Stop me if you've heard this one.
Guy who's just had his world ripped away walks into a bar, looking to either drink himself into blissful oblivion or start the bar brawl to end all bar brawls -- victory irrelevant. I come into the story just before the branch point.
"Good morning, Agent. Your mission, should you choose to accept it...."
Guy #2 walks into aforementioned bar, walks right up to Guy #1 at precisely the right moment (these things are all about timing), and whispers just the right words into the ear of the anthropomorphic prompt-critical mass.
Cue eruption.
Cue violence.
Cue Guy #2 (that's me) thrashing Guy #1's ass all over the bar (after having pre-paid-off the barkeep, bouncers, and the local patrol cops -- these things are all about planning and preparation).
Cue yours truly pinning one Gendo Ikari nee Rokobungi against the bar in a combo half-Nelson/Sleeper (my own technique, double-jointed people only need apply).
Cue the recruitment pitch.
"So, now that you're too tired not to listen, here's the deal. You want her back? I can give you your best chance to make that happen. Here's the catch: you have to save the world to get the girl. No shortcuts. You're going to beat the Angels, destroy SEELE, and be the kind of father she expected you to be. Because short of that, she won't come back. And trust me, you're not dragging her back out by force."
Cue a taxi, a burner phone with some special features, and a truly epic bar tab. "Call me once you sober up. We've got decadal project ahead of us, and no time to waste -- we've got a century-plus of conspiracy to catch up on."
Guy who's just had his world ripped away walks into a bar, looking to either drink himself into blissful oblivion or start the bar brawl to end all bar brawls -- victory irrelevant. I come into the story just before the branch point.
"Good morning, Agent. Your mission, should you choose to accept it...."
Guy #2 walks into aforementioned bar, walks right up to Guy #1 at precisely the right moment (these things are all about timing), and whispers just the right words into the ear of the anthropomorphic prompt-critical mass.
Cue eruption.
Cue violence.
Cue Guy #2 (that's me) thrashing Guy #1's ass all over the bar (after having pre-paid-off the barkeep, bouncers, and the local patrol cops -- these things are all about planning and preparation).
Cue yours truly pinning one Gendo Ikari nee Rokobungi against the bar in a combo half-Nelson/Sleeper (my own technique, double-jointed people only need apply).
Cue the recruitment pitch.
"So, now that you're too tired not to listen, here's the deal. You want her back? I can give you your best chance to make that happen. Here's the catch: you have to save the world to get the girl. No shortcuts. You're going to beat the Angels, destroy SEELE, and be the kind of father she expected you to be. Because short of that, she won't come back. And trust me, you're not dragging her back out by force."
Cue a taxi, a burner phone with some special features, and a truly epic bar tab. "Call me once you sober up. We've got decadal project ahead of us, and no time to waste -- we've got a century-plus of conspiracy to catch up on."