[FFML] [Ranma][NGE][HPL][AMG][Fusion][Fanfic] Sic Semper Morituri Chapter 51 - Familial Relations Part 1 of 2

[Daniel Jess Gibson]

[Ranma][NGE][HPL][AMG][Fusion][Fanfic] Sic Semper Morituri Chapter 51 -
Familial Relations

I'd like to thank Pat Hennessy for her assistance in checking out standard
education of the time.


Disclaimer:
I do not own any of the characters from Ranma 1 / 2, Neon Genesis
Evangelion, Ah My Goddess, or the Lovecraft Cycle involved in these stories.

C&C, MSTs are welcome
E-mail: dan_s.comments (AT) worldnet (DOT) att.net
Stories are available in Rich Text Format and HTML at:
http://home.att.net/~danjess.gibson
(these are the most updated versions)

Stories are available in Plain ASCII at:
http://archives.eyrie.org/anime/Ranma/Sic-Semper-Morituri/

ftp://ftp.cs.ubc.ca/pub/archive/anime-fan-works/Ranma/Sic-Semper-Morituri/

http://www.cs.ubc.ca/cgi-bin/ftp/archive/anime-fan-works/Ranma/type/Sic-Semper-Morituri
(these are the original versions)

What has gone before:
About Book 11 of the Tankoubon Manga, Akane and Soun Tendo throw Ranma
out of the house. Nabiki, in the guise of a wish, follows him. They meet
EVA pilots Shinji Ikari, Rei Ayanami, Asuka Soryu Langley and Jeffrey Davis.
Ranma begins teaching the others the insult techniques that are part of
his art. He also senses Asuka's growing injuries, cause by ignoring her own
limitations and trying to keep up with him. He disobeys her demand, and
heals her injuries. She accuses him of using his Code of Honor to justify
any action he cares to take. Ranma attempts to discover a way make things
right, while Rei tests methods of returning Asuka to normal.
The Azores group discovers the Great Old One, the creature awakens and
the battlegroup is surrounded by clouds and all the pilots are plunged into
a dream. Jeff and Nabiki awaken and return Cthylla to her temple.
Anna Alise and an American Alpine troop encounter three EVAs in
Switzerland, Anna captures one EVA and is ejected by remote.
The Bennington arrives in Boston, while Jeff, Maya, Nabiki and Ritsuko
are having dinner, Major ggreg fights and escaped from something. Ritsuko
finds out the truth about the project that created Jeff and Sharon, as well
as others, and about Jeff's history in particular. Sharon Lauren kills
Sgt.Malkowitz, then rescues Nabiki from an angry crowd, before revealing
their `shadowless` existence. Nabiki confronts Belldandy about it,
Belldandy has no explanation. She confronts Jeff, kills Belldandy, then
Jeff detonates his prepared bomb. Belldandy returns from her murder by
Sharon with a scream, while Keiichi comforts her. Jeff gives Sharon a last
chance, then absorbs her and falls into a coma. Ritsuko, Maya and Nabiki
arrive at the blast site and investigate, they find Jeff, but not Sharon.
Ranma, Asuka and Rei awaken, Shinji remains unconscious. Rei has a
tantrum in reaction to the mission she sent Shinji on. Ranma wonders why
he's locked himself in female form. Asuka and Ranma take Rei home with
them. Asuka and Ranma discuss the odd dreams they had.
Rei's and Ranma's cults assault the last of the Children of Nyogtha.
Another group of Jeff's cultists capture Urd and threaten her with an Angel
Eater, and the knowledge she can't defend against them. The Russian cult of
the 'Gray Lady' assault a cult and Children of Nyogtha, then celebrate their
victory. The GRU man recruits several of them for an upcoming operation.
Ranma confronts Asuka over the events of August 1945, Asuka physically
attacks Ranma while Rei prevents the guards from intervening. Then Rei
began telling jokes until Asuka laughed.
Shinji destroys the Mi-Go's moonbase, but cannot see them and isn't
affected by their counterattacks. He releases many of the minds in their
containers. On Yuggoth, he meets with Jeff and Sharon, getting some
insights into the real nature of the pilots.
Keiichi delivers the bicycles, Ranma and Rei begin learning to ride
them. Admiral Simson accompanies Asuka, Ranma and Rei on a field exercise.
Asuka lays out her plans and leads the EVAs' attack. Ranma develops a new
`wire-guided` version of his AT-field-ball attack, he discovers the Ranma
and Ranko are subtly different in this regard. Also Rei, Asuka and Ranma
analyze it completely. Simson learns that two people in a plug begin acting
like each other for a while.
The troops of the Bennington, who will accompany NERV forces to U.S.S.
Boxer, give `Brown Bess` a flint to put between her teeth.
The cultists attempt another incursion into Nabiki's dreams. They are
repulsed by the rattlepated scenario the Scholarly Dragon sets up.
Ranma's `other` torments and terrorizes the Scholarly Dragon, while he
and the Red Dragons are moving into Leng.
Ranma begins developing individual arts for each pilot to incorporate
their natural inclinations, strengths and weaknesses.
The Scholarly Dragon and Jeff are thrown out of the Council of
Dragonmages for their plans to teach Nabiki.
Toji has a nightmare just before the school day begins. Rei
investigates the school, diagrams the security aspects. Misato is pardoned,
ending the Senator's inquiry.
Nabiki infiltrates Jeff's dreams, first she is defeated by the Urchin
and the Monolith, then she sees Jeff becoming a Master mage, she goes deeper
into his past to learn the breakthrough that enabled him to achieve Master.
Lastly Nabiki and Ritsuko relive and are traumatized by the murder of
Ritsuko-Nabiki and Jeff's massacre of the Phoenixi.
Several of the students are revealed. The initial meeting between the
pilots and Usagi's group does not go as Usagi planned. Rei is also shocked
that some students insist she is the pilots' leader, her shock deepens as
Asuka facilitates the error. Rei then confronts and defeats Tomoe using
Ranma's tactics and training.
Ranma tells Asuka that he's sensed something new, something he doesn't
understand, he also admits he can't live up to people's expectations.

I grew up dreamin' of bein' a cowboy, and lovin' the cowboy ways.
Pursuin' the life of my high-ridin' heroes, I burned up my childhood days.
I learned all the rules of a modern-day drifter, don'tcha hold on to nothin'
too long.
Willy Nelson, My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys

Chapter 51 - Familial Relations
You Can Choose Your Friends
Jeff slowly woke from the stupor. Nabiki appeared in his field of
view.
[RED]"Welcome back from the Dragon Palace and Mount Phoenix," Nabiki
said bitterly, "That's what you get from talking to turtles. We're outside
of Roswell, New Mexico, I've been here before."
"Hmm?" he said intelligently, trying to bring his brain back on line
and trying to put his memories back in order.
"We thought you'd be out cold until the train reached San Diego,"
Nabiki told him, her anger coloring her every word and gesture.
I hardly need the `conversation blocks` to tell me she's pissed, he
thought. He sat up slowly, painfully, to face her. He saw the railroad
berth around him. He heard and felt the movement over the rails. He tried
to force the memories of Ritsuko-Nabiki's death and return back into the
proper mold. It hurts too much to examine those memories. Her comment
about Phoenix Mountain explains why I dreamt of those things, he thought,
And one reason why she's so angry, she must have infiltrated those
experiences.
"All you need to do is learn some songs, and learn to sing," he told
her.
She gritted her teeth and stared angrily at him.
He closed his eyes and determined to take a chance. "You are a very
pleasant sight to wake up to." He felt something sliding over his head,
thin, cold and metal.
"Your glasses were destroyed in the explosion, even the spares in your
pocket," she told him in a singsong voice, but her fury was obvious from the
color of her words, "We had these made, and there's a Navy optometrist
waiting in San Diego. Bye, now." The `happy` tone and smile would have
fooled anybody else. The door closed carefully, Jeff began a countdown to
detonation.
----------------------------------------
Ritsuko saw Nabiki close the door to Jeff's cabin carefully. Ritsuko
considered delaying her trip to see Jeff's parents, she sighed and followed
the girl as Nabiki clenched and unclenched her fists and stuck out her
tongue at the door.
"He's awake," Nabiki told her as she stormed past, "I'm going to get
something to eat, some tea, and a nap.
_BECAUSE_THE_ALTERNATIVE_IS_WRINGING_HIS_SCRAWNY_N ECK_!_"
"You always hurt the one you love," Ritsuko shouted after her, Nabiki
hunched her shoulders as if Ritsuko had hit her in the head.
"That's not funny!" Nabiki muttered quietly as she stomped away.
Forgot how good my hearing is, Ritsuko thought to Nabiki, then looked
at the cabin, Just what did you say to her to set her off? Even the armed
Marines got out of Nabiki's way as she stormed into the dining car. There
are things even a combat veteran doesn't want to trifle with, she thought.
The Marines waited until the door closed before shrugging at Ritsuko. She
replied with a 'what can you do' hands-up gesture.
"Jeffrey, Jeffrey, Jeffrey, if you think you're driving her _away_, you
have a lot to learn about Miss Tendo." Ritsuko considered checking in on
Jeff, then returned to her cabin instead. I didn't see him wake, he's still
asleep. I want to confront them without that distraction on either side. I
_do_ wonder how the interaction of my _three_ charges will work out, she
thought.
----------------------------------------
Nabiki stomped into the dining car, glowing with fury. A Pullman
steward, an older, black man, escorted her to a table with two other
officers, a Marine captain and an Army major. She noted in retrospect, that
_everyone_ had gotten out of their way as she'd walked down the car after
the steward. She frowned inwardly at that. Armed soldiers practically
diving out of my way, she thought trying to school her face and apparent
attitude, They aren't just being polite. The steward handed her a menu and
introduced her to her waiter, clearly the steward's own son. Was this the
time that the black railroad workers got no pay, but they got room and board
and free rides for their families, or was that only Pullman porters? She
tried to release the tension, putting her anger aside. I don't even know
why it makes me so mad, she thought, Especially Jeff's and Ritsuko's last
comments. I shouldn't _care_, I only care about Ranma, but . . .
"Are you all right, Miss Tendo?" the Marine asked nervously.
"I'm frustrated by Pilot Davis," she said calmly, "I was unaware that
the Americans had a kamikaze streak."
"Ah," the Major said, then studied his coffee.
She had wanted to seem, and people to perceive her differently than
they had in Nerima. Now she had that seeming and perception, it served. I
know as far as Davis is concerned - our contract to attach me to Ranma -
that doesn't mean I . . . she thought, the thoughts coming almost too fast
for her to process. "That's what he's doing," Nabiki said under her breath,
her anger returning full force. It cooled almost as quickly, as she sought
an answer to her unspoken question 'Why is he doing it?' He's not so knot
headed as Ranma is, about keeping his promises, so what is he trying to
accomplish? Nabiki wondered. She placed her order, hamburger, fries, soda
and coleslaw. Coleslaw is the closest thing to Kasumi's pickles I've been
able to find in America. Forget the `pickles` around here, she thought
disdainfully about the salted cucumbers that masqueraded as pickles, I
haven't had a pickled plum in a month, I'm going into withdrawal! she
thought, laughed at her own silliness, then looked at her table mates. "Low
blood sugar, I'm just tired," she explained, they nodded and left her to her
thoughts. She examined again why she was obsessing over food, of all
things, as well as why her fellow pilot's behavior so infuriated her.
'Taste of home', she remembered, then tried to work out why the lines of
thought were so terrifyingly interconnected. Home, she realized what the
connection was, He's been home . . . or has he? Or was his time in the
dream with `Ritsuko-Nabiki` the only real `home` he's ever known? He and
Ranko sure worked hard to make our apartment in our dream `homey` . . . and
it felt like home, more than what the house with Kasumi, Soun and Akane had
become. Food, a warm bed, people who'd listen to me; is that all it takes
to buy me off? she asked herself quietly while she waited for her order to
arrive. There are other elements, I just have to find them, she thought,
And figure them out.
"Miss Tendo," the Marine Captain spoke up, "If you don't mind a bit of
advice?" He waited for her to nod. "Relationships in war . . . get
confusing, because part of it is whatever you're actually feeling, and
another part is just that you survived, and that somebody who's been looking
after you survived too. It doesn't mean a romance, just that you can trust
somebody and that you both lived." The man stood, nodded and walked off.
"How do you tell the difference?" Nabiki asked quietly.
"You don't," the Major said as he also stood and left.
She got the hamburger, three kinds of cheese on the side, pickle chips
which she removed to eat separately. She'd given up trying to figure out
why they served them like this, she ate the cheese separately, then started
on the hamburger. Why does the thought of home and my . . . irritation with
being shoved away by Raccoon, why are they all tied up together? In the
dream, I was so jealous of how Raccoon and Ranko carried on, even how Ranma
and Raccoon interacted. It seemed so free and easy. And so intimate, she
mentally added sadly, They let me in, but . . . I wasn't part of the initial
group. So was it _me_ who made sure I had to be included in, instead of
being part of the original group? She stared at the half-eaten hamburger,
and the waiter replacing the empty container of coleslaw she hadn't noticed
eating. "Thank you," she said. I want Ranma! she thought fiercely, But who
does Ranma want? Me, Raccoon, neither, both, does Ranma want one and Ranko
another, or has Ranma even thought about it? What will I do if Ranma
doesn't want me . . . and if Raccoon doesn't either, and they want each
other? She sighed. I'm missing something . . . that something is Raccoon's
relationship with Ritsuko-Nabiki and his relationship with Sharon, she
concentrated, If the relations among the pilots of NERV Tokyo are any
indication, all those kids who'd walled themselves off from the world in
general have opened up to each other, the relationship between Sharon and
Raccoon would be cordial with a pervasive subtext of desperation. She
snickered at that, then sobered. And how much of that applies to Tendo
Nabiki as well? Do I `need` Kasumi, then Shampoo, then Ranma, Raccoon and
the others to invite me in? Despite what I make myself and others believe
about my desire to be separate, independent, etc., I've always wanted to be
the center of attention when I chose, and then not, when I chose that. But
there was always somebody who ignored that and showed their affection
despite what I `wanted`. Kasumi, Shampoo, even Ritsuko, but Ranma isn't
like that with me, Raccoon is, but we're just friends. Ranko is that way
with Raccoon, and so is Asuka. Friend, but something more. She wanted to
throw up her hands and scream in frustration. I'm not solving _anything_!_
I'm just confusing myself more! she thought in fury, immediately burying it
deep within her, Okay, so what does the gap imply? When I lost Hiroko, who
was also able to ignore my on-off signal, I didn't try to beat people off
with a stick, I practically crawled into Rei's lap and camped out there.
Because I knew that she wouldn't reject me either, ever. She wasn't sure if
those memories of `emotionless` Rei comforting her should warm or terrify
her. As warm in an odd way as Kasumi. She didn't just tolerate me, she
cared about me. I needed that, I wouldn't have survived if I couldn't have
had a safe person to be with, a safe haven. Raccoon knew what I'd do, and
he stopped me without acknowledging what I was doing. So what is he trying
to do? Nabiki asked herself, as she stood and left a tip. I can't head
back to my cabin, I have to go back to his, she thought.
She walked in unannounced again. Let him speak first, but I am going
to encourage him to speak . . . as if he needs any, she thought.
He lay with his back to the door, practically cocooned in the bedding.
She remembered Ranko's way of approaching him. Great, _I'm_ taking
people lessons from _Ranma_, she wondered, Is that enough to indicate the
imminent end of the world, or do I have to wait for the advice to actually
work. She sat next to the bunk, there wasn't much space, but she fit in
easily. She reached up and began carefully massaging his neck.
I'm not as good as Ranma, she thought, But I do know the therapeutic
techniques.
"Please go away, Miss Tendo."
One point for me, Nabiki thought.
"I thought you might be hurt," she explained.
"I am, and you're making it worse."
Nabiki removed her hands. "Sorry," she apologized, then she considered
another approach.
"Why don't you, ah . . . you know?" she asked.
"I used all the power I had to simply wake up. I won't have any more
for a time."
Okay, logical, she thought as she knelt next to the bed. "I'm not that
experienced with this stuff."
"I can't teach you anything right now, give me a few hours to rest and
heal. I appreciate the repartee, but I'd rather be alone."
"I'd think after being asleep for days, you might want something to
eat, or hear what's going on."
"Miss Tendo," he said frostily, "Two old friends arrived to kill me, if
necessary." He rolled over to face her, his expression made Nabiki take a
step back. "Then I turned around and lured an old friend atop 50 tons of
explosives and set it off. You are now well aware of how I dealt with the
Phoenixi. So who is the real bastard?" He paused to let her respond, but
she had nothing to say. "It might explain why I don't _care_ what you think
of me. Good day to you."
Nabiki felt the alternating hot and cold surges of raw fury. I want to
hit him, hurt him, do something . . . to assuage my anger. She mercilessly
stomped down the impulse to storm out. That's what he wants, she thought, I
know how to manipulate people too, and how to drive people away. And I know
_why_ I drive people away. Because I don't want them to hurt me. If I let
them get close, then they could hurt me where it would _really_ hurt, where
I can't defend myself. She focused past the hurt. He wouldn't be lashing
out if I couldn't and hadn't hurt him, because that's exactly what I would
do. Funny, the flaw in Anything Goes that Raccoon pointed out was extremely
close combat, letting someone get too close. Both Ranma and I have the same
vulnerability in ourselves, letting people get too close strips away all our
defenses. Isn't _that_ ironic? I want to get close to Ranma and I'm
terrified he'll get close to me in the process. Then to add insult to
injury, I'm trying to get close to another person and we keep hurting each
other and lashing out when we get too close again. She sat there trying, to
calm down enough to do some good.
All I have to do is swallow my pride, she thought as she waited
silently, My not inconsiderable pride. But I can outwait him. My
experience with my own pain tells me that too. I remember Asuka's comment
about the 'Hedgehog's Dilemma', but a hedgehog's spines go down when they
relax. All I have to do is get this one's . . . _these_two's_ . . . to
relax, and hope neither his nor mine were poisoned. She found she was
looking forward to the challenge. It's easier to lash out, she realized, I
got suckered in by Sharon, that had to infuriate him with her. I'm not
going to be suckered into being uselessly angry by my own teammate. And he
doesn't want to hurt me as badly as he can. He didn't simply obliterate the
Phoenixi the first time they threatened Ritsuko-Nabiki. If Ritsuko-Nabiki
kept her distance, she wouldn't care how badly hurt he got, or the horrible
things he did to keep her and the others safe. But I don't want to not care
about a fellow pilot, she thought, It would be too easy to let that extend
to others, eventually to Ranma. She sighed. Besides, it would be too easy
for them to reciprocate, or worse, put me in their debt, with no way to
repay them. Ranma/Ranko and Raccoon already did that, and it was the worst
feeling, since Hiroko's death. I'd like to _avoid_ that, she thought while
she waited.
----------------------------------------
Nabiki was furious, "You just killed them. What's all this 'forgive
and forget' stuff, all that Christian mercy?"
Jeff looked up from the project he was working on in the train's
machine shop. Nabiki had noted that the other workers had cleared out soon
after the argument had started. Jeff's placid acceptance of the events they
had both relived was grating on her.
"Being a Christian isn't a suicide pact. As you obviously know," Jeff
told her calmly, "I made a good faith attempt to negotiate a peace, not just
a truce, but it doesn't work if the people you are negotiating with don't
regard you as a person. Every attempt made merely emboldened them."
"Why not kill Saffron and take over!?"
"Oh yes, after all, Akane, Kuno and Ryoga learned lessons so quickly
and thoroughly. A batch of inbred mental defectives would of _course_ be
educatable to a new and more civilized way. With the Amazons 'Obstacles are
for killing' did you think any of the other tribes in the Martial Arts
Balkans would be any different. Maybe the other magic of Jusenkyo is that
it attracts the violent and hopelessly stupid, after all Genma and Ryoga
were both drawn there like a magnet, maybe Kuno isn't as stupid as everybody
seems to think, he's managed to avoid it. I didn't want to bring my wife
out to the back end of beyond and raise my kids in a shooting gallery.
Remember, until the end, I _never_ went back after Jusendo. But after
Jusendo, they launched their attack, traveling twice the length of Japan
through hostile territory to make their attack. Does _that_ sound like a
rational action?"
"No," Nabiki had to admit, "That doesn't give you the right to kill
them all!"
"What gave them the right to attack me and my family?" he asked,
calmly.
Nabiki had no answer.
"So you can exterminate - "
"As they exterminated the Amazons?" Jeff cut her off.
Nabiki blanched at Jeff's suddenly intent stare. "That doesn't make
what you did right."
"I never said it was 'right'," Jeff replied coldly becoming more calm
instead of more angry, "They'd just killed my wife and son, for a political
advantage over their partners in the extermination of the Amazons. They
didn't kill Ritsuko-Nabiki to prevent _me_ from reproducing, but so they
could enslave me and my offspring to be used against the Musk. They had
just reduced the major players to two, from three, lying, duplicity, etc.
were all part of their acceptable way of dealing with outsiders, i.e.,
anyone outside their little clique. So even _if_ I had agreed to their
terms, or conquered them, there is _absolutely_ no guarantee they would keep
their word, or serve faithfully. So since they had `said` that was an
acceptable way to treat their enemies, I took them at their word and
mirror-imaged what they were planning to do to all their foes."
"That's . . . "
"Repulsive, disgusting, unfair, Old Testament?" he asked, "The saying
'Judge not lest ye be judged' doesn't prohibit evaluations, but proscribes
hypocrisy, if you judge, you'll be judged by the exact standards and
harshness you used. I didn't start this, I tried to end it peacefully, but
once they crossed the line at assassination and genocide, that made them
acceptable tactics. If I could do it better, too damn bad, that's why you
don't cross certain lines," he said, then added with contempt, "I was _mean_
to them."
"Yes."
"Get over it, someone tried to kill me, I killed them back," Jeff said
coldly, "I don't start these battles capriciously, you and I returned
Cthylla, because our enemy was willing to make a deal and abide by it. And
that from something whose views have as much in common with humans' thinking
on contracts and jurisprudence as ours does with a spider's. I tried to
avoid conflict." He suddenly leaned close and coldly told her, "Cthulhu,
the Great Old One, was more reasonable than a pack of . . . I don't have
strong enough curses to use on them. My point is, at some point, you -
quit - being - nice. If a cow births a two-headed calf, you drowned the
calf and burn the body, you don't even eat it. If that cow produces a
second two-headed calf from a different bull, you drown the calf _and_ the
mother and incinerate both of them."
"People aren't cows," Nabiki protested hotly.
"They were 3000 years ago, and that's the reality these people live in,
that's what they understand. So no incursions by the Lucky Gods Martial
Artists, no attacks by the Origami Kingdom, or the PuppetMasters, or any of
the idiots living in that region. My family could be raised in the relative
peace and security of my home. They saw what happened to the Musk and the
Phoenixi . . . maybe they _were_ taught in a language they understood, maybe
they were too busy fighting each other over the bones of the Amazons,
Phoenixi and Musk Kingdoms, I don't know, I didn't _care_!_ I had my wife's
trauma at her murder to deal with. Maybe I did act out of anger, but _they_
decided my family was an acceptable target. At that point there _were_ no
noncombatants on their side either. And before you say 'the people had no
say' they could have left anytime they chose, except they didn't, they were
ready to stand by Saffron during the good times, they could share his
downfall."
"I can't ever forgive you," Nabiki said.
"Miss Tendo, with all due respect," Jeff told her, "Your forgiveness is
irrelevant."
Nabiki frowned at that and the way he returned to his work.
----------------------------------------
Nabiki had finally calmed down a bit as she watched Jeff working on the
second of a pair of 'new projects'. I'm really watching him avoid me, she
thought as she watched the barrel, the mock-up of the mechanism and the
stock slowly take shape. Earlier she'd watched Jeff mixing and measuring,
and they started arguing. Me screaming, him replying with greater coldness,
she thought, disgusted by her loss of control, I'll do it better this time.
Maintain control of my temper, thus maintain control of myself and the
conversation. "What is that you are working on? Besides a huge rifle?"
"A completely new weapon, or isn't it obvious that the current weapons
are insufficient," he said as he walked around her. "I made a superior
version of the dust we use to give the regular forces' arms and artillery an
effect on our enemies. The existing material doesn't have a broad enough
spectrum of targets, the new mix will be better."
Colder that usual, she thought, He's trying to `behave` as well, or set
me off. "Can I help?"
"Thank you, no," Jeff replied.
"What _is_ your problem? My finely trained instincts have determined
your being an even bigger asshole than usual, and that's a feat. Did you
get up on the wrong side of the bed and hit your head or something, or are
you always this grouchy in your home country? Is there something else to
which I owe this miraculous effort?"
"It isn't _me_ who has the problem. I've already dealt with the
immediate problem. Asshole, eh, useful just not discussed in polite
company, I can live with that," he said as he stared at her, "_You_ work for
_them_," he said so coldly that Nabiki retreated a step, "I'm feeling pretty
stupid that I ever trusted you."
Nabiki stiffened. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"You're dead, you just haven't fallen over yet. I've lost enough
friends. I don't care to continue a friendship with a walking corpse."
Nabiki froze at the unthinking callousness. He's not being
intentionally cruel, she thought, He's just giving me the facts. She stared
daggers at him as he returned to his work, having dismissed her from his
mind.
"I know whom you work for. You're a spy, for them, so too was Sharon,
they let her go insane when they replaced her with you. I will give you the
lessons I promised, because I gave my word, but now I know you can't be
trusted, because your patron's can't be trusted," he told her, "Maybe you'd
like to ask your dear friends why they're hounding Miss Ayanami."
Nabiki felt sick. "I thought the angels were good guys."
"Angels, and demons for that matter, are little more than robots. They
do what they're told. They aren't God and they can fall, or redeem, that is
switch sides, that is where demons originally came from: Angels who've
jumped the tracks. They never told Sharon her help was no longer necessary,
they just picked the time she most needed help, but because they had a
superior replacement, they left her to the Project's doctors, and
Nyarlathotep. Don't make the assumption they won't abandon _you_ when
you're in extremis, they might even drop you into a mess just to get the
rest of us to jump the way they want us to go. Maybe you should remind them
Sharon and I discussed a number of things before I - killed - her."
"She was your friend," Nabiki stammered at his cold tone, and the
revelations.
"She would have killed all the pilots, then the world. Funny, that her
ex-patrons didn't help her when she most needed it. They told her not to do
something, she disobeyed. Seems that when she really needed them . . .
poof, gone. Sharon was destroyed in that EVA simulator the next day, my
friend died in that thing, I only finished off what was walking around using
her body."
"So why are you blaming me?" Nabiki asked, hating the coldness of his
expression, he was resigned, not angry Like when Ranma got hit, he is
expecting it, she thought.
"I'm not blaming you, I'm warning you. You'll be their spy and their
Judas Goat if they wish, and they'll lie to your face, because they believe
what they've been told."
Nabiki could only stare at him. You can't mean that! she thought as
she felt her gut tighten. "I thought they were good guys."
"They are good, but good also includes Abraham being asked to sacrifice
his beloved son Isaac, good includes the Book of Job. Good doesn't mean
nice, or even easily explained."
"I know you, you aren't someone who can accept limits. I bet you
already pushed _way_ too far," he said gently, almost tenderly, "I'll look
after Ranma, if that's what you want. I can't say I'll ever like him, but I
will look after him."
Nabiki wished he'd just punched her instead of saying what he said. He
stepped around her and continued with his work. I was mistrusted back in
Nerima, she thought, But being mistrusted by a _Christian_ because I'm
working with angels, that hurts. She stepped back out of the way and went
back to just watching him. "Thank you," she said, and meant it, "Giving the
condemned one last request?" She watched him stare at her and ignore her
poor attempt at humor. Damn, it's not fair! I bet Belldandy is laughing at
me. I would get involved with someone who hates my patrons. Well that
simplifies things. I can concentrate on Ranma, she thought, And will they
abandon me when Ranma most needs me? Or if Jeff needs me, that might fit
things? I get my cure for 'Touching the World Lightly' just as he most
needs me to touch the world lightly. They'd have a good laugh about that,
'does the selfish girl sacrifice her chance at happiness so the boy she can
never have gets a chance at happiness with someone else?' Yeah, that would
be a good laugh. He thinks - he _knows_ I'm already dead, if Belldandy does
what Sharon's `control` did to her, she thought, I did push, I pushed too
hard, not like me, especially not _for_ me. Big mistake. _Fatal_ mistake.
She sat down heavily. "Thank you," was all she could say.
"Do you know what Sharon's `terrible crime` was?" he asked.
Might as well know, she thought numbly as she nodded.
"Her control found out that Jason was going to die in the EVA simulator
the next day," he said grimly, "So she _ordered_ Sharon to break off their
relationship, not to give him clarity so he might survive, but 'to spare
herself pain.' Well, Sharon, being Sharon, decided to make Jason's last
night memorable: dinner, a movie, dancing, all appropriately chaperoned of
course, but a memorable evening. Jason died, but he had one bright memory
to take with him. Sharon's control dropped her like a hot potato, and
Sharon fell soon after."
He knelt in front of her, smiling. "Now, if you've never done or do
anything like that, of course you'll be perfectly safe."
"Ha ha," Nabiki told him. Only a little more, she thought, Like a
million times. "You're exaggerating," she said, paled at his harsh stare.
"They are machines, immensely sophisticated, composed of alien,
Heavenly elements, but they are just cogs in the great machine, they have a
purpose and any human-seeming aspects are there to serve that purpose.
Don't make the foolish assumption that cost Sharon so much, that 'because
she's so nice', that she has your good in mind. These creatures may _like_
humans individually, but they only love God and take a macroscopic,
long-term view of humans and the human race as a whole. A baby born to a
mother and neither baby nor mother survives the first week, but it ennobles
the spirits of everyone even peripherally involved with the hopeless
struggle, gives them all the strength to face and conquer greater spiritual
trials ahead, 'eh, let the kid and his mom die', they'd say, the hundreds
saved in the future more than balances things out. The good of the many
outweighs the good of the one, especially if the one dies in a state of
grace. And they can espouse such things with a smile, because they _know_
they're right. Of course the demons claim they're right too, so sometimes
it gets hard to tell them apart."
"So, from where do you know them?" she asked.
"I worked for them, and the demons, during the early part of El
Nureenen's War. I was a hunter for them, me and 59 others. Walking dead
men who - "
"I thought you were a Christian," Nabiki said. I'm grasping at straws,
she thought, And I know it!
"_God_ loves us, angels have lusted after us, but I don't remember
angels saying they loved us. Just because a valentine has 'I WUV U' printed
on it, no matter how heartfelt the sentiment, it doesn't change the
_paper's_ opinion of the recipient. Why do you think that when a real angel
shows up, the first words out of its mouth are 'be not afraid'? They are
reflections of God's awesome power and glory, not his love for us."
"Ah," Nabiki said, feeling her heart sink.
"They taught me a number of tricks, because it was in their best
interest, but after we served their cause faithfully, and we could have used
a little of their help after their mission was complete, they couldn't be
bothered. After all," he added in a mocking tone, "They'd already `helped`
with what was 'truly important'."
"You don't sound convinced."
"I wasn't," he finished assembling the piece as he spoke, "Now to have
a full-sized mock-up made, then a working prototype."
"You mean this isn't full-sized," Nabiki said, "It's huge."
"Hopefully, this weapon will affect many more of our enemies that are
immune now," he told her, "As I said, the powder will also have a broader
spectrum of targets, but if you can pack more into a bullet, it will be even
more effective."
"I see," Nabiki said, trying to lighten her dark mood. Worse, I was
mad because I thought _he_ was mad, he just made a logical, reasonable
choice based on his previous knowledge and his trained intellect. Wisdom,
experience, and logic all blending hand-in-hand, the bastard! she thought
angry at him and at herself.
"Do you hear that?" Nabiki asked of a distinct rumble followed by
several others.
"No . . . yes, thunder," he said as he cocked his head, "It almost
sounds like an earthquake, it's artillery!" Alarms sounded throughout the
train and station, and the sound of gunfire. "There's probably more to it,
but I can't hear it. Come on!" He waved her forward as he turned and ran.
"Where are we going?"
"The EVA," Jeff said as he opened the door to the next car. A Marine
rushed in. "We're under attack, we need you two to - " the Marine
collapsed. Standing in the doorway was a creature that looked like a Buddha
wearing an elephant's skull for a head and carrying a short, bent staff.
Jeff drew and fired, blasting out each of its eyes. The creature
collapsed. "Or not. Here," he shouted as he tossed her a box of
ammunition. She caught the box, then watched the creature start to get up.
Jeff stepped up and shot it twice more.
Jeff slammed the door and took off back the way they'd come.
"Let's get to the EVA, there's more of them."
Nabiki slipped the box into her pants pocket. They ran down the car,
Nabiki caught glimpses of men firing at the elephant Buddhas, too many of
them. "What is that?" Nabiki asked as she ran beside him.
"Brothers of Chaugnar Faugn," Jeff shouted, "In the end times, he was
supposed to return to their lair and consume them."
"You killed him with Unit 04!" Nabiki shouted as they exited the
machine shop car and continued into the barracks cars, "Wouldn't they be
grateful?"
"You'd think so, wouldn't you."
----------------------------------------
You Can't Choose Your Relatives
Ritsuko shifted nervously in her seat at the small air port. I have to
meet with these people, she reminded herself, Find out what they really know
about all of this. A soldier ran up to her, saluted and held it until she
returned it. "Yes, corporal?" she asked. I'm a civilian, she thought, Why
suddenly doesn't that matter?
"Ma'am, ten minutes ago the train came under attack," he told her
breathlessly.
Ritsuko looked at Maya who blanched. "What's the situation?" she asked
calmly, while inside she wanted to panic.
"I don't know ma'am, but I have orders to get you to the rally point
and tell you that a counterattack is already underway. The relief force is
assembling and should be ready by the time we get there." He gestured to
the command car they'd arrived in.
The `relief force` will be mostly National Guard, police and local
deputies, she thought as she headed out, They aren't up to fighting anything
that would give an EVA a run for its money. "Lead on," she ordered, she
glanced at their escort. Great, now I'm thinking like him, best tactics for
an inferior force to employ to engage and defeat a superior one, she
thought, It's funny, but not 'ha ha' funny. As soon as Maya was aboard, the
convoy raced off.
----------------------------------------
"She insulted me!" Yuki whispered fiercely to Usagi as the teacher
droned on and on about some kind of math.
"All she said was she wasn't interested," Usagi tried to calm her ally,
so she could go back to daydreaming.
"Then she called me those vile things!" Yuki insisted in an angry hiss.
"In _German_!_" Usagi insisted back, "Only you, she, and everyone
you're translating them for knows what she said." And if it had anything to
do with your sexual habits and taste, in practices and partners, Usagi
thought, It was probably mild, no matter _what_ she called you.
"Tomoe Usagi, Yamajima Yuki, buckets, outside, now!" the teacher told
them sternly.
Usagi growled at her colleague before giving the teacher her most
dazzling smile. He didn't say they had to be full, she thought as she
collected the empty buckets and went outside. Once there, her smile
vanished.
"This is what I was talking about," Yuki continued the argument once
they were both outside, "I could have gotten both of us out of this, so
could you! You're soft on them."
"I am _trying_ to welcome them in," Usagi countered angrily. How many
times do I have to explain this? she wondered, prayed to the Goddess for
patience with her loyal, but stupid followers. "They are not other people,"
Usagi explained patiently, "They are gods, already. You saw what Rei did to
Tomoe, only a superb martial artist could do that, and Rei has _never_ shown
interest or skill with martial arts. What? You think Ranma trained her
during the entire break? Even if you subscribed to that laughable idea, how
could she learn so much so fast?"
"They need to learn who is in charge," Yuki said flatly, giving Usagi a
sullen gaze.
"Yuki, if I am able to bring them in," Usagi explained patiently.
"_THEY_ will be," she shouted, then returned to whispering, "They will be
gods and goddesses under the tutelage and protection, and in the service of
the Goddess. If you can't wrap your mind around that, then maybe you should
take a vacation until we're through. Because _I_ intend to bring them into
the Goddess's service."
"I thought the idea was to break them down," Yuki said.
Usagi sighed, tried to forestall the growing headache and a screaming
match that would result in a visit to the principal and a `conference` with
the principal and her parents, They've been getting better at sending clues,
she thought, I'll have to be careful. "We break them down to get close to
them," Usagi explained patiently. Why don't I just kill her and leave her
bleeding corpse as an offering to Miss Langley? Usagi wondered as she
wrestled with her temper, It would solve _so_ many problems. "You're best
effort is to apologize to her, tell her that you were using her to get to
Ranma, or Kaji, then leave her alone, I'll assign someone else."
"I'll leave her alone all right," Yuki muttered as the bell for the
next class rang.
This is going to have to stop, Usagi thought as she headed back inside
as the teacher left.
----------------------------------------
The collection of police cars, personal cars, pick up trucks and men
waited in a tangle. Half of them shouting or blowing their horns at each
other. There was almost no sound of gunfire, and all of that very distant.
Follow the cigar smoke, fat men _there_!_ Ritsuko `remembered` the
Indian rule for finding the white officers.
"There corporal," Ritsuko told the driver of her car who aimed the
command car at a particular knot of men. Even almost getting run down
doesn't disturb the arguments, she thought, Have to get them all aimed in
one direction.
"We don't have authorization, we've got a General coming in," one man
in a National Guard uniform was shouting at a police officer who was
shouting back and poking the soldier in the chest with an unlit cigar.
"NERV is taking over," Ritsuko announced loudly as she got out of the
army command car. She walked towards the collection of eight angry men: two
police, a volunteer fire chief, a politician by his lack of uniform, two
Guardsmen, a Marine and soldier from the train, both junior to the senior
Guardsman. She shoved a big Cadillac out of her way without breaking
stride, and marched up to them. With the armed escort, her escort,
following close behind her. Suddenly, only slack faces stared at her, or at
the heavy car she'd pushed out of the way with such a piddling effort.
"I want you to begin assembling teams to begin evacuating the wounded,"
she told the fire chief, "Commandeer the pick ups to get them to the
hospital. We need to assemble search parties for the casualties and the
enemy. Where are the pilots?"
"Beg pardon ma'am," the Marine, a major, snapped off a salute that she
returned just as crisply.
"Yes?" she tried to sound and look like Commander Ikari.
"The pilots engaged the enemy, they seemed to be the only ones having
any effect. We lost sight of them when the ammunition car went up. But the
gunfire continued, moving south and south south west."
"The entry plugs?" Ritsuko asked sharply, she noted the locals were
shying away from her.
"They blew all three, we've sent a request to Las Vegas to get more, I
don't know when they'll arrive."
Ritsuko desired to set off in pursuit of the pilots. But I can do more
good getting these people organized, she thought, cursing her own decision,
I have to be an officer, not a mother. She turned to the Fire Chief.
"Wounded to the hospitals, MOVE!" she told the man, who scampered off.
"What kind of weapons and terrain do we have here?" she asked those who
remained. At least the politician ran off when he had the chance, she
thought as she followed the police officer to a car that seemed covered in
radio aerials. The Guardsmen were ordering up maps.
----------------------------------------
Maya walked around, examining the site. Wounded men were being treated
and collected for transport. The dead were being covered and left where
they lay. I've seen this too often to be bothered by it anymore, she
thought sadly, The `big men` have Sempai's full attention, but I should be
doing something to help. Something of use.
The cars near the ordinance car looked like the remains of a toy train
that had suffered from a child's tantrum. The huge EVA was lying in an
awkward pose, but appeared unmarked. Unfortunately, the three entry plugs
all suffered severe damage. Useless, she thought, Unless . . . She ran
from one plug to the other. One was opened like a flower at one end, the
second had been broken in half, the third had the end blown off. Maya
glanced from the second to the third, and smiled.
"Sergeant Kilrain," she asked the Marine accompanying her, "Can you get
a mens to cut the end off that there plug and that there one? Then weld
them pieces back to into one right plug shape?"
"I'll order up an oxyacetylene cutter," he ordered a private off on the
mission, as Maya stepped into the damaged plug.
Only the hatches were really damaged, she thought as she found herself
smiling, Inner and outer. It looks like there was no real damage to the
electrical or hydraulic systems.
"You NERV people learn that smile in school?" Kilrain asked, "It gives
me the willies."
Maya smiled, a friendlier smile. "We fix, then EVA can smile at our
enemies, is good?"
"Gets my vote," the sergeant said as Maya walked to the second plug to
begin inspecting it.
She stumbled over something in the dirt, and glanced down. I won't
scream, I won't scream! she thought, staring down in horror at the elephant
skull with ears like a bat's wings, as she stepped away from it. "This you
were fighting?" she asked.
"Yes, ma'am," Kilrain said grimly, then something she didn't
understand, "No effect, even the special rounds."
"Bazookas, flamethrowers?" she asked in a small voice, her eyes wide
with horror. She covered her face for a moment, then forced her hands to
her sides. I have to be strong, she admonished herself, Nobody is shooting
at me, and all I have to do is fix the EVA.
"Yes."
"No effect?" she asked in a tiny voice. I'm a NERV officer, she
thought, I should act like it.
"It made them mad," Kilrain told her, "That's about it."
"We get running on work, then we see them liking EVA, or not," Maya
said fiercely. The kids are out there, getting chased by these _damned_
things, she reminded herself, taking strength from her anger, I won't let
them win.
"_Yes_Ma'am_,_" Kilrain said as he smiled.
----------------------------------------
Ritsuko had left the ongoing operations to the Colonel from the Guard.
She'd outlined the responsibilities of each group. I've done all that I
can, and the initial shock is wearing off, she thought, They'll soon
`notice` I'm not a uniformed American officer and quit following my
`orders`. But it lasted long enough. She joined Captain Madison and
several others from the NERV force and the Bennington's Marine contingent.
"Let's go after the kids," she ordered. She still had the shotguns she'd
gotten from Jeff's aunt and uncle at Harvard as well as the huge shotgun
that Jeff had prepared for his own foray against Sharon, all the weapons
were still loaded and in good condition. As long as `anti-Sharon` weapons
have full effect against the Brothers of Chaugnar Faugn, she thought. She
looked over the team, a mix of NERV SAR, Marines and seamen from Bennington,
a platoon of troops all told. All following my lead, and I'm comfortable
with that, she thought, I guess I did pick up more than I figured. I know
the ways to sweep an area like this, and the words and gestures to command
and direct troops. I don't think I'll get used to this, she thought as she
passed out weapons and ammunition.
I heard the occasional gunshot, usually four at once. We'll head
towards those, she thought, Not the periodic flurries of gunfire that
petered out.
"You think the kids are okay?" Madison asked, as he walked beside her.
"You hear that?" Ritsuko stopped and commented on four closely spaced
shots, then silence, "I'd bet good money that's Jeff and Nabiki combating
those things. What I am worried about is why the other weapons aren't
having any effect." She started walking again, so did the troops.
"I watched one take a hit from a 105, it flew back and got back up,"
Sergeant Armstead said, "Damn strange."
Damn worrying, she thought as she glanced at the darkening sky, It
won't affect _my_ vision, but once we lose the light, we lose any chance of
an air search or ground support aircraft. In these canyons and arroyos, the
other search parties could pass within a dozen meters of the kids, or the
enemy, and never know it.
----------------------------------------
Rei stood in the school atrium and tapped the plaster filling her
outside shoes. For that much plaster to have hardened and cooled, would
have required several hours, she thought, Was the insistence that we eat
lunch in the classroom part of the plot? Or was it a coincidence? Or did
someone merely take advantage of the occurrence? I have no answers.
She glanced up to see Mein Grossfeldmarschall approaching with a
worried expression on her face. "Oh, they got you too?" She tapped the
plaster in the shoes Rei still held. "They put manure in Hikari's and stole
Horseface's backup thermos. I haven't talked to either of the Stooges yet,
even money they got hit too. A real welcome."
"You believe it was a coordinated action?" Rei asked, genuinely
curious.
"Maybe not coordinated, but definitely concerted," Mein
Grossfeldmarschall said angrily, for her, "Do they haze all the student this
way, or are we just special?"
"We are special," Rei told her, she didn't understand why Mein
Grossfeldmarschall frowned.
"Do you have to be so literal?"
Rei paused, considered. "Yes, although I would choose to be." Rei
didn't understand Mein Grossfeldmarschall's deepening scowl.
"I meant are they hazing us and our classmates more than a regular
group of newcomers?" Mein Grossfeldmarschall asked Rei carefully.
"Hazing?"
"This kind of low-level terrorism/sabotage, that kind of thing. Like
filling your shoes with plaster, or Hikari's locker with manure, that's what
I mean," Mein Grossfeldmarschall explained impatiently.
I have no answer, Rei thought, disappointed with her inability, But I
may have an answer if we treat them as we would . . . if they were Angels.
"I believe we have sufficient unity and resources to perform a
counterattack," Rei said, that also seemed to appeal to her fellow pilot.
"Targets and good intelligence, that's what we need." Mein
Grossfeldmarschall smiled, then frowned.
I envy her ability to easily express her feelings, Rei thought idly.
"Ice Princess and Raccoon were running the intelligence gathering
operations."
"Natsumi Matsuda and Aida were senior members, they should be able to
reactivate the network," Rei suggested.
"You think a bunch of school kids are the same kind of threat a cultist
is?" Mein Grossfeldmarschall asked.
"Would you ask that question, if they had struck next week and
destroyed your violin?" Rei asked. That has been my concern since Mein
Grossfeldmarschall mentioned sabotage. My violin is precious to me, a gift
from the Commander. As hers is to her, for reasons I do not know, nor care
to know. Shinji-kun's cello is equally precious to him. That importance
would prove a poor shield against what was done here. "Juri Kun can be
placed to guard our instruments on the day of trials," Rei said quietly,
noticing her own whitened knuckles for the first time. She stared at them
while she spoke, "I am certain the Navy would provide additional security
forces, if we should request them." She turned her hand, still holding the
shoe, this way and that, some plaster poured out as dust and small chunks.
She stared at them, then back at her hand, her knuckles were no longer
white. She stared at Mein Grossfeldmarschall who was staring back with
equal intensity.
"I think you're right Wondergirl," she said, glancing down at the small
heap of plaster bits, stirring them with her foot, "Usagi invited me to a
tea party, private, with just her." She paused to consider. "I think I
will bring Erin, and my Peacemaker. I think that's why I didn't get hit."
Rei felt an alarm she couldn't put into coherent thoughts or words. "I
would advise against it," Rei quietly gave a completely inadequate warning,
"There is something wrong with Usagi Tomoe, Tomoe Tomoe and the rest of
their coterie."
"Coterie, you really think they're a coterie and not just friends or
sycophants?" Mein Grossfeldmarschall asked with interest.
"Jawohl, Mein Grossfeldmarschall," Rei said, looked for the sour
expression that statement had always elicited. Disturbing, she thought, It
did not occur. She didn't know why she treasured that sour look, but she
did, so she used the name occasionally. This lack of reaction left her at a
bit of a loss.
"I think we'll need to analyze what we know. After meeting with Usagi,
we'll meet at Sammi's apartment," Mein Grossfeldmarschall said, looking
exactly like the Meliorist for a moment, "Then we'll plot some strategy."
"I will inform those I can find," Rei said, "It has security from
observation." She returned to her ignored status.
Mein Grossfeldmarschall sighed and headed back the way she'd originally
come. Rei took off her 'inside' shoes, considered. Then she put them and
her 'outside' shoes in her bag and headed off.
Whatever plan is developed to deal with this attack, Rei thought as she
walked out onto the school grounds and began looking, I will also inform the
Commander, Security should inform him automatically, but they have been
unforgivably lax in doing such things for too long. Perhaps they are merely
incompetent. Their incompetence cannot be intentional, as has been
suggested.
She found Aida-san with Suzuhara-san, the latter was comforting
Hokari-san. "Mein Grossfeldmarschall has developed the idea that the
'accidents' were intentional actions," she said, watching Suzuhara-san and
Hokari-san grow angry, but they said nothing.
"That's awful," Aida-san announced, "Why would they do something like
that?"
"Many reasons," Rei told him, "For power, for enjoyment, they were
under orders. Their motivations are unimportant."
Aida-san nodded, Hokari-san and Suzuhara-san shook their heads.
"The plan is to assemble at Kraznyzamok-san's apartment. Aida-san,
assemble the available members of the network that Nabiki-kun and Roku-kun
assembled. I will locate Matsuda-san and transmit the information to her as
well."
"Assemble all that are available," she enunciated each word even more
clearly than she usually did, taking a step closer with each word, as she'd
seen others do. The effect was successful, Rei thought, as Aida-san gulped
and nodded. Rei paused and considered Hokari-san, who quailed at the stare.
"You two also had a group of allies, fellow class presidents."
"Only two - or three - " Hokari-san fell silent as Rei took one step
towards her.
Suzuhara-san stepped between them.
"She'll get them," he said.
Your confidence is forced, Rei thought, she turned and ran off to find
Matsuda-san.
"What's got her worked up?" she heard Suzuhara-san ask.
"You need to ask?" Aida-san asked in reply.
----------------------------------------
Ranma stared at the boy he had pinned against the wall with his foot.
His other foot moved randomly, as if ready to deliver another kick at any
time. The boy's feet dangled off the floor as Ranma pressed both of them
into the opposite walls of the small room. He was very much aware of his
smaller and female body compared with the boy, who would be larger than even
his male form. He was also aware that his superior skill and his opponent's
arrogance made victory assured. I can't let what he tried to do make me
angry, and I'd make a mistake, Ranma reminded himself as he suppressed a
shudder. He stared at the boy, trying to keep his emotions in control, and
his face as expressionless as Rei's.
"You _are_ going to tell me," Ranma said as he slowly tore the cast
iron skillet into pieces, each 'ping' of metal accenting a word, "It is
merely a matter of time."
The boy's eyes rolled up in his head and his entire body sagged.
"Crap! Now I have to wait for him to wake up," Ranma cursed.
----------------------------------------
"Nabiki!" Ritsuko charged out of the darkness straight at the creature
and unloaded the shotgun right into the back of its head at powder burn
range. A second shot finished it off when it began to turn after taking the
first round. Well, at least _these_ work with regular shells, although it
takes two not one, she thought. She knelt down to Nabiki, who was a mess.
The bone sticking out of her leg worried Ritsuko most, but both of the
girl's hands were bloody as well. The other blood stains and tears on her
clothes were not as apparently life threatening.
"Here," Nabiki said as she handed her Le Mat, butt first, to Madison,
as Ritsuko applied a tourniquet, "It's empty, has been a while. Jeff gave
me a box of ammo, used it all, plus my two speedloaders and the ten rounds I
started with." Nabiki's head lolled as she gasped out her emotionless
report, "He had two boxes, plus his usual load out, you see the problem."
"Oh no," Ritsuko said, "You said there were sixty of them."
"That's what we saw," Madison said.
"What's the problem?" Sergeant Armstead asked, "You talk like it's the
end of the world."
"50 rounds in the box, three boxes, 30 rounds Nabiki was carrying, four
clips plus one up the pipe Jeff was carrying," Ritsuko said, "209 out of the
240 needed, we got three so it's only 228, that's still short."
"I didn't get all of them with just four shots, I missed occasionally,"
Nabiki admitted, the rescue leaving her drunk with fatigue.
"So unless we catch up, he's going to run out of bullets before he runs
out of those things," Madison said, earning a glare from Ritsuko.
"Beating them up hand-to-hand didn't get me anywhere," Nabiki admitted
drunkenly, "Right now, I'd like to get these wounds treated. Ritsuko, the
arrogant - gentleman - led them away, they followed him in favor of anything
else."
"So he's drawing them away from everybody else," Ritsuko turned away
and cursed in Japanese, "Dammit! That's not what he's supposed to be
doing!"
"Tell him that," Nabiki said, "He led the last one into a killing zone
and blew it up with a couple dozen tons of explosives. I think he's hoping
to do the same."
"We don't happen to have a battleship handy," Madison admitted.
"But there is an air wing at Roswell," Nabiki brightened, then fell
back. A medic gave her a syrette of morphine, made a note on her forehead
with a marker. "'S not an 'F' is it?" she asked worriedly. The medic shook
his head 'no'.
"They can't get into the air until the morning," Ritsuko told her as
she helped the stretcher bearers put Nabiki on a blanket, "We already
thought of that."
"Nightfighters," Nabiki said as they lifted her by the blanket she lay
on, "Let their radar see if they can pick the things up."
"Corporal," Ritsuko barked to the radio operator. Once she had the
handset she continued, "Colonel - "
"Chambers" the corporal offered.
"- Chambers, can you contact the Air Force group at Roswell and have
them send their nightfighters out to help with the search?"
"No, but I will," came the reply.
"We have a pilot casualty, we'll be sending her back to get treatment."
Ritsuko watched them lower Nabiki onto the stretcher, then wrap the blanket
around her. The blood from her wounds soaked through the blanket almost
instantly. Get a grip, Ritsuko reminded herself, Screaming with rage won't
help Nabiki, Jeff, or the people who know their jobs, and know the
importance of their jobs!
"We'll have transport available as soon as she gets here," Chambers
replied.
"Go," Ritsuko told the stretcher party and the escorting squad, as soon
as she'd given the leader Jeff's shotgun, "How much .45 ammo do we have?"
Ritsuko asked the remnants of the platoon.
They came up with 400 rounds. Ritsuko and Madison split the load
between them.
"If Jeff's pistol is still working," Madison said, "It should have full
effect."
"I think the clips are compatible with standard Government .45 clips,"
Ritsuko told them as she headed out. Now what? she wondered, Am I strong
enough to kill one hand-to-hand if it comes to that? Why are you heading
out? Why not fort up somewhere and wait until help comes? You two drew
them away from the main body, but too far means no chance for rescue. What
is it you two had in mind?
----------------------------------------
Home Where They Must Take You In
Asuka knew a seduction when she saw one. Kaji fooled me for so long
because he was very good, she thought as she accepted the tea offered, He
could make himself believe the person was important. Once you could fake
sincerity, the rest was easy. That, and I was lonely . . . maybe too
lonely. I'm not that lonely anymore. However, I _am_ curious, all these
girls running the school. It was an open joke at the old school, then they
were part of Ice Princess's plans. These girls are neither, they control
everything and _nobody_ raises a fuss.
"Connections . . . are the most important things," Usagi offered her
cream, not milk, and sugar as they sat in the dining room of the Tomoe
house.
Asuka accepted the cream, not the sugar. Asuka glanced at Erin, who
was in the living room with Usagi's mother. The fancy dress I understand,
the white gloves are a little extreme, she thought, But I do want to get to
the bottom of this. Something about all of this gives me the creeps. As
though some ill-defined threat looms on the horizon. Wondergirl urged me
not to go, that was shocking enough, then I explained my reasons, Wondergirl
accepted and went away. I don't know which worried me more, that she
accepted my reasoning, or she argued in the first place. _Something's_
gotten into her, since Spineless went into his coma.
I do wish I'd brought somebody else, she thought quietly. "Perhaps I
should have brought Ranko with me," Asuka said with a smile, "She's such a
charming young lady, at least when there are no boys around. I think she
believes she has to be more of a boy than the boys, so tragic really." Like
throwing a horse turd in a barrel of wine, Asuka thought of Usagi's reaction
to her suggestion.
"Connections decide who is promoted, who gets hired, who succeeds. You
understand," Usagi tried to continue as if Asuka hadn't spoken.
"Of course," Asuka said. Like a recording, or a religious service,
can't break the pattern, Asuka thought. "I had always understood that Japan
considered connections with outsiders . . . perverse, or distasteful," Asuka
replied as she appeared to sip her tea.
"There is a certain reticence," Usagi answered, sipping her own tea,
"But considering the unification, or perhaps globalization of the world and
interests, it is important to make connections with those you might not have
previously considered. You do intend to return to Germany when the war is
over?"
The girl sounds almost hopeful, Asuka thought. "The opportunities
available will dictate that. German firms may want someone who can speak
the language and knows the ins and outs of the culture. As well as
engineering skills. There may be Japanese firms who expand into Germany.
The same applies." If you think I'd really work for a pack of two-faced,
head-bobbing, ever-smiling . . . Asuka thought through a saccharine smile,
You've got another think coming.
"Then we are agreed," Usagi said with an equally happy smile.
There is something not quite right about that girl's eyes, Asuka
thought as she smiled, Not just how they look, but how they look _at_
things. "In principle," Asuka agreed to be sociable, "But details are
always the thing that hold things up."
"Oh, of course," Usagi said enthusiastically, "I guess that's what
these kinds of meetings are necessary for. We all have to be sure that
we're 'the right sort'. Dealing with people who don't stand up for
themselves, who are afraid of new experiences, can be . . . tedious."
First flash of real anger, Asuka thought, Again, the eyes aren't right.
"So you have met Katsuragi Misato."
"Your - " Usagi gave a knowing smile. "Commander? No, I've heard
about her, good and bad things. They do say she's a . . . free spirit."
Usagi smiled sympathetically.
"Oh, she's free all right," Asuka agreed. Nobody would pay for it, or
take it home, Asuka thought, but kept smiling. "She does perhaps, not keep
up with her appearance in private, or a distinct lack of pride I would say."
"Regrettable," Usagi agreed, "Pride is a fine balance, too much makes
one foolish, too little and one is a coward, no better than a beast in the
field."
That's Misato, every day is mating season, Asuka thought, as she nodded
sagely, Of course, drowning yourself in booze helps, someone who does that
is as good as dead anyway. And this little girl knows enough to push my
buttons, either she's got a spy network to rival Ice Princess's, or a skill
to match Kaji's, or some combination of the two. Congratulations, but I'm
back on my guard, you overcommitted. Misato is a military genius and would
be the dream of any teenager to have as a guardian. Not that it's true in
_any_ part, but it _is_ the common mythology, you shouldn't know any
different. "You've given me much to consider," Asuka said in a friendly
tone, setting her tea aside, "I hope I have done the same for you, I do
enjoy dealing with someone who . . . speaks my language, if you take my
meaning."
"Oh, I do, I do indeed." Usagi stood, clasping Asuka's hands.
"Although, I'm sure our next meeting will include a more free exchange of
ideas," Usagi told Asuka.
"Thank you for the tea and conversation." Asuka stood to take her
leave.
"Of course. Do you play chess by any chance?"
"No, I'm sorry. I never could understand why all the restrictive
rules. Draughts, or as the Americans call it checkers, is a more
interesting diversion," Asuka said, "Enticing an opponent into making a
mistake that lets you win the game in one stroke. Much more entertaining."
"I hadn't considered that," Usagi said, posing and being cutely
confused, "I thought it was a children's game."
"All games can be children's games, and all games can be games for
experts. 'The blame is not within our stars, but in ourselves.'"
"So true." Usagi smiled cutely again. Asuka thanked God for her
immunity.
Asuka left. Erin fell in behind her before they left the house.
"Okay," Asuka said, "Don't play silent and inscrutable. I get that
from my `fellow pilots`."
"Not here," Erin told her in German.
Asuka moved out smartly, she saw Wondergirl detach herself from the
shadows once they were clear of the house. Okay, you followed, what would
you do if help was needed? she wondered, Like the thing that pursued me
through the Dreamlands, why do you chase after me here as well. I've never
been `nice` to you, or your `beloved`. So why follow me? Half the time I
want to kick you down the stairs just to have you actually make some noise
that hasn't been crafted and polished for ten minutes.
"There was something wrong there," Erin told Asuka as Wondergirl fell
in behind, close enough to be part of the conversation, "Something, I'd
guess that woman is terribly afraid of something."
"With those daughters, she has every right to be afraid," Asuka agreed.
She noted that the sounds beyond their little circle seemed muted and
distorted, as if underwater and far away. She glanced around covertly, but
ignored it. I'm imagining things, she thought.
"You should not return there," Rei said.
"You're worried about me, Wondergirl. I'm touched, but I can take care
of myself. Unless you know what it is, I'm going to keep looking into it."
"They are . . . wrong," Wondergirl told her. Asuka stopped and stared
at her.
Wondergirl seems frustrated by her inability to . . . what? Asuka
wondered of her usually quiet fellow pilot, Her inability to communicate
her - concerns, _fears_?_ What? "Can you be any more vague? We need
something concrete and quantifiable. Unless you can give me details, I'm
going to keep this up. I can take care of myself."
"No," Wondergirl said, "You can't."
She actually does seem worried, Asuka thought, Strange. "Well in case
you didn't notice, they want nothing to do with you, or with she-Horseface,
and they keep wondering if Spineless and he-Horseface are going to come
charging in and be either too much or not enough of what they're looking
for. One interesting thing, none of them, not one ever mentions either Ice
Princess or Raccoon, not in passing, not directly, not even alluding to
them, did you notice that Wondergirl?"
Wondergirl blinked and cocked her head. "No, I had not," Wondergirl
admitted, she cocked her head in the opposite direction and stared at Asuka
with an odd expression.
"So that leaves me," Asuka said firmly. I'm not about to admit to Erin
or Wondergirl how creepy Usagi seemed to me, Asuka thought, stifled the urge
to reach over and tousle Wondergirl's hair, Now that they're creeping out
Wondergirl by remote control . . . I still have a few tricks I learned as
the Meliorist. I think I may have to fully reactivate Raccoon and Ice
Princess's eyes and ears to seek out the facts I need. They could be
harmless, but I am not going to bet on that.
----------------------------------------
"So Tomoe." Usagi let her sister out of the closet where she'd watched
the entire conversation.
Tomoe cogitated a moment. "Risky, if you can bring her around, we'll
have a powerful ally, if not . . . it will cause complications." She
shrugged.
"You sound jealous," Usagi accused.
Tomoe frowned at Usagi. "I'm not afraid she'll be a powerful aide to
the Goddess, I'm not afraid she'll be more powerful than I am. I am -
concerned - about failure." Tomoe put her hands on her hips and stared back
at Usagi.
Usagi turned to Tomoe. "My question was about what you thought of her
potential, you are supposed to be the expert. Or is that just luck?"
"I would _advise_ breaking this off. We can't trust her," Tomoe said
through gritted teeth.
"And let her poke around our business?" Usagi asked seriously.
"There are ways of dealing with her," Tomoe said, "Two or three more
days at most, and we'll be ready. Maybe we should allow Yuki's plan to go
forward, with or without our blessing."
"True," Usagi said and smiled.
----------------------------------------
He heard them, felt them, three. Spread your spirit out over a large
area, Jeff thought, They never figured you could _hide_ using this
technique, because it makes finding someone too easy, notwithstanding that
it made localizing them completely impossible. He looked into the fabric of
his hat which covered his face, while dirt and loose rocks buried him in the
walls of the arroyo. Passing, searching, but passing, he thought, These
aren't like the first. I should have killed _them_ hand to hand, and
absorbed them, and incidentally, saved my ammunition. He considered his
dwindling supply. They've gotten too smart too fast for that. Damn my leg
hurts, what are they using? he thought and tried to ignore the aches he'd
received in the fighting, They resist healing and do they _hurt_!_ I
shouldn't have assumed that one was a straggler, it was bait. I should have
realized, because they are the Brothers of Chaugnar Faugn, servants and
lesser versions of the one I `ate`. I can remember the original's rage at
their rebellion, but Chaugnar Faugn never was strong enough to destroy them
all. He returned from memories that weren't his, and considered his current
enemies, I suspect they are trying to avoid their `Eldest` Brother's curse,
that he would destroy them all, starting with the 'youngest' and the
inferior, once the White Disciple came. I wonder if that's me?
I feel like Joseph, except I don't think my `brothers` will let me go,
he thought as he waited for them to complete their fruitless search and move
off, there were none behind them.
He unburied himself, pulling his hat off his face and grimacing at the
dirty mass of wounds on his leg and arm where their weapons had caught him.
The leg wound still oozed blood. No idea why neither healing nor my
shoggoth-stolen abilities can close it, he thought, Maybe a special effect
of their weapon, one shot certainly doesn't have any effect on _them_._ Bet
the Elder Things would have loved weapons like that to use on their slaves.
Have to warn Ritsuko . . . when I see her.
He sighted on the rearmost of the trio and fired rapidly four times,
his target stumbled and fell as he ran off down a tributary of the wash,
replacing the half empty clip with a full one as he scrambled. How many of
you do I have to kill before you give up? he thought as he turned and fired.
Eight shots, four to a target, eliminated his pursuers.
They're immortal, why would they be so casual with their lives? he
wondered as he reloaded the two clips, slid one home then released the slide
and topped the clip up. He looked at the empty box. I'm almost out of
ammunition and I doubt going hand-to-hand, or hand-to-trunk and claw, is a
winning proposition at this point. He climbed out of the wash and proceeded
over the desert floor. Enough moon to see by, he thought, Enough moon to be
seen by.
----------------------------------------
Nabiki let them load her stretcher into the hearse. Bad joke if there
ever was one. I guess this is the best they've got, and Nabiki Tendo
desires and deserves the best, she thought, trying to avoid laughing at the
lame joke, because it hurt too much, Why am I worried about him? He made
his decision, he should have to live with it. She looked at the EVA and the
teams surrounding each of the ruined entry plugs. All I want to do is get
out there and make those bastards _pay_ for what they've done. But not
_just_ what they've done to me, she thought as she lay back, But what they
did to all the others too. But he's the one who's sure he's going to lose
me, but _I'm_ the one being evacuated and he's by himself out there. Or is
it that I don't want him to die until we hash this out, I was never able to
explain anything to mother before she died, too much left unsaid, too much I
didn't know what to do about. She wanted to cover her face with her hands,
so no one would see her cry from rage, pain and worry. But I'd mess up the
IV's, she thought of the bottles of blood pouring into her, I wish they had
given me more morphine, side effect of a Nerima constitution: pain killers
only make you loopy and weepy, they don't kill the pain a whit!
She chuckled, then groaned as they closed the door. "I've gotten more
beaten up in a few months here, than in five years in Nerima, only my
mother's death compares with what I've gone through in the last few weeks,"
she complained in Japanese to the empty confines of the hearse, "It isn't
right and it isn't fair. If I meet `my angel` again, I'll beat her
senseless if she doesn't answer _all_ my questions. Nobody plays me for the
fool and gets away with it, not the Inspector and not some angel."
She closed her eyes and enjoyed the hearse's smooth ride over the rough
roads. "Hope they get me fixed up soon," she said, "I _hate_ being hurt and
helpless, somebody is going to pay dearly for this!"
----------------------------------------
She had felt them. Six of them, Rei thought, It is ironic that
Belldandy has found herself at the place the trap will close. She sought to
chasten me, no doubt. How will she resist? Or is she just here to prevent
me from using my full abilities? Rei watched as the six large boys
surrounded the two of them. Odd, they do not seem to be the same as the
cultists, they . . . feel different, she thought. She narrowed her eyes and
waited, analyzing and absorbing all the data.
"Rei Ayanami," the largest of the six said dully.
"Yes, I am me," Rei said. I am not the fighter the Fourth is, but I
can fight adequately, she thought. "She is not with me," Rei said as she
pointed at Belldandy. It is the truth, but it should cause them to include
her as a target, Rei thought, I have learned much from the Fourth, perhaps
he is not _completely_ useless. Better they attack me, than Mein
Grossfeldmarschall, now she will have the proof she requires. I am pleased.
It will also be enjoyable watching the `goddess` deal with those who do not
seek the light as she believes all do, that is even _more_ pleasing.
"Ain't that sweet, protecting her friend," one boy said with the same
curious lack of expression, "We won't beat you up, we'll just have some
fun."
No grin, Rei thought, That would be standard, to display their belief
in their own power, and contempt for their enemy's power. "They are
planning to rape you," Rei told Belldandy, "Repeatedly, perhaps until you
die of it." I should not enjoy this, she told herself as she took in
Belldandy's horrified expression, But it is the truth, and she still does
not believe this can happen. Not to _her_._ Humanity _must_ survive, your
foolish rules cannot be allowed to prevent that. _I_ will not allow your
foolish restrictions on me to prevent it. It is against the Commander's
plan. It is against common sense, it is against what I desire for myself,
and for all the other pilots, she thought darkly, If you do not understand.
I will allow humans to punish you for it.
"You are in the battle," Rei told her another truth, "Whether you wish
to be or not. Are you prepared to inflict or receive pain?"
The goddess looked from face to blankly, leering face, searching for
something she was unlikely to find.
I will not use my full abilities to defend her, Rei thought, Unless she
requests it. Mein Grossfeldmarschall has counseled that when you have the
enemy's `full attention` you make the rules. From the Fourth's discomfort
with that assertion, I suspect she did not relate the original quote. Rei
paid no attention to the angels soft words, on humans they would have been
the right words. But these are not human, except in appearance, Rei
realized, Why can she not see that?
Belldandy went down in a heap from the boy's first punch, she looked up
at the looming figure with utter surprise, as if the impossible had
happened. Rei waited, watching Belldandy for some sign that attacking, in
Belldandy's defense, was permissible.
"This one likes to watch," one of the boys said, again
expressionlessly, as he tried to stomp down on the angel, "We'll make it
good to watch."
Rei watched another boy aim a kick at Belldandy, the angel rolled out
of the way, and kept rolling until she was out of immediate range. Rei
allowed herself a brief smirk. One of her Heavenly distinction is
ill-equipped to deal with hostile humans, she thought as she remembered the
points and methods to strike, that the Fourth and Mein Grossfeldmarschall
had drilled her on. "This will not hurt me as much as it will hurt you,"
Rei told them, giving them a chance to escape, as she'd been instructed,
"Flee."
Rei moved, not using her full strength, but using her full speed and
precision. Striking hard at the points instructed, the points that would
disable to prevent pursuit. She finished and jogged in her bare feet to her
apartment to get new shoes.
Did the angel learn _her_ lesson? Rei wondered as the buildings sped
by, That humans can be evil. She believes it is not so, I know that is a
delusion.


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