World End’s Messiah - NGE/SKU Chapter 5

World End’s Messiah - NGE/SKU, post series both series

All NGE and SKU characters belong to their respective owners.

Summary: He felt like he had to strangle her then, because no way should her pale skin be growing dark from right underneath his fingertips.


http://archiveofourown.org/works/548356
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8650175/1/World-End-s-Messiah
http://forums.ohtori.nu/viewtopic.php?id=3248
http://forum.evageeks.org/thread/13327/World-Ends-Messiah-NGE-SKU-post-series-both-series/

Chapter 5

“This . . . is Nerv HQ now?”

“Yes.”

“Himemiya-san . . . when you said you’ve somehow resurrected Nerv HQ ‘with modifications where necessary’, I had no idea that you meant having remodeled like the entire place.”

“It is in our race’s nature to contort our places of dwelling around ourselves, Commander Katsuragi.”

Looking over the Command Center – now resembling some fairytale castle set existing jarringly against the pre-existing hi-tech LED screens – Misato had to slowly inhale to keep calm.   This Himemiya alien was just so self-centered in her takeover approach – to the exclusion of any input from the original Nerv staff, whom she appeared to value as little more than convenient pawns; the way she said “Commander” also pricked at Misato’s sensitivity, much like spruce spines against bare skin . . .

“ . . . not much of a team player, are you?”

“I never have been.”

Somehow, Misato found Himemiya’s softly uttered reply to be more melancholic than arrogant.  To be fair, this one was much less annoying than those many power players (a.k.a. Seele puppets) she had to deal with throughout her military career; the “girl” was apparently this goddess-like First Ancestral Entity, and that in itself deserved respect from a mere human such as herself.

Then again, that did not mean she herself – as the current Commander – should (or could) keep her concerns silent.

“Still, to go so far as to replace the Magis . . .”

“All data from the Magis has since been incorporated into the Shadows – it’s the only system on this planet equipped to deal with what we’re up against.”

“But, to replace a trio set with a duo . . .”

//“Oh, you don’t have to worry about us being inferior by number, Commander Madam-sama!”//

The high, girlish squeal suddenly blasting out from the workstation’s speaker sent Misato jolting.  Quickly glancing down upon the computer’s re-ignited screen, the woman saw two girlish silhouettes in puffy sleeves and short skirts waving jauntily up and at her.

//“You know what they say – where there are E-ko and F-ko, there shall be Many-kos!”//

//”Nobody knows about any of that in this continuity, F-ko.”//

//”R-Right!  Still, we got more personality than all three aspects of that old hag crammed together into the same OS, so E-ko and F-ko for the win!”//

//“Is it really wise to say ‘old hag’ in front of a woman nearing the Big Three O?”//

//“Err . . .”//

“. . . forget what I said,” grumbled the “woman nearing the Big Three O” while flipping off the mini-speaker, as she then took a moment to better study the changes done to the colossal Command Room – from the jagged castle walls of framing the Command Stations, the stained glass frames outlining the display screens, down to the new “bisected-rose motif” Nerv logo, with the text “SMASH THE WORLD’S SHELL, FOR THE REVOLUTION OF THE WORLD.” superimposed above an inverted apple in the background . . . 

“I still can’t believe this is the same place I’ve been working at for all this time,” she mused in genuine bewilderment.  “Sure, I know all this has been rebuilt from scratch – can’t even begin to imagine how you’re doing this – but being here now . . . it felt like the entire structure here is a part of your body, and that we’re all being held captive inside you . . .” Her voice trailed off at seeing what appeared to be a mouse-sized monkey playfully rolling a sizable gastropod shell around the workstation’s table top.  “Oh . . .”

“This is Chu-Chu,” introduced Himemiya, vapid expression warming up as she petted the diminutive creature on its head, “he has been my sole companion for a very long time.”

“I’ve no idea you’re into exotic pets too . . .” smiling in spite of herself, Misato (who missed her own penguin pet dearly) reached out to pet the monkey’s soft pelt,  “Hey, Chu-Chu . . .”

Just then, sharp claws shot out from the large shell Chu-Chu had been playing with all along, startling the woman into quickly retracting her hand; looking shocked itself, the furry creature quickly grabbed onto a pen, and started “dueling” the emerged mini-beast under her incredulous gaze.

“Is that a . . . ?”

“Chu-Chu makes the most unique friends,” said Himemiya, as she smoothly picked up the shell-inhabiting creature, and placed it back into one of the many small plastic tanks stacked at a corner of her workstation; Chu-Chu, for its part, quickly scurried off the desk and out of sight.

“Umm . . . is it okay to let Chu-Chu run free?” asked Misato, worried.

“Oh, Chu-Chu knows his way back to me,” assured Himemiya.  “Being from the pre-impact era, are you familiar with the hermit crab, Commander?”

“Eh?” 

“Once it inhabits a shell, the crab can move it about as an extension of itself.  Certain species can also form symbiotic relationships with other life forms, like anemones--”

“Just like how it is between you and us, now.” Misato, who was indeed familiar with the once-common marine crustacean, immediately understood what was really being said.  “With you being the crab, Lilith’s Egg being your shell, and all of us the anemones you’ve picked up to arrange and maneuver as your defensive weapons.”
 
“Different species engage in symbiosis for mutual benefits,” said Himemiya, gently addressing the underlying disgruntlement evident in the new Nerv Commander’s words.  “The Rose of Light is humanity’s . . . no, this planet’s final hope of revival.  It is in our common interest to guard it against my brother’s greed.”

“So what actually happens if your brother get his hands on the Rose?” questioned Misato, trying to pry out as much info as possible now that she had displayed her untrusting stance.  “Will it be like an annihilation thing . . . like a Fourth Impact?”

Himemiya shook her head.  “No, the seed-based life forms will all still live – eternally even; only now they would be living as extensions of my brother, and will be made to carry out his will as living tools.”  Her steady, even gaze remained upon Misato, who eventually looked away. 

“Fair,” admitted the Commander, grudgingly.  “But I still don’t see how much we, the Nerv staff, could help.  Even though most of us here comes from a military background, Nerv HQ is not technically a military base; most importantly, there are no longer any Evas around for us to use as defense weapon should your brother come attacking.”

“The children of Adam have genetic patterns sharing a 99.89% similarity to that of the Lilims; the same applies to the Evangelions.”

Misato blinked at the baffling statement.  “. . . and?” 

Himemiya exhaled in a such way that almost suggested exasperation.  “We shall have Evas, when Evas are to be needed.” Her expression then darkened.  “It should be soon: I’m plenty certain that my brother has since gotten his own set of weapons prepared.”

Knowing that she was unlikely to get any less opaque explanation from the alien, Misato decided to change topics. 

“About the change of Nerv HQ Chief Scientist . . .” 

“Utena had tried contacting Akagi-san with the Seed’s help – she did not appear to have heeded the call.  That is why I’ve brought in Professor Nemuro, who is already familiar with the many modifications I’ve since made to Nerv HQ, to fill the position; Inspector Chida, who had worked with and is familiar with Professor Nemuro, is fitting as his consultant.”

Glancing down from their elevated tower, Misato observed how Nemuro – an icily fine-featured young gent – was generating this aloof, alienating aura from where he worked no-nonsense-ly at his station; Chida – an elegant gamine – was going back and forth between the Professor and the (reasonably on edge) computer technicians, playing the role of “go-between” with apparent competence and grace.

Craptastic interpersonal skills aside, the First Ancestral chick knew how to run things.     

“So, Himemiya-san . . . you know who has or hasn’t been contacted by Tenjou-san to come back?”

“I know what Utena allows me to know.”

“Then . . .” Misato had to consciously keep her voice steady as she finally asked the one question that had been haunting her since her return,  “do you know if Kaji Ryoji, who worked for Nerv, also got . . . contacted?”  What followed was one heart-stopping-ly long moment, during which the woman of military background was almost reduced to hysteria, before Himemiya mercifully answered her question.

“He has.”

Hope soared in the woman‘s thumping heart.  “Then . . .”

“The people who returned here at Nerv all did so by their own decision,” stated Himemiya.  “There are those who might decide to take other paths after the contact.”

“But Kaji has returned to this world,” persisted Misato, a pleading tone evident in her voice. “ . . . right?”

Himemiya’s expression was one of gentle empathy. “After the contact, neither Rei nor Utena could again detect his presence from within the collective consciousness; that is the best answer I can give you for the moment.”

“But--”

Just then, sirens began going off.  Warning signs started flashing upon the various screens across the control room, as the Shadows’ girlish voices blasted out through the speakers:

//“Warning!  Warning!”// 

//“Extremely strong wave of magic detected from the general direction of Ohtori Academy, which has somehow appeared within the region right after the Third Impact!”//

The bottom holographic screen turned on to display the current Ohtori Academy campus, now standing tall and immaculate beside the night-cloaked LCL shore.  Up front, another LED screen showed a black and white photo of what looked like a darkly handsome man – one clearly related to Himemiya – with his various stats clearly printed in magenta:

Title: The Ends of the World
Name: Ohtori Akio (was Himemiya Akio (was Dios))
Age: N/A
Sibling/Other half: Himemiya Anthy
Notable Abilities: Control over Time.  Control over Reality.  Control over all Life Forms and Objects (including Machineries).  Control over the World’s Hatred.  Control over . . . see “Subsection” on Right-hand Screen for a complete listing
Trump Card:  Ikari Shinji, the one whose will dominates that of the Collective Consciousness.
Estimated Odds of beating Anthy in upcoming Power Struggle: 50/50 

//“Akio-san is as beautiful as he is dangerous – just like his sister!”//

//“Speaking of which, I wonder just how did he move like an entire school campus all the way to beside Tokyo-3 from the old Houou City?  I mean, even if he could lift the buildings and the pavements . . . what about the underground infrastructure?”//

//“Ah, don’t you know? That’s why it’s called magic!”//

//“I wonder, I woooonder--”//

“Shadows,” Nemuro cut the girlish musings off with his own crisp tenor, now coming through the comm link for all to hear, “report specifics regarding this magic currently detected.”

//“H-Hai!”// The Shadows’ high string voices actually turned somber with cautious respect.   //“Magic confirmed to be powered upon First Ancestral life energies.”//

“Deeper.  Go deeper.”

//“Magic appeared to be one that brings about genetic pattern modification.”//

“Probability of the Ends of the World using such magic to create bio weapons capable of endangering Nerv HQ?”

//“Over 95 percent.”//

“Report Patterns detected.”

//“The entire Ohtori Academy campus exudes Pattern Red – indication of its current possessor exerting his First Ancestral life force to power his magic.  Our sensors also picked up on a rapidly developing Sepia Pattern from this certain building within the campus . . .”//

“Zoom in on the exact building where Pattern Sepia is detected – pierce through the A.T. layers with Dios’ Light if necessary.”

//“Roger!”//

High above the gathered staff – most of them were now gawking at the Professor’s easy control over the seemingly capricious Shadow System – Misato mulled over the fresh-revealed info with a disconcerted frown.

“Pattern Sepia . . . just like when Shinji-kun got salvaged from out of Unit 01’s entry plug.”

“Ikari Shinji-kun is likely undergoing . . . something at this very moment,” supplied Himemiya, somewhat too vapidly.  “It chills my heart to think of the possible designs my brother might have in store for the boy – one who controls the will of all those within the collective consciousness even now . . .” 

“Himemiya-san,” snapping under the stress of worry, Misato finally decided she had had enough of the alien’s manipulative ways, “you know everything about what we’re up against, while we of Nerv do not.  So, if you got useful tactics to offer, please don’t be convoluted in your presentation and just. Be. Direct.” 

“I understand,” smiled the alien at her; somewhat demurely, even.  “Then, Commander Katsuragi . . . would you mind going through genetic pattern modifications, so Nerv can again have a Eva to use?”

To Be Continued . . . ?

Notes:  Much thanks to DuncanR, Gob Hobblin, and Lurv for having given fic-enhancing pointers to better this work. Hectic real life aside, I do hope I can continue this to completion (crossing fingers here).