[CYOA] Quantum Edition

[SirRotgut]

The hurriedly aimed shot rips through the angels midsection. It falls to the ground wounded, it's shiny red core still intact, it's the last thing you see before the entryplug goes dark. With only the soft white light of your plug suits digital time piece to guide you reach for the plugs emergency ejector, before you can pull it, you feel the Eva move. You feel an intense pressure in your head behind your eyes and everything goes black.

You wake up to an unfamiliar ceiling. It appears that you are in a hospital room, beside your bed sits Ayanami, or one of them anyway. This one is dressed in a black pencil skirt, white blouse and black suit jacket, her long blue hair pulled into a ponytail.

"I will go inform the doctor." she says suddenly putting down the manga she was reading. promptly leaving the room without so much as allowing you a question.

It's not long before Dr Akagi graces you with her presence.

"How are you feeling, Shinji" she ask. You notice that she looks very tired.

"I feel fine." you answer despite the fact that you head still throbs some. "What happened?"

"That's the question i should be asking you, Shinji." she responds while checking your pupils with here light. " What the hell did you think you were doing out there?"

"Saving the city from a rampaging Angel." you blurt out a bit to defensively. Ritsuko merely sighs at your offered explanation.

"You should be glad I won't let Misato down here, she isn't too happy right now. After your batteries went out Unit 1 went berserk, destroyed the angel and caused extensive damage to a portion of the city. We found you unconscious in the entry plug after it went dormant. It seems someone very intent on protecting what's theirs." she say this last part with a bit of a sly grin.

"What about Mari, she OK?" you ask being suddenly reminded of her Eva's compromised state.

"Shinji, before we talk about Mari there's couple of things we need to get out of the way." you nod you assent. "Were you sexually involved with miss Makinami, and for how long?"

"What?" you respond caught off guard by the blatant question "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Shinji," Ritsuko turn to you her features grim and resolute. "Mari is in pretty bad shape. Right now she is in an induced coma, until we can get her injuries under control. Besides multiple fracture and massive bruising she suffered from major blood loss and elevated brain temperatures. Unit 01's progressive knife crushed the entry plug, Mari lost both her legs below the knee."

You feel sick. Your mostly to blame for Mari's extensive injuries. Dr Akagi pronounces you fit to leave, and leaves the room. The clock on the wall reads 5:30 am

1 go back to your room

2 go for a walk, exercise is good for the body and soul

3 do something else (specify)

[Agentomega]

2), and I see what you did there.

[Oxopoha]

2) We need to consider how we'll justify our actions. I think "turning our back on an angel that took down three evas is a stupid idea" is a good place to start.

[SirRotgut]

You start back to your room, but decide there's nothing to do there. Your not sleepy at all and little cool air might ease your headache. You make your way out into the geofront the first few rays of morning light stream down from the ceiling overhead. You walk along staring at yourself in the reflection pool, but nothing seems to be helping your head, or your heart . You can't seem to put away the feeling of self loathing and guilt that have been building inside you since you found out.

You head back inside the command center, there has to be somebody you can talk too. You only make it a short way before your blindsided by hard object to the face. Your left eye stings from the blood pouring down your face. Keita and Musashi stand before you as well as four others dressed in orange overalls. They don't look very happy.

"Paybacks a bitch, Shinji , You've went made made out friend upset and now we're taking it out on you." It dawns on you that Mana must be upset at Mari's predicament, but why would they come after you.

"So you thought giving me a beat down would make her happy." you say "Oh wait I know you both like her and she won't give you the time of day, because she's been dreaming about me for the past 10 years." You get a face full of fist for that one, it seems you've struck a nerv. You fall back onto the ground.

1) Fight

2) Run

3) Call section 9

[MAGI_01]

Oh whoa, totally missed the last post.

Hmmm, I'm gonna say 1)

[Agentomega]

1) Either you work off your frustration at yourself or you get just retribution, maybe both.

[Oxopoha]

1) Feel like a hero yet Mana? Only attack in response to her attacks, we're already in enough trouble with the brass.

[SirRotgut]

It's a bad situation but there's no point in running, your already injured and they would be able to easily follow. You watch them from your one good eye as you slowly stagger to your feet, your earlier woes all but forgotten in the face of this new threat. They seem content to just leave you lying, but take a renewed interest as you get up. They rush you fist and feet flying, you manage to land a few solid hits before your overwhelmed.

"Six on one, That's a fight i might have taken in my younger years." Everything stops for a moment as the voice of you father echoes through the corridor "Get up Shinji show these thugs what it mean to be a Rokubungi."

"Perfect your dad's here now we can get that bastard back for all the trouble he's caused us." two of the orange suits hold you down as the others advance toward their new targets.

"It's about time i dealt with you two." your father replies. Your notice his right hand is horribly disfigured as he removes his white gloves. The next few minutes is chaos. Using the distraction caused by your father you managed to kick off you captors and take them them down. Your father stands triumphant over his own foes, looking just as smug as always.

"Thanks Dad for helping me out." It's sounds a bit awkward even to your own ears.

"Not at all Shinji, I need you, now more than ever, and these two," he points at Keita and Musashi" are moles working for the JSDF. She ratted them out when they went looking for you."

"You need me because Ayanami can't pilot Unit1.Whats so important about it?" you father regards you closely

"Shinji" he says straitening his uniform. "I had hoped you would never have to pilot at all. Twenty five years ago we knew the angels were coming. We started what would eventually become project Eva, and the angels would arrive in 15 years, one would come every few months. We were wrong,and now that they have come it appears they will come in a very short time, if current evidence holds, approximately one week apart. I need all the Evas and pilot in top condition, and that includes you."

He's not telling you anything you didn't already know, and Unit 1 is more important than just another piece on the battlefield.

1) two is not a trend "There was another angel attack before i arrived?"

2) get reacquainted "Tell me about Mom, and why did you clone her?"

3) grasp at straws "What's Seele planning?"

4) surprise attack "Fuyutsuki Sensei been holding out on you"

[Oxopoha]

2) Gendo may be a horrible person, but he's a good asset to have.

[MAGI_01]

I'm going to go with 1) here. Getting re acquainted can wait a bit I think.

[Agentomega]

1) if only because I think Gendo might turn on you if you pull the clone card too early.

[SirRotgut]

"Two isn't a trend old man, there was another attack before i arrived." Gendo turn to you at the informal address with something of a smirk on his face.

"You catch on fast don't you, Shinji. The 3rd angel manifested itself much like a virus or small colony of organic nanites. It infected most of our systems before we noticed it, including Evangelion 5,6,and 7. Dr Akagi finally managed cultivate it into a self terminating state." Your father reaches out for you clasping your shoulder in a firm grip. "You need to keep this quite Seele knows none of this and it would favor us if they did not find out."

"Then why tell me? its impossible to disseminate what you don't know ."

"Arn't you against the old men too, Shinji? Information is the key to any success, but be careful who you share it with."

"Tell Me? Tell me why you abandoned me?"

"You were a distraction. I couldn't continue to work on project E in your mothers absence and take care of you also." His tone becomes more solemn and hollow "I didn't want to send you away, but i don't regret it either. It was a necessary sacrifice. It allowed me to do what i have done here, for the future of all mankind."

"And what kind of future is that, Not an everlasting monument to mankind's existence is it?"

"No." he says after sometime his voice and demeanor back to normal. "One other thing before we part. You will accompany Commander Katsuragi later this week for the Transfer of Unit 2 and its pilot from NERV3 back to us."

"Why me"

"I have been Informed by Dr Akagi that pilot Langley has been behaving erratically for the last two weeks. The doctor recommended that you go, for reasons beyond my understanding. I must be going, I have work to attend to."

Your father walks off without another word.

1) Return to your Room

2) Check up on Mari

3) seek out another person/go somewhere else (specify)

[Oxopoha]

2) Mari time.

[MAGI_01]

2) Even though we might catch some more ire in doing so... I think it's needed.

[Agentomega]

2) More ire! More Mari as Emi! Katawa Eva! (she probably doesn't *hate* you per se...)

[SirRotgut]

You set out towards the NERV medical ward. It only takes you a few minutes and a couple of inquiries from the hospital staff to find out where Mari is. You own injury must look worse than it feels, almost everyone you meet on your way makes some attempt to administer care.

Finally you reach the critical care area. Opening the door to her room you see Mari laid out on the bed unconscious. Much of her body is covered in bandages, one arm in traction, the stumps of her legs suspended slightly above the bed by slings.

Across the room you notice the other bed is also occupied, when you hear the sound of muffled sniffles. It takes a minute for your eyes to adjust, but finally you see Dr Akagi sleeping peacefully, fully dressed sans labcoat, facing away from you.

Distracted by your peering your taken completely by surprise by a resounding smack to the face. Turning toward your attacker, Mana stands before you, her face tear streaked and eyes puffy from crying. She lashes out again, but you react instinctively catching her hand. Thwarted despite her efforts, she throws herself at you.

1) backpedal out of the way

2) wrap her up in an embrace

3) Put the crazy bitch on the floor

[Agentomega]

Erm. 1) I think.

[Oxopoha]

1) is best choice

[MAGI_01]

1) definitely the best choice.

[SirRotgut]

You step back out of the way of Mana's oncoming rush. She continues to flail at you with both fist and feet, your doing a good job blocking and evading, but your running out of space in the small hospital room. Back nearly to the wall you jerk the room's door open between the two of you and slip out into the hallway. Mana catches the door with a kick causing it to slam loudly, within seconds orderlies flood into the hallway all of them eying you suspiciously.

"Just a little misunderstanding, that's all." you claim in defense. While you had very little to do with the noise and ruckus, pinning it on the distraught Mana wouldn't exactly be fair. They don't buy it, even for a second, but your saved when a very irritated looking Ritsuko emerges from the room dragging a defeated looking Mana by her shirt collar.

"Shinji, take Mana and leave, I don't want to see either of you anywhere near here until i say otherwise."
By this time Mana is full out bawling. You start to walk off but she doesn't follow, turning back in her direction you see Dr Akagi giving you a pointed look

"OK OK i'll take her with me." you move to lead Mana back to the dorms but as you approach her she takes off in a dead run, fleeing the small crowd of people.

1) Follow her

2) Go back to your room

3) look for someone/ go somewhere else