[Ranma/NGE/HPL/AMG][FanFic] Sic Semper Morituri Chapter 21: It was Magnificent, but it wasn't War

[Daniel Gibson]

[Ranma][NGE][HPL][AMG][Fusion][Fanfic] Sic Semper Morituri Chapter 21: It
was Magnificent, but it wasn't War

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. And I'll put them back when I've finished with them.

C&C , MSTs are welcome
E-mail: dan_s.comments@worldnet.att.net
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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-Sem
per-Morituri
(these are the original versions)

What has gone before:
About Book 11, 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.
Asuka and Shinji view Rei's dreamscape, Shinji repairs his dreamscape,
he again visits Rei's dreamscape, then temporarily links it with his, Rei
is overjoyed to tears by this.
Asuka and Jeff begin deriving the equations to manipulate the AT
field. They also reveal their experiences in the Ranmaverse dream, Ranma
is happy, shocked and furious as the dreams are revealed. Asuka suddenly
solves the equations, and drags Shinji and Rei out to celebrate
Search and Rescue training continues, Nabiki performs an simulated
rescue.
Ranko continues her nightmare, rescued from an ambush by her mental
impressions of Rei and Jeff, by Rei rapid-firing artillery.
Ranma defeats a kidnapping, and is nearly shot by the 'hostage'.
Ritsuko and Jeff 'shoot' at him to teach a respect for firearms. Nabiki
reacts violently to this, Ranma rescues Jeff from her. She then ashamedly
discovers they were using blanks.
Ranma uses his new ability to mimic to fool Jeff and Nabiki. Then
uses Nabiki's own self-illusions against her.
The Russians' situation is revealed.
While Ranko, Hiroko, Nabiki, and Jeff attend a ballet, Gendo attends
dinner with NERV Japan. During intermission, Hiroko discusses the
relationships among the pilots. NERV Japan is murdered right in front of
Gendo.
Asuka has to clean-up after a drunken Misato.
Both Ranma and Nabiki have the differences between where they are and
what they're used to is very different.
SEELE summons the Crawling Chaos, sending it to 'investigate' NERV,
Nyarlathotep taunts Mara, who rushes off to warn Belldandy and her sisters.
Gendo leaves the defeat of the Outer God to the pilots, they make a mockery
of it's mission and drive it off.



Up where the smoke is all billered and curled
'Tween pavement and stars is the chimney sweep world

When the's 'ardly no day nor 'ardly no night
There's things 'alf in shadow and 'alf way in light
Chim Chim Cher-Ee (from Mary Poppins) Writer: Richard M. and Robert B.
Sherman

I've lived all my life in this weird wonderland;
I keep buying things that I don't understand,
'Cause they promise me miracles, magic, and hope,
But, somehow, it always turns out to be soap.
parody of "Chim Chim Cheree" by Allan Sherman


May 21, 1947
Chapter 21: It was Magnificent, but it wasn't War
Correcting An Oversight

Ranko stood in their darkened bedroom, watching Raccoon collect the
bedding off his bunk again, "What are you doing?" Ranko was getting
irritated by this, and she didn't want to be alone tonight.
"Well it isn't - " Raccoon explained.
"Proper, I know. You've said it before," Ranko said, "Doesn't all of
that, all those rules are to protect the girl, since she's weaker?"
"Physically weaker, yes," Raccoon climbed down the ladder, with the
bedding under his arm.
She saw he wasn't wearing his glasses, "So that really doesn't apply
to me, right?"
"Well, there is the question of your privacy and modesty."
"And if I don't care about that?" Ranko pressed.
Raccoon shifted, uncomfortably, "It isn't as simple as that, you can't
just say 'Ollie-Ollie-Oxenfree' and it doesn't apply."
"Fine then," Ranko pulled up her shirt, putting the lower hem atop her
breasts, "How about that?"
"Uh, if I'm supposed to see something, you're going to have to put on
the lights and give me my glasses. All you are is a gray blur."
Ranko was losing patience, she wanted this over with, "Okay, how's
this?" she grabbed his wrists and pressed his palms against her breasts,
"You can figure out where your hands are? Can't you?"
"Ranko, are you crazy?" he strained to pull his hands back, but she
was stronger.
"No, I'm sick and tired of you doing this. How do you think you're
making me feel? That every time I'm here, I'm kicking you out of the bed
you built, and you're making me sleep alone. Did you ever think I might
not _mind_ the company?" she released his wrists, she was almost shouting,
"That I might want . . . " Ranko silently stalked to the door and yanked it
open.

----------------------------------------

Nabiki practically had her ear against the door, when Ranko wrenched
it open. Ranko caught her hand and pulled her forward, fast enough to keep
her off balance. Nabiki desperately tried to regain her footing, but Ranko
was moving quickly and tripping her as she moved along.
Ranko practically threw her at Raccoon, Nabiki hoped Raccoon could see
well enough to know she was coming at him, otherwise she knew she'd go
face-first onto the floor, or into the window behind him.
He caught her, driven back from the impact as he held her upright, but
neither fell.
"She feels nice in your arms," Ranko said.
Nabiki blushed right down to her toes as Raccoon held onto her.
"Soft and warm, especially when you remember she isn't your daughter,"
Ranko continued.
Daughter?! Nabiki thought as she tried to stand up and disentangle
herself, Where did that come from?
"But she's always hitting, always trying to make herself feel big, by
making everyone else self-conscious," Ranko put Raccoon's glasses on his
face. "How did it feel Nab-chan? To have to depend completely on someone
else to protect you from danger or embarrassment? To fall into _his_ arms,
and suddenly know you were safe again, and protected?"
Nabiki tried to pull loose, then realized Ranko had her wrists in one
hand, and Raccoon's in the other, neither could get loose, although Raccoon
didn't seem to be trying.
"What are you going to do now? You can't fight your way out of this,
not alone anyway," Ranko said.
Nabiki shifted, getting ready to shove Ranko away with her foot, then
Raccoon lurched, and she lost her balance, having to cling to him for a
moment. "You two are plotting against me," she told them.
"Maybe he enjoys having a pretty girl in his arms," Ranko leaned
close, so Nabiki could see her clearly in the darkness, "And you are a
pretty girl."
Nabiki embarrassedly realized _how_ Ranma was doing this. She
remembered the 'Martial Arts' competitions, that had nothing to do with
Martial Arts, except their name and combative nature. Ranma would get into
the contest, to prove he was the best, _then_ learn the rules. After he
lost the initial match through ignorance, he'd master enough of the
technique, to defeat his opponent in the rematch.
Here, the 'Martial Art' was thinking: controlling events, things and
people through education and nimbleness of mind, today had proven the
effectiveness of the techniques well enough. Ranma had already lost
against the two local Grandmasters: Raccoon and Asuka, and there were other
masters and grandmasters to learn from: Ritsuko, Rei, even Gendo. Now he
was learning the 'rules', and mastering the hard and soft techniques to use
against people, manipulations and persuasion, all with his own spin on
things.
"You two fight so much, I wondered what would happen if you two bumped
into each other."
Nabiki glared at Ranko, who smiled back, then she collapsed Nabiki's
knees as she released Nabiki's wrists, forcing her to hang onto Raccoon of
her own free will. She was going to have to start treating this more
seriously.
"You want to know why I'm doing this?" Ranko addressed Raccoon, "I
think I know how to beat those things. But I don't want to be alone."
"I was planning to get reinforcements in dreams."
"That's not what I was talking about," Ranko pulled her shirt back
down, releasing Raccoon's wrists and stepping close, pressing against them
both. "I need . . . I _want_ an anchor, _here_, in the real world. I
_have_ to know there's someone here watching over me," she said quietly.
Raccoon pulled one arm loose, then encircled Ranko, pulling her
closer.
"I . . . I can do that," Nabiki admitted, "Why didn't you just ask?"
"Because I had to teach you that having to totally depend on someone
else, isn't a death sentence, if it's the right person. That asking for
help doesn't make me weak, and it doesn't make _you_ weak. Nor does
demanding an explanation before you act."
Nabiki frowned at the rebuke, she turned to Raccoon, "You want to let
me go? And let me 'thank' her properly?"
"No," he hugged them close, lifting both off the ground, "I like it
here with my girls," then he set them down and released them, "But I like
living more."
He stepped away, then Ranko stepped between them, facing Nabiki, "This
is what I want. Neither of you two fighting about me, or Ranma."
Nabiki looked at Ranko's expectant face, and Raccoon's appraising one.
She hated being judged, she hated failing even more, "All right."
"What about me?" Ritsuko's voice came from the doorway, a moment later
the hall light backlit her, "Are you two, or three, doing something
foolish, without consulting me?"
"No," Raccoon said, "But Ranko can explain, while I line up additional
lines of support and defense."

----------------------------------------

Ritsuko could hardly believe what she'd been told, as Ranma's female
form and Nabiki arranged the futons, sheets and blankets in her bedroom.
She glanced over at Maya who shrugged, she'd evidently never experienced
it, but thought it was plausible.
Ritsuko agreed to stay awake and watch. What Ranma had told them, was
almost impossible to believe. Although she didn't tell Ranma that she
didn't believe. Dreams were personal things, and after the kids' earlier
experiences, she wasn't going to say absolutely anything was impossible.
Nabiki also seemed confused by the explanation, verging on terror and
disgust, as Ranma described certain things. Although Ritsuko knew Ranma
was talking around some of the subjects, wandering within his own mind was
a personal and somewhat traumatic experience.
Jeff returned from making his phone calls, "Ayanami-san, Langley and
Shinji-san will be in position to support, you know where," then he took a
lecturing tone, "Don't try to be a hero, if you have to fall back, fall
back. Winning is the most important thing, winning _today_ isn't! Winning
tomorrow, or next week, will also serve just as well."
Ranma nodded, smiled warmly at Jeff. Ritsuko could read her
expression as Ranma looked from Jeff to Nabiki. Ritsuko glanced to Maya,
who nodded perhaps a centimeter, they realized that there might be trouble
in the future. Ranma was attracted to and trusted _both_ of the other
pilot/roommates, although Ritsuko suspected there weren't those feelings
between Ranma's male form and 'Raccoon'. Nabiki felt as strongly about
'Ranko' as she did about Ranma's male form.
Except I'm not sure of that either, Ritsuko thought, 'They aren't the
same person', do you realize how differently _you_ act towards them,
'Raccoon'? How that might color things for both of you? Ritsuko wondered
for the hundredth time, why she put up with this, and why she'd fight to
keep it.
Ranma lay down on her side, patted the space in front of her. Jeff
self-consciously lay down with his back to Ranma, she put her own arm
around his waist and pulled herself close. Nabiki lay down behind them,
and arranged herself as Ranma had, pressing close, an arm around Ranma's
waist.
There were a few small, settling in adjustments, but all three were
soon asleep, Maya followed a short while later. Ritsuko moved in to sit
near the Childrens' heads, to listen. She hoped she could somehow support
them, or intervene in a battle she didn't understand.

----------------------------------------

Shinji hadn't understood why Rei-chan had been so frightened. She'd
walked into Misato's apartment, and then into his bedroom as he was getting
ready to go to sleep. 'I am afraid,' she'd told him as she led him outside
and onto a stairwell, away from of prying eyes.
They'd sat there for some time, normally he could read what she was
thinking, what she was feeling. All he had been able to sense, was how
tightly controlled she was.
He'd broken the impasse by putting his hand on her shoulder, her
response was more of a tackle than a hug. They'd laid there on the
concrete steps, her laying atop him, holding him as if she expected to be
dragged away at any second. He'd been too embarrassed to say anything or
protest.
And you liked it, he admitted to himself, as he stared at the ceiling
of his bedroom, Feeling the pulse in her neck racing, in time with your's.
He still didn't understand her words when she finally broke it off, 'I
will never hurt them, or you. No matter what they tell you.'
I knew that, he thought, Why did she tell me she loved me? 'You are
my love and my heart, whatever happens, please believe that!' I've never
been so embarrassed in my life, why did she say those things, then go away?
Was she afraid of what happened today? We won, didn't we?
She'd walked away, as the wailing cry of the 'Ghost of Tokyo'
announced through its alien music, that NERV had won another victory, one
that no one would ever discussed outside the walls of headquarters, but
perhaps their greatest to date.
Why do I feel that I've lost her? Asuka talked to Raccoon, about
dreams, if he wasn't able to get Rei-chan, he would have called back. I'd
know if she was in trouble . . . but I think she is, and there's nothing I
can do. I can ask her in dreams, if I can ever relax enough to get there.
"I have to," he told himself, "They're depending on me." That thought
struck him, it was both terrifying and stirring, that others thought he was
important, necessary, people he knew he wasn't as good as. He'd never
measure up to them, but they needed and wanted him along for their journey.
It's enough, I don't want to lead, he smirked at that, imagining taking
leadership from Asuka, or Ranma.

----------------------------------------

Cannons to the Left of Me

Ranko walked into the caldera, she wondered at all the craters she
found in her mind.
The panda and his wife had the Ranma skin on a pole, tied there this
time. They were filling it with blue-veined white rocks, then added some
kind of syrupy liquid from the familiar black cauldron.
The panda's stitching and tarring efforts weren't very skilled or
effective, as the liquid, and some of the dissolved rock, oozed out of the
stitches.
The 'worshipers' surrounding the skin and the pair who were trying to
keep it filled, were an odd lot. Most were the Nerimaniacs that Raccoon
and Asuka had described. Ranko didn't know what portions of her
personality they represented, actually she didn't care.
She had initially despaired, a bit, on arriving: she hadn't seen any
of the help she had expected. Then as she climbed over the crater's rim,
she'd spotted the green tree trunks, enough for a forest. Then she
realized in horror, that it was Rei and an artillery 'park'. She didn't
know how many guns Rei had assembled, but she didn't want to be on the
receiving end, when even part of them fired.
Even Rei can't fire that many cannons at once, she thought, then
realized, that unless she was _absolutely_ sure, which she wasn't, then Rei
might figure out a way.
Ranko hadn't seen the others, but she also knew they were more subtle
than Rei, even she might not see them before they acted, perhaps not even
after they acted. She walked boldly down, stopping well short of the
circle of 'worshipers'. Some shouted praise, others shouted threats and
hatred, some alternated, and in every case, they were not willing to just
walk away.
The center of their universe, she thought, I actually feel sorry for
these morons.
The panda's wife, Ranko still couldn't bring herself to believe this
woman was her mother, shrieked in terror, "Go away! You won't defile my
son!"
So that's it, Ranko thought as her presence attracted every eye in the
'congregation'.
The samurai-wannabe leapt up, declaiming terrible indecision over
defending the 'Foul Sorcerer' tm. and embracing his 'Pigtailed Goddess'
also tm. Ranko wasn't sure which one was more pathetic, but she did know
she was changing her hair style when she woke up. Someone bounced a large
rock off samurai poet's head, large as in the size of a tank. The rock
crumbled to pieces, Mr. 'I'm a samurai' stood upright for perhaps five
seconds of posturing, before he joined the gravel on the ground.
The ring of a katana clearing the sheath was matched by the sound of a
rifle bullet snapping the blade off at the hand guard. The panda's wife
stared in confusion at the maimed sword.
Ranko realized _that_ must have been the signal, as the entire eastern
sky lit up with tongues of flame. The crash of that many heavy guns raised
a cloud of dust that stung the eyes and abraded the skin.
Fortunately, she knew what was coming next. As the cloud obscured
things, Ranko ran away at her best speed. Explosions dotted the entire
caldera, missing the pole with the Ranma skin, by only a few feet.
Ranko didn't want to think about what had happened to the
'congregation', for as suddenly as it started, it was over. Rei had fired
a single massive volley, Ranko could almost see the other girl racing
around to reload all the cannons. Ranko took advantage of the lull, racing
to the pole, grabbing the skin and racing away as another concentrated
barrage landed.
I've got to figure out a way to make sure Rei doesn't get _that_ mad
at me in the real world, Ranko thought.

----------------------------------------

Asuka walked in front of the lone wall with a single door set in it.
She suspected that Raccoon had altered the structure to retain Horseface's
privacy. They all kept secrets. She could understand that, she didn't
want the others to know about the additional reinforcements she'd arranged.
Raccoon might have thought the four of them could handle the problem, but
Asuka believed you never fought a 'fair' fight, if you didn't have to.
She glanced around, Wondergirl was staying close to Raccoon, Spineless
was staying close to the door. All of them were waiting. There was little
else to do.
Asuka was the only one obviously concerned, she had her sabre-halberd
as she paced near the door. Evidently, there is something unusual beyond
the door, she thought as she waited.
Horseface crashed through the door. He was horribly cut up and
crudely sewn together, there was also tar all over him, he was shouting in
incoherent pain.
Wondergirl and Raccoon carried him away from the door, after Raccoon
kicked it shut. Asuka noticed the building forming around them, it looked
like a Japanese dojo, evidently Horseface expected it to be that way, so it
appeared.
"Get ready," Asuka warned Spineless. Horseface wouldn't have come
sprawling in here in such an undignified manner, if he had any other
choice. His pride would prevent that, Asuka readied himself.
Raccoon and Wondergirl set Horseface down, a distance from the door.
They began working, gingerly removing the crude stitching. Asuka turned
her attention back to the door, she heard what she thought was Wondergirl
singing, That's impossible, or it's something, I don't want to know about,
because the door was opening, displaying a desert landscape beyond, That's
Genma, Ryoga and . . . some I don't recognize.
Asuka knew that here, in dreams, she was the stronger, for all Genma
and Ryoga's martial arts tricks amounted to precisely nothing. She only
hoped Spineless understood it too. Genma squared off against her, she
didn't listen to whatever he was spouting, she'd already slowed him down so
much, she could barely make out what he was saying.
She spared Spineless a glance, and watched Ryoga make a serious, if
not fatal error. He knocked Spineless down and across the room, and then
advanced on the stunned boy as Ranma hollered in pain, as Wondergirl and
Raccoon struggled to heal him.
Asuka saw an expression on Spineless's face she never expected, raw
rage. It was as if the air itself changed to something hot and cloying.
Ryoga further compounded his error, by laughing at the fallen boy.
Stupid, cruel bastard, Asuka thought as she heard them, glanced
around. There they were, Spineless's little nightmares. Pink noses and
red eyes peered out from all the pillars supporting the building's roof.
Twitching white bunny ears lined the wooden beams running from pillar to
pillar. More could be seen peeking out from every nook and cranny that
could even partly conceal them. The sound of long teeth grinding on teeth,
sharpening for battle, snarls on their sickeningly cute faces, their pink
noses wrinkled in rage. It would have been comical, if you hadn't seen
these things in action. Asuka was frightened.
Spineless thrust out his fist with a shriek of rage.
Asuka stood stock still, so they would perhaps ignore her. She
released her hold on Genma, she wanted him to see the approach of white,
fuzzy death.
It was like an explosion in reverse, the rabbit-spiders' glowing red
eyes streaked by, teeth abrading, leaping at their targets. A few landed
on her, using her only as a springboard for their attack. The martial
artists went into maximum effort, they deflected dozens in the first
second, except that wave was hundreds, with thousands awaiting their chance
at the fray.
Asuka pulled back, not wanting to be anywhere near those furry lamias,
she'd fought them before. She looked for anyone not 'programmed' to be
attacked, who tried to sneak by.
She expected the woman in the kimono.
Nodoka, Asuka hooked her under the chin with her sabre-halberd, and
pulled back. Asuka wished the bottom of the axe blade were sharp, instead
of decapitating the intruder, she just pulled her away from Ranma and his
medics. The katana flashed out, and rang against the metal reinforcement
protecting the shaft of the sabre-halberd. Asuka considered simply running
the woman through, but decided on the simpler option. Twisting her body to
use the polearm to throw the woman into the melee with the martial artists.
She'd only met Ranma's 'mother' once, in that dream. She'd sent
Nodoka after Kaji-Ranma into China. The pact to kill Ranma had horrified
Asuka. But even more disturbing, was Nodoka's attitude, that impregnating
Ukyo was manly. However, she didn't consider abandoning her to get another
fiancee pregnant unmanly, or even terribly dishonorable. Whether anything
would have changed before events overtook the situation, Asuka didn't know.
She never saw Kaji or Nodoka again. Asuka considered that if the portrayal
of Ranma's 'mother' was accurate, and she came looking for Ranma, Asuka
could get Wondergirl or Raccoon to give the woman a terminal accident,
before Ranma found out she existed. In dreams she'd killed humans, as had
the Meliorist, but Asuka Soryu Langley never had, and she wasn't sure she
wanted to start.
Spineless seemed to have things well in hand. The writhing mass that
covered the battle made her queasy just looking at it. She didn't want to
consider what was under there. Occasionally a rabbit-spider would go
flying off, only to be instantly replaced by another. She also knew they
had additional backup if they needed it.
She spared a glance back at Raccoon and Wondergirl. They'd cut most
of the crude stitching off Horseface, there was nothing they could do about
the tar, evidently. She had confidence, Raccoon had gained his seat at the
Camilenn order's ruling council, by his skill in healing and enchantments,
Not that they're specialties people concentrate in, Asuka smiled at that,
He was still one of the very best. The Meliorist still had her hand
because of it. Asuka couldn't figure out what Wondergirl was singing, it
didn't have any words Asuka recognized, more like a series of tones or
chords, but it seemed to be keeping Horseface quiescent while they put him
back together.
Then the door flew open and more maniacs ran in. She recognized most
of them from the dream. For whatever reason, Ranma's subconscious had
summoned reinforcements. These things are just manifestations, she
reminded herself, she knocked one over the head with the flat of her
sabre-halberd, caught another between the legs.
"Help Shinji-kun," Wondergirl told her, as one of the Nerimaniacs
bounced off her AT field.
Asuka rushed to help defend Spineless, who was beset by a group of the
High School bullies she remembered, Kuno's 'samurai', Asuka abandoned the
idea of not hurting them, although she avoided possibly easy kills,
something she would have never done in a real battle.
She disarmed one, literally, slashed another's leg open, knocked the
third unconscious, letting the others run back through the door. They had
been using the tournament style, which was death, in a real battle. She
kept the space around Spineless clear, until he could reallocate the little
monsters to engage the newcomers.
Asuka saw another creeping along the periphery, trying to remain
unnoticed, the wizard's robe and staff seemed jarring on the ersatz-mage
Gosunkugi.
As this danger approached, Raccoon raised his head, then more
important, his staff. Gosunkugi evaporated in a cloud of brilliant blue,
then Raccoon's attention returned to his patient. Asuka couldn't see
Horseface moving anymore, she didn't know whether that was good or bad.
Then the fuzzies all pulled back, Asuka braced herself, expecting them
to attack, she looked at their bloodied muzzles and wondered if Spineless's
control would be enough.
"Spineless . . . " she began worriedly, " . . . eeewww!"
The fuzzies had left only skeletons, which promptly collapsed.
"I . . . I didn't mean, . . . " he stammered, "I didn't know... I-"
"_Spineless_!_" then she moderated her tone, "They aren't real, like
your railroad, and they would have killed us," she explained.
He seemed to accept this, the fuzzies faded, to Asuka's relief.
"Stay on guard, they may not be done."
"I . . . I don't think - erk."
Asuka hauled him up by the collar, until he was nose-to-nose with her,
"You are the only thing that stopped them. If they get through, we die.
Those are the two choices, fight, or die, because we can't retreat, and I
won't abandon a fellow pilot. I doubt 'Rei-chan'," Asuka felt her stomach
churn, "Would do that either."
She watched Spineless wrestle with the problem, then he saw the
reasonableness of her position, she set him on the ground. "Good, I never
said it was easy, just necessary."
"I don't like it," he muttered.
He's getting it, she thought, patted his shoulder, "No, you don't
_have_to_ like it, I'm not Misato."
He smiled at that, as Asuka headed for Wondergirl and Raccoon. Both
looked wrung out, but they were still working. Wondergirl's singing was a
raw whisper now, Raccoon looked in more pain than Horseface did, as the
injures transferred from martial artist to mage.
She stood guard, moving between the healers and the door, waiting for
another assault.

----------------------------------------

May 28, 1947
The Left is Not Canonical

Pen Pen stood on the top of the building. He'd slipped out of
Misato's apartment without waking Shinji or Asuka. He looked across the
distance at another apartment building in the fog. Although the fog didn't
trouble or reduce his sight. A moment later, he was gone.
Reappearing on the distant building. He flapped his flippers with
delight. The spell was -so- simple, the trade was well worth it. He
returned to the patio of Misato's apartment. Now he could do a much better
job of keeping an eye on the kids.

----------------------------------------

Ritsuko felt the cuffs holding her wrists together, and her ankles
apart, they were little more than strips of silk. She knew that as she lay
facedown in the futon, all she was wearing was a silk sheet. She assumed
she could break the bonds, and then investigate what had happened.
She was wrong, the cloth strips proved completely unbreakable, as did
whatever they were moored to.
She raised her head from the pillow and looked around, someone had
tied her to the lower bunk in the boys' room.
This makes no sense, she struggled again at the bonds, I could break
the pipes it's made out of with my bare hands. She heard the door open and
twisted as much as the bonds allowed. Maya walked in, wearing a nightdress
that was much briefer, form-fitting and more transparent that the one she
had been wearing when she'd gone to sleep.
"Maya?" Ritsuko asked, "What is going on here?"
"Oh, sempai," Maya sat down in the bed next to her, "I just can't let
you run away." Maya released one of the cuffs holding Ritsuko's leg, then
put it on her own leg, "And I mustn't run away," she smiled dreamily, "We
do too much of that, you and I." Maya rolled Ritsuko over, so she was
supine, and straddled her hips, "Now we can't run away. We have to explore
our feelings," Maya ran a finger down Ritsuko's throat, between her
breasts, pulling the sheet back as she did, "Explore each other."
"Have you completely lost your _MIND_?_" Ritsuko shouted, tried to
shake the girl loose, "What about the kids?"
"I would never hurt them," Maya said in a completely normal tone, then
returned to her dreamy expression, "Or you, sempai. You have to know
that."
Maya stopped, then broke down in tears, "I'd die before I hurt you, or
them. Please tell me you believe me. Please tell me you love me, even if
you have to lie, please tell me."
Ritsuko looked up at the sobbing young woman, and couldn't figure out
what was happening. Where Maya's feelings had come from, why they were in
this situation, what Maya was hoping to accomplish with this. "We have to
be there to look after them," Ritsuko said firmly, "Cuff your hand to mine,
but we must be there to guard them."
"You haven't said," Maya was still crying as she set to her task,
unlooping the leg chain from the bedframe, and detaching one hand restraint
from Ritsuko and attaching it to herself.
"The Children are our first priority, they always have been, and they
will continue to be," Ritsuko said sternly, "I thought you understood
that."
"I'm sorry, sempai, I should have known better," she smiled at Ritsuko
as they carefully walked out of the room, "Do you want to spank me?"
Ritsuko was considering it, then she realized she was walking into the
other room, with no clothes on.

----------------------------------------

Ranma woke, he could feel he was still she, and she could still feel
the intense burns deep within her skin, where 'Ranma' had fused to 'Ranko'.
She didn't know what Rei and Raccoon had done, but the agony had gone away,
first they moved it far away, then it faded completely. She'd hoped she
hadn't hurt Raccoon, when she'd used up her chi in the battle, but Raccoon
hadn't hurt her when he'd used his magic to heal her.
He must have held his power until he needed it, then knew when I'd
exhausted mine, she thought. She realized she was lying on Raccoon's
chest, with her arms around his waist. What Ranko and Ranma had done,
while they were separated in dreams, embarrassed her. Raccoon and Nab-chan
might not have minded, or noticed, but Ranma was very embarrassed by it.
Then she noted the strong arm around her waist, and the faint smell of
sweat, Except it wouldn't have been too bad to continue, she relaxed
slightly, I'm a _guy_. Ranko's me. Ranma let her confusion swirl around
her, and Raccoon's joke that the creator gods were usually a blending of
male and female, and maybe that was what Ranma and Ranko were. Not funny,
she thought, she felt something move on her chest, fondling her breast.
She wondered if Raccoon had overcome his shyness, or if he was still
asleep. Except the sleeve attached to the hand was white flannel, not tan
broadcloth, Nab-chan, she realized. She traced Raccoon's other arm, it was
resting on Nab-chan's head, as she lay coiled around Ranma's legs, with her
head pillowed on her behind.
So do I embarrass her as she wakes up, let her explain gracefully what
she's thought she was doing, or move her hand before she wakes up? And how
did _I_ wind up in this position? Ranma considered, what Nab-chan was doing
felt a little _too_ good, I don't really _feel_ like getting up.
Even morning practice lost its appeal. And as embarrassing as this
arrangement was, it felt more reassuring after the events of the dream.
Ranma would remember forever the half-crawling escape across the desert of
his own mind, to the dream dojo. There were just two categories of events:
those who helped with his evasion, and the pursuit. Ranma knew who his
friends really were, who really protected versus who he'd evidently tried
to be friends with, and made enemies. Although there were a few times he
wasn't sure. Rei calling to all that she'd found him, and preventing him
from moving from a certain spot. Her artillery barrage had come awfully
close. Why did they fall for _that_ trick more than once? Ranma wondered.
Nab-chan throwing him in quicksand, that had been a betrayal that tore
at him, until Rit-chan pulled him under, and swam him to safety, a journey
long enough that he could rest a bit, with someone else providing
propulsion, and his opponents thinking him dead. He still didn't know how
she kept him from drowning underwater, he'd kept breathing normally.
Raccoon . . . was Raccoon, the cinnamon-scent from the field of
chickens, had warned Ranma that it was a minefield. So he'd picked his way
across, without disturbing the chickens. The others bulled their way
across, ignoring Raccoon's offer of cheap, short-term life insurance. That
brought Ranma more time to escape, and the ability to forestall pursuit by
making chicken noises.
She smiled at that. Then frowned, the fight the others, their real
dreamselves, had put up to defend him, had been horrific. He'd been too
hurt, too exhausted to continue running, he couldn't imagine where he'd
dredged up the reserves to make it that far. Rei and Raccoon hadn't left
his side while they worked, no matter how close the enemy got. Asuka and
Shinji kept attacking the enemy, until they utterly destroyed them. If
Ranma went back through the door, he'd find them again, but they'd never
set foot in his dreamscape again. That actually worried Ranma, despite
Nab-chan copping a feel, and Raccoon being a gentleman, it was the
projections and his fellow pilots that concerned him. The other pilots had
come because Raccoon had asked, and because of their own beliefs. However,
his idealistic enemies attacked from ambush, never kept their alliances
with each other, it was almost as if they got points for hitting him, and
were scored individually. His un'honor-bound' fellow pilots fought, not
because they 'had' to, but because they chose to, and with a greater
loyalty and ferocity than the others.
Shinji, Ranma thought, That was a surprise. Ranma had felt a little
of the fear and pain of the enemies as Shinji's attack pressed home.
There was nothing they could do, Ranma considered, Except die. Shinji
might as well have tossed them into a meat grinder. I don't want to get
him that mad at me, _ever_!_ Ranma smiled at that, the 'Invincible Ranma
Saotome' worried about 'Spineless', I'm a disgrace to the Art, a dishonor
to my family and an unmanly man, then it hit him. The semi-worship, the
rivals, fiancees and family, they were trying to remake him into what
_they_ wanted. They needed a shell to pour all their hopes, frustrations,
dreams, and ambitions in, except they didn't care about the Ranma, or the
Ranko inside, both were a hindrance to be disposed of.
Ranko would 'pollute' their pure and perfect son/fiance/whatever.
Ranma didn't know whether that was really the case or not, but it felt
right, it was what she expected, once she saw it start.
Ranma almost shouted as Nab-chan squashed her breast, You can't milk
me like a cow! She waited as the cycle of Nab-chan's reflexes relaxed, and
removed her hand. Ranma wasn't sure if Nab-chan was awake and taking
advantage, or still asleep. In the latter case, Ranma did not want to know
what she was dreaming, she almost preferred it if Nab-chan had been awake.
Ranma considered, and concluded that she . . . _he_ was Ranma, and was
going to follow his own course, not one picked by someone else, not one
assigned to him. Ranma wasn't comfortable about turning into a girl, but
he realized, it was part of who he was, And it does have some nice uses,
Ranma made himself think entirely like Ranko, and she snuggled against
Raccoon, and was rewarded by a slight tightening of the grip around her
waist, that made her feel better, protected, Another interesting fringe
benefits.
The others in his mind, didn't like the idea of someone else telling
him who he was and what he had to do. That was _their_ job, so they fought
each other, until Ranma asserted himself, then they combined forces to drag
him down, to tear him apart, literally, if necessary. Ranma didn't like
the idea of someone else telling him who he was and what he had to do
either, especially when they caused the problem he was supposed to solve.
The Angels will kill us all, if I simply stand aside, Ranma thought,
So I follow orders, because it is the best course of action.
Ranma noted Nab-chan's shifting, in response to Maya's cry of
'sem-PAI!' I guess that's what I resent about the way Nab-chan acts, if
Raccoon wants Ranma or Ranko to do something, he lays out what to do, and
the consequences. Of course he stacks the consequences, so I don't really
have an option, but I still have the choice to do as he asks, or let the
world drop on me. Nab-chan tries to keep me ignorant of the other
alternatives, so I've no choice except to follow the only road she's shown
me, Ranma smiled, However, I keep jumping over the fences, that's part of
what gets her so mad.
"Well, tough," Ranma sat up, and nearly fell over as the world spun
around.
Except Rit-chan grabbed her shoulders, holding her upright, "Are you
going to throw up?" Rit-chan asked. Ranma noted she was looking all over
the room, and got a _very_ strange expression, when her eyes fell on Maya.
Nab-chan looks like that sometimes, Ranma thought, Then I _know_ I'm
in trouble. "I don't think so, there isn't an earthquake?"
"No, I don't think an earthquake would explain it, maybe bad
mushrooms," Rit-chan replied.
"Okay, give me a second."
Raccoon sat up, smiled, did a somersault to the clear area of the
bedroom. "You get used to it."
"If the room would stand still a minute, I'd crawl over there, and
hurt you," Ranma said, a little surprised that despite being in female
form, she was thinking of himself as he, Ranma, for the first time in a
long while.
Nab-chan stirred, stared at them.
"It rises from the grave," Raccoon said in a shaky voice, as he
pointed at Nab-chan.
She just growled back, turned to Ranma, "You okay?"
"Yeah, a little dizzy," Ranma considered, "And sore." He yanked the
shirt up, "Is it badly bruised from where you were squeezing it?" When he
pulled the shirt down to cover his breasts, Nab-chan was ashen. Ranma
leaned close, "Did you want something special for breakfast," Ranma cooed,
"Something warm and private?"
"Is my turn breakfast? Uh, who's breakfast is . . . ah, you know what
I mean," Nab-chan covered her face with both hands.
"I think," Raccoon walked smartly across the room, Ranma envied his
ability to stand upright after all that happened, "She wants what 'oooooo
sem-PAI!!' is having."
Maya turned bright red, then retreated into the corner as all the
color drained out of her.
Raccoon tousled Nab-chan's hair, as he walked past, making it less
messy.
Dropping a bomb in it would make it less messy, Ranma thought, as
Nab-chan took a swipe at Raccoon.
He replied by darting in, rearranging her hair a little more, almost
to its usual state. Nab-chan took another swing at him, missing
completely, then she growled and crawled angrily in pursuit, but he was
completely awake and upright, she wasn't even close to being in either
state.
"She's so cute in the morning."
Ranma expected Rit-chan to call him on the carpet, except she was
staring at Maya, who was trying to make herself invisible.
Ranma caught Nab-chan, "You never told him what you wanted," Ranma
took over the job of smoothing out Nab-chan's hair. She bore it with
better grace, than when Raccoon was doing it.
"Fired Raccoon with a side of othercondicent redher, readhead,"
Nab-chan slurred at Ranma, then headed for the bathroom.
Raccoon reentered with two cups of coffee, one for Maya, the other for
Rit-chan, then left again.
Ranma decided to break the staring versus cowering contest. "Did he
tell you how he feels about you, Rit-chan? Did he tell either of you?"
That shocked Rit-chan out of her mood, she blushed, "Did he tell you
about Kairi and Sakai?"
"Yeah, I look like him, and her. With Kyoko trying to wake up in
there," Ranma jerked his thumb at the bathroom, "That's really messed up."
"What do you suggest?" Rit-chan asked angrily, "Marry him?"
"Try to rebuild what never was?" Rit-chan asked sadly, "And he didn't
tell you everything. One other detail, is the _other_ nine kids."
Ranma eeped at that, "Well, he already does the cooking, the laundry,
keeps the kids in line," Ranma looked at Maya.
Rit-chan raised an eyebrow at that.
"Sort of," Ranma amended.
"_OH_NO_!_" Nab-chan called from the bathroom.
"What?" Ranma scrambled to her feet, immediately regretted it.
"I've turned into a girl and I can't change back WAAH!"
Ranma let gravity drag her down, as far as a kneeling position, "I
take it back."

----------------------------------------

Out of the Mouth of Hell

Shinji sat up in his bed, staring at his hand as he opened and closed
it. The hand he had thrust at the boy, who attacked and laughed at him.
He didn't know what came over him. He was so angry he wanted to kill those
people, so he. . . . He'd never wanted this, any of it: not to pilot the
EVA, not to fight monsters, not to have to worry about people who would try
to kill him, just because he was a pilot, not to have to worry about people
because they would put themselves in harm's way when he was in danger, just
because he was a pilot.
He liked being with Rei-chan, and some of the others, sometimes, but
he hated the price he had to pay for those relationships. He couldn't have
just sat there, and let those things overrun Rei-chan and Raccoon, and he
knew Asuka wouldn't be strong enough to stop them all herself. He'd
planned to stay in the background, throw up walls, a fog, or maybe a small
blizzard, something to make them go away without hurting them or his
friends. But then that one picked _him_ as a target and attacked.
He'd been angry and frightened, he wanted them to go away, he wanted
them to leave him and his friends alone, _RIGHT_NOW_!_
"They're just manifestations from Ranma's dreams," he told himself,
but it didn't stop him from remembering that he'd killed them, destroyed
them utterly. He'd wanted to destroy them, uproot them, tear them apart,
throw what was left on the fire. He felt unclean, but he couldn't blame it
on yesterday's monster. He'd felt that kind of anger before, but before,
he'd hidden it away, there was nothing he could do, so he muffled it inside
himself, and kept the outside impassive, letting the world roll by and over
him. But the dream last night, he _had_ the power. Ranma wasn't even
close to his strength as a dreamer. He could have dealt with the monsters
and fears in human-form in a hundred other ways. _He_ picked the one that
would give them the most fear and pain, he wanted them to see how helpless
they were, to know how helpless they made him feel.
He could guess what the others would say. Asuka and Ranma would
congratulate him, Raccoon and Rei-chan would tell him it was necessary,
that he had to act. He knew that was only part of the truth, yes, he had
to act, but he had a dozen different ways that would have been just as
effective. Any of the dozens of ways he thought of acting, while he and
the others were just sitting and waiting.
He wondered if he would become like that in the Waking World, if
someone would hurt or threaten him, would he tear them to pieces? He knew
he had that kind of power now, thought of the swords he'd been given by his
adversary. Was it trying to tell me something? Ranma gets mad, but he
doesn't hit people in anger. Raccoon doesn't stay mad, and any violence is
either in a fight, or coldly calculated. Asuka yells when she's mad, she
doesn't hit people, except to protect others or herself, he looked around
the room, wondering what else would change, whether he could control it, or
would it control _him_?_
He thought of Misato, she got angry, she hit people. She only seemed
happy when they'd killed an Angel, or when she was drinking. Neither
seemed like habits he wanted to pick up, killing Angels changed you, in
ways he didn't and couldn't fully understand, drinking seemed to cost you
all your self-control and pride, and you never remembered what you did.
That isn't the answer, he thought, That isn't even _an_ answer. The
last thing I need, is to lose control. It would almost be better that all
those rumors about me were right, that I was a coward, afraid of anything
and everything.
He climbed out of bed, and nearly collapsed, he was so tired. He'd
never expected that either, such tiredness after a dream battle. He heard
Pen Pen as he looked in.
"Yes, I know, it's my turn to feed you. I'll be there."
"Qua . . . " Pen Pen watched him closely as he stood, then ambled off,
checking on Asuka as he passed.
'Go 'way,' Asuka told him sleepily. Pen Pen dodged a pillow, and
continued out of sight. Shinji stumbled out of his room and headed for the
kitchen, he was not looking forward to today. If he were tired and out of
sorts, Asuka would be moreso. So would Raccoon, Ranma and Rei-chan, which
further darkened his mood.

----------------------------------------

Misato looked at her plate, as she arrived at the breakfast table,
"What is this?" Misato demanded.
Asuka stared her down, she was a little worried about how Spineless
looked, The fight must have taken a lot more out of him than I thought,
Asuka smiled at Misato, "That is your breakfast: pancakes, sausages,
butter. Someone told me I have to be adaptable, its good advice." Asuka
enjoyed throwing Misato's demands, she'd call them advice, back in her
face. Spineless and Pen Pen were enjoying her efforts.
"And this?" Misato touched the coffee cup.
"Green tea with milk. It's a lot more healthy than beer." I should
tell her that it will prevent Outer Gods from sneaking past her into NERV
HQ, Asuka thought, But that might push her over the edge. Not yet. Asuka
smiled, "A proper breakfast is an important and correct start to the day."
"A proper Japanese breakfast is rice, miso and sake," Misato
countered.
"You forgot the pickles," Spineless offered.
"You don't like my cooking," Asuka adopted 'Ranko's' dewy-eyed, hands
clasped posture, "I may cry."
Spineless went through a half-dozen contortions and an equal number of
rapid fire apologies.
"Now you have to eat it, or you'll hurt Spineless's feelings."
Neither Misato nor Spineless could see how that applied. Misato
glared, but ate the food without going for a beer.
One minor victory, Asuka had an idea what was bothering Spineless, she
remembered her, actually the Meliorist's, first kill. The first death on
her conscience. She could imagine what he was thinking, but she wasn't
going to tell him anything in front of Misato, she didn't want to give her
anything to embarrass them about. Her usual behavior was more than enough.

----------------------------------------

"What do you mean you don't understand?!" The blast of sound cleared
the fog away for a 100-meter radius. Shinji hadn't ever heard Asuka, or
anyone else, make a noise that loud before.
"Sorry, Asuka," Ranma admitted, "I can't do it."
"It's only fifteen equations, you don't even have to change them, just
hold them in your mind," she poked Ranma in the stomach, "And the blade
will come straight out of there. The origin is the center of mass of the
EVA, and the axes remain stable to the EVA as you move."
Ranma looked desperately at the others.
Rei-chan and Raccoon understood, of course, Shinji thought, he was
pondering, Nabiki probably couldn't do it either, but isn't willing to risk
making Asuka mad.
They had all waited for the armored car, or something, to show up,
then they headed off without it. The visibility in the fog was a few
meters clearly, and dimly out to a dozen, maybe. He could guess how
Rei-chan had found him and Asuka, he had no idea how Raccoon had led Ranma
and Nabiki to him. Asuka had elected to explain her breakthrough and
concerns about secrecy to the other pilots, while they had some privacy.
Now she's really mad, Shinji took Rei-chan's hand, hoping the
confrontation didn't escalate into a real battle, before they made it to
school.
"Can you see?" Shinji asked Rei-chan, who was leading them.
"I don't have to," Rei-chan explained.
He thought she was more distant than last night, he wondered if it had
something to do with the battle they'd fought, if it, and he, disgusted
her, or if she were just as tired as he was.
"Do you want to go to the orphanage today, after school?"
The ghost of a smile flitted across her face, "Yes," she squeezed his
hand.
Now he knew, she _was_ tired and out of sorts, not only because of the
dream, but the battle yesterday.
"Langley, he only learned how to multiply and divide fractions
recently, matrices and algebra are a little beyond him for the moment,"
Raccoon told Asuka.
Shinji hoped he could keep the peace until they made it to school.
"Then you'd better start teaching him to do real maths," Asuka
replied, "Or his stupid - sorry, his _ABYSMAL_IGNORANCE_ might kill him for
real."
Rei-chan squeezed his hand, Shinji glanced at Rei-chan, saw the smile.
The other thing he'd noticed was Raccoon and Rei-chan glancing around, as
if something was out there in the fog, something threatening.
"It's gone, isn't it?" Shinji asked.
"Yes," Rei-chan said softly, "But it must know we tricked it," she
added pensively, "It will be angry."
Shinji was worried about that, they'd survived, but they'd pay for
that.

----------------------------------------

"Why are you in such a bad mood?" Ritsuko shifted her glare from Maya
to Misato. Ranko and Jeff had explained about the dream battle, but they
only had theories how she'd wound up in Maya's dream, and Maya had been too
frightened to explain what had possessed her to dream such things.
Maya took advantage of the lapse in attention, and scurried off.
"What's gotten into _you_?_" Misato retorted.
"How long have you known that my assistant . . . " Ritsuko couldn't
continue.
"Assistant what?" Misato asked.
Asking _her_ about relationships, Ritsuko thought, I might as well ask
Commander Ikari, or the EVAs.
"Good morning, ladies," Kaji breezed in, ignoring the cold stares from
both women.
No, Ritsuko thought, Definitely not.
"Don't you have a job to do?" Misato asked.
"Oh, you cut me to the heart," Kaji told them, "I was just talking to
Commander Ikari. He thinks all this fog is," Kaji mimed pushing up his
glasses, "'Ominous', a seacoast town should know about fog."
"Not in June," Misato said, "The fog didn't even burn off all the way
yesterday. That _isn't_ normal. I nearly crashed into someone driving
home."
"It's still May. And what were you doing?" Ritsuko asked, "Walking to
your car?"
Misato growled at Ritsuko.
"I think you both need to relax more, enjoy life and love. You act
like an old, married couple."
The glares from both of them would have killed a weaker, or less
oblivious man.
"I think I've had quite enough of that," Ritsuko stormed down the
corridor. She entered her lab, stared at Maya, closed the door behind her.
Locking it with an audible click. "Should I watch my back from now on?
Locking my bedroom door as well?"
Maya withered under the accusation, "It was just a dream, sem - "
"Don't call me that!" Ritsuko snapped.
"Yes, Doctor, I'm sorry. It won't happen again."
"You don't know that," Ritsuko told her, "So you can't promise that,
correct?"
"Yes. Doctor."
"So why shouldn't I worry about you doing that to me, or to the kids?"
Ritsuko asked harshly.
"I'd never hurt you, or them!" Maya said desperately, "Please, you
have to believe me."
"I believe, that you believe that, or that you don't believe chaining
someone down and victimizing them is hurting them. I don't imagine I'll
have to report this to the Commander."
"Thank you, Doctor," Maya said despondently, embarrassed and ashamed.
Ritsuko returned to her work, trying and failing to put it out of her mind.

----------------------------------------

Shinji let Rei-chan lead them across the playing fields to the school
building. The silence enforced by the fog, had put a damper on the
arguments and conversations. The others had noticed Raccoon and Rei-chan
glancing around, searching for something. They were also scanning the gray
walls surrounding them, finding nothing.
Shinji saw the activity did nothing to reduce their anxiety, even
entering the school grounds didn't change that.
The place appeared abandoned, and seemed that way until they got
within 10 meters of the main building. There _are_ people here, Shinji
thought as he heard the conversations, "Hello!" he called, and nearly
scared the other pilots out of their skins.
"Spineless!!" Asuka hissed.
He smirked, "The monsters have to know we're coming," he said
innocently.
"Only _you'd_ think that," Asuka rushed by him to the entrance, looked
around as if checking an enemy bunker, "It's clear."
They trooped in after her. In the classroom, they found Hikari,
Hiroko, Toji, Kensuke and a few others. The pilots were late, but the
teacher hadn't arrived yet either.
"This is terrible," Hikari grumped, "School is important."
Shinji took his seat and considered what to do with no teacher, he
could almost guess that Asuka wanted to take Ranma aside, and pour his head
full of math. Shinji glanced out the windows at the fog swirling outside.
He had the impression that it would shatter the windows and come pouring
into the classroom. I'm more scared of what happened yesterday than I
thought, he considered.
Matsuda Natsumi stuck her head in the class, "Most of the teachers
haven't shown up, all the students are supposed to assemble in the gym."
"We won't all fit," Asuka said.
"Yes we will," Matsuda said.

----------------------------------------

Less than a third of the students, and less than a quarter of the
teachers were in attendance. The teachers were in a quandary about what to
do.
Shinji sat near Rei-chan, "I think we're just going to sit here all
day."
Rei-chan nodded, glanced around, as if she could hear something he
couldn't, and it irritated her.
Shinji glanced around, "If we sneak out to the orphanage, would anyone
notice?" Shinji asked.
"We would have to tell the Commander," Rei-chan said firmly.
"Let's go," Shinji stood up. Rei followed him to the school office.
"We need to contact NERV," Shinji told the girl in the office, she
gulped and led them to the phone. Shinji wouldn't lie if asked, he simply
would apologize and not answer, he knew Rei-chan disapproved of lying, but
had little problem with not answering questions.
"Tactical, Security and the teachers are not at the school, Pilots
Ayanami and Ikari are going to be out at - " he glanced at Rei, she gave
him the address, he told Tactical. "Very good," he got an acknowledgment,
he hung up. They hadn't asked, he sounded sure of what he was doing, so
they didn't ask.
Rei led them out, he followed, she seemed to know exactly where they
were going through the fog.

----------------------------------------

Asuka glanced around, "Where'd Spineless and Wondergirl disappear to?"
she asked, "Where'd Raccoon and Ice Princess go?"
"I don't know," Horseface replied.
"Out," Hiroko told Asuka.
Asuka shook her head, they had taken roll, so she couldn't slip out
now, "Why didn't they tell us?"
"How am I supposed to know?" Horseface replied.
"Horseface, you may be the finest fighter who ever lived," Asuka said,
watching him preen at the compliment, "But you're still useless." She
watched the weight of his now-deflated ego drag him back to earth.

----------------------------------------

Sowing Seeds

The unit had hastily purchased hair dye, cosmetics and a change of
clothes last night at the PX, with the stolen cash. Guessing that Ikari
wouldn't have told the military yet. Being an exact duplicate of Rei had
been useful getting out of NERV, now it made her an easy target. The unit
considered the next course of action, she knew that Commander Ikari would
stop at nothing to destroy her. Escaping from ordinary NERV troops would
be child's play. If Ikari sent out the Children, with or without their
EVAs, to reinforce the troops, she would be outmatched.
Then she considered, No, Ikari would never give the pilots that kind
of information. Better to engage the guards alone.
She scanned the area, NO! Against all odds, one, perhaps two of the
Children was already hunting _her_. She had to get away.

----------------------------------------

Nabiki was already a little irritated, Raccoon had suddenly decided to
run out of school, and take off on this sightseeing trip, through this
impenetrable fog. Nabiki had been curious enough about this, she followed
him, into the haze. Now she was regretting it, a school uniform was _not_
the clothing for jumping fences, and climbing through buildings. She kept
almost running into things that suddenly 'leapt' out of the fog at her.
How Raccoon was moving so smoothly and surely, in a three-piece suit and
that silly fedora, escaped her.
You're jealous! she told herself as she dodged a mailbox she'd almost
run into.
Ritsuko-sensei was not going to be happy about the filthy condition of
her dress, or Raccoon's suit, when they got home. Who am I kidding? Nabiki
asked herself, He'll stay clean, I'll look like I've been rolling in the
mud. She was also aware that the surveillance team, that followed all the
Children nearly everywhere, would have an impossible time keeping up. She
came around a corner and stopped short. Raccoon had just dashed into this
alley a few seconds ahead of her, solid concrete walls on three sides
greeted her, no windows, no doors. The lowest wall disappeared over her in
the fog, a minimum of ten meters high. "Okay Mr. Trenchant, how did you
get past this?"

----------------------------------------

The Children still followed, she had the impression a second Children
was close behind the first, but that impression was fading. Nothing she
had successfully done before to evade detection was working. There was no
way the Children could see or hear her in the fog, but he or she was
heading straight at her.
Now that the Children are separated, I have to attack one, while the
other is out of sight, she braced herself, she was worried, depending on
which one it was, she could be in serious trouble. She jumped around the
corner, her target was scarcely 3 meters away. Now she could feel the AT
field the Children generated, and knew a physical strike would be useless.
Her mind smashed through his weak defenses and . . . "MIRRORS!!" she
shrieked in dismay.
Her onslaught ricocheted around like a beam of light in a house of
mirrors, dissipating and refracting, worse the Children was using her own
attack to suck the strength right out of her. In an instant she could
barely stand, a moment later her knees buckled. The drain was cut off as
the Children caught her before she could crash to the ground.
"Sarah? Sarah!" she heard a voice yelling near her, "Tendo-san,
quick, give me a hand!"
She despaired, the second Children had arrived, she was lost, too weak
to fight even one, now she faced two. She would soon pay for her
overconfidence. Strangely, the pair positioned themselves on either side,
draping her arms across their shoulders.
If I had any strength, I could knock their heads together. But she
had no strength, she couldn't stand, she could barely see. One Children
slid a walking stick under her legs and the pair carried her away.
"Sarah? Sarah!" the Children's voice was directed at her? "I know
Tendo-san is Japanese, but if you don't try to hurt her, she won't hurt
you. Nanking was a long time ago." She could barely understand, one of
the Children was Tendo Nabiki. Was the other Children offering her a
pledge, they would not hurt her, if she did not try to hurt them?
"Hai, wakarimasu," She managed. [Yes, I understand.]

----------------------------------------

Nabiki helped Raccoon carry the strange girl, for it was a girl. She
resented the comment about Japanese, until Raccoon had said Nanking. The
Japanese Army's massacre there had been the worst in recent history, until
the German concentration camps had been revealed. If the girl had lived
through that trauma . . . it explained a lot.
"Tendo-san, we need to get her something to eat, did you see any
restaurants or shops while you were following me?" Raccoon asked her.
"Through this fog I - " then she remembered she had, "This way. How
did you get over that wall? I was right behind you."
He gave her a mischievous smile, "Dark magic."
Well if you _don't_ want to tell me, just say so. Nabiki growled
inwardly.

----------------------------------------

The surveillance pair was gratified when Tendo reappeared, with Davis.
Tendo's team had barely been able to follow her, Davis's pair had had to
follow THEM. The girl was a mystery, and they couldn't see her clearly,
but the way Tendo and Davis were carrying her between them, she had to be a
friend. That could be investigated later. There was a hostile force out
there, Commander Ikari was as tightlipped as ever, but he had authorized
deadly force if it threatened or contacted the pilots.

----------------------------------------

'Sarah' could barely move, she watched as the Fifth and Sixth Children
brought her to an outdoor ramen stand. Sitting me carefully on a bench,
like a rag doll, she was terrified, she couldn't imagine why they were
doing this, if they were going to turn her over to Ikari, So Tendo Nabiki,
the Fifth, holds me up so carefully, what are she and Davis, the Sixth,
really doing?
"Sarah." The Sixth Children put his walking stick under his arm,
"ggreg, I guess, I haven't heard if your uncle formally adopted you.
Nabiki Tendo, or in Japanese style, Tendo Nabiki." The Sixth Children
introduced her politely and formally to the Fifth.
Sarah, he called me Sarah. What is he doing? He must know what is
happening. He has to know what I am!
"Are you still on that 'Flesh will not cross my lips' bit?" he asked.
She shook her head no. "Good, extra-large beef ramen, extra beef." He
peeled several bills from a roll. "Tendo-san, I'm going to impose. Can
you keep an eye on her, I've got to make a phone call." He rattled his
pockets, "And get some change from our minders."
"NERV Security?" she asked, suddenly feeling trapped again.
"Ssh," he urged, "Nobody's supposed to know. They're okay, I just
have to explain things."
"Raccoon, aside from the eyes and hair, doesn't she look like Rei?"
Nabiki asked.
NO! I'm too weak to run, and this pair could defeat me easily, she
thought, The other was actually afraid of these two Children.
"Actually I thought the opposite. Rei's the spitting image of someone
I met after I met Officer ggreg. You can imagine what went through my mind
when I met Rei-san the first time, it was like seeing a real ghost." The
Sixth Children said.
"Are you having anything?" 'Sarah' asked the Fifth Children.
"No, Raccoon agreed to take me to a fancy restaurant for lunch," she
said, smiling, a smile that would send sharks running for their mommies.
What she said probably wasn't true, until she said it, "I don't want to
spoil my appetite." Somehow _that_, and the smile, were the first
threatening things either of them had said or done. The Sixth Children
recoiled theatrically and walked away.
"So, Sarah, what dirty secrets can you tell me about our irrepressible
Raccoon?" Nabiki asked.
"Mirrors within mirrors, stretching out to infinity," Sarah told her,
the ramen arrived, to her embarrassment, she was still too weak to raise
her arms, What did he _do_ to me? Nabiki carefully started feeding the
other girl. An irritating reminder how completely helpless she was, in the
face of two possible enemies, Although the Fif - Nabiki doesn't know the
real cause of my frustration. She thinks she's found a coconspirator.
"Mirrors huh? He does some really weird stuff," she asked, "Like
charging through the fog. How did he find you anyway? Never mind, you
probably don't know either. So, can I trust him?"
"I do," Sarah told her. I do? When did this happen?

----------------------------------------

Shinji and Rei-chan knocked on the door, after a short delay, someone
opened it. Shinji noted the worried look on the older nun's face, which
changed to joy, as she saw who the unexpected guests were.
"Come in, come in. I'm afraid the fog has disquieted all of us," she
ushered them inside the simple timber and stone building.
"It is oppressive," Rei-chan commented, Shinji agreed but said
nothing.
"Isn't there instruction today?" the nun added as she led the two
pilots to the common room filled with the kids, the orphans, and the staff,
all in their drab working clothes. There were a few books and some old
maps, evidently the kids were getting some of the schooling that Rei-chan
and Shinji were taking a break from.
"Effectively, no," Rei answered.
"Most of the teachers and students didn't show up. I called NERV HQ,
they didn't object," Shinji braced himself, as the kids swarmed towards
him. For a moment he was afraid they'd knock him over and trample him.
But they stopped at a respectful distance, and stared at him, he had _no_
idea what to do next.

----------------------------------------

Jeff was carrying so much change, he clinked when he walked, but a
long-distance call to San Francisco was expensive, he hoped the Pacific
cable wasn't having trouble.
His NERV clearance got him priority service from the operator. He was
still feeding coins into the phone far too frequently for his taste. He
hoped they were still open, it was about 18:30 in San Francisco.
"Langham and Wells, purveyors of fine china and crystal," came the
voice from the end of the line.
"I need a blue-edged order of Wedgewood, rush delivery." Jeff glanced
out, Nabiki was still feeding the girl who'd attacked him. Aside from the
monochrome black hair, which indicated an amateurish dye job, and deep
brown eyes, which could have come from anything, the resemblance to Rei and
Shinji was uncanny, and her telepathic powers were as strong as anyone he'd
ever encountered, here or in the Dreamlands. But she was inexperienced, or
his little trick would never have worked. From her appearance and
unworldliness, he could almost guess her origins.
This is like that night in April '45, he thought as he waited, If I'm
even half right, I have to get her out of Japan, away from Ikari, and
especially from SEELE.
"Do you have an open account with us?" the voice on the phone brought
him back to reality.
"T-stroke-78345-stroke-J. With express overseas air service," Jeff
told the receptionist. He could nearly hear her surprise at the T prefix.
He wished she'd hurry, he wished he had a better alternative.
"I'm so sorry, I have to connect you with the shipments department,
for such large orders."
I'll bet you do, Jeff thought, "It is a rush order."
"One moment."
"Jeff-er-y, what are you doing?" a Chinese-accented, faintly-irritated
voice came over the phone.
"From Tokyo, Adam. I need an urgent pick up and retrieval. Very
valuable, very delicate, extremely discreet. Trace my location, there's an
alley 6 meters north, it's out of sight of most of the street. Considering
the fog, you could jaunt in anywhere and nobody would see."
A pause, too long from his point of view. "I have it Jeff-er-y, I
will be there shortly. Do I need to bring anything?"
"A stern but loving countenance, for the Major's niece."
"His niece?!"
"Yeah, she's here, in Tokyo, with one of the other Children and me."
"This I must see."
Jeff started walking back to Nabiki and Sarah, Your uncle is sending a
business associate, he'll see you get home safely. Did you run away again
to 'See the world' or did you and your 'father' have a fight? he mentally
'told' her, to divert her from any of the secrets he carried. No one
really wanted to know the whole truth, Unless they wanted to hurt you or
others with it. The four men nonchalantly vectoring in on the ramen stand
raised his hackles, I can barely sense them, he was alarmed, Long coats in
this weather?
"Teki! Nabiki TEKI!" [Enemy]

----------------------------------------

As Sarah heard the first cry of 'enemy', Nabiki threw her to the
ground and herself on top. Sarah managed to form an AT field surrounding
them, as gunfire erupted around them. Nabiki and she looked back in Jeff -
Roku-kun's direction. One of the two men who were between Roku-kun and the
girls was falling. Roku-kun swung his gun in a two-handed stance, and
fired two rounds into the second man's head. There was no blood, the man
just jerked as if palsied and collapsed. The minders had opened fire on
the other two. Why didn't I detect them? Sarah wondered, Their hostility
is obvious!
"Can you walk?" Nabiki asked.
"I think I can run," she told her,I'd better, my field is collapsing,
Sarah thought, Roku-kun's doesn't seem to be holding either.
Nabiki hoisted her up and they ran. One of the attackers was swinging
a submachinegun at Roku-kun, a fusillade from the guards put the man down,
before he fired.
As they closed on Roku-kun, the odd octagonal ripples of an AT field
under attack, shimmered in the air in front of him, and behind her. Sarah
paused so her field was covering his, Nabiki took the proffered derringer
from Roku-kun, and pulled another small gun out of his boot.
She's offering me a gun? Sarah worried about what she'd gotten into.
Nabiki misread her hesitation, "Can you use . . . ?"
"Nabiki!" Sarah yelled as the woman, in the same kind of long coat,
stepped out of the fog and grabbed Tendo by the throat, and hoisted her up.
She came out of nowhere, Sarah was terrified.
Nabiki fired both small pistols directly into the woman's face, flesh
was torn, but the woman held on. Nabiki cocked the pistols and fired
again, the woman tightened her grip. Nabiki grimaced in pain.
Sarah struck where the memories told her to strike, with all the force
she had. As weak as I am, it still should have tumbled a human, she
searched for another way out, or a weapon. The woman's other hand shot
out, encompassing her throat crushing down on it.
The grip slackened as the woman's eyes rolled up, and she crashed to
the ground, revealing a very angry, older Asian man, with a large sledge
hammer.
"Respect your elders," he admonished as he brought the hammer down in
a powerful two-handed blow, on the woman's head. Again there was no blood
and little sound.
"You run away. You make your uncle very unhappy," he shouted at Sarah
in broken Japanese, "You promise not to run away anymore! I have business
to run! And. It. Is. _Not_. _BABYSITTING_!"
"Let's have the reunion elsewhere," Roku-kun was backing up, the
octagonal ripples in the AT fields weren't dissipating at the edges, as
they were supposed to, they were reflecting and coming back, interfering
with the other ripples. A signal of the imminent collapse of the fields.
"This way, you can run away but stay close," the Chinese senior ran
for the nearby alley. By unanimous assent the others followed him.
"You never carry right gun," he accused Roku-kun as he stopped near a
large duffel bag, and pulled out a double barreled long gun. The first
attacker came around the corner and the old man fired, the thunder deafened
them and broke several windows. The impact threw the attacker ten feet
before he landed and skidded another twenty.
The woman was up, she rolled a grenade into the alley, but Sarah had
another AT field up, the grenade bounced away, exploding back on the woman.
When another attacker charged in, the old man's rifle put him a few yards
away from the first man, all those waiting in the alley shook their heads
and yawned, trying to recover some of their hearing.
"Some of us can't carry a street howitzer like that." Roku-kun
reloaded his automatic and the spare clips, as the old man ejected and
replaced the two enormous rifle shells.
"We have no quarrel wit' you," a voice called into the alley. The old
man pointed and Roku-kun nodded, letting the old man steady the weapon on
his shoulder. Roku-kun covered his ears and opened his mouth, he looked
like he was screaming, the others did the same.
"We only want the girl."
"I will pay the oyabun, what the girl owes, and that is all," the old
man aimed where the other man was.
"We aren't criminals," the voice replied. The rifle thundered again.
"Now, you aren't," the old man said, as Roku-kun moved up to check
around the corner.
The old man turned to Sarah, "We should go, and go quickly. There
will be too many questions."
Roku-kun stepped back, "I agree. The guards are doing a two by two
advance." He pulled a pair of scissors from his jacket, and snipped off a
lock of Sarah's hair, tousling the rest.
My whole head is tingling, she held still for a few moments, until it
stopped.
"I'll do a protection spell, maybe cure your wanderlust," he smiled.
"Adam?" Nabiki asked, "How did you get here so fast?"
"Magic," Adam smiled at her frown.
Sarah smiled back at Roku-kun, she had a feeling she wouldn't be at
peace, but she wouldn't be in danger either. It was a satisfactory
compromise.
The old man packed away the rifle and the spent cartridges, "We go."
"One thing," Sarah stepped up, and kissed Roku-kun on the cheek, then
took his hat, which had somehow remained on his head, during this whole
ordeal. She put it on her head adjusted it to a jaunty angle.
"Fair exchange," Roku-kun led a fuming Nabiki out of the alley.

----------------------------------------

Nabiki felt vaguely jealous, about Raccoon getting kissed, She's just
an old friend, she reminded herself, it didn't help, "Security is going to
want to question them," she told him, he seemed more disturbed by the loss
of his hat, than the dead bodies that needed such a heavy weapon to kill.
Her ears were still ringing, from the enormous noise of the rifle, wondered
if that was an elephant gun. She barely heard Raccoon's response.
"Question who?" he jerked his thumb back at the empty alley.
"Adam and Sarah . . . how do you do that?" Nabiki demanded as she
turned back to him from the alley, "And don't say magic," she threatened.
Raccoon jogged around behind the guards, "Magic!" he called out then
cowered.
"Will someone tell me what is going on?!" Nabiki demanded.

----------------------------------------

The Worst is Yet to Come

Admiral Simson entered the cell, there was an unarmed guard in here at
all times, to prevent an attempt at suicide, or an 'accident' that
simulated suicide.
"Sergeant, or should I say, prisoner. NERV Japan is dead, somebody
got to him ahead of us, and I doubt it was your masters, they lack the
sense of subtlety to carry something like this out."
"You can't be sure of that," the little man retorted, "They're
everywhere."
"Well at the moment, they aren't in this cell block. So I expect some
answers. If they're going to kill you anyway, as you've claimed, you might
as well do something worth getting killed for."
"Make my life have meaning?" the sergeant laughed.
"No," Simson replied, "Make them pay for killing you. Make them pay
dearly," Simson already had the measure of this man, he was a nothing who
resented it, and refused to work hard to 'catch the break' that allowed
others to capitalize on circumstances. He'd want to do anything that
reduced his marginalization.
"I don't know that much," the man admitted.
"Then tell me what you do know, it may be more than you know," Simson
forced himself to be cordial, this . . . person was liable for summary
execution, for aiding and abetting the enemy during time of war, he wasn't
an enemy soldier, just a spy for the other side, in an American uniform.
Any trial would be extremely short. They both knew it.

----------------------------------------

Simson left the cell, "Where's Captain Ramsey?"
"Arranging more security, with this accursed fog, the FUBENS had to
take on something really strange. The kids seemed to have better luck than
armed troops. Our teams can't keep dependable sightings on the pilots."
"I've never heard of Japan being this foggy, not this close to
summer," one of his guards told him.
Simson wondered when it would ever get easier.

----------------------------------------

The heavy security that greeted him and Asuka amazed Ranma as they
left the school. Considering that only the most boring teachers managed to
make it in to teach, he was happy to lie down on the benches in the
personnel carrier, and take a nap. Asuka wasn't so happy about being
'abandoned' by the others.
If she is so smart, she would have taken off like the others, Ranma
thought as the rocking of the tank lulled him into a doze. He wondered
what they had been doing, instead of going to school, It had to be more
interesting than what I was doing.

----------------------------------------

Dr. Akagi was in a late afternoon conference in Gendo's office, with
Gendo and Misato, when Jeff barged in. He tossed his hat on the desk from
across the room, as he advanced. "Captain, excuse me, but I think the
Commander and the good Doctor want to speak with me, privately."
Gendo steepled his fingers, "What makes you think that?"
Jeff pulled an envelope from his inside coat pocket, "When I joined
Search and Rescue, I didn't realize what I would be searching for, and what
I'd be rescuing them from." Jeff leaned over the desk and smiled right
into Ikari's face, "Should I go on?"
"Captain, we'll continue this later," Gendo said. Misato was ready to
protest, then glared at Jeff and left.
Jeff tapped the envelope on his palm, "I don't expect an explanation
for this, I don't _want_ an explanation for this. Frankly, when you two
are in this office," he glared at both of them, "I wouldn't believe a word
from either of you, if you told me the water in this headquarters was wet.
I took care of the assassin, cleaned up your mess. Then Miss Tendo and I
spent _hours_ getting debriefed by the military. But I suspect you want to
keep this private."
He tossed the envelope on the desk in front of Gendo, "What I object
to, is your cleanup team trying to clean up _ME_and_Miss_Tendo_, long after
the need was gone. Those five maniacs attacked me, Miss Tendo and the
guards, _that_ I object to. I also don't like your messes blindsiding me,
nor does the American military I can tell you. A few minutes either way,
and Shinji and Ayanami would be dead, Langley likely would have followed,
then those bullet-resistant monsters would have worked their way up. I
take my fellow pilot's health and well-being VERY seriously."
Ritsuko couldn't meet his gaze, she'd just learned about the disaster,
and the extraordinary measures Gendo had gone to, to no real effect,
evidently. She'd been petrified about what might have happened. Her heart
ached that her kids thought of her as a liar, and untrustworthy. She
doubted they'd ever fully understand what she'd had to, and would have to
do, to save humanity. She'd have to talk to each privately, to discover
what they really saw and knew.
"If this really is a war, and we really _are_ protecting Earth, you
are doing a contemptible job of protecting us," Jeff picked up his hat,
"You did right earlier, by warning us, and we won. Next time you let
something out and it blindsides us, I'll catch it, and return it to this
office unharmed, lock the door, and watch. A warning to keep our eyes open
is all I'm asking for, you can even use those words to clue us in." Jeff
put his hat back on, "Just to keep our lies straight, the team who attacked
Nabiki and me were SEELE, and a similar team went after Shinji and
Ayanami."
Ikari opened the envelope, extracted a few blue hairs, "How did you,
manage?"
"The design requirement for the 45 auto, was to founder a horse. I
will say that I'll be carrying three clips from now on, and charging the
retailoring costs to NERV. I also suggest that when Captain Ramsey demands
corrective measures, firearms training and carry licenses for all the
pilots would be a good start. Riot guns for the security guards are
another," Jeff walked to the door.
"The girl who was with you," Ikari was trying to regain the upper
hand, "We have no record of her."
"You met her parents, Commander," Jeff explained, "Or rather, your
regiment did, Sergeant Rokubungi, in Nanking. They are, after all, why she
is an orphan. And you haven't changed, constancy is so important in our
changing world." Jeff left the room as Ikari's face froze.
"You realize that the military will be talking to _us_ next?" Ritsuko
pointed out, Why can't we ever get time to rest, we go from disaster to
disaster. Rokubungi, that was Gendo's name before he married, did he know
the girl, or her family?

----------------------------------------

Misato caught Dafisu as he walked out of Ikari's office, "What's going
on with you?"
They stood out of the way as Admiral Simson, Captain Ramsey, Dr.
Samuels and Colonel Stedman marched past, looking like they wanted to kill
something, and would settle for Ikari and Ritsuko. Dafisu tipped his hat
as the Americans trooped past.
"Four security guards nearly got annihilated despite my and
Tendo-san's help. You know that. I - dealt - with another assassination
attempt, after security vanished. A little fog, and they completely lose
their effectiveness. Leaving us to do our job, and theirs. It makes you
wonder."
"I don't approve of the pilots going armed," Misato said.
"It isn't your choice, Captain. NERV is a civilian agency, the pilots
are U.S. government wards, the military is technically who is responsible
for us," he told her, "Besides, that pop gun you carry, would be useless.
I had eight rounds plus two clips of seven rounds each. That should be
more than enough to put down five people, and I'm a very good shot. I
don't think Ayanami or Shinji saw anything, you might want to check on
them."
Misato stopped, "You, killed one of those teams."
"Well I had lots of help: Tendo-san, the guards, an old friend."
"You killed the other by yourself?"
"I never said that," he smiled at her, "You never heard me say that."
He tipped his hat and walked off.
Misato wanted to follow him and beat the truth out of him, instead she
heard the raised voices in English and Japanese from Ikari's office, and
decided to go find Asuka and Shinji. And a few beers, she thought.

----------------------------------------

Shinji kept his face impassive. He'd learned that Asuka would pound
on him, just verbally, usually, as he threw apologies back, until she gave
up. If he could outlast her, he'd win.
"So why didn't you tell me you were leaving?" Asuka asked in a
controlled tone.
"I couldn't imagine you skipping school," Shinji answered carefully,
enjoying watching Asuka caught on the horns of a dilemma.
"Next time," Asuka said, staring closely at him, "TELL ME."
Shinji gulped and nodded.
"What was it you were doing?" Asuka wheedled.
"Something Rei-chan wanted to do," Shinji admitted.
"You mean Wondergirl ditched school?!" Asuka needed confirmation,
Shinji nodded to each question, "Of her own free will? Unglaublich!"
[Unbelievable!]
Shinji was glad he'd deflected Asuka.
"Where do you think Ice Princess and Raccoon disappeared to?" Asuka
added.
"I didn't know they left," Shinji considered, "If we left, and they
left . . . why didn't _you_ leave?" now Shinji knew he had the advantage.
Asuka squirmed under his gaze, "I am _not_ interested in Horseface!"
Asuka shouted and left for her room.
Shinji scratched his head, glanced at Pen Pen who also seemed
confused, "It's probably true, but why did she say it?"
"Qwaa," Pen Pen said sagely.

----------------------------------------

Ranko was worried about Raccoon's expression, as he walked out across
the fog-shrouded roof towards where she was practicing. Ranma had learned
that if he practiced as Ranma and Ranko, he learned the moves more easily,
more quickly, he still didn't know why, but he wasn't going to argue.
"Let's go somewhere a little more private," Raccoon suggested.
Ranko looked at his expression and the fog, that still swirled around
them, she didn't think it was a good idea to argue with him either, she led
him behind one of the tall chimneys that dotted the roof.
Once they were away from any possible prying eyes, Raccoon turned to
her, "Do you want to explain what that little show last night was about?"
Before she could answer, "And I can tell when you're lying. I also just
fought with Gendo and Dr. Akagi, about an assassination attempt they
decided not to warn us about, I am _not_ in a good mood."
Ranko gulped, brushed the back of her head, she thought about trying
to be evasive, decided against it, "I know how nervous I was," she
admitted, "About being a girl, instead of being just a martial artist.
Well, I thought maybe you could help Nab-chan, the same way you helped me."
"Ranko, while I appreciate the compliment. Copying what I, or anyone
else does, might work for some things, it won't work for everything. You
can't use a hammer as a screwdriver, the 'right tools' are something you,
and Ranma, are going to have to develop yourselves. Copying how you and I,
or Rei and Shinji, act, won't work. Also, Nabiki isn't dumb, enough not to
pick it up."
"But I don't know what to do!" Ranko complained as she ran her hands
through her hair.
"Patience," Raccoon put his hands on her shoulders, "You've known her
for what? Twelve weeks? You think you have to get ready to marry her
tomorrow?"
Ranko felt her guts tighten, "No," she let go of her pig-tail.
"Then be patient. My best guess, she's scared."
"Of what, nobody can challenge her, even you and Asuka are careful
around her," she brushed the back of her head again, "I took her by
surprise, she won't fall for that again, ever."
"If you had a month, I could explain what I know and what I guess.
It's probably a lot of things. From what she's said, she's used to being
the biggest fish, in a _very_ small pond. Here, she's a minnow in the
ocean, it's about control, she doesn't have it anymore."
"No control, huh, I know how that is," Ranko admitted, considering the
surprises that seemed to be around every corner, for her and him. "So what
do I do? Besides be patient, I _have_ to do something."
"Being patient _is_ doing something, sometimes it's the hardest thing
to do. Let her take the initiative, get her used to doing something. You
offered to teach me martial arts, ask her for her help to teach me and Dr.
Akagi. Make her understand that _you_ are teaching all of us, she's
helping teach me and Dr. Akagi, and to keep you in line. You could also
talk to her about hair styles, or are you going to rip your pig-tail out by
the roots?"
Ranko shifted ashamedly, pulled her hand away from her hair. She
still wasn't very good at teaching, and the idea of being ineffectual in
front of Nab-chan made her extremely uncomfortable. "I'll think about it,"
Ranko admitted, "Kuno. I don't like being a 'pig-tailed goddess', not
anymore," she heard something.
Raccoon looked around, stared at the figure coming through the fog.
"Uh, oh, Rei's on the warpath, I think I'm going to run away," Ranko
said.
"She won't hurt you," Raccoon told her, "Besides, the only way out, is
over the edge."
Rei stopped a few feet away, "You can cook? Can you teach me
cooking?"
"Are you referring to me, Ranko, or both of us?" Raccoon asked. Rei
stared at him as if he was speaking a foreign language.
Raccoon shrugged, "I should be able to, I don't know that much about
Japanese cooking."
"The basics, will be sufficient," Rei seemed to be nervous.
"Should I find out what are Shinji's favorite foods?"
Rei blushed slightly at Raccoon's question, she nodded.
"Okay, I'll schedule something, if I can get Ranma, Ranko and Nabiki
out of the apartment."
Ranko took the hint, it would give Ranma an excuse to be alone with
Nab-chan, if only to study together, or just wait together.
Rei stepped back, vanishing back into the fog. Ranko considered how
spooky things had been over the last few days. She wondered how to
approach Nab-chan about teaching, Or changing my hairstyle, or what else?
she wondered.

----------------------------------------

There's Not to Reason Why

What worried Ranma, as he returned to the apartment, was the silence,
and the looks all of the others were giving each other. Rit-chan glanced
at Raccoon and looked angry and defiant. Nab-chan looked at both of them,
just appearing threatening. He guessed that any comment or quip from him
would redirect all their anger, at him. So he remained quiet. There was
dinner to make, and nobody had started it yet, This is _bad_, he thought as
he looked around. Wondering who would break first, or who would break what
first. He doubted that any of them would throw around the large amounts of
cat collectibles, But you never know. He wondered if Shinji ever had this
kind of problem with the girls he lived with.

----------------------------------------

Shinji wasn't sure who was worse, Asuka being friendly and helpful, or
Misato trying to drink all the beer in the refrigerator before dinner. He
waited, near the apartment's dining room table, for the war to break out.
And there's nothing I can do to stop this, Shinji thought, One or the other
would accuse me of taking sides, and it would just start over that.
"So were you really going to move out?" Misato asked Asuka.
"Of course, Captain," Asuka replied sweetly, "Seeing as I was such a
drain on your time and resources, and such a crimp in your recreation,"
Asuka smiled cherubically, "There was just no other honorable course of
action. After all, I wouldn't want my poor performance in school to
reflect badly on my commanding officer. So there would of course, have to
be a separation of my home and work life."
"You weren't happy here?" Misato asked morosely.
Or maybe it's drunkenly, Shinji thought, Asuka is really playing this
out. He wondered how long this was going to take, before it developed into
a screaming match, then Misato would slap or punch Asuka, and that would be
the end of it. How do I tell her? Shinji wondered, I like having her
around. He concentrated on the two, quietly praying that a major war
wouldn't break out before bed, or one would break out, outside, forcing
them to cooperate to deal with it. Because if Misato hits Asuka, she'll be
gone, and nothing anyone says will ever get her to come back, Shinji
reasoned.
He glanced over at Pen Pen, who seemed as interested in the conflict
as he was. He wondered what the bird thought of these goings on, Were
penguins pack animals? Or were they solitary, or something in between? He
figured asking would get him laughed at, and start the argument he was
hoping would just blow over.
"What makes you think you're qualified to carry a gun?" Misato asked.
"Either the pilots have some value and the right to defend themselves,
or they don't. It's not as if we spend our entire day down in an armored
hole, where the problems of everyday life can't touch us," Asuka replied a
little testily, "We have to be out where people can see us, have a _normal_
life, where people can shoot at us. We should at least be able to shoot
back."
"That's what Security is for," Misato countered.
"Yes, Kaji has done such a lovely job," Asuka replied, "Maybe I should
give him a kiss," she added flatly.
Oh, no! Shinji wondered if it was too late to make a run for it.
Misato lurched from her chair, marched over to Asuka, who stood her
ground defiantly. "You leave him out of this!" Misato shouted.
"Why? It's his _job_!_" Asuka countered, "If he hasn't been doing his
job, what _has_ he been doing?" Asuka was screaming now, "Since MY life is
on the line here, I think I have a need and a right to know. Or are we
just windup tin soldiers, who must follow unto death, and never question
the _COMPETENCE_, of those around us."
"You have no idea what we have to do," Misato contented.
"And you don't know what we have to do! You don't know _our_
responsibilities and trials, because you don't have to! Just point us at
the enemy, and if we follow your program, you praise us, if we don't, you
punish us. You don't care about us! Just results, just how it reflects on
you! You'll toss us away if we're broken, and get another, like broken
toys! You just - !"
Misato's slap ended Asuka's tirade. Shinji was horrified, imagining,
despite the silence, that the fight would become physical now. Misato
seemed to realize what she'd done.
"Asuka, I'm sorry," she reached for her.
Asuka shied away, "If it really mattered," Asuka headed for the door,
"You wouldn't have done it at all. I'll send for my things."
And she's gone, Shinji thought, Misato is just standing there.
"Fine," he said angrily, "I'll do it." He left to follow Asuka, ignoring
whatever Misato said as he left. He headed out into the fog, he hadn't the
faintest idea where Asuka had gone, he couldn't see more than a dozen
meters, and couldn't hear anything.
Maybe Raccoon or Rei-chan could help, he thought, Where am I going to
find a phone?

----------------------------------------

Ranma was actually glad when the phone rang, everybody jumped at the
unexpected sound, He wasn't glad that they could concentrate on something
else, rather than solve the impasse. A few moments after he answered it,
he handed it to Rit-chan. "It's Misa-chan, I haven't the faintest idea
what she's saying."
Rit-chan took the phone, if anything, her expression got more angry,
"Well you shouldn't have done that! She's only a kid." A pause, "Have you
called Security? Well you should have done that FIRST. How am I supposed
to know that? And you just let him?!" She sighed, looked at her kids,
"Very well, call Security, Search and Rescue, get the Marines and Army out
looking for them. I will not, if a fourteen-year old hits a kid, that's a
fit of pique, when an adult does, it's either discipline, or a fight, which
one was it? I thought so." Rit-chan hung up the phone, she stared at
Raccoon, he stared back.
Ranma wondered which of the two would break the stalemate first, Ranma
had an idea, "Misa-chan belted Asuka, didn't she?"
"Yes," Rit-chan gave him the glare.
Ranma continued, "So we need to find her - "
"Them," Rit-chan bit the word off, "We need to find her, and Shinji
ran off after her."
"I hate dealing with amateurs," Raccoon said, practically targeting
the remark on Rit-chan, who frowned at it. "Call Rei, she can help, if
it's not too late, we can turn out the eyes and ears."
"There's no way to coordinate them," Rit-chan replied in a lecturing
tone.
"I can do that," Nab-chan replied, "Anything that keeps me from being
in a dark alley with you two, I might get shot in the crossfire."
Both frowned at her, but neither disagreed.

----------------------------------------

Shinji wasn't sure why he was headed towards Hikari's apartment, he'd
only heard where it was once, but he suspected Asuka knew exactly where it
was, and was headed there. He hadn't found a phone yet, hadn't really
looked for one.
Why am I doing this? Shinji asked himself for the hundredth time, I
don't really like her. I'd rather she'd never come to live with us.
Misato wasn't this bad before Asuka came here. But he knew Asuka was only
a constant symptom of the problem, and the problem was Kaji. Shinji didn't
have the faintest idea what to do about it. Kaji was gone out of his
office on the few occasions Shinji had been by it. Asuka's infatuation
with Kaji had faded, but he clearly wasn't dating Misato.
So why is Misato acting this way? Shinji wondered, he couldn't imagine
anyone acting this way, As much as I care about Rei-chan, we'd never act
this way.
"Asuka!" he shouted, hoping he would overtake her, hoping she wasn't
moving as quickly as he was.

----------------------------------------

The man climbed the mast quickly. Once at the yardarm, he sat with
his legs wrapped around the mast, unslung his rifle and scanned the fog.
He wasn't sure what it was out there, it had driven him from his
restaurant, and scared away the few late-night customers. So he climbed,
he'd survived too long to ignore his instincts. He considered yelling for
help, somebody would have to hear, and send help, NERV or the military, or
both.

----------------------------------------

From the jeep's rear seat, Ranko watched Rit-chan and Raccoon
carefully, as they drove through the thick fog. Ranma had become Ranko to
better act as a peacemaker, so far they hadn't tried to kill each other.
The jeep's headlights merely turned the fog ahead into a luminous
yellow, they didn't make it easier to see, although other vehicles, with
their lights on, were easier to see.
"Left up here," Raccoon said.
Ranko didn't know how Raccoon was tracking Asuka, but he seemed to be
unerringly homing in. Ranko was worried that the tension in both Raccoon
and Rit-chan would continue to build until there was an explosion. "So how
far are we?"
"I don't know, we'd have to triangulate for that," Raccoon replied
flatly, "Right at the corner."
"So why don't we do that?" Ranko tried to keep her tone light, she
felt like she was sitting on a bomb, and couldn't decide if she should set
it off before it got any bigger, or hope it would dissipate of its own
accord, I _know_ I'll say the wrong thing, Ranko admitted to herself, I
might as well do it on purpose. "So why didn't we call Maya, have two
teams?"
It took most of her martial arts skills to keep from being thrown
through the front windshield, as Rit-chan slammed on the brakes.
"If you don't trust me, why did you marry me?" Rit-chan turned and
shouted at Raccoon.
Huh, oh, the dream, Ranko positioned herself to jump in and keep the
pair apart, if necessary.
"Is that all I am?" Rit-chan sounded furious, but looked on the verge
of tears, "A toy to be played with, then put away unless you're feeling
amorous or lonely?"
"Either a Great Old One, or an Outer God sent MY dream. Maya's was
due to her unresolved feelings towards you," Raccoon replied reasonably.
That's the worst way to respond, Ranko recognized the tension in
Rit-chan, Ranma saw Nab-chan go through it, just before she belted Raccoon
for shooting at him.
"So it's fine to just tie me down and take advantage of me? Whatever
my feelings?" Rit-chan shouted hysterically.
"What _are_ your feelings?" Raccoon asked, "If even you don't know,
why are you taking such offense at dreams? Maya may not have even known
she was dreaming, and had less control of the events than the patron of a
movie."
"That makes it acceptable?"
"It makes it normal, and I said: when you're in Gendo's office, I
don't trust you. All the secrets he thinks he's keeping, aren't as secret
as he thinks they are. I don't need to drop a hammer on my foot more than
once, to know it hurts," Raccoon growled back.
Ranko couldn't get a word in edgewise to defuse the building fight,
she regretted having started this.
"I don't know why you insist on playing the same game around him.
Keeping all these secrets doesn't make you any stronger or safer. It just
gives our enemies a weapon to use against us. We're out here in this mess,
having this argument, because our oh-so-brilliant tactical commander hasn't
got the people skills God gave rocks! You people are _supposed_ to be the
adults! If you can't be worthy of the title, don't take the attendant
responsibilities. Gendo sent Shinji away because he's an _incompetent_
father, and he knows it!" Raccoon yelled at Rit-chan.
"And you think you're any better?" Rit-chan screamed back, "You walk
into trouble, and act like it's nothing. 'I can handle it.' Do you have
any idea what a bad example that sets for others?"
"Those are things that have to be done," Raccoon was hollering too, "I
don't tell them to follow me, I _tell_ them the opposite, to _not_ follow
or duplicate what I do, or are you so blind you can't see or hear that? I
never asked Ranma to follow me like a lovesick puppy!"
"HEY!" Ranko protested.
"YOU set a standard!" Rit-chan was practically waving her fist in
Raccoon's face, "He follows you, because you're a boy his age."
"Hey," Ranko shouted, "I'm right here."
"If I'm responsible, what do I need you for?" Raccoon climbed out of
the jeep.
"Fine! Run away! Again!"
The fog swallowed Raccoon and his reply.
Ranko was afraid to say anything for a few moments, as Rit-chan stared
fiercely at where Raccoon had disappeared, That didn't go as I expected, at
least they didn't kill each other. "Why did those dreams cause such a
problem?"
"I don't want to discuss it."
Ranko put on her cutest frightened look, "Are you going to thrown me
out into the foggy night too?"
Rit-chan bit back her automatic reply, glowered at Ranko, then sighed.
She seemed to deflate as her anger left her, "I don't like being called a
liar, I don't want to be a toy that other people play with for their own
amusement."
"We're all playthings of . . . the gods, fate, chance," Ranko
shrugged.
"I don't _want_ to be!" Rit-chan said angrily.
"We don't have any choice," Ranko said reasonably, "At least you know
he cares. He walked away, rather than hurt you more," Ranko hadn't
realized Raccoon repeatedly did that, until she'd said it, "He cares about
you, loves you. Maybe that's why you working with Gendo hurts him so
much."
Rit-chan tried to ignore the comment, "So how do we find him?"
Ranko considered, "We don't. He'll report in when he finds Asuka,"
she noted that Rit-chan was near tears again.
"So we go home, and wait?"
"I don't have a better idea," Ranko admitted, then asked, "Do you
remember your dreams?"
"I don't dream."
"Everybody dreams, you just don't remember," Ranko said.
"I don't dream."
Ranko felt she was on thin ice, "So you've never had dreams of being
with someone?"
"You mean being . . . attacked . . . by someone you thought you could
trust."
"You can trust him . . . and her. I had dreams like that where I
was.... the victim or target, of Nab-chan _and_ Raccoon. I wouldn't want
them to really do that, but I . . . I didn't control those dreams. If it
gets too bad, I can get out. But most of the time," Ranko squirmed
uncomfortably, "It wasn't too bad."
"'Too bad'?" Rit-chan started the jeep, and headed home, "I think it
was a lot more than not 'too bad'."
"Maya's dream about you, they were that way," Ranko climbed into the
front seat, "If you'd expected it, would you be having this problem with
Maya?"
"It's not right," Rit-chan said doggedly.
"She may not have any control," Ranko tried to make it sound
judicious, "Maybe you should talk to somebody about dreams," Ranko took a
deep breath, and plunged ahead, "Then apologize to Maya."
Ranko noted Rit-chan's knuckles whiten, she decided the conversation
was effectively over.

----------------------------------------

They're But to Do and Die

Shinji was glad he'd guessed right. Asuka, with the bruise on her
cheek, sat with Hikari in her room.
"I just wanted to see you were all right."
"I'm not," Asuka said quietly, "I'll survive."
"Maybe Raccoon can cover that up, the way he's been covering his, the
one Nabiki gave him."
"I suppose."
Shinji glanced at Hikari, she seemed as worried by Asuka's discouraged
attitude, as he was.
"You'll be coming to school tomorrow?" Shinji asked.
"Yes, Spineless, I am going to school. I don't dare inflict more
dishonor on the Great Captain of NERV. I'm already enough of an
embarrassment."
Shinji would have preferred an explosion, it would have been more
predictable.
"Where are you staying tonight?" Hikari asked.
"With Wondergirl," Asuka said with a nasty smile.
He stammered a denial, but felt better at the teasing. "I'm okay. I
slept out around Tokyo, the last time I ran away from Misato, before I was
even living with her," he smiled, "She nearly ran me over, while she was
searching, she never found me."
"I feel sorry for Pen Pen." Asuka slipped back into gloom.
"I'll look in on him tomorrow," Shinji admitted.
A knock on the door, and Hikari's father asked if Davis-san and
Ayanami-san could come up.
"I think I'd better go, before the entire staff shows up," Shinji was
happy to see Rei-chan had come looking for him.
"Captain K sent out an APB on you two," Raccoon told him as they left
Hikari's family home, "I don't think you or I are welcome at 'home',
Ikari-san."
Shinji glanced at Rei-chan, If I asked, I _could_ spent the night with
her, but I don't want to sleep on that filthy floor. "Maybe we could
switch," Shinji joked.
"I think the base is a better idea, but we'd better call in, that we
found Langley, and she's safe."
"Do we tell them where?" Rei-chan asked.
"No, unless there's an alert," Raccoon answered, "I wouldn't wish a
drunken Captain K on anyone."
Shinji nodded, "Did you see any payphones anywhere?"
"This way," Rei-chan led the trio through the fog.

----------------------------------------

Nabiki sat by the phone, only a few of the eyes and ears were
available this late. She'd only called the most trusted, she'd also called
the military. Considering what had already happened, she wasn't
comfortable with everyone running around in the dark. In her entire life,
she'd never seen fog like this, even Tokyo smog wasn't this bad.
She was glad when Ranma and Ritsuko had returned, she was also glad
she could tell them that Raccoon, Shinji and Asuka were accounted for.
"Why can't you tell us where?" Ritsuko asked in a controlled tone.
"Because Raccoon, and Captain Ramsey, asked me not to," Nabiki told
them, "I don't argue with people who know where I live, and have access to
a battleship."
"They wouldn't use the big guns on this building," Ranko said.
That was something else that bothered Nabiki. From her previous
experience, Ranma would as rapidly as possible return to his male form.
Now he was using 'Ranko' like he would any other martial arts technique,
since both Raccoon and Ritsuko reacted differently to Ranko than to Ranma.
"Funny, Captain Ramsey mentioned that," Nabiki told 'her', "He also
mentioned we're still in range of the 5-inchers, and an upgraded South
Dakota class has 20, with an additional 100+ in the harbor. That man
wanted his 'no' taken seriously."
"Okay," Ranma had returned to his male form with a little hot water
from the tap.
Ritsuko didn't look like she was ready to give up the fight that
easily.
"Besides," Nabiki said, "They didn't tell _me_. So I could hardly
tell you. Maybe we should look in on Misato? If both Asuka and Shinji
ditched her, with the intention of making it a permanent separation,"
Nabiki shrugged, "I don't think she'll deal with it well."
"We should send Maya there to console her," Ritsuko growled.
Nabiki couldn't figure out why Ritsuko was nursing this grudge,
Considering some of the dreams I've had, about Ranma, even about Kuno, she
shuddered at that thought, She had to have some, about somebody. Why is
she so bent out of shape that her assistant had some about her? Didn't she
ever listen to the way Maya says 'sempai' to her? Nabiki hated mysteries.

----------------------------------------

Shinji followed Raccoon into the simple bedroom, it was only a little
larger than his bedroom. Desk, bed, one chair, it was all Navy
standard-issue furniture.
"A bolthole, a place to hide," Raccoon said, "The bed's yours."
"Well I . . . " Shinji didn't want to kick Raccoon out of his own bed,
from what he'd heard about when 'Ranko' stayed the night, it happened often
enough.
"Shinji, I know it's your way to argue about everything, but I really
don't have any patience for being told I'm full of it, no matter how
politely. So just take the bed."
Shinji didn't think that was what he was doing, but he didn't want to
argue. He settled into the bed, considering how today had started, as
Raccoon made a bedroll on the floor. The orphanage had been another
shocking experience. He'd always wanted friends, people to look at him as
something other than what he was. The way they had looked at and talked
about him, it was more frightening than combat. Even when he told them
that, it didn't offend them or drive them away. They thought he was being
modest, falsely modest at that. The price of that adoration, was to talk
about himself, somehow he couldn't talk about how afraid he was, how
worthless he was. They wouldn't accept it, it was mind-boggling. They
accepted he wasn't the best of the pilots, but they all implied he'd get
better. Couldn't they see I am a coward? he wondered, it was as if they
were as blind as Raccoon was to Ranko/Ranma.
"What do you have to hide from?" Shinji asked, it was as if Ranma had
admitted to being afraid of something. What was Asuka's word Unglaublich!
[Unbelievable!]
"Shinji-san," Raccoon began, then switched to English, "Your way, your
people's way, is as alien to me as our enemies. I can study them, but they
are not me, and never will be. Do you understand why I have to hide?"
"No," he could interpret the words, but not the meaning behind them.
He was glad Raccoon switched back to Japanese.
"Eastern Asia, from India to Japan, the overriding philosophy, is to
be one with the surroundings, to be harmonious. Because advancement to the
next level only occurs to those in harmony."
"That sounds about right," Shinji had never been religious or
philosophical, but it wasn't too far off from what everyone, including
Misato, kept telling him. 'Do as you're told,' 'Don't make waves,' 'Don't
stand up too far,' and so on.
"Also Creator and creation are one and the same, or were in the past."
"So?" That one Shinji knew, the Kami's looked after everything, except
their enemies.
"From Iran west, through Jewish, Christian, Moslem, even Western
atheist and Communist thought, the world is a battle field between good and
evil, you have one and only one chance through life. At the end, you will
be judged, by God or posterity, by how much of an improvement you made, how
much good you made versus how you assisted evil. Since Created and Creator
aren't the same, and never have been, the world is incomplete, but
inherently perfectible. America is essentially 125 million people arguing
about how best to do that."
"Here, you get in trouble for doing that," Shinji admitted, "You
especially."
"Don't I know it. There are times I want to take, more strenuous
actions, when 'Our way is the only way' gets crammed down my throat by
morons who wouldn't even understand there _is_ another way of looking at
things."
"Misato-san," Shinji had heard her lecturing Asuka on the same things,
until Asuka was nearly ready to hit someone.
"I wouldn't