Fan-fiction Loaf

By:Brian Funk

the following chunks are simply random bits that came to me at random times, and may or may not occur in greater detail in a actual work of mine. I own nothing except the credit for typing this up.

It is the nature of such things to be disjointed.

Serving 1

"This is insane, theres no way that little toy can hurt my Unit 02!"

"I must agree, no machine can generate an AT Field, so it is impossible for the pilot to win." the ever logical blond agreed.

"That being said, fighting an enemy half your size will be good training for you Auska." Misato held her own in the verbal sparring match.

"The hostile machine is broadcasting a signal, audio visual." Huga was mildly interested, to go by his tone.

"Then view it." ah Gendo, calm as ever.

The view of Unit 02 standing in the middle of the flattened city center, with a machine less then half its size standing what was to scale only about ten feet away looking it in the eye, was replaced by the face of a young man of Japanese decent with a cross shaped scar on his right cheek, wearing a outfit that can only be seen in anime. Black body coating, with a red circle on the center of the chest, a series of what appeared to be over sized electrodes placed in strategic locations on his body. The wrists, ankles, and along the spine. The only other feature of note was the red headband tied around his head, holding the bangs of his long black and unruly hair out of his eyes. Confidence was writ large across his face.

"Speak." 'thats real diplomatic Gendo, we have no idea where that thing came from, or what it can do, and here you are insulting the pilot.' Dealing with people was not the sub commander's old student at his best.

"I am here because someone claimed they were the greatest pilot of all time. I need strong opponents, and anyone with the gall to make that claim either needs a lesson, or will provide me with a real challenge. Either way, I want to know who's piloting that over sized toy." 'Brash, confident, used to victory and not intimidated by the size difference at all.' As the thought sped through Gendo Ikari's head, his mind turned to what he did best, the very reason why he had been given command of NERV, his ability to take any situation and turn it to his own ends.

"Pilot, I require a moment to decide before I commit my pilot to battle." Auska was by now essentially begging to be let free to "stomp this little boy" But she was not audible with the link to Unit 02 muted. At the man's nod, Gendo gave the signal to cut audio connection with the intruder.

"Analysis" as usual Gendo did not ask for information, he commanded it be given.

"Our sensor network is showing a fusion reactor of unknown make as the power source, its output is currently more then all the reactors currently running NERV combined. Spectral analysis results on the material of the armor show similarities to titanium, but with so much of some unknown element the magi are withholding judgment" Maya reported with a fair amount of trepidation.

"Any recognizable armaments on that thing?" Misato placed a firm tone on the question.

"Other then a pair of Vulcan cannons on the head, and a few machine guns on the torso, I can only speculate that the barrels on the backs of its arms are some verity of energy pulse weapon, and we have no idea if it has internal weaponry."

"It seems... severely underarmed for a fight sir." Something was niggling at the back of Hyuga's brain even as he reported. Before Misato could even finish nodding, Gendo spoke again.

"Magi assessment Dr. Akagi?"

"Without more solid data to go on, the magi have placed it as a close quarters combat model. Its reactor is giving off a elementary particle that the magi have no record of, and they withhold judgment on the toughness of its armor compared to an Evangelion, based on its apparent weight, and the evident thruster system on its back, we can assume it can at least leap quite well, if not fly outright by sheer boost power. Still, even with the unknowns, the Magi do not believe that its reactor can produce the level of energy needed to penetrate an AT Field, and given that it appears to be entirely artificial, it has no counter to an AT Field. Based on that, the Magi give Auska a provisional seventy percent advantage in unarmed combat."

"Speaking of the magi, where exactly did this thing come from?" the sub commander finally asked the question hanging over everyones heads.

"Our sensors registered a inverse AT Field for a split second, and visual surveillance shows a... shadow forming on the ground, and then rising to form the machine. Given the speed of the action, the entire process is shown in three frames." Before Aoba could back the comment with the sensors, the commander moved on as usual.

"Operations Director, your judgment on the odds of the second in a duel with this machine?"

"As much as the things we don't know about it worry me, as long as it cant penetrate the AT Field, I can not see how it can win. Provided the power cord is not cut, of course." Gendo simply nods, and motions for the audio to be restored. Apparently much to the relief of the machines pilot's impatience

"You have decided?" there is a note of scorn in the mans voice, audible to everyone on the bridge.

"Yes, You will be allowed to fight, here and now, if you have the courage to wager your machine on the outcome." 'Let us see if I have read you correctly.' apparently overcome with anger at the insult, the pilot animatedly replied "I am willing to risk my life, you can not say the same hiding behind that desk of yours while a real pilot fights in your place. I will make that bid, but only with the one who will fight me." To say that the entire population of the bridge other then the commander cringed at this pilot taking such an attitude with Ikari is a bit of an understatement. 'Fool, your pride is your undoing. I can read you like a book!' somewhere, as he did adjustments on the Gundam, Amuro sneezed.

"Very well, link the pilots."

Auska had realized they could not hear her of course, and after a few cracks at the commanders sexual preferences, and general insults to the entire command staff, she had settled down to wait, not realizing that the tapping of her foot was leaving imprints in the pavement as the Eva mimicked the action.

"We are linking you to the pilot of the machine now." She had been able to hear them just fine once she stopped shouting, but getting the visual was an experience. 'oh, I am going to wipe that confident look off his face, and they will be collecting parts from his little toy from around the city for weeks!' The man just looked her directly in the eyes, and said.

"You really think you are unbeatable in that machine?" 'oh ya, this will be good.' both pilots thought at once as she grinned back to him.

"You really think you have a chance of winning?"

"Against a machine without even a name of its own? If you care so little for your Mobile Fighter that you simply call it by a serial number, it must be nothing special." 'Say WHAT?'

"Oh really small fry? This is Evangelion Unit 02, the final production model of the Ultimate All-Purpose Humanoid Decisive Battle Weapon! And to show you just how strong I really am, I am letting you throw the first punch. But you better give me your best shot, or I wont even bother fighting you, I will just crush you like the little bug you are!"

Naturally the bridge crew had been watching the little... dialog with interest, and an ever increasing number of rolled eyes, to the point that after her last remark even the commander wound up doing it.

"Very well then, I will give you my best shot, and you will see why I was chosen to pilot this Shining Gundam." the com link cut off, and several members of the bridge crew gasped. Shegriu actually voiced the thought in his shock. "Shining Gundam?" Hyuga's mind suddenly connected the appearance of the machine to his memories, but he never got the screen time to mention it. Unperturbed as usual, Gendo Ikari simply commented on the statement in an off hand manner. "I owe the elder Dr. Akagi twenty yen, it seems the many worlds theory is accurate."

Naturally outside Auska had placed Unit 02 into a completely open standing position, her AT Field deployed a few feet from the head of her Eva, confident in her safety. The smaller machine shifted into a martial stance, and took a few steps backwards, Auska immediately believed it was fear. But to the skilled observer it was clearly a set of measured steps, an action done by rote muscle memory without conscious thought. The external pickups on Unit 02, combined with the smaller speakers on Shining Gundam rendered his question tinny to Auskas ears. "Just to be clear, you want me to hit you with my strongest attack?"

without even moving, or thinking for that matter, Auska replied "Bring your best."( if this was hero yui, you can bet she would have finished that with "see for yourself just how powerless you are")

as the control crew watched the Gundam go through a short routine, the remarkable precision of each movement was a shock, used to the stumbling movements of the Evangelions, the seemingly ponderous movements of something over twice its size, it provoked comment.

"That movement, it must be pre-scripted right?" Maya's voice was the very sound of disbelief
"of course, no system can trace the pilots motions with that level of precision on the fly" Akagi's thoughts betrayed her real feelings. 'or is it no system we have?'

Then to their shock, two things happened at once. The machine.. changed. The shoulders opened up, the shield like joint ends on the legs popped opened to expose additional thrusters and the side fins on the feet locked down. But it was the face of the Gundam that changed the most, from giving the impression of a Samurai's helmet concealing the face of its wearer, it... blossomed, a golden inner glow filled with golden dust flying from every exposed area that was once concealed. Their sensors reported at this same time a massive increase in power output and thermal discharge from the Shining Gundam, along with an immense number of the unidentified particles from the reactor. For an instant the screen flickered before the sudden interference was overcome by switching to land lines. The Magi overlapped a particle density display on the secondary screens, showing the unknown particles being drawn in great torrents to the right hand of the machine, but all eyes were affixed to the main screen.

The Shining Gundam drew its right arm back above its head, left arm forward pointing its open palm to the face of the Crimson giant before it, the legs tensed, and as the machine shifted its weight backwards and down, the right hand opened its fingers, The Glowing particles surrounding it drawn into the hand itself, as the comm channel opened to show the pilot poised in exactly the same manner, glowing circuits covering his right hand up to the elbow. Time seemed to slow, and the calm voice of Domon Kasshu dove into the minds of the witnesses. "This hand of mine glows with an awesome power, its bright cry tells me to defeat you and your stubborn pride! SHINING FINGER!" The moment of slowed time shattered like a crystal, the Shining Gundam streaking forth on a blazing trail of blue/white plasma, the green glow of its open hand leaving a streak of color against the grey of the cityscape. Leaping directly for the face of Unit 02, its flight was suddenly arrested against a wall of orange hexagons, the out stretched left hand straining against the field, pushed against the unyielding wall of her pride by the flames of his own. "You think your pride will protect you? I'll show you the light of a real fighters soul!" The Magi took several milliseconds trying to make up their collective mind, which for computers of their power, is an eternity. Then they posted the results at the bottom of the screen, so as not to obscure the visual feed. "AT Field Detected, Pattern Red, Source Unknown Machine's pilot cavity." The Green light of the right hand became a white one, a light so bright that the automatic glare filtering software rendered everything save the glowing wall of Auskas pride, the glowing hand of Domon's defiance, and their machines matched glowing eyes black. Then her brought the hand forward unto the AT Field. For an instant, their minds faced the question "Which is stronger, an Evangelions AT Field, or the will of one man?" the correct question rang only in the minds of the commander and Dr. Akagi "Which is stronger? Her pride, or His Will?" Time slowed again, as if fate herself was weighing the options and their consequences, and then the terrifying sound of doom's crack was heard. 'Not-' The glowing hand of Domon's will crashed through the AT Field, planting itself in the precise center of the four glowing eyes of the Red Giant. Inside the entry plug, Auska bore witness as Domon manifested before her, his hand glowing, and planted it upon her brow. In that instant she looked into his eyes, seeing a kind of understanding in the depths of his eyes, as he pronounced judgment upon Auska and Unit 02 both. "Gundam fight international treaty article one: a Unit who's head is destroyed is disqualified." A Blinding flash, A cry felt more the heard, and a rainbow of "signal lost" errors sprung across the whited out display.

Outside, Unit 02 collapsed backwards, its head armor evaporated, and a precise hand shaped mark of scorched flesh upon the center of its head. The machine of Domon was poised behind it, right hand outstretched and still flat as it had been an instant before. As the massive Evangelion toppled backward, the machine withdrew its hand, the white glow dispersing in a shower of sparks upon the ground. Turning, Domon took up the massive weight of the Evangelion on Shining Gundam's back, rolled it to the side with a earth shaking crash, and opened the cockpit, striding out into the sunlight, he headed for the now discharged plug of Unit 02, which was spraying LCL out in every direction, its surface not unmarked, a precise scale hand print upon the center of its length.

The hatch automatically opened, and from inside came the stench of burnt flesh, and a vapor of orange Myst that rose into the sky. Paying it no mind, the man who had done in her pride looked in upon the young girl who's pride he had shattered. Strewn across the chair, wearing a red suit like a primitive version of the Mobile Trace suit he himself wore, her forehead smoldered, and as he gently moved the fiery bangs aside, he viewed the brand she would bear until the end of her life as testament to her own foolish pride. Auska awoke, unable to process what had happened, and looked up to the face of the man leaning over her. "You now know about where your pride will take you-" Domon's retort to her earlier words died stillborn on his tongue as he saw what Auska's overloaded senses could not tell her, that she was crying. "Tell me your name." the weak and dazed voice that came from her was not the voice of the girl he had fought with words and weapons. "Auska." Nodding, he continued. "Auska, Pride is a lonely road where you push all those who care about you aside, and when you reach the end of life, you come to realize that all that matters is who you have standing beside you." at her silence, he continued. "I saw the real you for that moment, when you faced the end of your life staring you in your eyes." turning away, he said to her. "Take this chance, and tell him now while you have the chance." he began the walk back to Shining Gundam, thinking to himself. 'It is her choice now, someone who truly had nothing to live for but pride would have died. Rain, I think I understand what it would have been like for you if we had been in each others places.' lieing there, staring up at the sky, Auska could not take her mind off the "Idiot" she somehow knew the man had meant.

Shinji was the first to reach the entry plug, having broken Unit 01 out of its restraints and actually ran up the shaft himself in his terror for her life, ignoring the orders of his superiors, he simply could not stop hearing the sound of Auska's wordless cry of loss echoing in his mind, the sound of a person dieing with their dreams crushed into the very wounds that they knew were there end...

"Auska... please, say something Auska...Please...Call me an idiot like you always do..." 'I must not run away from her!' met with silence. "What do you want from me?" A single tear drops unto to her head, in the center of the brand. It rolls down her blanked face until it mingles with her own.

"Stay." 'I need you.'