, I'll come back to HQ and pick him up in time for a late dinner. That should give Ritsuko time to begin the necessary testing to qualify Michael as an Eva pilot." "We have some archival records from the Second Branch," Fuyutsuki reported, "backups which were sent to NERV's other branches two weeks before the incident - part of the regular information backup process. Since Mr. Fire Hawk's file is in those records, we won't be starting from scratch." Ikari turned his head to regard Fuyutsuki. "And what was his status?" Fuyutsuki checked his notes. "'This candidate possesses the necessary qualities for an Evangelion pilot.' He wasn't going to be recommended as a full pilot until they knew he would be needed as one." Ikari nodded. "Very well ... have Dr. Akagi begin testing him. Major, do you have an alternative suggestion in case your two charges object to another housemate?" "If either of them object - and I don't believe they will," Misato responded, "then I guess he'll have to stay at headquarters for the time being. It might be for the best if he does, but I'd rather he didn't." "What do you mean, 'it might be for the best?'" Ikari frowned. Again, Misato hesitated before replying, "If what Michael told me about the bond is true, then Eva-04 doesn't want to be separated from him unless it's necessary." AUTHOR'S AFTERWORD: The first part of this chapter takes place around and following the time of the disappearance of Evangelion Unit 04 and NERV's Second Branch, in Neon Genesis Evangelion, episode 17. Eva-04's reappearance occurs shortly after episode 20 and sometime before episode 21. Most of this series will probably be written from the third-person perspective seen in most of the latter two-thirds of this chapter; however, there will be occasions - not unlike the series - where events are best expressed from inside a character's mind. Unless otherwise indicated, all first-person scenes are probably going to be from Michael's point of view, as the first third (roughly) of this chapter was. This is very much going to be Michael's story in some ways, and the story of the events surrounding Evangelion Unit 04 - unique among the Evangelions, in ways that will become clear (if they haven't started to already). Perhaps unavoidably, this story is also going to reflect my beliefs regarding the Evangelions and the deeds of NERV and SEELE. But despite that, this fanfic is not intended as a self-insertion - Michael's not supposed to reflect me in any way. Nor is Eva-04. ;) The most I can say that I have in common with Michael Theseus Fire Hawk is that we're both human. My task is made simpler and more interesting by the ways that Michael's been changed ... but that story has yet to be told. Acknowledgements: This work of fiction is written for fun, not for profit, and is made available for the sole purpose of enjoyment by fans and interested readers. This story is not to be distributed for profit by any person or agency. _Neon Genesis Evangelion_ and all characters, entities, monsters, and organizations thereof are the creations and property of Gainax and Anno Hideaki, copyright 1996 (?). As such, I have no legal right to these characters, etc. and am required to cease writing if requested to do so by Gainax or legal representatives thereof. Michael Theseus Fire Hawk is an original character of my own creation; please do not borrow, use, depict, refer to, fold, spindle, or mutilate without the author's prior permission (i.e. mine). Tim Miller trmiller@mail.bcpl.lib.md.us September 11, 1998 ---- From: trmiller@bcpl.net Subject: [Eva][Fanfic] Apocrypha, ep. 2: "Upon an Alien Soil" AUTHOR'S FOREWORD: If you wish to contact me by e-mail, my address is: trmiller@bcpl.net Previous episodes are available at: http://www.bcpl.net/~trmiller/fanfics/apocrypha.html Neon Genesis Evangelion: Apocrypha by Tim Miller Chapter 2: "Upon an Alien Soil" When Major Katsuragi left the commander's office, Ikari Gendou and Fuyutsuki Kouzou sat in silence for a moment, each man alone with his thoughts. After a long moment, Ikari stood up and walked over to the window, leaving Fuyutsuki still seated next to the desk. Finally, Fuyutsuki broke the silence. "Do you believe what Katsuragi told us about Eva-04 and its pilot?" "No," Ikari replied, gazing out at the Geo-Front. "There is no evidence that an Evangelion can even be self-aware, much less intelligent." "Unit 01 seems to contradict that assumption," Fuyutsuki pointed out. "You've seen it move on its own ... and it refused to synchronize with anyone but Shinji during the last Angel's attack. We may have to consider the possibility that an Eva *can* be self-motivated." "You know as well as I do that the mind and spirit within Eva-01 were placed there, even if by accident. The Contact experiments proved that no Evangelion has a mind or spirit of its own; only the first three units - prototype, test type, and the first production model - even *have* spirits within them." "So what will we do about Michael Fire Hawk?" Fuyutsuki subtly changed the subject. "There are still questions we need answered," answered Ikari. "Unfortunately, there's nobody we can trust with the possible answers below your own rank. Will you question him?" Despite his tone, the words were clearly an order rather than a request. "Isn't Dr. Akagi cleared for this level of information?" "Your English is better than hers," Ikari told his old colleague, "and we can't take the risk that a translator would pose to security. We have to make certain of whether Fire Hawk's information is correct or not; if our suppositions *are* wrong, then Eva-04 could pose a substantial threat to Instrumentality, and we will have to neutralize that threat." Fuyutsuki nodded quietly. "Very well. Should we keep him at headquarters, then?" "Without question," Ikari grunted. "He has no family left; we should probably keep him incommunicado, to make sure none of his knowledge leaks out." "You mean, before we know everything that he knows," said Fuyutsuki as he rose to his feet. "I'll have quarters prepared for him." Ikari nodded approvingly as he picked up the phone, and dialed an extension. When the line was picked up at the other end, he said, "I need to talk to Shinji." The two girls stood side-by-side, regarding the boy in the dark green plug-suit. As he was studied, Michael silently noted the contrasts between them, and the similarities. Both were fourteen years old (as he was); both wore the same school uniform of white blouse with red tie and blue-green skirt. Those were just surface appearances, though; the differences between them spoke much more clearly. The redhead had an open, expressive face; the pale, blue-haired girl was much more quiet and circumspect in her examination. Michael had no trouble at all identifying the two of them as his future teammates, NERV's other two Evangelion pilots. "So you're the boy from Eva-04?" the redhaired girl asked. "You don't look like much," she continued as she flipped her hair back over her shoulder. "But then, neither does Shinji ... " "My name is Michael," the 'boy from Eva-04' responded as evenly as though she'd called him 'the boy from Nevada.' "Forgive me, but I don't know either of your names yet." "Ayanami Rei," the pale girl - (Is she an albino?) Michael wondered - introduced herself in a quiet voice. "I'm Asuka," the redhead answered, "and I guess you've sort of met Shinji." "Only his voice," Michael replied, mentally scrambling for the Japanese words he needed against - weeks? months? - of no practice. "I haven't seen him yet." "Hmmmmmm." Asuka tilted her head slightly, studying Michael's face. "Not so good at Japanese, eh? You'll get the hang of it." For the first time since he'd arrived, Michael actually smiled. "If that was an offer of help, I thank you," he answered Asuka with a slight bow. Asuka's reply was forestalled by Misato's arrival in the pilot ready room. "Hi Asuka, hi Rei ... how was school?" Misato asked as she walked in. "About the usual," Asuka responded, "mostly boring. Is this our new houseguest?" she asked with a nod of her head at Michael. "If you and Shinji don't have any objections," Misato told her, "then yes. He should be enrolled in school by the end of the week, if all goes well." She turned her attention to Michael. "I see you've met Asuka and Rei; Shinji's in debriefing, since there wasn't time for that earlier today. As soon as he finishes, we can head home ... Rei, do you need a ride to your apartment?" "No, thank you," Rei answered calmly. "I'll be fine on my own." "Sure you don't want to come over for dinner? Shinji's cooking," Misato invited. "I don't wish to impose." Misato nodded, leaving it at that. "See you ... day after tomorrow, for synch-testing, right?" "Hai. Good evening, Major." Rei bowed very slightly, and departed. Asuka muttered something which Michael couldn't quite understand. Misato put down a shopping bag as she said, "Michael? Since you don't have anything else to wear, I went ahead and got you some school uniforms. Once you've had a chance to settle in, we can see about getting some more clothes for you - if you need any, that is." Michael nodded. "Thank you very much, Major Katsuragi," he replied with a formal Japanese-style bow. "I should probably change before we leave." "We'll leave you alone to do that," Misato replied. "C'mon, Asuka, we'll wait in the hall." Misato left the room, Asuka behind her, and the door closed behind them. With a quiet sigh, Michael hit the seal-release button on his wrist, and the plug-suit "relaxed" around him, loosening around his body so that he could take it off. About ten minutes later, the three of them were standing in the corridor outside the elevator. Just as the elevator chimed and the doors started to open, a young boy's voice shouted "Just a minute!" heralding Shinji's appearance from around the bend in the corridor. Michael positioned a hand in front of the sensor on the door as he stepped into the elevator. "You're Shinji?" he asked as the other boy entered the elevator, following Misato and Asuka. "Hai," Shinji nodded, "I'm Ikari Shinji." He looked at Misato. "Misato-san ... " "What is it?" Misato's tone was bright and friendly. Shinji took a breath, then asked, "Michael Fire Hawk was supposed to come home with us, right? Originally?" Misato nodded. "That's right ... why? Change of plans?" "You could say that." He looked at Michael. "You're supposed to stay here at headquarters. My father just told me a moment ago ... Vice-Commander Fuyutsuki will be interviewing you further." Unfortunately for Michael, Shinji's speech was fast enough and used enough unfamiliar words that Michael couldn't make heads or tails of what he was being told. "What did you say?" was the best reply he could muster. Misato sighed faintly. "Asuka, could you translate what Shinji said into English?" Asuka frowned, but complied. "Thanks," Michael replied in Japanese. "Well ... I'll see you later, then." He stepped out of the elevator, trying not to let himself feel lost - or homesick. "Later," Misato said as the elevator doors slid closed. Half an hour later, Michael was sitting alone in the cafeteria, picking at a standard-issue dinner. (NERV must have all its meals pre-cooked at the same place,) he decided. (The food at the Second Branch was just the same as this - and tasted exactly as bad.) Ignoring the taste, he took another bite of meat and rice. To say that Michael was alone in the cafeteria would be incorrect; there were a few technicians scattered around the cafeteria, in clusters of two or three, but they were all speaking fluent Japanese too rapid and idiomatic for Michael to understand. Understandably, it came as something of a surprise when a Japanese man in a command-staff uniform sat down across from him. "May I join you?" the man asked, in good English with a mild accent. Michael looked up. "I don't see why not," he replied, studying the new arrival. The man looked like he was in his late twenties or early thirties, and in mildly serious need of a shave; his hair was tied back at the nape of his neck, giving him a bit more of a roguish look. "I'm Kaji Ryouji," the man introduced himself. "I heard about you this afternoon, while you were being interviewed. When I found out you were being assigned quarters in HQ, I decided to track you down and see if I could offer any assistance." "Not unless you're one of the spirits in human form," Michael answered, "and can take me back home. Not that there's anything left for me in America." "Spirits?" Kaji looked confused. "I'm not a ghost, if that's what you're asking ... " "'Kami' is probably a better word," Michael explained. "The sacred spirits my father's ancestors believed in and worshipped." He took another bite of his dinner. "Sorry, I'm as human as you are." Kaji added some soy sauce to the contents of his tray. "Didn't anyone tell you where the condiments were?" "I didn't think to ask. Does it improve the flavor?" "Marginally," Kaji shrugged. "I usually get something from the vending machines - the food there actually tastes better." "Almost anything would," Michael joked, mustering a weak smile. "Mr. Ryouji - ah, sorry, Mr. *Kaji* - why did you want to talk to me?" "Like I said, I wanted to see if I could help. You're from the Second Branch?" "Was, yes. I'm trying not to think about it." "What happened wasn't your fault - " Kaji was cut off as Michael slapped his chopsticks down on his tray. "You don't know that," Michael said quietly, straining to hold back his tears. "Nobody knows that, even *I* don't know that. But whose fault it is doesn't make one damn bit of difference any more, because everyone I had, every single person I knew and cared about is *gone*. I said I'm trying not to think about it, and I blasted *meant* I was trying not to think about it." He paused for a moment, trying to regain some control over his emotions, and then continued more calmly - he hoped: "Mr. Kaji, I'm sure you mean well, but I don't want to talk about the Second Branch, or home, or - or NERV, or anything else having to do with what happened. Do you understand that?" He wiped at his cheek, dabbing away a stray tear. "I do understand," Kaji answered softly. "And I'm sorry ... but you're going to have to come to terms with what happened, and quickly - at least enough to talk about it." "I can't tell anyone what I don't know." Michael picked his chopsticks back up, scooping up some more rice. "It's what you *do* know that you'll have to tell them," Kaji said sternly. He paused to look around, then continued, "Let me know if I can be of any help ... I shouldn't be talking to you. Here." He handed a small card to Michael. "The top number's my office line here, the other one is my apartment. If you need something - even just someone to talk to - feel free to call." Michael slipped the card into a pocket without looking at it. "Thank you, Mr. Kaji." He kept eating as Kaji stood up, taking his tray, and left the cafeteria without a backwards glance. "Have you spoken with anyone about Eva-04 since you got here?" Fuyutsuki asked, in English. "Only Major Katsuragi," Michael replied quietly. "Didn't she tell you what she learned from me?" "She reported to me and the Commander. He feels that there's something you haven't told us yet." "I told her everything I could - " "I'm sure," Fuyutsuki sighed, "but Major Katsuragi's English isn't as good as mine, and Commander Ikari thinks something may've been lost in translation. Now, tell me again what happened after the disappearance of the Second Branch." Michael clenched his fists, fighting to keep himself from screaming, or hurling his glass of water at Fuyutsuki, or just trying to leave the room. "All I know is that I was alone in hell, with Eva-04 as my only companion." "Hell?" Fuyutsuki blinked, sitting up. "Katsuragi didn't mention that to us - " "Because I tried to put it less figuratively for her. She said something to me about a 'Sea of Dirac' - that's what Diraku-no-umi means, right? - and I didn't have any idea what she was talking about." "What did you experience in this 'hell,' then?" "Only Eva-04's presence. We were synchronized, of course - without each other's presence to cling to, neither one of us would have survived." Michael took a sip of water. "I don't even remember what else was there, except that I couldn't stand to be there - neither could Eva-04, by the way - and I guess I sought refuge in the Evangelion's mind." Fuyutsuki nodded slowly. "So, what did you experience while you were synchronized with Unit 04?" "I told Katsuragi already!" Michael slammed his glass down, water sloshing over the sides. Fuyutsuki gritted his teeth for a moment. "Please ... just try to tell me, in English, what it felt like." "Our minds were forced together by the isolation outside. It was like - I don't know ... maybe something like when you lose your virginity." Fuyutsuki blinked in surprise. "I beg your pardon?" "It was being intimate with something *totally* unfamiliar," Michael explained. "Eva-04's mind is completely alien, or at least it was at first. There was nothing I had in common with it except the void outside; the only way either of us could stay sane was basically to lose ourselves in each other, and wait for the storm to pass - assuming that it would eventually. Then we were in Tokyo-3, and Shinji came up to meet us. The rest you know." Fuyutsuki made a few notes on his clipboard, nodding slowly. "Actually, the rest we *don't* know, yet ... you say that Unit 04 had a mind of its own? Do you know where that 'mind' came from?" "That had to be its own spirit - don't you know the Evangelions are alive? Eva-04 is, and it knows that it is. It's actually just like a human." "What do you mean?" Fuyutsuki frowned, leaning forward a bit. "I thought you just said it was completely alien." "It has the same questions, it just thinks about them differently. Doesn't everyone wonder what his purpose in life is? I had a lot of time to think about that." Michael took another gulp of water, then continued, "Eva-04 didn't know what its purpose was until I 'told' it that it was built for combat against those Angels; it seemed awfully ready to do that, after it knew that was its reason for existing." Fuyutsuki nodded again, considering Michael's words. "Was there any other ... common ground, for lack of a better term?" "No. We're both strangers here ..." Michael trailed off, looking away. "Oh, and you should tell your techies not to poke it too hard. It might poke back." "What?!" Fuyutsuki sat bolt upright. (How did he know - ?) "What are you talking about?" Michael smiled faintly. "Surely Major Katsuragi didn't neglect to tell you that Eva-04 and I bonded in the Sea of Dirac ... we can sense each other, our minds are touching even when I'm not in the entry plug. Eva isn't as used to emotions as you or I ... the strain I've been through today is taking a toll on it, too. It doesn't have a home to go back to - not that I do either, any more - but it doesn't like the thought of my being in pain. The way it's being examined right now doesn't help matters - " Fuyutsuki ran out the door while Michael was still talking. "Keep an eye on him!" he shouted at one of the guards, and ran for the nearest intercom. "You want *what*??" Ritsuko stared at the phone, as though she could see Fuyutsuki at the other end. "Stop examining Eva-04," Fuyutsuki repeated. "Whatever you're doing, just back off - I have reason to believe it could ... object to the probing, possibly lethally." "The S2 engine is inactive," Ritsuko sighed. "We'll know if it tries to do anything - " "Doctor, I've read about what happened when Eva-01 moved on its own, *completely* without power. S2 engine or no S2 engine, we can't take the chance. Have your team close up what they're doing, and leave the cage at once." "We haven't even scratched the surface," Ritsuko replied as she gestured at Maya. "We've been trying to access the entry plug's data records, but no luck so far - we can't even get the Eva to eject the plug." "You mean the entry plug's still inside - ?" "Yes. It was retracted again sometime after Michael disembarked this afternoon, and the hatch is sealed; we attached an umbilical cable to carry the external I/O interface, *without power* except for minimal functions, but all signals have been rejected. It's like the cable isn't plugged into anything at the Eva's end, really." "Damn," Fuyutsuki swore softly. "All right ... have your people pack it in for now; we'll try again tomorrow. I need to report this to the Commander." "Tell him I said hello," Ritsuko answered mirthlessly. "Good night, Vice-Commander." "Where is he now?" Ikari asked, looking at Fuyutsuki over his folded hands. "I had a guard escort him to private quarters after I finished talking to Dr. Akagi," Fuyutsuki answered. "He seemed grateful to be allowed to leave and get some sleep." "And he said he's talked to nobody so far?" "He said he hasn't talked about Unit 04, except to Katsuragi and myself." Fuyutsuki shook his head quietly. "Ikari, there was no evidence that Unit 04 was in a position to do *anything* to the technical team ... yet Michael sounded so certain that it could have eliminated them if it felt threatened." He sighed, "Maybe I overreacted." "You didn't," Ikari told him. "I have to take back what I said earlier; there's too much that we don't know for certain about the Evas to be certain about anything. Each Evangelion is its own mystery ... just like people. Or like God." "So what will we do about Michael Fire Hawk?" Fuyutsuki asked. "At the moment, we seem to have little choice. We need him to maintain control of Unit 04; if his life is threatened, the unit will probably act to protect him. Putting him on the combat roster seems like the best choice we have right now." "And if he's killed in his first battle ... so much the better?" Fuyutsuki sounded unconvinced. "At least the training would give him something to do, other than mope." "Agreed. Have him begin training tomorrow, after a baseline synchronization test." " ... okay. Thank you, Vice-Commander." Misato hung up the phone. "So much for our new guest," she said aloud. Shinji and Asuka both looked up at that. "You mean Michael?" Shinji inquired. Misato nodded. "He's been assigned quarters at HQ until further notice. Too bad; I was looking forward to the added company." Asuka shrugged noncommittally, looking back at the TV. "The apartment's crowded enough as it is ... and I have better things to do than tutor some incompetent in Japanese." "Michael isn't 'incompetent,'" Misato gently scolded her charge. "He is as an Eva pilot," replied Asuka. "Why do you think he wound up in Tokyo-3 after the Second Branch disappeared? I bet he messed up and that's what caused the accident." "It's still under investigation, Asuka," Misato warned her, "and you'd better not suggest anything of the sort to Michael when you see him tomorrow or the day after - and if I ever hear you *breathe* to him that it's his fault, I'll come down on you so hard you'll think an Angel stepped on you instead. Got it?" "Hai, hai." Asuka gave the TV her full attention. Shinji thought back to the very little he knew about the disappearance of the Second Branch. "His family was there ... ?" "That's what he told me - at least, his mother was. His father died during the Second Impact." Asuka clicked off the TV, setting the remote aside. "Well, I'm going to sleep." "Sleep well," Misato said to Asuka as the redhead walked down the hall to her room. Beneath Tokyo-3, in NERV's Geo-Front headquarters, Michael was doing the exact same thing, with the exception of saying good-nights to anyone. Someone - Michael's guess, more or less at random, was Kaji - had thought to provide him with a T-shirt and shorts he could wear to sleep in; he'd showered and changed in the barracks, and was walking down the hall to his private quarters. Or at least Fuyutsuki had told him they were private. (They've probably got cameras running even now,) Michael thought as he closed the door. (What do they expect a 14-year-old boy to do in a room by himself?) A few possibilities ran through his mind, and he snorted quietly. "Not bloody likely," he said out loud as he turned down the covers and got into bed. (Let them wonder,) he scoffed mentally as he folded his hands under his head, staring up at the ceiling. He still didn't know how long he'd been in the Sea of Dirac; it felt like one interminable day to him, and one that had abruptly turned exhausting. (NERV can do whatever the hell they want with me now,) he realized. (No known relatives ... no friends ... and so far as I know, I'm legally dead right now.) It was a sobering thought. (The only use they have for me is to keep Eva-04 under control, really; I ought to be glad fate gave me that card to play.) {not play} Michael glanced at the wall. (Is that you, my other self?) {sleep}{won't sleep}{protect} Michael allowed himself to smile. (I know you will ... and I was wrong: I *do* have one friend here.) With that thought, Michael Theseus Fire Hawk closed his eyes, and allowed himself to drift off to sleep ... knowing that even in this foreign land, there was one who would watch over him. His last thought before dreams claimed him was, (Do the other pilots know who their Evas are to them?) AUTHOR'S AFTERWORD: This chapter takes place sometime prior to episode 21 of the Evangelion TV series, picking up just after Chapter 1 of Apocrypha. Michael's presence is going to give NERV and SEELE more than a few problems over time, since he knows more than any Eva pilot is supposed to about the Evangelions. Eva-04 is also unique, as its psyche isn't mediated by any human spirit as the other three are. *Something* intervened to protect him; there's no way yet to know what that something was. But even as he rests at the center of so many questions, Michael has unanswered questions of his own - and the answers he wants are even more elusive than the answers which NERV, and eventually SEELE, will be seeking. Even if something so alien as an Evangelion can be counted as a friend, who else is there for Michael to turn to? Acknowledgements: This work of fiction is written for fun, not for profit, and is made available for the sole purpose of enjoyment by fans and interested readers. This story is not to be distributed for profit by any person or agency. _Neon Genesis Evangelion_ and all characters, entities, monsters, and organizations thereof are the creations and property of Gainax and Anno Hideaki, copyright 1996 (?). As such, I have no legal right to these characters, etc. and am required to cease writing if requested to do so by Gainax or legal representatives thereof. Michael Theseus Fire Hawk is an original character of my own creation; please do not borrow, use, depict, refer to, fold, spindle, or mutilate without the author's prior permission (i.e. mine). Tim Miller trmiller@bcpl.net September 28, 1998 --- From: trmiller@bcpl.net AUTHOR'S FOREWORD: If you wish to contact me by e-mail, my address is: trmiller@bcpl.net Previous chapters of Apocrypha are available at: http://www.bcpl.net/~trmiller/fanfics/apocrypha.html Note: with the exception of Michael, all characters generally speak Japanese unless otherwise noted. If somebody else has to translate between Japanese and English (in either direction), it's noted in the text. Neon Genesis Evangelion: Apocrypha by Tim Miller Chapter 3: "Give Me Understanding" "I would have expected that kind of information to be in my records somewhere." As usual, Michael was speaking in English. Akagi Ritsuko sighed, and explained to him, "All of your most recent records - including synchronization test data - were lost in the incident. We also need a fresh baseline by which to measure your progress and performance; given this 'link' you claim to have with Unit 04, it's felt that your old synchronization data would be misleading at best - and more probably, completely inaccurate." Michael nodded slowly, his gloved fingers brushing the sleeve of his dark green plug-suit - his only possession when he arrived, and with Evangelion Unit 04, his only links to his previous life at the Second Branch in Nevada. "All right, then. I was just wondering." He looked over at Katsuragi Misato. "Major," he asked in still-hesitant Japanese, "would you be so kind as to show me the way to the testing chamber?" Misato nodded, and finished her mug of coffee before setting it down on a nearby table. "Right this way, Mr. Fire Hawk." Michael hesitated for a moment, as though making sure he'd understood correctly, then followed her out. As the door closed behind the two of them, Ritsuko sighed and rubbed her forehead. At the console next to her, Ibuki Maya shook her head quietly. "He doesn't know Japanese very well ... " "He's going to have to practice it," Fuyutsuki noted dourly. Like Ritsuko, he was standing in front of the armored window which looked out on the testing bay. That chamber looked almost crowded now: in addition to the three test plugs which they were all used to seeing, a fourth plug's support pillar now stood, with its plug extended up to the boarding catwalk. Below the hatches of the retracted plugs, the testing chamber was filled with dark pink coolant. Fuyutsuki continued, "When he's in combat -" "You mean *if* he's ever in combat, right?" Ritsuko interrupted smoothly. Fuyutsuki continued without missing a beat. "- he'll have to be able to understand, and speak in, Japanese without any hesitation or uncertainty. And yes, Dr. Akagi, I do mean *when.*" Hyuga Makoto looked up from his console. "I hope he makes it. His whole life gone, his family dead ... he deserves something good to happen to him." Maya looked over at her co-worker. "Are you sure becoming a full- fledged Eva pilot would be a good thing?" Hyuga's reply was forestalled by a beep from his console. "Pilot now entering test plug #4," he reported. "... Hatch secure. Ready to commence synchronization testing." Ritsuko nodded. "Stations, everyone." The technicians turned their full attention to their work. "Retract plug, and fix the initial depth at ..25." "Plug retracting," Hyuga acknowledged as he worked a control, the support pillar beginning to recede into the murky coolant. "Depth set at .25," Maya confirmed. "Magi ready for test sequence and monitoring." "Acknowledged," Ritsuko nodded. "Begin synchronization testing." "Test sequence commencing." Maya's words were punctuated by the *thunk* of the test plug making contact, followed by the deeper hum of the plug's circuitry powering up. "Synch-rate at .5% ... 1.0 ... 2.3 ... steady increase now." "Watch for the contamination line," Ritsuko commented as she scanned her own displays. "Bond or no bond, we can't put him on the combat roster if he's going to be at a constantly high risk for mental contamination." "He looks okay so far," Hyuga reported. "Steadily above the limit." His console chirped at him. "Synchro-graph has passed 20%, and still rising." "Increase the depth to .5," Ritsuko ordered. There was another short, humming *thunk* as additional circuits were engaged. "What kind of synchronization rate can we expect from him?" Fuyutsuki asked, looking over the displays that he could see. Ritsuko shrugged. "It depends ... I doubt he'll go much past -" She was interrupted by a high-pitched alarm tone from one of the consoles. "Maya, report." "He just brushed the projected contamination line. Duration was .01 seconds, then he stabilized. Current synchronization rate is 45.2% ... beginning to rise again." "Synch-rate is definitely climbing faster," Hyuga reported, as Misato re-entered the room. "Good," Ritsuko nodded, adding (I think.) within the privacy of her own thoughts. "Increase depth again, to .75 this time." Another humming *thump* came from the test plug. "Depth is fixed at ..75," Maya confirmed. "Synch-rate -" There was another high-pitched tone from her console. "Contamination line again -" The tone repeated, sounding even more urgent this time. "Sempai, I think he may be *trying* to pass the contamination mark for some reason." "Why would he do something like that?" Misato muttered. "The bond," Ritsuko determined. "He's trying to reach the point at which he bonded with Eva-04 ..." She turned on the intercom, and spoke into the pickup in English. "Michael, ease back. If you were in an Eva right now, you'd be risking mental contamination." Michael didn't respond, at least not out loud - but it only took a couple of seconds before Hyuga reported, "He's stable again. Holding just above the contamination line." "Current synchronization rate?" Fuyutsuki inquired. Maya double-checked her readouts. "76.3%, and stable." Misato whistled softly. "None of the others are anywhere near that good yet ..." "This shouldn't be possible," Ritsuko said flatly. "Not with the plug depth at only .75 ..." Fuyutsuki sighed. "That kind of synchronization rate ... if he can avoid mental contamination while in the entry plug, we can't pass up a synch- rate like that. All right - bring him out of it, and get the simulator ready to start his combat training." "Is it safe to move Eva-04 to the simulation chamber?" Misato asked. "It should be," Ritsuko told her as the test plug was shut down. "It didn't react when we brought it down from the surface, at any rate." "You *will* be monitoring him in the entry plug while he's training, of course," Fuyutsuki inquired. "Of course - just like we would if he was in combat, the same as any other Eva pilot." Ritsuko double-checked her readouts, confirming that the test plug was deactivated, then keyed the hatch open. "Very good, Michael," she told him via intercom in English. "We'll do another test tomorrow morning with the other three pilots, but now, it's time for your training to begin." "I understand," Michael replied in Japanese, then switched back to English to ask, "How did I do?" "Your basic synchronization rate is better than that of the other pilots," Ritsuko answered, "but you crossed into the contamination zone a few times. Weren't you warned about that at the Second Branch?" Fuyutsuki winced slightly, remembering how the subject of the Second Branch was still a delicate one for the American boy. For NERV's Tokyo-3 staff, it had been over a month since the disaster that had wiped out one of NERV's two American bases, and none of them had been in close contact with anyone at the Second Branch ... but that was where Michael had been selected and trained as an Eva test pilot, and potential combat pilot - and his memories of the people there were still fresh. "Dr. Akagi ..." he started to warn her. A dry laugh sounded from the speaker. "I guess I must be a little out of practice," Michael commented. "I suppose a month alone in synchronization, without monitoring, can do that." Misato's eyes widened. "Did he say a *month*??" Ritsuko stared out the window for a split second, just long enough to recover her composure. "This is nothing to joke about, Michael. Just be more careful when you synchronize with Eva-04 for training." Michael promised, "My readings won't go near the contamination zone when I'm in the real entry plug." A few of the people in the control room exchanged skeptical looks. Ritsuko and Fuyutsuki weren't among them; they just watched as the test plug rose back to the catwalk. Fifteen minutes later, technical staff and officers alike were studying displays - actually, staring at them - which showed Michael's real synchronization data. "Over 80%?" Misato shook her head. "And there's no sign of contamination?" "He is close to the borderline," Maya nodded, "but he's safe." "We may have to consider the possible benefits of a bond like this," Ritsuko admitted, taking a sip of coffee. "I'll admit it's a risky proposal, just on the face of it - but if it lets all of the Children achieve these kinds of results, it may be worth the risk." "I'll bring it to the Commander's attention," Fuyutsuki said. "And speaking of the Children ... Dr. Akagi, have we received the Marduk Report yet?" (Marduk report, my ass,) Misato simmered silently as she glanced between Fuyutsuki and Ritsuko. (He just asked if we're going to make him a regular pilot or not.) "I haven't received a formal response from the Institute yet," answered Ritsuko. "But if the decision were up to me, I'd definitely classify him as the Fifth Child." (Bingo,) Misato thought. "When can we expect to hear from them?" she asked aloud. "I'll go see if the report is ready yet," Fuyutsuki told her. "If you'll excuse me?" As Fuyutsuki left, Michael finished his second set of basic maneuvers in Eva-04, inside the simulation chamber. As the silver Evangelion resumed a basic standing position, Michael asked, "Am I doing well?" "So far, very well," Ritsuko answered. Then she paused, blinking, as she realized that Michael had been speaking Japanese. "Michael, did you reset the language interface?" she asked, still in Japanese. There was a lengthy pause before Michael reluctantly asked her to repeat the question in English. After he'd heard the translation, he answered her, "No. I'm still thinking in English, but I'm trying to work more in Japanese." "Good," Misato told him - again in Japanese. "Keep trying." Michael chuckled, and replied, "Thank you, Katsuragi," in Japanese. That much, at least, he understood and could answer. "You can call me Misato," she told him before stepping back from the intercom pickup. "What's next for him, Ritsuko?" "He's got the basic movements down reliably," Ritsuko answered, then switched to English and spoke into the intercom again. "Michael? We're going to start your weapons training now. Deploy your progressive knife; it should be stored in your Eva's left shoulder pod." There was another brief pause before the shoulder pod opened. "It's not there," Michael reported, after another brief pause to recall the words that he needed. Misato sighed quietly. "It doesn't even have the prog-knife installed?" "We'll use the one that was shipped for Unit 03," Ritsuko ordered. "You can relax for a moment while it's sent, Michael." "Understood," Michael replied ... but his synchrograph hardly even flickered. "By the way - you can call me Mike if you think that would be more convenient." "We'll keep that in mind," Ritsuko answered dryly. By the time they broke for lunch, Michael had demonstrated a modest degree of skill with both the progressive knife and the palette rifle, the main weapons used by the Evangelions. As Misato put it, "He can hit what he aims at, but he's not going to win any marksmanship awards past that." "He'll improve in time," Ritsuko commented as she opened her bento. "To be honest, I'm a little surprised at how quickly he's progressing. Shinji picked most of these skills up pretty quickly, but it took him a few days of training before he got as far as Michael already has." Misato shrugged gamely, swallowing a bite of rice. "I know Shinji didn't have any fighting experience at all before he got here. Mike might; I don't know." "One more thing to ask him," Ritsuko replied. " ... Or maybe Eva-04 is helping him." Misato's offhand comment brought all conversation to a halt for several uncomfortable seconds; the silence was broken only by the ringing of one of the console phones. Maya, who was sitting next to that console to eat, put down her chopsticks and picked up the handset. "Simulator control, Ibuki .... hai." She looked up. "Katsuragi-san, the Vice-Commander needs to speak with you about something." Misato stood up, put her bento down carefully, and relieved Maya of the handset. "This is Major Katsuragi." "The Marduk Institute has sent its report," Fuyutsuki told her from the other end of the line. "Can you bring Mr. Fire Hawk to the command center at 1300 hours?" "Yes," Misato answered as she quickly glanced around the room. "What about the senior technical staff?" She could hear Fuyutsuki conferring with someone in the background - probably Ikari, Misato thought - before he answered, "They may be present as well." "We'll be there as scheduled," Misato told him. "See you at 1300." Fuyutsuki acknowledged, and hung up. As Misato replaced the handset, Ritsuko asked, "What was that about?" We gather in the command center in - " Misato paused, looking up at the clock. "About twenty minutes. Where's Michael?" "Right here," Michael answered as he stepped into the room. "What's going on?" Ritsuko explained what had just happened, in English; Michael's expression remained neutral. "Does this mean I'm going to be a pilot?" he asked her, again speaking in English. "We don't know yet," Ritsuko told him. "But in the meantime, you should have something to eat. Here." She handed him an unopened bento. Michael bowed politely. "Arigato," he thanked her, then found a place to sit down and started eating. About twenty minutes later, Michael was still in his plug-suit, but now he was facing the massive, raised desk behind which Ikari sat and Fuyutsuki stood in their usual positions. Misato and Ritsuko were standing on either side of Michael, a little bit behind him; Maya, Hyuga, and Aoba were all seated in front of their stations, turned to face the command desk as well. Without preamble, Ikari announced, "The Marduk Institute's report has classified you, Michael Theseus Fire Hawk, as one of the Children. As of this moment, you are in NERV's records as the Fifth Child and the designated pilot of Evangelion Unit 04." He paused, looking at the new Fifth Child. Michael hesitated; Ikari's Japanese had been too rapid for him to follow. After a long moment, he gave Ritsuko a somewhat awkward look. "In English ...?" Ritsuko translated for him: "You're officially an Eva pilot now, the Fifth Child. And you've been assigned to pilot Eva-04 in combat ... at least, you will be once your training is complete. Maybe sooner than that." "All he needs now," Kaji said aloud as he walked in, "is to learn how to understand and speak in Japanese. Sorry I'm late." He took a position behind Misato, and off to her side. Ikari favored Kaji with a brief withering look, then turned his attention back to Michael. "Dr. Akagi, please continue to translate ... Like the other Children, you are officially NERV military personnel, and will be treated as such while on duty. You are fully subject to the chain of command; you will be expected to keep secret any classified information which is given to you in the course of your duties, including anything which you may learn about the Angels. Any information which you acquire about the Angels while in combat is to be relayed to your commanding officer, Major Katsuragi, with all due speed. You will be expected to obey all orders given to you immediately and without hesitation...." (Criminy,) Michael thought as Ikari continued speaking. (The people back at the Second Branch were friendlier - ) He immediately cut off that train of thought, locking it away from his emotions, and turned his full attention back to Ikari's words - at least, as they were being translated by Ritsuko. "Since you presently have no legal guardian -" (You mean since I legally don't exist right now, right? Aren't I presumed dead?) Michael thought acerbically. "- you will be allowed to continue living at NERV HQ, until you've arranged for another place to live. At present, you are to continue your training and your study of Japanese; if necessary, someone will be located to tutor you in the language, but it is critical that you be able to communicate fluently in Japanese, without hesitation or uncertainty, before you are assigned to the combat duty roster." Ikari paused, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, and looked at Michael. "You've already begun studying Japanese, as part of your training at the Second Branch. Is that correct?" After Ritsuko finished translating, Michael nodded. "Yes, it is," he answered directly in Japanese. Ikari nodded curtly. "Do you have any questions before you are dismissed to resume your training?" Michael glanced at Ritsuko briefly, then asked, "Do I have any official rank?" "Like the other Eva pilots," Ikari answered, "you will formally hold the rank of corporal - but you will be required to accept orders from any adult officer of NERV." (Why am I not surprised,) Michael thought. "What about pay, and schooling besides my study of Japanese?" Misato fielded that question, after Ritsuko had finished translating it. "NERV will pay a reasonable housing stipend," she told Michael, "when you find an apartment at a fair rate; you'll receive an additional stipend to buy things of your own, necessities and leisure items. As far as school is concerned - once you're fluent enough in Japanese to keep up with your classmates, you'll be enrolled at the local junior high school, in the same class with the other Eva pilots." "I see," Michael answered, then paused to think for another moment or two. He had to restrain himself from deliberately asking any of the questions he already had a lead on the answers to - or any of the myriads more which he knew that *nobody* would be able to answer for him. "I guess that's it." "Then you may return to your training," Ikari told him as he rose to his feet. "That will be all; you are dismissed." As Ikari and Fuyutsuki left, Kaji walked over to Michael with a friendly grin. "Congratulations, Michael," he said in English. "Welcome to NERV." "What are you doing here, Kaji?" Misato asked in patient Japanese. "Well, I met Michael in the cafeteria the other night," Kaji explained. "I figured I might as well come join in the fun, and find out what would be happening to him." Misato frowned for a moment, then turned to face Michael again. "Mike," she asked him in Japanese, "would you like to come to a party this evening?" Behind Misato, Kaji translated quietly for Michael. Michael shook his head. "To celebrate what?" he asked. "I don't have anything to party about right now -" Kaji raised his hand, cutting Michael off, and stopping in mid- translation. Misato was already opening her mouth to say something; Kaji beat her to it. "You're alive, for a start," Kaji told the American boy. "You've been accepted as an Eva pilot, you're already making friends here, and from what I understand, your training is going very well. Besides, you should know your fellow pilots ... and Misato lives with two of them." "I understood that much already, Mr. Kaji," Michael told him with a quiet sigh. "I know you and Misato mean well, but ... I'm really *not* in a partying mood right now." "And if someone ordered you to attend the party?" Ritsuko asked. "Then I'd obey the order," Michael answered, looking away from all of the adults. "Even as much as I'd want to do otherwise." Ritsuko explained the exchange quickly to Misato, then looked at Michael. "May I remind you that you'll be seeing all three of your fellow pilots tomorrow morning? Maybe you'd be willing to go to a party with them that afternoon ..." Michael rubbed his forehead. "We'll see, okay?" he asked weakly. "I might not want to party with them ... or they might not want to be around me. I don't know any of them well enough yet -" Kaji cut Michael off with a small gesture. "Excuse us a moment, please." He led Misato and Ritsuko aside, then whispered to them, "I think Michael *needs* to befriend the other pilots, no matter what it takes - all four of them need each other, no matter what they may think individually, and they'll get along with each other better than they would with adults." "Rei might take orders to be friends with someone," Misato whispered back, "but I know Asuka wouldn't; I can't be certain about Shinji." "How well do you think they'll get along on their own, if we don't tell them to befriend each other?" Ritsuko asked quietly, aware that the senior technicians were holding their own whispered conversation by their consoles. Misato sighed. "Again, I don't know about Shinji ... but Asuka'll probably get along with Michael about as well as oil and water mix; she was her usual scornful self last night, when we were talking about him. As for Rei, I don't know about her either. Probably as well as she gets along with the other two." Kaji nodded. "Let's see how the four of them get along without prodding at the next regular synch-test, then ... that's when, tomorrow?" "Tomorrow," Ritsuko confirmed. "First thing in the morning, before they go to school." She gave Misato a rather pointed look. "That does mean an early start for you, remember ..." Misato rolled her eyes, and walked back over to Michael. "Never mind about the party, at least for now," she told him in Japanese. "Sorry about that." "It's okay," Michael responded, recognizing her apology despite his relative lack of familiarity with the language. "Anyway, I could only talk to them a little right now." He mustered a faint grin. "Maybe in a few weeks." Misato nodded. "Maybe ..." Unfortunately, the following morning got off to a poor start by any standards. To begin with, Misato overslept - even compared to her usual slow- starting morning; in this case, it meant that her housemates would have been late for school with or without the synchronization test (for which they were also going to be late). The delay in starting had its benefits: Michael was pleasantly surprised to learn that Ayanami Rei had a passable grasp of English, and was able to answer a number of his questions about how NERV operated. Unfortunately, Mike also found out that Rei wasn't much of for conversation beyond direct questions. When Misato, Shinji, and Asuka finally got to Central Dogma, their appearance was heralded by the sound of Asuka swearing at both Misato and Shinji for making her so late; the red-haired girl was exercising choice invective in Japanese, German, and English at volumes which could probably have been heard clearly in Germany and England - if not in America as well. Michael tried to ask what was wrong, but was openly ignored by Asuka; Misato could only give him an apologetic look, and said something in Japanese which Michael couldn't understand. Rei translated it, loosely, as "PMS" - and very nearly had her head ripped off by another verbal explosion from Asuka. After such a chaotic start to the morning, it seemed like there was nothing else that could possibly go wrong - but in fact, the synch-tests almost went in even worse. Michael and Rei began synchronizing the moment the test plugs were activated, ignoring Asuka's angry muttering from plug #2; Shinji got a somewhat slower start, and Asuka was the last to even begin synchronizing ... still muttering angrily, mostly in Japanese. In the control room, Misato sipped coffee as she watched the displays gradually change, marking the pilots' progress. "Plug depth at .6 now," Maya reported. "Another .1," Ritsuko ordered, "and watch out for the contamination line." She glanced at the newest arrival. "What brings you here, Kaji?" Kaji chuckled quietly. "Just keeping an eye on things here," he told her. "For whom?" Misato murmured quietly. Kaji, for his part, very carefully failed to react as though he'd heard the quiet comment. "Synchronization rates levelling off," Hyuga reported them. "Highest to lowest: Mike, Rei, Shinji, then Asuka." Ritsuko nodded, marking something off on a clipboard, then looked at the bar graphs. "It looks like Michael's holding back today." "Maybe he's just being careful," Hyuga guessed. "Do you think the warnings he got about mental contamination are making a difference?" "Either that," Misato speculated, "or he can't concentrate so well with Asuka's chattering." Maya noted, "He *is* well above the contamination line - much further than he was at any point yesterday. Ritsuko hesitated briefly, considering, then ordered, "Increase plug depth to .8." Kaji raised an eyebrow. "Isn't .8 awfully high?" "They can handle it," Misato told him confidently. "Besides, the test plugs don't pose any real threat of mental contamination, so even if one or more of the pilots cross the line -" She paused, looking at the graphs as the values shifted, all four of them indicating deeper synchronizations. Asuka's synchrograph stabilized first; it was followed - and exceeded - by Rei's, and Shinji's, and finally Michael's. "Michael's synch-rate is unstable now," Ritsuko muttered as she studied his graph. "Hyuga, raise the contamination limit for plug #4 - let's see if we can force him to stabilize." Maya gave Ritsuko a worried look as Hyuga followed the instructions he'd been given. "Test plug #4 contamination line rising," he reported. "No effect so far." "Keep going," Ritsuko ordered. "If he *is* deliberately avoiding the contamination line, he should be able to notice -" She was interrupted, not by a console's warning signal or by one of the other people in the room, but by Asuka's voice over the intercom. "Hey, Michael?" she asked in English. Misato sighed heavily, and spoke into the intercom in Japanese. "Asuka, just concentrate on the test, okay? You can ask Mike whatever it is afterwards." The red-head ignored her. "Michael, what was it like when you destroyed the Second Branch?" she continued in English. "I'm just wondering -" "ASUKA!!" Misato yelled into the intercom. "What did I tell you about that? *DON'T* ask!!" Ritsuko looked askance at Misato as communications between the test plugs briefly went silent. When Michael finally responded, his tone was surprisingly quiet - and his words even more surprising in their content. "Asuka," he asked in Japanese, "which unit do you pilot again?" Asuka blinked. "Unit 02, the red one ... why?" Misato let out a sigh. "Ignore it, Michael ..." She turned to look at Ritsuko. "I think -" She was interrupted as well, this time by Aoba's voice coming from the intercom. "AT Field detected in the Eva cage area!!" Fuyutsuki, who'd been observing quietly this whole time, slammed his hand down on the intercom switch. "Locate the source, Aoba - now!!" "Checking," Aoba acknowledged, and briefly fell silent while he worked. Ritsuko was already speaking to Michael, in English, via the intercom to the test plugs. "Mike, whatever you're doing, stop immediately." Aoba came back on the intercom from the command center. "AT Field is being generated by Unit 04! Repeat, Eva-04 is active and generating an AT Field!" Fuyutsuki and Ritsuko traded quick glances, just before she stepped aside from her console to let Fuyutsuki address Michael. "Listen to me, Michael," the vice-commander ordered in English. "Have Eva-04 power down and return to stand-by mode *immediately!*" There was a momentary pause before Michael replied, seemingly very calmly, "It's backing down." "AT Field is no longer registering on sensors," Aoba reported just afterwards. "Eva-04 is powering down, and returning to stand-by mode." There was a collective sigh of relief in the control room. "Misato," Ritsuko said as she looked over her displays again, "these test results will have to be discarded. Can you pick up Asuka, Rei, and Shinji after school, to bring them back for another set of tests?" "Will do," Misato replied. "*After* I have a little talk with Asuka about how she treats her teammates - that was utterly uncalled for, no matter what time of month it is." Ritsuko nodded, a ghost of a smile touching her lips, before she reopened the audio channel to the test plugs. "We're aborting the test," she told them in Japanese. "We'll try again this evening, after you three have finished classes." The three pilots she was referring to acknowledged; Mike remained silent. Asuka muttered something in German, then switched to English. "Hey, dummy - she said we're done!" "Then I'll see you inside," Michael responded evenly as the plugs began their ascent to catwalk level. True to his word, Michael waited until all four of them were standing in the control room before he walked over to face Asuka. "I should probably tell you," he said in English, "I make a point of never hitting a lady." Asuka tossed her hair back, giving him a haughty glance. "Well, of course it's nice to know -" She didn't see Michael's fist coming at her chin; the impact left her sprawling on her rear, even as Misato and Fuyutsuki grabbed Michael's arms to restrain him. Michael didn't try to resist; he just asked Asuka, "Did I make my point clear?" as he glared down at her. Asuka rubbed her jaw briefly, glowering up at him. "Yeah ... but I'm not going to forget this, so don't kid yourself -" "Both of you," Fuyutsuki snapped in English, "that is *ENOUGH!* Michael, what were you doing in the test plug?" "Only taking her down a step," Michael answered. "Now may I finish? I'm not going to -" "No," Fuyutsuki cut him off, "you may not 'finish' whatever you were doing." He switched to German. "Asuka, are you all right?" "I'm fine," Asuka replied in rather pointed Japanese, sitting up. "Tell him that if he tries anything like that again, I'm going to kick his -" "That'll do, Asuka," Misato interrupted her. "Shinji, Rei, you two go get dressed for school; I'll meet you at the elevators." She let go of Michael's arm. Fuyutsuki followed suit, giving Michael a loose translation of Asuka's warning. "I won't," Michael replied. "Neither will Eva-04." He walked over to where Asuka was sitting, and offered her a hand up. "Are you hurt?" he asked in English. Asuka glared at him, not accepting the hand. "Why should you care?" "Because we're teammates," he sighed, "and we're going to have to depend on each other when we're sent out to fight. Look, I don't know about you, but I'd have a hard time counting on someone who treated me like dirt." He paused briefly, but Asuka didn't answer, so he continued: "Our lives are going to be in each other's hands, whether we like each other or not. Isn't that what being teammates means?" "I don't need any help!" Asuka shot back at him. "I can beat those Angels single-handedly!" "If that's the case, why's Eva-02 still being repaired?" Michael smiled grimly. "Eva-04 told me that the red one was hurt, and still being healed; don't tell me it took that kind of damage at the *end* of a fight. Unless it was just the end of the battle for you." Asuka looked away. "You weren't there. You don't know what happened." Michael offered his hand again. "Whether we like it or not, we're going to need each other's help anyway. Do you want to start now, or are we going to have to wait until it's a life-or-death situation?" The redhead looked back at Michael's offered hand for a moment, then glanced up at Misato and Fuyutsuki ... and finally accepted Michael's hand, letting him help her get back to her feet. "One other thing," Michael told her while his hand was still grasping Asuka's. "If you *ever* try suggesting that what happened in Nevada was my fault, ever again, it won't pass unanswered. You haven't lost your home - I have, and I don't even want to think about it. Do you understand?" He let go of Asuka's hand. "Yeah." Asuka stepped back. "If you'll excuse me, I need to go change now. Vice-Commander, if you'll excuse me?" Fuyutsuki nodded, and Asuka left, followed by Misato; the door closed behind them on the beginning of Misato's angry scolding, in Japanese. As the door hissed shut, Kaji gave Michael a wry grin. "I think you might have impressed Asuka." "Maybe," Michael answered tiredly. "I don't care about impressing anyone; like I said, we have to look out for each other. If one of them fouls up during a fight, it's my butt out there too - and if *I* mess up, one or more of them could eat something because I goofed. If we don't work as a team against the Angels, it's all of our butts out there." Ritsuko looked at him. "Sounds like you have some experience at this, Michael." "No," Michael sighed, "I just know what I've gotten myself into. Now, where do I go next? Training, or back to the test plug?" "Take fifteen minutes to calm down," Ritsuko told him, "then report back to the simulator area to continue training." "Yes, ma'am." Michael gave her a reasonably decent salute, then left the control booth. "So, how did they really do?" Fuyutsuki asked after Michael had left. "Asuka's synch-rate is still dropping," Ritsuko answered as Kaji strolled over to look at the displays. "She's been declining more or less steadily since at least the 13th Angel, maybe longer." "She's been having a rough time of it," Kaji said sympathetically. "And the others?" "Rei's synch-rate is about the same as it's always been, with a gradual increase along the way," Ritsuko answered. "Shinji's is coming back up, recovering from the drop he suffered after the 12th Angel." "Good," Kaji nodded. "And Michael?" Ritsuko looked at Kaji for a moment, then said, "Maya, Makoto - the two of you can leave; I'll finish shutting down here." She waited until they had left before she continued, bringing up a graph of the pilots' respective overall synchronization rates. The bar marked "Fifth C." was longest, by a visible margin. "I don't know how or why," Ritsuko told them, "but Michael has the single highest synch-rate in our records, even including the 'combat spikes' - the sudden, dramatic jumps in synch ratios which some of the pilots have experienced in combat." "And he can maintain that level for such an extended period?" Fuyutsuki asked, raising his eyebrows. Ritsuko nodded. "That's not all, either. I checked the archived reports from the Second Branch during my lunch break - and found out that Michael's *old* synch-rates were all somewhere in the range of 30% to 35%. There's no more doubt about it, Vice-Commander: *something* has increased the Fifth Child's synchronization ability; maybe it's the bond he's claimed. Either way, though, there's no way to predict what effect this could have on his combat performance." Kaji studied Fuyutsuki for a moment. (I wonder,) he mused, (what will the committee will make of this when they find out ...?) AUTHOR'S AFTERWORD: This chapter takes place sometime between episodes 20 and 21 of the Evangelion TV series. The mystery continues to deepen. The bond between Michael and Eva-04 can no longer be doubted; the question now is what NERV, and SEELE, will do about it. What will SEELE decide to do when they learn of this new, unknown, and practically uncontrollable factor in NERV? How will Gendou try to turn Michael and Eva-04 to his advantage - and will he be able to succeed, when this new Evangelion has a will of its own? Michael and Unit 04 may be bonded, but that doesn't ensure that even Michael can control it completely ... Acknowledgements: This work of fiction is written for fun, not for profit, and is made available for the sole purpose of enjoyment by fans and interested readers. This story is not to be distributed for profit by any person or agency. _Neon Genesis Evangelion_ and all characters, entities, monsters, and organizations thereof are the creations and property of Gainax and Anno Hideaki, copyright 1996 (?). As such, I have no legal right to these characters, etc. and am required to cease writing if requested to do so by Gainax or legal representatives thereof. Michael Theseus Fire Hawk is an original character of my own creation; please do not borrow, use, depict, refer to, fold, spindle, or mutilate without the author's prior permission (i.e. mine). Tim Miller trmiller@bcpl.net October 17, 1998