HBT: To Save A Sagara!

[thatseanguy]

WHO: Sousuke Sagara, Kaname Chidori, Amuro Ray, Mint Blancmanche, Shinji Ikari
WHEN: Sunday, November 5th
WHERE: ARM Slave Earth, Jindai High School.
IN THIS ISSUE: Kaname's Whispered powers cause her to spontaniously develop narcolpsey. Sousuke overreacts...which causes some of the Black Sheep to assume that its all a Divine Crusader plot to force Sousuke and Mithril to work for them!
WATCH FOR: Sousuke suffering, Amuro being the playa we all knew he could be, and The Frenchman finally getting what's coming to him.


There was a friendly baseball match going on, the Jindai Girls baseball team versus another one from another school district. Or, at least, it's as friendly of a match as it can be, with the competitive star pitcher, Kaname Chidori on the team! Indeed, cries for her name in the Jindai section are up and loud as Kaname, in her baseball uniform, tugs on her cap and hunches over to eye the signal the catcher was giving her. And when she finds the right one flashed at her, she nods.

"Goooooo Kaname!" cries one of her pals, waving a foam finger
"Get 'em, Kana-chan!" cries Kyouko, her camera ready.
"CHIDORI-SAN AFTER THE GAME I MUST TELL YOU THAT I--"
"Oh SHUT UP Tsubaki!"

The announcer blares from his stand overlooking the game. "Next up on the mound is star pitcher Chidori Kaname! This season, the blue-haired spitfire of Jindai High has, at present, an all-strikeout record! Do you think she'll be able to keep it up, Sano-kun?"

"Why, yes I do, Shino-kun. And it seems that Chidori-san has only IMPROVED HER AIM and the velocity of her pitches over the course of a mere short months! One wonders what her training regime is!"

"It's the mark of a true player, Sano-kun! She must get a LOT of practice..."

Kaname winds up, her fingers clenched tightly on the ball. And with a scary, aggressive cry (she's probably frustrated about something again), she pitches forward in an effort to throw the ball hard in a deadly fastball, when....she continues pitching forward. Without letting go of the ball.

*SPLAT*

Silence, all across the field.

"Ack! Kaname!"
"Anou~~ Kana-chan, get up!"
"I'll SAVE YOU, CHIDORI-SAN--!!!"
"GET OFF ME, TSUBAKI!"

Sousuke Sagara is not in the dugout, because several people threatened to kill him. He is, however, in the bleachers, watching...well, not especially interestedly. He is actually hunched over a scorecard, which good old Ono-D is teaching him how to use.

He stops listening, however, when Kaname gets up to bat. He doesn't /really/ totally expect to fall under attack here, now, of all places. But still, old habits die hard - his eyes fly between sniper perches, checking for...really, anything. Any sign of hostile intent.

He never expected it to be Kaname collapsing asleep in the middle of a game. His eyes widen as soon as it happens. Tsubaki falls all over Mizuki, Sousuke actually bounces off of both of their heads and uses the boost to jump the remainder of the bleachers and land on the ground. He rolls to his feet, and sprints for the field without even missing a beat. And he's running. Oh man is he running. Most people stay out of his way, because pretty much anyone at Jindai knows by now that if Chidori's in trouble, Sousuke comes like a wrecking ball. He kneels. "Chidori?" he asks, moving to take her vitals.

[Citizen's Band] Kaname Chidori | | Sounds of a softball game going on. "Gooooo Kaname!" "Good luck Kana-chan!" "CHIDORI-SAN I MUST TELL YOU THAT I--" "Oh SHUT UP Tsubaki!" "Announcer: Aaaaand there's the wind-up...and...." *SPLAT* "WHAT THE HELL? The pitcher is DOWN. I repeat. The pitcher is DOWN." "Kana-chan!" "I'll save you, Chidori-san!" "Get OFF me, Tsubaki!!" "...oh calm down, she's just asleep!" "Zzzzzzzzzz...."
[Citizen's Band] Kaname Chidori says, "Zzzzzznnnrrkkk..."
[Citizen's Band] Shinji Ikari says, "-Sagara, is Kaname in trouble?"
[Citizen's Band] Sousuke Sagara eerie silence.
[Citizen's Band] Kaname Chidori says, "Nomommydonwannagotoschoolzzzrrnkkk..."
[Citizen's Band] Shinji Ikari hrm. "Obviously a Divine Crusader /trap/ to secure Sagara's ever fluxuating allegiance..."

[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Shinji Ikari says, "Man, that Yzak Joule..."
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Amuro Ray says, "He's almost as much of an asshole as Char."
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Amuro Ray says, "ALMOST. Have I talked about Char before?"
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Shinji Ikari says, "Not recently."
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Lily Davies says, "Not around me."
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Gai Daigouji says, "Who's Char? Is he the Main Villain, like Prince Akara, or more like the Head Evil General Dude, like General Masaka?"
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Shinji Ikari says, "General Masaka."
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Amuro Ray says, "He's a Zeon ace. How does that fit in?"
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Gai Daigouji says, "Hmmmmm. Does he have a high pitched voice?"
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Gai Daigouji says, "These things are important for placing the villain in the context of Gekiganger III, you see."
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Amuro Ray says, "Well, he's this smug blonde guy in a mask, which looks STUPID might I add, and he always uses Mobile Suits that register as three times faster than the standard mass-produced Zeon MS. He's got a deep, kinda snotty voice, and thinks enough of himself to call /himself/ the Red Comet."
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Amuro Ray says, "And he's a Newtype."
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Gai Daigouji says, "And has he ever tried to go undercover and masquerade as 'Just an Everyday Guy'? Oh, he's got a mask and Fancy Powers. Yeah, he's more General Masaka."
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Shinji Ikari says, "Amuro! Mint! We have a case!"
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Amuro Ray says, "Well, no, he even wears that mask to the bar and the-huh? What? Where?"
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Shinji Ikari says, "The Divine Crusaders have used some kind of /sleep ray/ on Kaname! An obvious ploy to blackmail Mithril into doing their dirty work!"
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Amuro Ray says, "Oh, no, Kaname's in trouble?!"
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Gai Daigouji says, "A /SLEEP RAY/!? INSIDIOUS!"
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Mint Blancmanche says, "A sleep ray? That's horrible!"

[Fac-IPA] Shinji Ikari says, "Um, Misato?"
[Fac-IPA] Misato Katsuragi says, "Hmm?"
[Fac-IPA] Shinji Ikari says, "Our arch-rivals used a sleep ray on our friendly rivals to make them into evil robot zombies so can I have a couple dollars so we can pay for bus fair to save the day?"

[Citizen's Band] Kaname Chidori | Announcer: "Don't worry, everyone! The emergency medical team will-- *sounds of people bowled over* ....be there in a while!" "Other Announcer: Who IS that?" "EMTs: SA-GA-RA!!!" "Other Announcer: ...oh. Him."

[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Amuro Ray says, "Wow, I wonder if Sousuke's gonna snap someone's neck?!"

[Citizen's Band] Alicia says, "Anyway, um, say thank you to Misato for me, please?"
[Citizen's Band] Shinji Ikari says, "-oh, sorry, I got distracted. We got your note, and we appreciated it! I sure will!"

[Fac-IPA] A-ko Magami says, "How many rivals do you guys HAVE? :o"
[Fac-IPA] Toji Suzuhara says, "None."
[Fac-IPA] Amuro Ray says, "I have at least one!"
[Fac-IPA] Shinji Ikari says, "The Black Sheep are /very/ in demand, I'll have you know."
[Fac-IPA] Amuro Ray says, "If you see a guy in red wearing a mask, punch him."
[Fac-IPA] Roy Fokker says, "...okay, kids, that's enough."

[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Shinji Ikari says, "He's obviously insane with grief, and also dumb. Come on, we have to help!"
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Roy Fokker says, "I don't know..."
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Shinji Ikari sheepishly, "Just as soon as I, um, get bus fare."

[Fac-IPA] Misato Katsuragi says, "I...."
[Fac-IPA] A-ko Magami says, "Okay. If you see a girl in a combat bikini with Minmei hair, toss her out the airlock. ...With a spacesuit or something, I guess."
[Fac-IPA] Misato Katsuragi says, "Sure, Shinji."
[Fac-IPA] Toji Suzuhara deadpans: "This can only end in tears."
[Fac-IPA] Shinji Ikari says, "Thanks!" And gives her a kiss on the cheek.
[Fac-IPA] Misato Katsuragi says, "..."
[Fac-IPA] Misato Katsuragi says, "This is going to take some getting used to."

[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Gai Daigouji is crying Manly Tears at seeing such a display of TRUE CONCERN FOR SASSY RIVALS. "If you need it, I can lend you bus fare as wel---Oh, never mind. You got some." Gai is now normal. As normal as he gets.

The EMTs who were already moving to check on their star pitcher (while those who bet on today's game wail in despair), are thusly bowled over the wrecking ball that was Sousuke Sagara. Apparently they didn't get the memo that when Chidori is down, people better get out of the way.

Shino-kun: Don't worry everyone! The Emergency Medical team will--- *people bowled over* -- be there in a while!
Sano-kun: ....who IS that?

The EMTs, a pile of bodies on the ground, chant in one voice: "SA--"
"--GA--!" Kyouko GASPS, her hands flying over her open mouth.
"--RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!" comes Issei's outraged exclamation, once he's realigned his spine where Sousuke had managed to springboard off it.

Chidori is rolled on her back, slumped limply in Sousuke's arms even as he supports her up. His hand comes down, lifting her hand (the one without the pitcher's glove) to check her vitals. Her pulse.....is SLOW. Indeed, it was like someone just all out sedated Codename: Angel. But...who? And most importantly, HOW? Sousuke was in his post, and with this sort of stuff he NEVER misses anything.

Sousuke watches Kaname's limp form with something akin to dread, or fear, or something. THINK. There were nobody in ANY possible sniper positions. Which means...the other team? His eyes begin darting around to the other players, but no, first...

He begins checking several important bloodflow points for puncture wounds. Perhaps some kind of dart...

His hands are quick and professional. He has done this sort of examination a thousand times before. He hates it every time, because usually they're about to die from some incredible poison. But no...probably no poison that wasn't inserted straight into her brain should be able to drop her this fast.

Puzzling. And deeply worrisome.

For those unknowing, Sousuke actually dropped his radio when he made his dead run to check on Chidori, which is why he stopped responding. It is probably resting right next to the clump of classmates he springboarded off of. Tsubaki's gonna kill him for that someday.

And then, even as Sousuke's face tightens up with dread, or fear, or something, he'd hear it. His name. Faint on Kaname's lips.

"Gonnakillyousoussskeezzzzzznnkk..."

Jindai's blue-haired spitfire, for all intensive purposes, seems comfortably asleep.

We totally need, Shinji thinks, some kind of Black Sheep Mobile. He thinks this as the interplanar bus churns its way down the Jidiai street, and Shinji begins to feel a little embarrassed to be sitting on a bus seat in his plug-suit. Fortunately, he has a spare NERV Operations jacket, which holds his SDAT, the money Misato lent him, and two fists BLAZING with justice.

Wait, some part of Shinji thinks, what the hell am I doing?

Unfortunately, the dulcet tunes of the Digi Charat soundtrack muffle out any voice of reason in the Third Child's head, as the bus pulls up to the corner, and Shinji Ikari, ace pilot of the Black Sheep Squadron, hops out!

"SAGARA!" Tsubaki yells from the bleachers as Sousuke maintains his quick and professional inspection. This time, he's wearing his Asian and Nerdy, thick cokebottle glasses. "YOU CAD! How dare you take advantage of Chidori-san!"

"Sit -DOWN-, Tsubaki!" yells the rest of his classmates. Probably because he was blocking the view of the commotion.

I totally need, Amuro thinks, a car. He used to have a car, inasmuch as the jeep-like vehicles of his plane could be called cars, but like much of Side 7, it was blown up. He can save up for a car, right? Because man, busses are smelly!

The Gundam pilot hops out after, wearing a loose-fitting blue jacket that isn't official at all. But that's because most of the Badass Cops he sees on TV wear things like flowered shirts anyway. "Come on, Shinji! We need to solve this problem before it's too late! Sousuke could be in trouble!"

The cavalry has arrived. Maybe!
The announcers on top of the radio tower blink, catching sight of a teenager in a plug suit, and a teenager with an afro, run through the arena and down into the field as to where the medical emergency is going on.

"Shino-kun. Who are these people?"
"I dunno. Pinch-hitters?"
"But this is a GIRL'S MATCH!"
"So? They're slender and nubile enough! I mean, look at the beee-hind on the kid in the suit!"
"......."
"Er, I mean, WHAT?"
...she's asleep.

OK, this opens new options. Right. A sleeping poison is probably more viable as a rapid actor, but there's nothing THERE. He can't think of any poisons anyone who doesn't like him that he knows of offhand would use that would knock the victim out before killing them. Besides...almost nobody wants Kaname dead. She's too valuable. So, probably nothing lethal.

That still leaves the possibility of ingesting something...but would they really be so stupid as to have her ingest something that would knock her out in PLAIN VIEW!? Of course not! That would be the most amateur of amateur mistakes!!

Tsubaki is saved from the Wrath of Sagara by means of being too far away for Sousuke to worry about.

Now, what else could cause a collapse like this? There's several medical conditions, certainly - narcolepsy, for instance. "But Chidori doesn't /have/ any of those," he mutters.

The fact that he is externalizing his train of thought is probably a sign of how extremely worried this has made him.

He does not notice the coming of the cavalry. He may notice them when they get a little closer.

For the newcomers, the baseball diamond on Jindai High's athletic field is in disarray. EMTs lie in a pile where Sousuke literally ran over them to get to Chidori. Several of their classmates in the bleachers are regathering themselves after Sousuke bounced off of them like Mario. And Sousuke is on the pitchers' mound, trying to figure out why Kaname just...fell asleep before making a pitch.

Kaname was asleep. At least she was safe, at least when she fell, people didn't get her. Her baseball cap was, miraculously, still on her head, and with her limp arm slumped over her abdomen even as she breathes in, and out, and in, with this deep sort of sleep that had just suddenly hit her. She seems comfortable though, she murmurs now and then, her face turning to rest against Sousuke's chest. Aw. It'd be such a cute moment, if it weren't for the fact that - well, she'd probably be mortified if she woke up, and if Sousuke didn't look so worried.

To the cavalry, she's dressed in the Jindai High School Girl's Baseball Team uniform, with the three-quarters sleeved, dual-colored shirt and the short-shorts. Her cleats are quite well worn, and she's wearing ankle-socks.

She's also very much unconscious, but it looks like she's alive, and curled up against Sousuke like a cub on a mama bear.

Sousuke Sagara looks like he's probably the kind of mama bear that wants to find out who wtfuxed up her cub so she can EAT THEM.

"Hey, sorry to keep you waiting!!" Mint calls out, dashing over to the two pilots.

Let it be known that even when in the grips of some sort of odd, possibly personality-altering, pilot-directed virus thing, Mint Blancmanche remains no slouch at creating costumes on a dime. This is good, because for some odd reason, her usual costumes just didn't seem to be cutting it.

This might also be the reason why the telepath is wearing, under her usual Transbaal Imperial Space Force jacket... a form-fitting, one-piece battle bikini. A /red/ one, with racing stripes (?!) along the side, with a few odd mechanical-looking pods attached here and there.

She is also hefting a red bazooka. Goddess knows where she got THAT from.

And then, the crowd sees the red bazooka.

"SHE'S GOT A GUN!"
"TERRORISTS!"
"RUN!"

It only takes the crowded stadium three seconds to be completely, and utterly deserted. A tumbleweed blows past.
Sousuke Sagara has trained them well.

It took a few looks at the be-jumped-upon classmates to convince Shinji Ikari that this is a delicate situation that requires poise and tact so Saraga did not end up setting the city on fire. He flashes his IPA armband-badge in the general direction of the announcers, smiling because their joke was pretty funny and, you know, he had a very nice ass, thank you very much.

The Third Child sobers considerably more, as he makes his way to the touching scene of Sousuke and Kaname. They were too late to stop Haman Karn's terrible sleep ray...but, perhaps the Black Sheep could still save the day! Shinji meekly steps forward, as if abruptly remembering his personality...

...and pulls Sousuke into a MANLY EMBRACE! "Sagara!" Shinji cries out, "We came as soon as we'd heard! I'm sorry we didn't get here in time to stop phase one of Haman Karn's /evil scheme/, but I swear, as your sassy rival, I will do everything in my power to save Kaname, and keep you from the path of evil!"

Somehow, Shinji continues to hug Sousuke, while posing towards /the heavens/ dramatically, "For the only one who can defeat you, Sousuke Sagara....is me! Its a promise between men!" The third Child weeps a little, truly touched by the loving scene between emotionless super-assassin and hyper-violent mad scientist in training. Its so beautiful!

Shinji then turns around, and smiles sunnily Mintwards. "Hey, Minty! Nice gunpods!" This may or may not be mildly lewd. He then blinks at the running crowd, and frowns. Perhaps the Divine Crusaders are still here, cleverly disguised...

Amuro frowns slightly, glancing behind him. He may or may not actually be checking his own ass, self-consciously.

As he approaches, he forms a fist with one hand and points with the other, in a noble POSE! "Sousuke, we've come here to help you! Because that's what friends do for one another! And even if you are Shinji's SASSY RIVAL, I'm gonna help you! F-for the sake of Kaname's sushi lunches! She makes the best sushi I have /ever/ had."

He says this with dead seriousness, just as the crowd flees Mint. "...Terrorists? Hey, we're not terrorists! We're the good guys! You can tell we're the good guys because we didn't fly down in a big spiky helicopter, and we're no-...I'm not wearing red! Now, Sousuke, we'll uncover this plot for you! You stay and take care of Kaname, for the sake of a thousand girls romance comics!"

Feeling slightly more uninhibited, Amuro feels less ashamed in admitting that yes, he has read shoujo manga, dammit!

"Way to think with your baser needs there, Ray." Shinji mutters.

".....mmrgh..." Kaname mumbles softly, burying her face further in Sousuke's school uniform. One could only wonder what's going to happen when she wakes up.

Someone will die for this.

Sousuke Sagara is holding Kaname, which is the ONLY REASON Mint does not immediately have a gun up her nose. Sousuke instead turns some, to see who's coming. His hand reaches toward the Glock he keeps at all times holstered in the waist of his pants.

And then he is swept up in a MANLY EMBRACE!!!! Sousuke is somewhat accustomed to these because Kurz gets kind of weird when he's drunk, which is rather often. "Uh-huh," the Mithril Ace replies, dryly. "There were no beam weapons deployed here," he says, WHILE HELD. "She merely collapsed. There was no apparent cause."

He moves to pull himself away from Ikari, tending to Kaname as best he can, which pretty much means allowing her to nuzzle him as she pleases.

This has nothing to do with the weird tingles Sousuke gets sometimes. No, sir. Nothing here.

"What makes you suspect Haman Karn?" he asks.

Mint grins wolfishly at Shinji's possibly-subtly lewd remark. "Nice ass," she shoots back sweetly. No subtlety there!

As the crowd flees from them (read: the scary armed bunny-eared girl), Mint sniffs indignantly, totally ignorant of how close she was to getting a gun up her nose. "Hmph! Red is /not/ a terrorist symbol- it's a color with lots of hot-blooded history behind it!" she mutters, shaking her head as the thought that her OWN heavy weapon might be the cause for this panic DOESN'T cross her mind. And then her ears stand up straight as another, more disturbing possibility occurs to her. "Wait!! Unless they're running for /another/ reason?" Mint falls into a battle stance, her bazooka at the ready. "What if whoever did this to Chidori is still around?! That's got to be it! -- and there is no such thing as 'merely collapsing'!! We must be ready for ALL possibilities!!"

The bunny-eared telepath bodily sticks her bazooka into the ground before she lashes her arms out, posing dramatically with her coattails fluttering in the wind. "Angel's Heaven-- BREAAAAAK DOWN!!" Mint's hand blurs, pressing the red brooch attached to the front of her jacket- and there's a burst of light, her form barely visible as she spins in midair. The battle bikini glows and unravels just as the mechanical pods unfold to cover the entirety of her body in a blood-red power-suit, and the henshin sequence ends with a visor slamming over her eyes.

"Galaxy Angel Task Force, Angel Red-- ASSEMBLE!!" Power Ranger Mint roars, posing hot-bloodedly. An explosion goes off behind her, the flame framing her petite (and still bunny-eared) form.

[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Shinji Ikari says, "You...don't do anything halfway, do you Minty..."
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Amuro Ray says, "I can't do that..."
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Rei Ayanami says, "What?"
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Angel Red Mint Blancmanche poses dramatically, and yells again, for everyone's (read: her own) benefit: "Galaxy Angel Task Force, Angel Red-- ASSEEEEEMBLLLLLEEE!!" Dramatic explosion!
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Gai Daigouji applauds with GUSTO.
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Shinji Ikari says, "That!"
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Angel Red Mint Blancmanche bows. "Thank you, thank you~~ -- and of course, Shinji! There's no point in doing things halfway!!"

There is a pause. Dark lashes flutter, the fingers gripping the front of Sousuke's uniform relax for a moment as the girl in the expressionless specialist's arms stirs. Of course, it was hard to see, because the bill of her cap is pulled low on her face, but she does start to move, her head lifting up just slightly. Amber-brown eyes open slowly, and a hand comes up to start rubbing her face.

"Mmmrgh....what happened...? Did we win?"

She's pausing. And she blinks, glancing over at the person cradling her. "....Sou...suke?" Her vision was a little foggy. She slowly starts to sit up. "What....what are we...?" And then, there are EXPLOSIONS! HOTBLOODED YELLING. She turns her head around to stare, as Mint's bikini....unravels, and turns into a powersuit. And she stares. And stares. Like Sousuke, probably, with her mouth gaping open.

Silence.

Suddenly, the paper fan is out, and she THWACKS Sousuke at the back of the head.

"SOUSUKE!!!" she yells, her amber-brown eyes burning with the FIRES OF RIGHTEOUS FEMINISM. "YOU BASTARD! THIS IS A BASEBALL GAME, NOT A BACHELOR PARTY! IT'S JUST LIKE YOU TO GRAB SOMEONE WITH A MECHA BIKINI, YOU INSUFFERABLE OTAKU!"

Shinji Ikari is faintly surprised that Sagara hasn't shot him yet. That just seems to be his thing. Or at least suplexed him or something. "Well, laser arrays can be invisible, you know! Or maybe it was a sleeping powder of some kind..." Don't laugh, Sousuke, you JUST THOUGHT THAT PUNK. Also, Sousuke poses a very good question. Why did he...

...why...

...why...

"HAH-CHOO!" Shinji sneezes, rubbing his nose. He's polite enough to disentangle before the sneeze. "nubblbu." Sneeef. "Sorry, cold. Anyway, who /else/? This isn't exactly Gauron's style, man, and mind games are /right/ up that purple-haired floozy's alley, you've got to admit!" Shinji is, worst of all, /perky/ about the possibly disturbingly plausible scenario...

...and then Mint Mint's all over the place. Shinji can't respond to the compliment because he's busy politely looking away as Mint ASSEMBLES! all over the place, and coughs politely. "She's the heavy backup. Does great work with explosives, don't you agree! Best way to flush out those terrorists."

Shinji wisely steps out of the way as Kanamae reasserts the natural order of things, and smiles cheerfully at the girl. "Hi!" Shinji practically chirps. "Asuka says hi, by the way." This is something of a fib, as Asuka fainted upon seeing Happy Shinji, but Shinji knows the girl would want to tell her friend and fellow psychopath hi. "...say, you're not following the evil intentions of Haman Karn, are you Kaname? I mean, normally, I know you're a standup kind of girl and all, but she's /really tricky/ and she sort of wants to kill us all."

Shinji looks left, and right, perhaps stepping /on/ Sousuke while he leans in to whisper, "We suspect she may be why you passed out, just then..."

Amuro does outright stare at Mint, for a moment. Most of what crosses through his mind is, 'I hope we don't have to do that from now on. I don't know how to do that! I can't! And I don't look good in those kinds of outfits.' Now, a tuxedo, that he could do...

"She might have been trying to take a hostage," Amuro admits. "I don't trust her whole 'don't involve civilians' bit, like hell she doesn't involve civilians! But-eheh, Kaname? Sousuke didn't insist on calling us down here, we came ourselves! For the sake of justice and true happy endings and everything! And because you make the best sushi. Now, are you okay? Are you seeing double or anything, how many Sousukes are you hitting?"

"Do not," Sousuke says flatly, "insult my capacities, Miss Blancmanche." He looks down at Chidori, visibly worried - which is how you know it's really damn serious, because Sousuke is rarely visibly anything but apathetic. "I have already investigated the possibility." He points, unerringly, to several points around the field, with clear visibility of the pitchers' mound, most of them mounted on high buildings. "All possible snipers' nests have been boobytrapped for months. I check them daily, including the visual checks I maintained while Chidori was on the mound. There was no method to inject her with it from afar." To Shinji, he says, "I considered the possibility of sleeping agents inserted into her food, but it would be a move only an amateur would attempt. Any professional would make sure to check she wouldn't be pitching at the time the agent would kick it...if it were some sort of rival at school, potentially...but none of them have any knowledge of poisons or sleeping powders that I know of." He ponders the possibility of Mizuki, but...no, she's pretty much over her hateon for Kaname, right? Right. Because she knows if she's not she's gonna get some menacing visi--

Sousuke's quiet review of his backup plans to make Mizuki Inaba's life a living hell are derailed when Kaname suddenly stirs. "Chidori. Are you al" and then smashes his face into the dirt.

"That hurt," he says.

[Fac-IPA] As if from space, Turtle Tamer says, "....so."
[Fac-IPA] As if from space, Turtle Tamer says, "Out of the /goodness of my own heart/."
[Fac-IPA] As if from space, Turtle Tamer says, "I am currently playing the flaming crutch market so I can buy some zombie pineal glands so I can get Doc Galaktik to make some cures for this 'cold' of yours."
[Fac-IPA] As if from space, Turtle Tamer says, "Therefore, if anyone happens to have some perpetually flaming crutches that I can use, it'd be appreciated."

Kaname is still steaming. How could she, with the delicate face and grace of an angel - ....have such a temperament to rival most rabid African silverback gorillas? The world may never know, but she's panting a bit, her teeth bared and her fingers clutched onto the grip of her halisen with enough force to choke the rubber. Pant. Pant. Pant. So this was Kaname Chidori, the number one idol NO ONE at school wants to date. Unless you're a masochist (See file on Sagara, Sousuke).

She blinks, recognizing the boy in the plug suit. "...Shinji? What are you doing here?" she wonders out loud. "And Asuka? Where is she? I haven't seen her in a while, tell her I said hi too." And then...she gapes. "AMURO? You're here too? Mouuuu...there seems to be something..." She squints. "Different about you."

She blinks as Shinji sneezes, and she takes out a handkerchief in her backpocket to offer it to him. "Oh, just one." And even if there were multiple Sousukes, chances are? Kaname will ALWAYS hit the right one. There's just no doubt. Her Sousuke Abuse Senses are so well honed, even space villains thought she was't human (see file on: Aiba, Shinya).

"Haman Karn? Who's that? No....I don't think so. I haven't had any trouble like that in a while." She rubs the back of her neck. "I just felt a little under the weather today, but then I started feeling better at lunch, and suddenly when I was about to pitch, I just felt REALLY sleepy. Maybe it's the flu? It's flu season after all." Paying no attention when Shinji steps on his sassy rival to whisper to her.

Angel Red Mint continues posing like a karate master. A DRAMATIC karate master. She's living the dream, man, let her be! Don't let her get deflated when she realizes that there probably won't be any big bosses to fight today! And besides, she's thinking if she can get the Transbaal military techs to give their Emblem Frames combination/transformation capabilities. Angel's Heaven Z would make an awesome combo'd mech! And if she asked them first, she might also get to form the head!

"Shnkchu!" Mint sneezes delicately, trying to ignore the fact that she can't wipe her nose while wearing a helmet. "Under the weather? Maybe it's the cold that's going around lately!!" she pitches in, totally ignoring the fact that she just snubbed Sousuke. And then there's a pause. "So, uh, think there'd be anyone we can go beat up for this travesty? Not sure if yelling 'I'VE GOT TO USE A DESPERATION MEASURE-- SUPER MOVE ANGEL WINGS COOOOOOOOLD REMEDYYYYYYY!!' would cut the cake today," she pouts behind her visor.

"So she used an amateur to get past your net. Don't /assume/ someone's not going to use a viable method of transference when its available to them, even if it is amateurish. That just means you're leaving yourself exposed to anyone smart enough to realize you're only looking for professional work!" Shinji continues to stand on Sousuke's head while explaining this to the boy, perhaps asking for a sound asskicking.

Shinji actually flushes a little at Kaname's display of raw rage and power, but quickly looks to the ground until said flush is gone. While not a masochist, the refined romantic palette of Shinji Ikari can, in fact, appreciate the beauty and grace of a strong woman in her natural element, you know. "Um, thanks!" Shinji waves off the handkerchief, showing that he has a pocketful of tissues for just such an emergency. "I sort of got frozen on Pluto." Shinji adds, explaining where he got the cold.

Moving on, the Third Child rubs his chin in thought. "Really sleepy, eh? Hrm...Amuro, you know first aid, right? Why don't you give Kaname a once over, just in case? This may have been...a /diversion/, while the Divine Crusaders rob an orphaned baby kitten and puppy bank!" Truly, the deductive prowess of Shinji Ikari is legendary. "Oh-Haman Karn's a Syndicate operative. Newtype supremacist, big jerk. I arrested her once!" Shinji notes, cheerfully. "...Mint helped."

And as for Mint, Shinji blinks, as a hole in space and time rips open just a ways away from the group of teenagers. The sky tears open, and actually /bleeds/ a little, as a faint moaning is heard from the rip in space itself. And out steps...

...a slightly overweight Frenchman...Montiguean, actually...dressed in Sun King Era finery and armed with a rapier. "/Shinji Ikari/." The Frenchman notes, pointing his sword at the boy who DARED insult him, "At last, you are /mine/..."

"Baronet DuSaundere!" Shinji shouts back, HOT BLOODEDLY, assuming a fighting position! This frees Sousuke up to maim Shinji a little. "Minty, adventure calls! I bet /he/ had something to do with this! His evil sorcery lets him travel anywhere he wants, after all! Quickly, we've got to stop him!"

The Frenchman blinks, as the boy is not /running/ what the hell is going on here?! "Err..."

Amuro thinks for a moment, and then pounds his fist into an open palm in recognition. "Oh! I bet I know what it is, Kaname. Did you eat breakfast? Lots of times I forget to eat, and then once in a while, if I've had an active day, I start getting dizzy and pass out for a little. But it's usually brief! Just get a glass of water or something. -Well, I have some first-aid training! Okay, AMURO RAY is on the case!"

Still ignoring poor Sousuke, Amuro kneels next to Kaname and glances at her. "Do you feel hot or dizzy or anything? Any spots? Did you eat alright today? Does Sousuke always clam up like that? I mean, really, you must have to drag him into town to get the guy to smile! I bet he'd really like it if you could get him to take you to some place like the zoo or something. He's just shy, that's all! He just needs to learn to embrace the universe like a blazing star!"

He takes a deep breath and turns to the Frenchman. "Hey, some guy said your mom was a Brit!"

One of Sousuke Sagara's emergency contingencies in the event of an evil clone of himself running around is to act like an idiot in front of Kaname, knowing fully well that she will unerringly strike the true Sagara, forcing the evil duplicate to reveal his hand.

Sousuke rises, as Shinji steps off. He does not seem terribly inclined to shoot Shinji right now, but that's because Shinji's running toward the minefield.

He allows himself a small smile, then looks back to Chidori. "As they were saying...you collapsed. You are ill?" He says it in a tone somewhat similar to that others might reserve for 'you've been shot? With explosive bullets?' "I can take you to a doctor."

He gives Amuro a look that could melt the black off of Darth Vader. Why is up for debate; Amuro just gave him several particularly good reasons.

"Huh...I did?" Kaname blinks a little bit, and glances down at herself. She also smiles over at Amuro as he checks her over. "I guess....you might be right. I did leave the apartment in a hurry today, I didn't really eat anything. And I kinda skipped lunch because games make me nervous, and I didn't want to throw up what I would've eaten. I think I'm alright now though, natural causes I think." She stands up slowly, and glances at Sousuke. "I'm alright now, though, Sousuke," she remarks, embarrassed now that she could've just fainted. "I don't think I need to see a doctor..."

Sousuke is glaring at Amuro though. She blinks. Why? She thought Sousuke and Amuro are friendly with one another?

She waves a hand off, and takes a step to the side. She also blinks at the Frenchman. "What the hell--???" She could only stare, and then she facepalms. Sadly enough she was getting used to this. However, everyone's GERMS are running around, with Shinji and Mint sneezing the way they are.

Her special Whispered subconscious kicks in. It identifies the toxin invading her system. It shoots the program it has developed earlier in the day to her brain. Her brain spits out the hormones, in that special configuration, intended to combat it.

As a result, Kaname's eyes droop. She collapses, just as she insists that she is fine. She also....well, goes sprawling on Amuro, her chest on his face, in a blatantly compromising position.

Somewhere, Tsubaki cries. The words REJECTION in big bold letters crash over him.

Sousuke Sagara is going to kill you, Amuro Ray. He is going to kill you so bad.

[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Shinji Ikari says, "Amuro you SLY DOG!"
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Amuro Ray says, "-Huh? Wha-This wasn't on purpose...!"
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Lily Davies says, "OK, what'd you do?"
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Angel Red Mint Blancmanche says, "Oh my, you've gotten bolder!"
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Shinji Ikari says, "Don't worry, I won't tell Tatsuki! -well, unless she asks nicely..."
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Angel Red Mint Blancmanche says, "-- 'scuse me for a moment. -- EAT BAZOOKA, YOU FILTHY BARONET!!"

Mint Blancmanche barely has enough time to start retorting to Shinji when the FRENCHMAN tears a hole in the fabric of time and space. "!!!" Angel Red's face lights up like a Christmas tree, and she poses immediately, nodding to the Third Child. "RIGHT!" And then to the Baronet- "Your evil acts will not be tolerated here, you foul fiend!" Mint squeaks, shaking a fist. "And I will not let you touch one hair on poor, defenseless Shinji's head!" Pffft, just 'helped' capture Haman Karn, indeed!

Largely ignoring the romantic shenanigans going on around her- she's in a shounen comic world of her own by now!- Angel Red launches herself forward, bazooka at the ready. "ANGEL'S TOUCH!!" she roars, doing her damned best to jam the barrel of the bazooka into his mouth and shoot great balls of fire at point blank range!

As I was gonna say. SHENANIGANS!

[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Lily Davies says, "...no, seriously, what?"
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Amuro Ray says, "I didn't do aaanything!"
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Gai Daigouji starts laughing in his hot-blooded and slightly maniacal fashion, for NO APPARENT REASON.
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Goony Bird Nono joins in.
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Lily Davies says, "Fine, leave me in the dark, why don't you."
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Gai Daigouji stops laughing. "...Well, you could try turning on a light! That often helps."
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Shinji Ikari says, "Its complicated and I think I just stepped on a land mine so I've got to focus on stepping on Sagara until he explodes now."
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Shinji Ikari explosions!
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Lily Davies says, "...ooookay."
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Lily Davies says, "And it's not literally dark, I have a lamp on."
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Angel Red Mint Blancmanche says, "!! You fiend, you killed Shinji! I WILL AVENGE YOUR DEMISE!"
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Angel Red Mint Blancmanche says, "ANGEL'S TOOOUCH!!"
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Angel Red Mint Blancmanche bazooka noises.

Shinji Ikari hates this guy ssssssoooooooooo bad, its not even funny. The Third Child /finally/ has enough courage to square off with the dude, and now, finally, he has his-"Defenseless?!" Shinji squacks, shaking a fist at Little Miss Trust Fund. And he hopes you heard that, too! "I'll show you defenseless, lady, this guy's had this coming a long ti-" Shinji blinks.

And moves his foot around a little.

And finds the time to /look/ at Sousuke. "Sagara, you put land mines in the outfield, didn't you."

WHABAMOOOM! Shinji goes, "WAAAUUUUGGGGH!" and /flies/ up into the air, spiraling up and over Amuro and Kaname's secret make out party and slamming into the dugout with a WHOUMPH! He may well be out cold!

Meanwhile, in the bowels of NERV, Evangelion Unit-01's eyes start glowing with a terrible white fire. Somehow, the launch systems just...turn on, sending the EVA Unit catapulting out of the ground and slamming into the surface, where it starts running towards the Gate!

Meanwhile, The Frenchman turns from horrified, to vengeful, "You are neeext, Amuro Ray!" he swears, to terrified as a little girl is holding him up. The bazooka goes off...

And is that cold steel at the back of your neck, Mint? "Fool! Ewe kennot /tell/ one trained een the Montiguean school eurre attacks...for he can surely avoid anything 'ee can see! Now, surrender, my quarrel ees not with ewe..!"

The sword presses, uncomfortably, on the back of Mint's next. It may cut the skin, a tiny bit. "/Yet/."

Amuro's unfortunately oblivious to Sousuke's glare of death. He'll worry about it later! "Yeah, that's probably all! You should just try to rest and huh, Kanam-"...

Kaname falls right on him, and it knocks him onto the ground. With her on him. Actually, with /that/ part of her on...

And now, he's in a strange position. Really, he's never gotten this 'facefull of boobs' before. His canon never had that joke. The most he got was walking in on Mirai in the shower, and she was of a modest build. So really, the teenaged male part of his brain is going 'aw yeeeeeeeeeeah.'

This is out of synch with the rest of his brain, which manages to override the alteration-effects of the cold to scream DANGER DANGER WILL ROBINSON DANGER.

"Mmph, Kaname," he mumbles, muffled, before placing his hands delicately on her shoulders, sitting her up, and...something clicks in his mind. "Kaname, listen! I-I can't do this with you, because while I may be too early into a relationship to know if my heart belongs to another, I know that she at least has faceplant rights! And really, who am I to supersede faceplant rights? You don't need to worry! You'll find that one! But ours is just friendship, Kaname! I don't want you to take what I said the wrong way, I just think you're an awesome cook, and I'm a teenage guy! We guys are /suckers/ for that sort of thing!"

Are there actually sparkles around him, or is that just the sunlight?
Sousuke Sagara is going to kill you SO VERY MUCH.

"Zzzzrrrrk...." Is Kaname's concise and clear reply to Amuro Ray, her head lolled forward and her chin against her chest, on her knees even as the sparkles of UNREQUITED LOVE float around them in a pastel pink background. With Sousuke's glare.

Shinji Ikari gives Amuro a shaky thumbs up, because that is what a brother does. He then goes back to his mild concussion and the Ouch all over his body.

Sousuke likes Amuro. He even likes Shinji Ikari, albeit both in his own way - a curious amalgamation of his relationship with Kurz, which is quite close indeed for the young soldier, and his relationship with Shinji Kazama, which is...not so much. This does not prevent him from planning seven ways to kill each of them, because that is how the SRT must live.

He frowns as Kaname collapses again, RIGHT ON TOP OF AMURO AAAAGH. Sousuke steps over, but is interrupted from his rapid retrieval by Shinji's comments. Sousuke says, possibly enjoying himself, "Yes," before, he looks down at Amuro.

He thinks about this for a moment. A part of him thinks, 'You know...if she wakes up with her boobs in his face, she'll hit HIM.'

Another part thinks, 'But then she has her boobs on his face for like five minutes.'

Then the part that actually pays attention to things like this reminds, 'You know, if she wakes up with her boobs on his face, she's going to kill us for not stopping it. Or for stopping it. Either way, really.'

Sousuke moves over to hoist her off of Amuro, because if he doesn't he'll get hit for doing something he actually deserves to get hit for, and there's something cosmically wrong about that. "Ray," he notes. "You may want to tend to Ikari. He found the mine field."

"...Oh, sorry," Amuro admits. "I'll right on boobs on face! I mean. Pardon, that was a faux bra. Um...I'll do that."

And thus, the limp, slumbering body of Kaname Chidori is hoisted by Sousuke. She curls back up against him. Nuzzle. Nuzzle. Somewhere in there, she actually cooes in her sleep, like someone so comfortable with someone's presence that she knows it even when she's unconscious. Awwww.

Angel Red doesn't move an inch at the touch of cold steel, her bazooka still pointed at where the Baronet was just a moment ago. The visor somehow gleams in the light. "I won't stop fighting... not until my very soul is torn from my cold, dead body! I will not surrender! I WILL NOT SURRENDER!!" And by some means of senseless Galaxy Angel physics, the back of the bazooka opens up and fires another round, hopefully right into her opponent's face!

At Sousuke's advice, Amuro goes to retrieve poor Shinji, letting Mint take on the DESTINED ENEMY that is the French Guy. He still isn't really aware of how doomed he will be, someday, sometime, in the future, when he least expects it, and does nothing simpler than step into the bathtub where SOUSUKE WILL BE WAITING TO DROP IN A HAIR DRYER!

Or something like that. "Shinjiii! Are you okay? How many of me are you seeing? Are you missing any teeth? Any spots? Don't fall on my face, okay? People make enough jokes about us as it is!"

Sousuke Sagara thinks he likes this narcoleptic Chidori thing. She isn't hitting him as often, and carting her around like this is kind of nice.

He wonders, distantly, if thinking like that is safe, because Whispered Resonance, right? Maybe she can READ HIS BRAAAAAIN AAAAAAAAH

Which reminds him, must assassinate Mint Blancmanche. Yes.

Sousuke hoists Kaname up into his arms, and then begins walking across the field toward the nurse's office. He wonders if perhaps he should invite her to sleep at his apartment tonight, so that he can ensure her proper nutrition. Three square meals of boiled vegetables and jerky!

...his cheek hurts preemptively.

Normally, Shinji sort of likes Sousuke too. When he's not holding his gir-his fri-anyone he knows at gunpoint. Or trying to assassinate them. Or generally being a tool. Normal Shinji has never really had a friendly-adversarial relationship like he has with Sagara, and he's sort of getting used to it still.

HOT BLOODED Shinji knows /exactly/ what to do to frontiers like Sousuke Sagara, however, but he is currently going, "whubbamancsha" at Amuro. Meanwhile,

"Oh zat is just cheat-" WHABBABOOM! The Frenchman falls back, landing /dangerously close/ to Sousuke Sagara. See, little does anyone know, Sousuke's one true weakness is badass Frenchmen. Standing up, the noble /glares/ at Sagara, rips a hole in the fabric of the universe, and shouts out, "Anothar time, Ikari, when ewe are not hiding behind one of eweor women!", and hops in. It closes with a SPLORCH.

Meanwhile, oh hey there's a purple goliath slamming its way down main street. In a few seconds, Evangelion Unit-01 is /looming/ over the Baseball Diamond, eyes glowing with hellish white fire, hands gripped into fists, and teeth straining against its restraits. It GLARES at Sousuke, as if reading the boy's brain and knowing exactly what he did.

Shinji chooses then to stand up. His eyes are not glowing white, that is a brief illusion. "SOUSUKE SAGARA!" Shinji shouts, pointing a finger at the boy, "YOU DARE CHALLANGE ME WHEN KANAME IS ILL?! I CAN NOT BUT ACCEP-holy crap is that Unit-01?"

The EVA Unit looks down at its Special Child, eyes glowing as if commanding the boy to gird himself for war. Despite his hot blood, Shinji flinches...

And Unit-01's hand gently comes down, opening up to show a few first aid kids and even some medicine to help flush the gunk out of Kaname's system with.

"Aww, gosh." Shinji says, stroking his EVA's hand affectionately. "...wait, what do people say about us, Amuro?"

"Sousuke...." mumbles Kaname. She says his name a lot when she's sleeping. Does she think about him....IN BED? Probably because she often dreams about killing him. It's tough love. If she was going to become a soldier's wife one day, she had to be his TOUGHEST DRILL SERGEANT. After all, Sousuke would've gotten soft if it weren't for him doing his best to keep up with Kaname. That took some sort of supersoldier stamina. See? She's GOOD for him!

"...where are you taking me?" she mumbles sleepily. "...I thought we....were gonna hang out with Shinji and Asuka...?"

Her hand comes up to grip the front of his uniform as she continues to doze. Thankfully, she doesn't remember the Amuro incident.

YET.

[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Amuro Ray says, "...I didn't know you can summon it on command, Shinji."
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Shinji Ikari says, "I have.../no/ idea how that happened but I'm pretty sure my dad's going to kick my ass."
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Lily Davies says, "Huh?"
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Shinji Ikari sounds like he just crashed the family car, "Unit-01 is...here. It...brought some...first aid kits."
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Amuro Ray mumbles something like, "I knew that thing was a biomachine..."
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Amuro Ray says, "It must like you."
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Shinji Ikari dryly, "We've got a lot in common."
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Amuro Ray says, "I bet you could teach it to play fetch."
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Shinji Ikari says, "-I am not teaching my Unit-01 to play fetch!"
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Angel Red Mint Blancmanche says, "Yeah, Amuro, c'mon!"
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Angel Red Mint Blancmanche says, "One step at a time."
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Lily Davies says, "Now I want a remote control circlet."
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Angel Red Mint Blancmanche says, "He taught Unit-01 to come to him on command; next is probably sitting on command, staying in one place on command, and THEN fetching."
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Goony Bird Nono says, "I knew it was like a Buster Machine!"
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Goony Bird Nono says, "Onee-sama's Dix-Neuf comes to her when called, too! It's just like that!"
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Amuro Ray says, "Topless can summon Buster Machines?!"
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Goony Bird Nono says, "Well...not all of them..."
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Goony Bird Nono says, "Onee-sama can because her special power is displacement!"
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Goony Bird Nono says, "She just says the name and there it is!"
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Lily Davies says, "Is that how she made its fist come up through the floor?"
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Goony Bird Nono says, "Uh-huh!"
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Lily Davies says, "I knew she was cheating but I couldn't figure out how."
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Shinji Ikari a little shellshocked. "I."
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Shinji Ikari suddenly, "Unit-01 is not /cheating/!"

Amuro looks up, waaaay up, at Unit-01.

"Gundams can't do that," he notes pointedly.

[Fac-IPA] Shinji Ikari ah-heh. "Um, Misato, um, don't be /too/ mad, it totally isn't my fault, but well."
[Fac-IPA] Misato Katsuragi says, "So grounded."
[Fac-IPA] Shinji Ikari trying to find a bright side, "Its /not/ laying waste to the city! It just brought some, um, first aid kits. Which I'm sure it paid for! My Unit-01 is honest!"
[Fac-IPA] Misato Katsuragi says, "GROUNDED."
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Lily Davies says, "Geez, stop yelling...not you."
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Goony Bird Nono says, "Chiko-san can't, because her special power is telepathy!"
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Goony Bird Nono says, "She can control cats and things, and you don't see it talking unless she wants you to!"
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Lily Davies says, "I can't do any of that. All I can do is pilot psychomechs. Man..."

Mint Blancmanche stops halfway through her victory dance to look up at the 'rampaging' Evangelion. She has to bend almost all the way back.

She keeps quiet because she just recently saw Milfeulle's robot do something like this, too. It also began hitting on its pilot.

Mint decides to stop thinking now.

That's right! Kaname Chidori will make a man out of S--

--let's not go there.

Sousuke instead SNAPS around as the whatever the hell this guy is pops up, but he doesn't attack, which is good, because Sousuke hates to kick a Frenchman's ass with just his feet.

Sousuke has yet to discover the terrible power Frenchmen possess, you see.

He looks up at Unit-01. He quietly calculates what he would have to do to disable it on foot. Difficult, he decides - indeed, virtually impossible.

But he could probably, he decides, pull it off. If it was distracted enough, anyway. Perhaps by landmines. Hm hm hm.

Kaname's words jar him out of his reverie. He ponders how to react. He finally turns, and says, "I am going to take you to your apartment, Chidori. They are..." He looks back at Shinji. "Occupied."

And finally, he manages to get around to responding to Shinji: "I issued no challenge. If you wish to fight me, however..." He closes his eyes, then looks down at Chidori, slumbering. "...another time, perhaps."

[Fac-IPA] Shinji Ikari says, "Awww, but its Sagara's fault for putting the darn land mine there in the first place!"
[Fac-IPA] Misato Katsuragi says, "I'll talk to Kalinin. Have him grounded too."
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Lily Davies says, "Do /all/ of you do something important or cool other than pilot?"
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Goony Bird Nono says, "Ah..."
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Goony Bird Nono slightly more sad. "NOno...cleans the floors?"
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Amuro Ray says, "I-...work on machines."
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Lily Davies says, "You made Haro, you're not allowed to talk."
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Goony Bird Nono says, "But, that doesn't matter!"
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Shinji Ikari cheerfully, "No, they just put me in the death machine and point me at stuff."
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Amuro Ray adds, helpfully, "and see the future."
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Lily Davies says, "And apparently you did a super thing, Nono."
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Amuro Ray says, "But not reliably! Mostly just 'your friends are all going to die' or 'if you don't move left that Zaku is going to shoot your head.'""
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Goony Bird Nono says, "Because I will be a Nonoriri! ANd I'll do it by trying my very hardest! With HARD WORK AND GUTS!!!!!!!!"
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Lily Davies says, "I dunno, the last one sounds handy."
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Amuro Ray says, "Oh, it is!"
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Amuro Ray says, "But man, is it freaky. I'm just glad no one outside of the brass treats me like a total freak because of it."
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Lily Davies says, "Okay, Shinji. I thought I was going to be alone on that list for a while."
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Lily Davies says, "Are you kidding? I think it'd be neat. But no, I have a psychomech and it isn't even psychic."

Shinji Ikari winces, as Misato starts informing him just how grounded he is over the radio. He'll figure a way out of this! Just you watch.

"Um, good idea." Shinji blinks, and winces. "Um, Misato's going to talk to Kalinin...I think she's mad about the land mine." Shinji scuffles his feet, as if he had accidentally gotten Sousuke in trouble with /his/ dad in the process of Shinji getting in trouble with /his/ mom. Perhaps over a whitewashed fence.

"Oh, right!" Suddenly cheerful again, Shinji tosses Sagara the special first aid kit. "This should help get whatever's in her system out, Sagara. Sorry for, um, destroying the baseball diamond. -and good one with those land mines, I'll be expecting it next time!" Shinji chuckles manfully, stepping onto Unit-01's palm. "Come on, guys, we don't have to take the bus home!"

Wait.

Next time?!

Sousuke Sagara will ponder how screwed he is later.

He's also pretty sure the worst Kalinin's going to do is go 'Sagara, stop landmining the school. By the way, we're sending you 100 landmines, as you requested.'

Now, if /Mardukas/ were brought in on this, Sousuke would fear for his life and continued ability to reproduce.

[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Amuro Ray says, "Really? You think it's neat?"
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Lily Davies says, "Yeah."
[Y-Black Sheep Squadron] Lily Davies says, "I mean, why not?"
[Fac-IPA] Shinji Ikari innocently, "You should probably talk to Mister Mardukas, too, Misato. I think he's technically Saraga's commanding officer."
[Fac-IPA] Misato Katsuragi says, "Oh, right
[Fac-IPA] Misato Katsuragi says, "Thanks, Shinji."
[Fac-IPA] Shinji Ikari says, "No problem! Just want to help!"
[Fac-IPA] Misato Katsuragi says, "You're still grounded, though."
[Fac-IPA] Shinji Ikari says, "...what if I pick up groceries on the way back?"
[Fac-IPA] Misato Katsuragi says, "That might help. As long as you don't step on the store in Unit 01 as you go."
[Fac-IPA] Shinji Ikari says, "I won't! I promise!"
[Fac-IPA] Shinji Ikari may have his fingers crossed.
[Fac-IPA] Misato Katsuragi is wondering what the hell happened.
[Fac-IPA] Shinji Ikari doesn't know! Unit-01 is weird.
[Fac-IPA] Amuro Ray is mildly jealous, having never met one Domon Kasshu.
[Fac-IPA] As if from space, Turtle Tamer isn't using quote marks either.