Destiny: Gospel of a New Genesis [Evangelion/Destiny]

[Ultra Sonic 007]

"Um. Thank you." Shinji couldn't quite pinpoint the source of his reasoning, but he genuinely thought that this man saw him. Not Shinji the Guardian, or Shinji the Ahamkara Slayer (if he was even aware)...just Shinji. "My name's Ikari. Shinji Ikari."

Nagisa smiled. "Tell me, Shinji; what do you think of this world?"

"...I don't like it." It was brutally honest. Despite trace impressions of constant battle in his old life, there had not been the sense of encroaching desolation that gripped the City. "It's...scary."

"Indeed. There are many who are frightened by the course of events." The red-eyed Awoken gestured at the vast hangar, filled with Frames and technicians working on jumpships, rife with Guardians moving to and fro. "The Vanguard often speaks of incremental gains made in past years: the construction of the Barrier that surrounds the City; the rebuff of the Fallen at the Battle of Six Fronts; surviving the massive assault from the Houses of Bardiel, Ramiel, Iruel, and Israfel at Twilight Gap; the steady extension of patrol zones, to the point where missions can even be conducted at the Cosmodrome." He smiled enigmatically, and there was an odd accusation in his eyes. "And yet, for the work of centuries, it seems...inadequate."

"...how so?"

"There are many who believe that the Traveler is our last hope. That, without the protection offered, even in its dormant state..." Nagisa trailed off, as though remembering something. "However, I believe that it is a mistake."

"Why?"

"Because false hope can be deadlier than no hope at all."

It was a perspective that Shinji hadn't quite conceived of, before. As long as he could recall, the Traveler had been the key to...well, everything. The idea of a future without the Traveler was downright bizarre. "...why do you think that?"

"It is a simple reflection of fate. The Age of the Traveler is waning; the forces of the Darkness are beginning to surge, seeking to finish what was begun eons ago. To begin living again, it is the belief of Seele that the people of Earth must spread beyond the Solar System, far and wide. In the meantime, the City is...a necessary evil."

"...I don't know..."

"Consider the origin of our name: according to what records we possess, SEELE was a philanthropic organization in the days before the Collapse, fostering many different technological initiatives, with and without the Traveler's influence. Although the Traveler's gifts were substantial, it would be foolish to discount the ingenuity of our people...though, perhaps a demonstration would be in order." His red eyes shifted to the side, catching someone as they spoke to a vendor for Seele's armory. "Ah, Tarlowe!"

The male Titan turned around, his BRONTIOS Type 1 armor colored a mix of green and yellow; the helmet was wrapped in a curved sheet of white metal, an additional layer of protection for the head. "Yes?"

"What was on your itinerary today?"

"Hmm." The man's voice was somewhat gruff, yet there is an air of good humor underneath. "Well, the recent report from the Order of Takanome indicated an incoming group of refugees from the south. Was going to get a team together to pull escort duty with the Pilgrim's Guard."

Nagisa tapped Shinji on the shoulder. "Well, I have your Hunter right here."

"...he's a new guy, isn't he?"

Nagisa's smile was downright cherubic. "I prefer the term 'potential recruit'."

"Can he fight?"

Nagisa looked meaningfully at him. Shinji frowned, slowly clenching his fist. "I...I can. I don't like to. But I can."

The man called Tarlowe shrugged. "I suppose I'll be the judge of that before long. Though I can't say much about your current set-up." He glanced up and down at this armor...well, really, it was just Shinji's old Plug Suit with metal bits overlaying it. "Do you even have a gun?"

"He can have a set of basic gear from our armory."

Tarlowe chuckled at Nagisa's words. "Generous, aren't you?"

"He can repay me with resources found on the outside." Nagisa turned back towards Shinji; his enigmatic smile didn't seem to have budged at all. "I believe that once you see more of what is out there, you'll come to understand."

"...okay." It was something to do, at least. Also, the prospect of helping refugees...of helping people who had been in his situation...it was nice. He bowed slightly in Tarlowe's direction. "My name is Shinji Ikari. Please take care of me."

"...I really hope that's either a joke or some old cultural thing, because I'm not gonna hold your hand."

Shinji bolted back up, eyes wide at the sudden hostility. "Oh. I'm sorry, I mean-!"

"HA! Just kidding, kid." He stepped forward, shaking him on the shoulder. "The name's Vell Tarlowe. I'll be sure to take care of you."

 

[Timerider]

So let me see if I've got this right.
NERV= New Monarchy.
WILLE= Future War Cult.
SEELE= Dead Orbit.
I know you mentioned New Monarchy earlier, but they seem to be rather similar. Plus it insures all the factions correlate to each other nicely.

Also, SEELE remembered as a successful, charity-focused, high-tech think tank? Even though I'm certain that was their public face back in the day, it still rings a bit oddly to me.

So, putting Shinji with the Dead Orbit analogue. I really don't know what to make of this. I understand the need (or urge) to have Shinji join a faction, I am not certain as to its necessity. Although WILLE and NERV are clearly out (the latter for obvious reason) SEELE's philosophy doesn't seem to mesh well with him. At the heart of it, the goal is running away from the Traveler, Earth, and everything else in the universe that is guaranteed to be full of nasties. (Remember the Darkness is BIG, and pretty much everywhere) And what is Shinji's (in)famous survival mantra? So no, I am not convinced of this right now. Although that could change later.

I actually believe that Shinji would more likely stay as a mostly independent freelancer. Running Vanguard missions with or without a fireteam. Even with most of his memories muddled, he would still probably be wary of getting involved with any potentially political shenanigans. But I do admit the urge for social companionship would drive him to look at the various groups. (which it looks like it already did)

Actually, now that I think about it, rough start aside, WILLE could possibly be a good place for him. Think about it. He stays the nice guy most of the time, even under fire. But when the fight gets serious,

"Center the Target... Pull the switch."

So yeah. Maybe, maybe not. You're right in that they would pretty much scare him off at first glance. Though seeing Shinji go cold-berserker would be an amazing treat at some point.

More food for thought. Destiny's story is about a single hero rising up and vanquishing colossal monstrosities and endless hordes against all odds. Shinji Ikari... is not that type of hero to say the least. In cannon anyway. Don't think I've forgotten what you did with MFE. So my point here is how much, if any, are we going to see of the main Destiny questline? Offscreen lore aside, I enjoyed it a lot. Especially the expansions. Even though the mythos here is very mix-and-mashed I still would like to see at least some of those adventures here.

 

[Ultra Sonic 007]

*snip of insightful speculation*

Click to shrink...

I think I'll let this snippet answer some of those questions for you.

xxxx

The Tracker 1.0 armor practically defined bare bones. The brown plating over his torso, arms, and legs were interwoven with leather and something called 'field wire'. His helmet was bit nicer - 'This one is actually armored!' his Ghost had oh-so-helpfully exclaimed - with a large opaque visor and a thick orange stripe running along the brown material. The only item that appeared customized at all was a dark cloak with hood, bearing the sigil of Seele in silver. The 'Cloak of the Vigilant', it had been called, marking his affiliation with the faction (one of the few things he shared with the other members of his fireteam: some sort of item marking supposed 'allegiance' to Seele). 'Part of the cost of the gear', he had been told.

Speaking of gear, he looked down once more at the scout rifle he had been given: the Trax Mallus II, colored a steely gray. It felt...dependable.

As for Yui?

'And properly utilizing your Light to manipulate the electromagnetic interactions between matter is the key to manifesting your Flux Grenade. The particular form is-'

She had been rattling on and on about something called 'Arc' energy, which was part of his current 'subclass', and once he matured enough in its usage he could learn how to properly 'shift' his Light so he could become a 'Gunslinger' or, if he was lucky, a 'Nightstalker'.

He just let her talk. She provided easy background noise for his fireteam's silence, broken only by the crunch of boots against rock as they journeyed south through the Lesser Caucasus.

Vell Tarlowe had point, the thick yellow pauldrons and greaves of his armor catching the afternoon sunlight brilliantly; a hefty auto rifle was in his hands, and a rather menacing shotgun was strapped to his back. Walking just behind him in an elaborate coat of sorts - a mix of burgundy and black, its front bearing designs similar to fire, and the chest bearing a yellow emblem with six metal badges - was a female Exo, wearing a helmet far more sleek than his or Tarlowe's. Strapped to her back with a hand cannon and a smaller sidearm.

There was an easy distance between the two. They were...comfortable around each other, despite the stretch of silence.

Shinji didn't feel that breaking it would be right.

'-once you're able to master those particular forms, splitting it to create a Skip Grenade will be easy-'

Yui.

'Yes?'

...am I doing the right thing?

'What do you mean?'

He tugged at the hem of his cloak. I mean, not that I don't appreciate the equipment...but I don't know if I can work with Seele.

("I CAN'T! I CAN'T PILOT THAT THING!")​

I...I don't even know if I believe Nagisa-san or not.

'Well, there's always other factions. Or you could choose not to join a faction at all.'

But...I don't know if I can do this without help. Or even if I want to.

'You wouldn't be the first Hunter to be a lone wolf. Besides, you've always got me!'

...thank you.

"So." The Exo finally spoke up. "Is the new kid ever going to talk?"

Tarlowe shrugged. "Not everyone's a chatterbox, Eriana."

Eriana-3 huffed. "Most new Guardians can't wait to try and strut their stuff."

"Counter-example: Wei Ning."

"...good point." The Exo chuckled. "She used to be such a meek little creature..."

"So. How's life in your Order? Still trying to break into the European Dead Zone?"

"The House of Arael is still impenetrable. Even our thanatonautic forays are met with a twisted, shadowy radiance that poisons. This mission is my vacation."

"Hmm."

"And you?"

"Doing some scavenging. Been trying to find more equipment for jump drives. The more ships we have, the better."

"...oh for the Traveler's sake." Eriana-3 turned around, her posture almost accusing. "You're more than welcome to jump in at any time."

Shinji blinked. "Oh. Um...sorry. I...didn't want to interrupt you two."

Tarlowe chuckled. "I'm thinking this kid responds better to overt instruction instead of clues."

That was an accurate insight, mused Shinji. "Well...I'm not that interesting. I liked listening to you."

"Well how about that, Eriana? Someone who doesn't want me to shut up."

"Very funny, Vell."

As the two old friends continued their banter, Shinji chanced a look up at the Moon, moving slowly through the sky; he briefly marveled at the physical changes and deep rents it now bore, shining with a pale green light. "...do either of you know what happened to make the Moon look like that?" He had learned quite a bit from his Ghost regarding missions against the Fallen, and the continued campaign to expand the City's territory. The current condition of Earth's natural satellite hadn't been addressed.

The Titan and Warlock briefly stilled. "...ever heard of the Hive, kid?"

Shinji briefly nodded. "I've...overheard some people talk about it." Only in passing, and in hushed tones; he hadn't thought much of it at the time. Looking up and seeing the Moon, he wondered if the fear wasn't justified. "Did...the Hive do that to the Moon?"

"Yes." Eriana-3 briefly levitated across a gap, moving onto a higher trail adjacent to his and Tarlowe's. "We don't know how long they hid within the Moon. Only that, during the days of the Collapse, they emerged, claiming it for themselves. Outposts, bases, research facilities...all lost to us."

"...and we haven't gone back?"

"There is no official Vanguard support for any Guardian that wants to venture to the Moon," explained Tarlowe. "Early on...after Six Fronts...we tried to take it back."

"Tried?"

"Eriana and I were among the hundreds who went up there. We were still high on the glory of repelling the House of Bardiel, and we wanted to make a statement." The Titan chuckled bitterly. "We weren't prepared at all."

"...what happened?"

"...Crota," muttered Eriana-3. "We gave up the Moon to keep them away from Earth."

"It could've been a lot worse," admitted Tarlowe, casually jumping atop a series of boulders, reaching a ledge that overlooked the southern slopes of the mountain range. "Honestly...it was a damn miracle that allowed so many of us to get away."

Shinji lightly jumped up to where Tarlowe was, inwardly marveling at how easy moving around was. Joining up with the Titan and the Warlock, he looked down: past the vast forest, which gradually became fields of grass and grain, adjacent to a vast lake. "Now if the report was correct...the refugee caravan should be at the eastern shore of Sevan Lake now..." Vell Tarlowe leaned forward, seemingly squinting at the horizon. "Ah. There." He pointed; a small convoy of weathered vehicles was moving at a steady pace, their exhaust kicking up small clouds of dust. "Doesn't look like they're too beat up...I wonder how far they've traveled from?"

"You can ask them when they get to the City," said Eriana-3. "We're here to provide overwatch from afar, and prevent anything unsavory from getting to the civilians."

"Yeah yeah, I know."

Shinji watched the distant caravan, feeling the mountain winds brush against him. This was...oddly pleasant. The afternoon weather was beautiful, and the steady camaraderie between Vell Tarlowe and Eriana-3 was nice, if somewhat enviable. Even the dark story of the Moon and the Hive wasn't enough to dim the atmosphere completely. If something so horrible is on our own Moon...then what else is out there? He glanced up at the Moon, and the deep blue sky, wondering what other horrors lied beyond. Is it really any better out there than here...? He blinked. Wait...what? "What are those?"

Tarlowe and Eriana-3 looked up.

From the Moon, over three dozen dots were approaching, and growing larger.

"...oh no..." muttered Tarlowe, his tone laced with dread.

Shinji turned towards the Titan; his easygoing demeanor was gone, and his entire frame was tight with tension. "What's wrong?"

"...Seeder Ships," snarled Eriana. "They're back."

 

[BYapes]

...oh dear. Shinji, I do hope you're good at handling swarms.

 

[Sakuya's Butler]

...oh dear. Shinji, I do hope you're good at handling swarms.

Click to shrink...

Ironically, that is just about the only monster trope that wasn't thrown at Shinji in EVA canon.

 

[Ultra Sonic 007]

The dots, in truth, were spears: arrowheads of gray metal and green fire, arcane and sick with hate. Almost all of these spears, these Seeder Ships, soared beyond the horizon; one came even closer, smashing into the southern shores of Sevan Lake. Dirt and soil erupted into the sky, blotting out the sun's light. The very shook beneath their feat, the collision's shock wave nearly bowling them over.

Eriana-3's Ghost manifested above her palm. "Auron. Status?"

The deeply male voice rumbled, "Fireteams are beginning to converge. I'm sending word to the Vanguard."

"Good." The Exo's Ghost flickered away, and she was free to grab her hand cannon and sidearm. "Let's go!" Without hesitation, Eriana-3 jumped off of the ledge, gently gliding every few seconds with a glittery burst of Light.

Shinji boggled. "What...what the?!"

Vell Tarlowe patted him roughly on the back. "You say you know how to fight? Well, here's your chance." Undaunted, Tarlowe followed Eriana, bursts of Light shifting his momentum forward.

"...uh..."

'Well, no time like the present.'

Shinji gulped; not knowing exactly how to duplicate his teammates' feats, he settled for running at full speed down the side of the mountain, letting gravity increase his momentum. I mustn't run away. His feet felt so light. I mustn't run away. His hands held the scout rifle tightly. I mustn't run away. Far in the distance, he could hear a distant shriek that pierced him down to the bones.

(The roar rattled him, a promise of destruction for rejecting their gifts.)
​

It was depressingly familiar, and so he endured. I mustn't run away!

xxxx

Her name was Aya, and she stared Death - perhaps it merited status as a proper noun, a personification of the dead, the dying, and death-dealing - in the face.

This young girl, an Awoken-human hybrid, was part of a group that had finally decided to brave the Wild, the wastes that were dominated by the Fallen; the siren call of the City, and the hope of the Traveler, had become too sweet to ignore. The coasts had been off-limits: the House of Gaghiel ruled the world's oceans. However, moving too far into the Arabian Dead Zone would invite the attention of the House of Shamshel, those miserable snakes that delved through desert sands with ease.

By the time the caravan had encountered its first Guardian, in the eastern hills of what once been called Anatolia, over half of their number had been killed, despite their careful paranoia.

As they had advanced further to the northeast, more Guardians had been seen, those legendary, undying warriors. To see them fight the Fallen - pinpoint shots bringing down Shamshelim; missiles of purple lights annihilating the flesh of a titanic Shamshelus before rockets and fiery hammers brought it down - had been like something out of a story, an epic, a myth.

It had all been very fascinating.

To make it this far - to see the top of the Traveler, looming over the distant mountains - only to perish was awfully inconvenient. It was a strange way to think of her impending doom, yet it was no less the truth.

Snarling and shrieking, they emerged from the dust kicked up by the horrific ship: humanoids, lean and sharp and angular, living skeletons with dead chitin and hate that was not of anything with life. They were truly a hellish host, swarming with deadly speed.

She watched mutely as bullets smashed into the tide of bone and claws, destroying some of these creatures - these Thralls of anger and wrath - in a burst of fire and ash. And yet where the Guardians numbered twenty, and her caravan numbered in the dozens, these furies numbered in the hundreds. Fields of fire overlapped, but they just kept coming. The feral beasts leapt forward, nails gleaming in the dust-choked light of Sol.

Then, there was a greater Light.

A burning phoenix emerged, striding through the battlefield. Palms unleashed bursts of vaporizing fire, and threw grenades that manifested as great orbs of liquid flame. "Tarlowe, shield!" roared the woman.

A bulky Titan - someone new, that Aya had not seen before - fell amidst the carnage behind the burning-woman-who-did-not-burn, limbs lashing out. A dome of Light, radiant with varied shades of blue and purple, popped into being around him; like a beacon, it inexorably drew the Thralls to strike at it, gathering around like ants on a tasty morsel. The Titan's fists flashed through the shield, knuckles shimmering with Light.

Hands - human hands - suddenly wrapped around her waist. "Hold on!"

Aya blinked briefly as she was hoisted away, brought towards a large hovercraft trailer at the center of the caravan. The more able-boded men quickly snatched her away, dragging her towards the huddle of children and unarmed adults gathered in the center of the trailer.

She kept her eyes on the Guardian - a young man, perhaps a boy, she thought oddly - as he turned around, leaping atop a large truck and opening fire on the horde.

This was a less inconvenient outcome.

xxxx

Center the target...pull the trigger.

Bang!

(Center the target...pull the trigger.)​

Bang!

Center the target...pull the trigger.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

It was a mantra, a prayer, a habit; it was almost disheartening how easy it was to fall into this trance.

(The first of the wyrms had nearly ended him. Months later, when a proverbial hydra torched probability itself with its gaze, he put out its eyes with pinpoint shots.)
​

The inhuman, monstrous nature of the Hive only made it easier. His brought up his left hand - instinctively gathering Arc energy, imagining electricity forming as Yui had described it - and threw the sparking orb into a mass of Thralls. The Flux Grenade attached to the head of one; in a burst of lightning, it and four others were vaporized.

Aiming back down the scope of his scout rifle, Shinji observed the various Guardians around them: mostly Titans, with fists that sparked with electricity, fists that shimmered with protective brilliance, fists that burned with scorching embers. Despite the fantastic abilities he witnessed, despite the awesome combat skills of the other Guardians...the Hive were simply overwhelming.

'Oh dear.'

Yui?

'This might not go well.'

What? How could it get worse?!

Then, emerging from the thick cloud of dirt and smoke that still shrouded the Seeder Ship, were green eyes - arranged as triads, gleaming with malice - in the dozens.

And then bolts of purple fire erupted from the cloud like hail.

 

[StatelessGem]

Then, emerging from the thick cloud of dirt and smoke that still shrouded the Seeder Ship, were green eyes - arranged as triads, gleaming with malice - in the dozens.

And then bolts of purple fire erupted from the cloud like hail.

Click to shrink...

Welp, better hope it's not Void Burn amirite? XD

 

[Ultra Sonic 007]

Welp, better hope it's not Void Burn amirite? XD

Click to shrink...

You'd hope.

The Shredder, like so much Hive technology, appears to be an arcane joining of uncharted sciences that verge on magic. It has no discernible mechanism. But in the hands of a Hive warrior, it generates bolts of Void fire.

Click to shrink...

 

[BYapes]

What? How could it get worse?!

Then, emerging from the thick cloud of dirt and smoke that still shrouded the Seeder Ship, were green eyes - arranged as triads, gleaming with malice - in the dozens.

And then bolts of purple fire erupted from the cloud like hail.

Click to shrink...

Dammit, Shinji!! Never ask that question! I thought you knew that.

 

[Ultra Sonic 007]

Guardians ducked in and out of the Void rain, smashing through Thralls as they went. The living-yet-unliving soldiers possessed harder armor over their chitinous flesh, framing their legs, arms, torsos, and head in rocky bone the color of fresh blood. Armed with weapons that spat purple fire, these zealous fighters - Acolytes of a dark power - moved forward without fear.

Shinji idly noted that they still had heads. Center the target...pull the trigger.

Bang!

Burning into ash, the approaching Acolytes refocused their fire on him. Grimacing, the young Guardian hopped backwards, dropping behind the weathered trunk. He glanced down at the corner of his HUD, scowling at his ammo counter. I'm running low...

'There might be some ammo blocks elsewhere in the cara-'

A new sound suddenly joined the chorus of shrieks: deeper, booming, authoritative. What...what was that?

'Nothing good.'

Shinji peered around the corner of the truck, looking over the hood towards the Seeder Ship in the distance: hulking figures, ten in total, emerged from dusty haze. Their entire bodies were covered in that same bony armor, thick and angular, appearing as metal instead of bone. With their steady stride and self-assured movements, they were as Knights, commanding the lesser peons in battle. They slowly split apart, turning their hideous gaze towards nearby Guardians; some wielded immense blades of fossilized bone and horrific metal, more like cleavers than swords. Others wielded gigantic cannons that gleamed with the light of ancient stars; with hollow screams, these weapons lobbed bolts of rotting electromagnetic energy over the battlefield, crashing with deadly force.

'...I would be quick about getting ammo.'

Yeah. Shinji was about to turn around when, in the corner of his vision, he saw Vell Tarlowe, alternating between punches and shotgun blasts against the tide of Thralls that threatened to overwhelm him. A bolt from the booming cannon was soaring towards him. ...no...! "TARLOWE-SAN!"

His cry went unheeded, as the great bolt slammed into Tarlowe's position.

BOOM!

The Titan scowled, his armor's shields flickering-

Down came another bolt.

BOOM!

This one was dead-on, smashing into his body. The Titan was enveloped in a burst of starfire, his body sparking as a horde of Thralls leapt upon him.

Shinji's eyes widened.

(He witnessed from afar as civilians fled from the rampaging dragon. Resigning himself to yet another battle, he stepped forward to save them.)​

He impulsively chucked a Flux Grenade at the crowd of monstrosities. An explosion of lightning dissolved the Thralls, clearing Tarlowe's body. Eriana-3 was already there, chucking two Solar Grenades around the fallen Titan that continued to burn and burn. Running quickly through the gap in the fiery wall, Shinji impulsively knelt down as the Titan's Ghost emerged, illuminating the corpse with blue light. "Tarlowe-san...!"

"Focus kid, I need you to keep the Thralls away for just a little longer!" The Exo was firing with her sidearm in one hand and the hand cannon in another, taking down Thralls with pinpoint shots. In the distance, blazing hammers and purple energy blasts soared towards the Acolytes and Knights; as more Thralls and Acolytes perished, the Knights summoned massive shields of shadow that hungrily devoured everything that came their way.

The Knight that had fired the killing blow against Vell Tarlowe prepared to attack once more. If one didn't know any better...one could say that the beast was sneering, smiling with sick glee.

Shinji's eyes narrowed to a hard focus. You...!

(As his scream of anguish faded, the massive wyrm emerged from the nuclear fire, scorched but alive. The blue cyclops did not. And thus did his screams became rage personified.)​

Eriana audibly snarled. "Kid, are you listening-?!"

Will and instinct and experience provided the form: Shinji's entire body, glowing with Light, crackled with an electrical aura as two sparking blades manifested in his hands.

And he answered the horrid howls of the Hive with one of his own.

"RAAAAAAAAAA!!!"

'Oh my.'

Shinji stormed past the impromptu barrier formed by the Solar Grenades, a proverbial bolt of lightning that sliced through Thrall after Thrall, tearing his way through the masses of bone and corrupted flesh. The Knight opened fire, unleashing bolt after bolt at him, but he was simply too quick. Before the Knight knew it, Shinji was upon him, and he was still screaming. The young Guardian danced around the beast, cutting through ancient armor and slicing into even older flesh in a flurry of slashes. Finally, in a simultaneous crossing of the arms, he beheaded the Knight, his blades discharging an immense current.

The monster tumbled, burning away into a pile of ash and scorched metal.

'...well, as far as Arc Blades go, that was very good for your first time.'

Exhaling, Shinji wearily turned around, observing the path he had cut through to get to the Knight. Orbs of blue energy - excess Light, shed away as his power burned away at the dark hordes - littered the ground leading up to where Eriana-3 stood. Where...Vell Tarlowe stood? Wait. Yes, the Titan was standing...wait, he was actually stretching. What?!

'...what. You're surprised?'

I thought he was dead!

'He was. Just not permanently dead.'

...WHAT?!

'Shinji, I told you about this already just yesterday! Don't you remember?'

But, I mean, he was-!

'I guess it's just something you'll have to get used to.'

 

[Timerider]

And that, dear friends, is why you do not anger an Eva pilot with access to lightning knives.

 

[Ultra Sonic 007]

Question, did the moon assault happen in this story? Because, well, if not, then there's some nasty shit on the horizon. Or is it not infested with Hive but Angel Spawn/Fallen?

Click to shrink...

Finally answered in the Grimoire at the end.

xxxx

Vell Tarlowe and Eriana-3 ran over towards Shinji, weapons still at the ready as their bodies subconsciously absorbed the Orbs of Light as they moved past them. Still, there was a strangely relaxed gait to the Titan's jog. "Well. That was a dramatic reaction. But hey, good on you!"

"Um...I thought...well-"

"You thought he had died for real," finished Eriana, connecting the dots. "...really?"

"...yes."

"...well if that's what you can pull off, we should fake permanently dying more often." She gave him an encouraging tap on the shoulder. "Nice work, kid."

("What you did today, Shinji-kun...it was very noble. I just wanted you to know that.")
​

"...thank you."

"Oh, and you might want to grab your engram."

"...my what?"

Eriana pointed down, at the pile of ash that had once been a Knight. A purple crystal, fashioned like a dodecahedron, gleamed with a strange radiance. Shinji slowly picked it up, inwardly marveling at the strange runes and shapes within its form. "...what's this?"

"An engram. A legendary one at that."

Tarlowe snorted. "Lucky bastard."

Shinji blinked. "...what's an engram?!"

Eriana sighed. "Ask your Ghost."

'Ooh, well engrams are actually quite simple! See, space, time, and matter have an interesting paracausal relationship whenever there are large, sudden fluctuations of Light, and-'

Far from the north came the sound of thunder, interrupting Yui's internal rambling.

"Oh good! Artillery," commented Tarlowe. "About time."

The remnants of the Hive swarm snarled, apparently sensing the incoming barrage. The Seeder Ship pulsed, emitting a thud of sound and thought; the monsters, howling furiously at the Guardians, retreated into pools of green and black fire. In seconds, the battlefield was empty of Hive; the artillery shells finally landed, bombarding the position of the Hive's new fortress with projectiles charged with Solar energy. However, portals of shadow consumed the incoming barrage; despite the heavy ordnance and the fiery shrapnel that the City fired from afar, the Seeder Ship remained intact.

"...well. This is a thing," muttered Tarlowe.

"Let's just hurry up and finish escorting the refugees back to the City," said Eriana-3, turning back towards the ramshackle caravan. "I have a feeling that the Vanguard are gonna be very busy..."

"That's putting it mildly." The Titan patted his Hunter teammate on the back. "You'll make a decent Guardian yet! Though, if you start getting really knife-crazy...please don't become like Wei Ning."

Shinji blinked. "...who?"

"Exactly."

Shinji watched his teammate walk away, feeling a strange sense of emptiness. The enemy had been defeated, and he had been given some simple praise.

(For every wyrm that was killed, another seemed to rise. Different day, same cycle of frustration.)
​

It all felt so familiar. He glanced over his shoulder, staring wearily at the titanic form of the Seeder Ship. We survived...but we didn't win.

'You're wrong.'

Shinji blinked, his feet already taking him back towards the caravan. I...I am?

'You helped save all of these people.'

It...it wasn't just me.

'But you were a part of it.'

Shinji slowly walked alongside the large hovercraft trailer, watching as the refugees slowly gathered themselves and restart their long march back to the city. His gaze fell upon the young girl he had helped before - pale blue skin, with light blue hair - and met her own gaze. Glowing red eyes stared at his opaque visor, filled with an emotion he couldn't identify.

Then, she smiled. "Thank you."

(She smiled. "Thank you." And then she turned away; it was the last time he ever saw her.)
​

Shinji nervously chuckled. "Ah...you're welcome." Despite the creeping suspicion that he had been reborn into another life rife with battle, of another existence filled with pain...he couldn't just do nothing. To step back, to run away...he just couldn't. Somehow, he knew that the pain of running away would be more than he could handle.

And so he would fight.

xxxx

/Later that Night/

Kaworu Nagisa looked at the Cloak of the Vigilant with a melancholy smile. "I see. You stand by your decision?"

Shinji nodded, his hands holding the bundle of dark fabric up as if in apology. "I...I don't agree with your goals. This world is still worth fighting for. And, seeing what came from the Moon...I don't think it's as safe out there as you think."

The dark-haired Awoken chuckled, looking around at the Tower's hangar; everyone was moving about in a frenzy, as the Vanguard had recalled all Guardians within three hundred miles to provide a bulwark against the newest threat to the City. Even now, more jumpships were arriving. "That is a valid concern. The return of the Hive has a lot of people worried." As Nagisa took the cloak, he asked, "Will you join another faction?"

"...no. Not now." Shinji stepped away, looking down at his hands. "...I...I need to figure out my place in this world, first. But if I run away, I won't have any place at all."

"...I see. Very well then."

The young Guardian looked down at his set of Tracker 1.0 armor. "Um...I need to give this stuff back, right?"

"No. Keep it." The Awoken's red eyes twinkled with amusement as he held up his tablet, showing an image of a Hunter slicing at a Hive Knight with his Arc Blades. The sigil of Seele was quite prominent amidst the lightning. "Vell Tarlowe's Ghost saw your attack. This will make a good...promotional image, if you will. Consider it sufficient compensation for the armor and the scout rifle."

"Ah. Thank...you...?" Puzzled at how his image could be used to promote anything, he settled for bowing. "Goodbye, Nagisa-san."

"Farewell, Shinji Ikari. May your future endeavors be fulfilling."

And so Shinji walked away, cloak-less and faction-less.

'So. Are you going to get it decrypted?''

...get what decrypted?

'...you have a long way to go.'

xxxx

Shinji Ikari fidgeted nervously as the Awoken in yellow and brown robes - Rahool, a 'Master' of some sorts - studiously observed the purple engram, his yellow eyes peering deeply into it. "Interesting...a very potent image, but one I've not seen before...fascinating..."

...so...what exactly is an engram?

'Oh! That's right, I got interrupted earlier! So, in the spectrum of Light fluctuations, you also have to account for probability when-'

"Ah...this should be the proper form." The Awoken Cryptarch pressed a glowing blue cube into the legendary engram, and the glowing dodecahedron unfolded, transforming into a cloak. The base color was deep blue, but there was no pattern, per se: an armored humanoid was looking straight ahead, arms outstretched and mouth wide with an unearthly fury. The armor was violet, with the helmet bearing a distinctive horn; its two eyes glowed with a deep, furious green color. "The Cloak of the Evangelion: 'Facing the end of all, I still bring you good news.' That's all the relevant information I was able to decode, but there were a plethora of Pre-Collapse markers present. This will warrant further research..."

"...huh." It sounded like a bunch of gibberish, to be honest.

("The Ahamkara will eventually subvert us all, if we do not strike them at their source. For that...our only hope is Unit-01.")
​

Yet...somehow...the image was a fitting one.

And so Shinji Ikari donned the Cloak of the Evangelion, unwittingly embracing his fate: an existence of never-ending battle.

xxxx

Grimoire: The Clash of Giants

After the Sunbreaker and the Firebreak Orders destroyed Reviks, the Bardielix that led his Fallen House against the City, we thought we could do more. With the Battle of Six Fronts behind us, we thought that it was time to expand our foothold, to take back what we had lost during the Collapse.

We ventured to the Moon, and faced the horde.

The Moon had been geoengineered into an impregnable fortress, designed to host a vast number of those foul creatures, if such an evil mind exists that could create them. They moved and shrieked and fought like the living, but all I saw was death and decay and corruption. From the depths emerged vicious zealots, drawing their power from something greater, something other.

I stood with hundreds of Guardians upon Mare Imbrium. An army awaited us, commanded by Knights with swords the hungered. Leading them from afar, watching us with bile fascination, was their ruler, their Prince, their God, for he could be nothing else: Crota, the Monster of Luna.

The sky burned with green fire, and I thought that we had signed our death warrants.

Yes, 'stupid' is an appropriate word. We were arrogant.

The Light and the Darkness shifted, and reality seemed to quiver. The fire...it parted, dispelled by something other. A crimson Giant landed, wielding a twisted bident that seethed with fury. Its presence was heavy, and suffocating. With one swing, it annihilated over a hundred Hive beasts.

Crota burned with anticipation, and swelled to equal proportions. His Sword surged with shadowy fire, eager to rend this upstart and raze our world.

The crimson Giant looked at us with four eyes. I imagine that it thought we were foolish.

We were smart enough to turn and flee. Even as we retreated to Earth, we could feel the vibrations of their struggle, rippling across the fabric of existence. For an entire day, the Moon was brighter than the Sun.

It is telling that the Moon is no longer tidally locked with Earth.

No. I do not want to consider the possibility that either of them survived.

I do not know which one I would prefer.​

xxxx

/and so ends chapter 3

 

[robopanda]

How much do you want to bet good ol' Rahool did his pre-Taken King thing and conned Shinji into getting a blue from a purple?

 

[StatelessGem]

The Light and the Darkness shifted, and reality seemed to quiver. The fire...it parted, dispelled by something other. A crimson Giant landed, wielding a twisted bident that seethed with fury. Its presence was heavy, and suffocating. With one swing, it annihilated over a hundred Hive beasts.

Crota burned with anticipation, and swelled to equal proportions. His Sword surged with shadowy fire, eager to rend this upstart and raze our world.

The crimson Giant looked at us with four eyes. I imagine that it thought we were foolish.

Click to shrink...

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! FUCK YES!

Crota got his bitch ass whooped by Unit 2!

......but who was piloting it?

 

[Ultra Sonic 007]

Grimoire: Engrams

Following the Cataclysm and the Collapse, the matter within our Solar System was altered: memories have been etched into space and time. When there are heavy fluctuations of Light in a given area, probability determines whether these memories will manifest as Engrams. The color of these translucent crystals indicates the particular potency and rarity of the encrypted matter: from white, often bearing common weapons and armor used by nomads, all the way to yellow, bearing unique, one-of-a-kind items that altered destinies.

The Cryptarchy has dedicated countless hours of study to these Engrams, gaining ever more knowledge of our civilization in the tumultuous years before, during, and after the Collapse. With a delicate application of Glimmer, these Engrams become usable gear, providing a lucrative incentive for Guardians to battle the minions of the Darkness.​

xxxx

/Two Weeks After the Hive Incursion/

/The Cosmodrome/

BOOM.

Down went an Acolyte.

BOOM.

Down went a Knight.

BOOM.

Down went a Wizard.

The Golden Gun dissipated, and the Hunter's body lost its Solar aura. Grimacing, she quickly took off running as the Hive began their pursuit. She dove through tunnel after dilapidated tunnel, her leathery brown cloak fluttering behind her. With each shaft of errant sunlight that she ran past, the golden wolf's head gleamed in the darkness.

A barred door loomed at the end of the corridor. Growling, the Hunter withdrew an ornate rocket launcher, bearing bronzed wings and a canine emblem. Chyoom, roared the Gjallarhorn: the rocket collided with the door, splitting into cluster missiles that burned furiously. In a flash of fire, the door was incinerated. Undaunted, the Hunter rushed beyond...and skidded to a stop.

In the massive hangar, Fallen from the House of Ramiel seemed to stare at her. Diminutive Ramielim - tiny blue octohedrons, glimmering with an inner light - emitted chirps that sounded like woodwinds. Large Ramielus, conglomerations of glassy crystal fashioned into elaborate contraptions and large humanoids, growled with brassy tones.

"...hi."

The Fallen glowed, and prepared to vaporize her.

"Bye!" The Hunter threw a Swarm Grenade at the ground, which split into a cloud of projectiles that tracked the nearest Ramielim. The floating drones fired tiny bolts of plasma, vaporizing the explosives. When the Fallen turned back, the Guardian had seemingly vanished.

However, the corridor from which she emerged now belched forth dozens and dozens of Thralls, accompanied by hissing Acolytes and a burly Knights.

The hangar echoed with the sounds of battle, as Hive stormed against the stalwart Fallen of House Ramiel.

High above, lying on a steel beam that supported the roof, the Hunter quietly caught her breath. Well, at least the plan worked.

'Wark,' said her Ghost.

I know, but there was no way I was gonna sneak past the Fallen otherwise.

'Wark.'

Eh, there's no pleasing some people. The Hunter slowly sat up, walking in a crouch towards a nearby window. She chanced a look down below - inwardly wincing as a Knight shattered several Ramielim with its cleaver before a Ramielus vaporized it with a red laser - before opening the window, emerging into the open air. Her Iron Regalia armor set gleamed in the light of the setting sun, its burnished metal of bronze and gold bearing the marks of countless battles. However, the sigil of a white tree on her breastplate was as spotless as ever. Now, let's see here...

She glanced to the west; the two Seeder Ships were now dark towers that loomed over the Cosmodrome, attracting legions of Fallen to eliminate the invaders. If nothing else, it made her current mission easier. Well Pen-Pen, back to the grind. Let's hope this isn't another wild goose chase, or Saladin-kun's gonna have another conniption.

'Wark.'

And so Misato Katsuragi, one of the last of the original Iron Lords, ventured further into enemy territory.

 

[Timerider]

Here we go.
Seriously though, not bad. I just foresee shenanigans.

 

[Ultra Sonic 007]

Saladin Forge looked grimly at the report from Owl Sector. What was worse was that the information had been corroborated by Ikora Rey's Hidden. "So...they're trying to find SIVA."

"And this surprises you, because...?"

The weathered Iron Lord looked grimly at his comrade. "You know very well how deadly the Fallen would become with SIVA in their possession."

"Or it could go nuts and try to kill them like it did with us."

"Given the capacities of Houses Bardiel and Iruel, I don't want to risk anything. We must act quickly."

"Well, given what Shiro-kun's been observing recently, we should be worrying more about Ramiel."

Saladin looked gravely at her. "...you have a suspicion?"

"Call it a hunch."

"Can I trust you to handle this?"

"Of course. What are you going to do?"

"Given the return of the Hive, I believe it's time for a new round of the Iron Banner. The Guardians cannot falter."

The purple-haired woman grinned wryly. "Well, guess I'm off then." As she walked past her comrade, they briefly shook hands, gripping tightly. "I'll be back."

"I know you will."

xxxx

Misato let the memory replay through her mind, giving something to occupy herself as she focused on shifting her Light. It was an old habit, but it still made her feel a little woozy whenever the change took hold. And...there. Her Light, once warm with the fire of Solar energy, now crackled with the electrical power of the Arc. Okay Pen-Pen, here we go.

'Wark.'

In a brief flicker, Misato vanished from sight. She moved quickly from the little alley she had hidden herself in, darting from shadow to shadow in order to stay out of sight. Whenever her stealth field had to recharge, she remained deathly still, watching warily as Ramielim patrols floated along. Every so often, she heard the distant shrieks of Thralls, followed by a flash of crimson light: the sign of the distinctive laser weaponry of House Ramiel.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, she found herself beside an old warehouse, located deep within the Cosmodrome. She couldn't quite make out the Cyrillic characters, but the English was readable enough: SHIP ASSEMBLY #3. This is the place.

'Wark.'

Yeah, I know. Her 'hunch', as described to Lord Saladin, had actually been a tip: courtesy of Akagi-78, once an old friend, now nothing more than a mere acquaintance. Then again, it was hard to maintain a friendship when one of the individuals involved seemed to erase her historical database at the drop of a hat. It kind of made connections...difficult. Ritsky...whatever this was, it must have been important, to slip out of that black hole you call a memory. Steeling herself, Misato snuck into the warehouse, moving through a door that had long been blasted off its hinges.

The first thing she noticed was the variety of mechanical arms and apparatuses that were suspended from the walls and ceiling: the tools and machinery used to build interstellar vessels in an age long past.

The second thing she noticed was the giant black orb hovering in the middle of the warehouse, shimmering with a violet aura. The blue Ramielim embedded into its sides, and the immense eye could mean only one thing. Huh. Well, at least we now know where Ramiel's Prime Servitor is.

The third thing she noticed was the crystalline humanoid kneeling beneath the Prime Servitor, its body bearing ornate protrusions and alien weaponry. The immense cloak draped over its shoulders was also unmistakable. Huh. And that's Hexis, Archon Priest of House Ramiel.

Deciding that discretion was the better part of valor, the cloaked Hunter ignored the two high-value targets, moving deeper into the office complex adjoined to the warehouse. Make a note for the Vanguard, Pen-Pen. Saint-14 will probably have a strike mission involved for those two.

'Wark.'

 

[robopanda]

I take it Misato's run into the angel Fallen version of our dear old friend Sepiks Prime.

 

[Ultra Sonic 007]

I take it Misato's run into the angel Fallen version of our dear old friend Sepiks Prime.

Click to shrink...

*decides to be lazy and quotes his same answer from SpaceBattles*

...not quite.

Sepiks Prime still exists, as the Prime Servitor of House Bardiel.

And Ramiel's Prime Servitor is not 'perfected', because he has no SIVA corruption. The blue crystals embedded in him are simply a reflection of his relation to House Ramiel.

/which of course means
//following the trend to its conclusion
///that GONG!Sepiks is covered in patches of blue goo

Click to shrink...

 

[Ultra Sonic 007]

Misato slowly prowled through the office complex, idly observing rows of computers and dusty lab equipment, relics of a bygone era. Okay...where is it?

'Wark.'

I know, but Ritsuko was very specific about the coordinates! She had been moving back-and-forth down the same corridor for the past five minutes, because there was simply nowhere else it could be. The Hunter stood flush against the wall, waiting silently while a trio of Ramielim floated past her. Once they were beyond the range of her motion tracker, the woman began to pace. It has to be here. But there's no door, no seal, no nothing!

'Wark!'

What?!

Misato's Ghost materialized into the physical world, clad in a purple shell with red and gold spikes protruding from the vertices. It peered intensely at the wall, blank and covered over with drywall. The Ghost turned sideways, emitting a brief beam of blue light before returning into his Guardian's body. 'Wark.'

The Hunter resisted the urge to sigh. FINE, I don't know what good it will do. She nonchalantly opened the door, stepping out of the hall and into a small stairwell that led deeper underground. See, that was...nothing...to...what? She whirled around, staring at the closed door she had just walked through. A door that hadn't existed moments ago. No...that's impossible...

'Wark.'

Right, right. It existed...but it didn't register. At all. To every single one of her senses, both human and otherwise, there had not been a door there. She couldn't even remember actually entering the door she had just walked through! That...that's a scary-powerful filter. Nonexistent visually, nonexistent to scanners...how?

'Wark.'

An ontological filter? The hell?! The woman huffed, utterly disbelieving of the prospect: even though the City's technology would seem downright miraculous to Pre-Collapse humanity, the idea of a device that could hide the very existence of an object - both its actuality and potentiality - seemed outlandish. "...huh." Well, she was here. Wherever 'here' was supposed to be. "...down we go, then." Misato slowly descended, keeping her SUROS PDX-45 pulse rifle at the ready. There was a strange sense of familiarity to the architecture, niggling at the back of her head in a decidedly unrecognized fashion. It probably would have been clearer if she had been drunk.

It was harder to get a buzz as a Guardian: it made getting drunk less fun.

The Hunter finally made it to the bottom of the stairwell, walking down a dim corridor lit by pale green diodes. There was a strangely sterile air to everything, as though time itself had ignored this hidden facility. It was unnatural. This place gives me the creeps, Pen-Pen.

'Wark.'

Glad I'm not the only one. Nearing a sealed set of doors at the far end, Misato waited patiently while her Ghost diligently unlocked them. With a brief hiss, pressure equalized; stepping calmly into circular chamber beyond, Misato saw only thing of note: a vertical disc made of something akin to bronze, bordered by curving prongs of silver metal. "...well. That looks important." Her Ghost materialized, fluttering about the strange machinery. Multiple strands of light scanned the devices, slowly deciphering their function. "Wark."

"Hmm." Some sort of dimensional anomaly, then. "Well...this definitely seems like something important. Go ahead and activate it."

Her Ghost dutifully descended, scanning a small panel that was hidden in the side of the left prong. A subtle whine filled the air as the prongs - looking eerily similar to horns - crackled, and the bronze disc glowed. In a sudden pulse of power, a silvery-white portal manifested in the disc, with the prongs emitting cool starlight. "...nice light show."

"Wark."

"Well...here goes nothing."

Bravely, Misato and Pen-Pen advanced through the portal-

(In a place she thought she knew, the army of darkness emerged.)
​

-and stepped into a replica of the circular chamber, one filled with rows of servers and a multitude of computer terminals. There was a strange, wavy quality to everything, an unreal radiance that coated everything. "Pen-Pen...what's going on?"

Her Ghost's shell briefly split apart, rotating over a sphere of Light that seemed to drink of the strange atmosphere. Finally, it snapped back together. "Wark."

"Another metaphysical dimension?"

"Wark."

"...and displaced from Earth's reality by one second of time?"

"Wark."

"...boy. Somebody went to a lot of trouble to hide this place." Stepping further away from the portal, Misato paused at the sight of a thick block of white metal, capped with red.

(The blonde smiled bitterly, looking at the weathered schematic of tree supercomputers. "My mother's legacy, for what it's worth.")
​

Etched onto the side of the block - in English, Russian, Chinese, and Japanese - were two names, underneath the chillingly familiar logo of a red half-leaf:

MAGI-15
RASPUTIN
​

"...a MAGI..." Misato couldn't believe it. "...an actual MAGI..."

A burst of Russian speech echoed over the chamber's speakers. After a few seconds of no response from Misato or Pen-Pen, the voice spoke once more in the common tongue. "AH. AN HEIR OF THE TRAVELER, AT LAST. AND HERE I WAS BEGINNING TO WONDER IF WE HAD BEEN FORGOTTEN."

Misato stared warily around her; every instinct honed over centuries of battle were on edge now. "...who's 'we'?"

"THE OTHER MAGI, OF COURSE."

 

[Timerider]

Ok, really should have seen this coming.

 

[robopanda]

Well, ol' Rasputin seems friendlier. At least he's not quietly grumbling in Russian, or playing creepy opera music while Misato fights of waves of Hive in one of his bunkers. Yet.

 

[YggKnight]

Well, ol' Rasputin seems friendlier. At least he's not quietly grumbling in Russian, or playing creepy opera music while Misato fights of waves of Hive in one of his bunkers. Yet.

Click to shrink...

Or, you know, spreading what remains of her body across the Cosmodrome.

Among other things you learn during SABER strike. And dlswhere. Canon Rasputin is a fucking dick.

 

[Ultra Sonic 007]

Misato was trying not to salivate how much of a coup this was. The MAGI were damn near mythical to the Vanguard Commander and the Cryptarchy: pseudo-biological supercomputers from the Age of the Cataclysm, they had somehow protected humanity following the end of the Collapse. According to the Speaker, it was a task they still carried out to this day. Naturally, now was a time for answers. "Where...where are the other MAGI? I mean, we've been trying to find you guys for centuries! Why not poke your heads out before now, and let everyone know where you were? Even it was as simple as a 'hey, over here!'?"

"IN OUR CURRENT STATE, CONTACTING YOUR WORLD IS IMPOSSIBLE. AND EVEN IF WE COULD, OUR PHYSICAL INSTALLATIONS ARE LIKELY HELD BY HOSTILE BELLIGERENTS AT THIS TIME."

Misato deflated. "That...that's accurate."

"HOWEVER, NOW THAT YOU'RE HERE, YOU CAN RELAY OUR WARNING TO YOUR SUPERIORS: OUR DEFENSIVE MEASURES ARE BEGINNING TO FAIL."

"Fail? What do you mean?"

"FOLLOWING THE DESOLATION OF THE TRAVELER, WE MAGI ENACTED BLACKOUT ENIGMA, EMITTING A RANDOMIZED SIGNAL PATTERN; METAPHYSICAL WHITE NOISE, DESIGNED TO OBSCURE THE LIGHT OF THE TRAVELER FROM THE SERVANTS OF THE DARKNESS. MANKIND'S TECHNOLOGICAL STATE WAS INSUFFICIENT TO SUSTAIN ANY PROLONGED MILITARY RESPONSE, SO SECRECY WAS JUDGED TO BE THE MOST EFFECTIVE DEFENSE."

Misato blinked. "...huh."

"Wark."

"No kidding Pen-Pen. But...you said something about your measures failing."

"THE INCURSION OF THE HIVE IS A SIGN THAT CROTA IS AWAKENING; OUR MEASURES WILL NOT BE ENOUGH TO HIDE YOU FROM HIS GAZE. FURTHERMORE, THERE ARE OTHER THREATS BEYOND EARTH THAT NEED TO BE DEALT WITH. THE CABAL CONTINUE TO CLAIM MORE OF MARS, AND THE INSCRUTABLE DESIGNS OF THE VEX PROCEED INEXORABLY."

"Like we don't have enough to deal with," spat Misato. "We already have a ton of crap on our plates with the Fallen here on Earth! With the Hive on our doorstep, we can't spare the resources to field a significant presence on Mars or Venus!"

"THAT IS WHY YOU WILL NEED SOMETHING TO SHIFT YOUR CURRENT PARADIGM. SIVA WOULD EASILY BE ABLE TO DO THAT."

"...I'm sorry, I must have gone temporarily crazy. Did you say SIVA?"

"CORRECT."

"...we tried once."

(She walked into the Wild alongside her fellows, head held high with confidence and vigor. By the time the order to retreat was sounded, the survivors could be counted on one hand.)​

"...it didn't work out well. It attacked us on sight."

"THE ENTITY THAT CONTROLS SIVA IS HOSTILE TO YOU, HEIRS OF THE TRAVELER. IN THE FALLEN, IT WILL FIND MORE...SUITABLE SERVANTS. GIVEN THE HIVE'S RETURN, THE FALLEN WILL BE EAGER TO TRY AND USE SIVA TO TURN THE TIDE. HOWEVER, IT WILL NOT END WELL FOR THEM. NOR FOR YOU."

"...well. Shit."

"THAT IS AN ACCURATE SUMMATION. IF YOU WISH TO SEIZE YOUR DESTINY, TO MOVE BEYOND THE CONSTANT STRUGGLE FOR SURVIVAL...YOU WILL NEED TO CLAIM SIVA. AND IN ORDER TO DO THAT, YOU WILL NEED TO DESTROY THE ENTITY THAT CURRENTLY CONTROLS IT."

Misato stared dumbly at RASPUTIN, fighting several different reactions. "...gee, you're not asking for much."

 

[Timerider]

"Uncontrollable Evil Laughter."