The UN Pacific Fleet. Largest naval concentration currently present on the Post-Second Impact Earth. Made up of dozens of frigates, destroyers, and cruisers, they are tasked with the missions given to them by the United Nations- and by extension, NERV. Between the ships of the fleet, there is a dizzying array of firepower at the command of its admiral.
All of which washes over the orange hexagon that appears between them and the massive white thing cutting through the sky, before the pods on the monster's back open and screeching creatures are ejected. Fins and tendrils folding out, the newborn monstrosities warble and cry as they swim through the air towards the aircraft carrier at the fleet's center.
"Ladiesand gentlemen, there is an Angel currently stalking the Pacific Fleet. I am going to go out on a limb here and guess that the giant cyborg in the freighter I am currently inside is the main target. And here's what we're going to do about it." Pushing his glasses back up his nose, David Xavier Spencer squats down in front of the metal briefcase. The spinning holographic screen shows nothing but the stylized letterings of the EDF symbol- even if he knows that the entire maintenance crew is listening.
"Launch Jet Alone Prime on the scramjet transport. Set all systems to standby. The pilot will activate things from there. The Evangelion will take down the Angel's AT Field, and Prime will go in from there." He reaches out and taps the free floating control hovering in front of the screen. "Spencer out."
The screen vanishes. Standing, he presses his hands against his back and groans at the sound of the pop. Glancing across the otherwise empty mess hall, he nods to Mana. The dark haired girl leans on a table, pushing off of it and unzipping her black, blue lined jacket. "So, an actual Angel?"
"As said quite loudly by Doctor Sohryu as she ran in, yes." He snaps off his glasses, bright blue eyes looking out the full wall windows. The soundproofing keeps them from hearing, feeling the pounding of the cannons as they fire at the target. Or targets, as it turns out. He rubs his eyes, shaking his head.
"Plan?" Mana asks, tossing aside the jacket, pulling the collar of the white undershirt before propping her foot up on a bench to untie her boots.
"Get in your giant robot and help the charming Doctor Sohryu's son kill the alien space monster." Squatting down on the briefcase, he slides open the front and presses his hand onto a plate. "Also, try not to destroy the fleet while saving it. That would help, too."
"Me killing the Angel is not going to get Doctor Sohryu to sleep with you, Dad." She pulls off her second boot, reaching into her shirt and pulling out a pair of dog tags. "I mean, it might help? But don't get your hopes up."
The ship lists. Alarms blare from every speaker in the ceiling. Ignoring them, Spencer taps in a code, standing up as the suitcase shifts. Propping itself up on a pair of four smooth knobs, it folds out. Parts down the middle, blue and white lines running along the seams. Two handles rotate out and a faint hum issues from within.
"Kid, hope springs eternal." He holds up his hand and catches her dog tags as she throws them. "Now suit up." Planting his foot on the suitcase, he kicks it over.
.
Chapter 9:
The Roaring Beast of God
.
The bridge retracts behind them. Shinji is the last across, feet set on the deck plates of the Over the Rainbow while being pulled along by Hatchi. The warbling has become a shriek, and he turns, eyes wide as the first of the creatures clears the horizon. The first of them begins to rise over the fleet.
Held aloft by bones suspended in fleshy webbing like the enormous fins of a colossal fish, the silver and black flying fish-thing-monster shrieks. It shrieks long and loud, glass cracking in the windows beside him, more and more of its kin filling the sky. Which is when Shinji notices that someone is missing.
"Where's Uri?"
"Said he was going to Unit-02," Hatchi responds, red eyes narrowed, "Wait. Wait wait." She holds up a hand. Drawing it across her face, she pinches her nostrils and pulls her hand away. "Wait. This isn't right..."
Red eyes snap up. Hatchi grabs Shinji by the collar of his jacket and shoves him into the nearby wall as one of the creatures dives towards them. It shrieks- teeth line its open maw like a missile battery before shooting out in a blur. Hatchi moves faster- dancing between shots, deflecting others off her palm. Kicking off the deck, she bounces between railing and wall towards the creature.
A palm strike between its eyes stuns it. A kick to its gills makes it wheeze. Lashing ribbons hit air and laughter. Two pale arms wrap around the head and squeeze. The shriek ends with the wet snap and the creature drops to the ground at Shinji's feet. It bubbles, hisses, and then becomes a sickly yellow liquid flowing off the bulkhead.
Hatchi lands, one knee against the bulkhead and wide smile on her face. She stands, meeting Shinji's own wide eyes. "So." She tilts her head. "Long version or short version?"
"Short," he squeaks. She grabs him by the wrist, walking along the wall, past the astonished faces looking through portholes.
"Short version is that I can do cool stuff," Hatchi explains, pulling off her jacket and handing it to Shinji, "Normally stuff I'm not supposed to do 'round Angels, 'cause I might get real sick." She snaps off her watch, shoving it into his hands. "But I'm not sick."
She walks onto the massive runway of the carrier. More and more of the creatures gather. Some larger. Some smaller. Some trailing bladed tentacles. Some with eyes that glow with red lightning and liquid fire. Hatchi rolls her neck. The blue haired girl cracks her knuckles.
"Hatchi!" She turns and sees her mother behind the window of the ship's bridge. Hears her, despite being behind sound proof glass and dozens of feet up. Slipping her feet out of her sneakers, she kicks. One shoe, then another lands in the pile in Shinji's arms. "Get inside," the pale girl says, "I've got this."
Knuckles crack. The creatures warble, surrounding her. Finding her more interesting than normal prey. "So." She smirks. "Normally hunt down, like, potential pilots and stuff, right?" Her grin goes wider. Showing teeth. Flattened palms lower as she assumes a ready stance.
"Okay, then." Eyes narrow. Fists clench. "Let's dance." Her foot slams onto the deck. Metal warps upwards around her in a blast wave of bolts and screws, and she is launched into the air towards the first of the monsters.
...
Shoving her hands down, Mana grabs the handles and twists. Two gauntlets rise up and lock as the suitcase begins to hum and whirr. Lifting the suitcase up, Mana pulls the mass of servos up to her chest and snaps her arms out wide. A burst of steam and the suitcase breaks apart. Two long bands of silver and blue wrap around her arms. Mana rolls her head and pulls her lips into a grin.
Metal sheets ripple over her arms, pale and lean muscles covering themselves in black and silver plating. The webbing runs down her back, followed by the shifting sheets as they lock into place. A white circle glows between her breasts, followed by armor locking into a solid chestpiece.
The armor locks around her legs, down to the solid metal boots. Plates move, revealing thrusters and glowing vents along her calves, along her sides, along her wrists as she clenches two black, blue lined gauntlets.
She closes her eyes as the wiring rises around her neck, followed by the gunmetal gray collar locking into place at her jaw. Two halves of a helm rise from her shoulders, clamping around her head. Thin metal bands run from the back over her face until they become an expressionless, black helm. Then she takes a deep breath, and the helm lights up with three horizontal blue lights.
She rolls her shoulders and glances from side to side. Her hips rock to the side and she presses a fist to her right leg. A blue light paints the room, coalescing into a single point on Spencer's extended palm. "Targeting systems calibrated." Her voice is faintly distorted. She palms a fist, fingers tapping on the back of a metal plated hand. Her grin only goes wider behind the helmet.
"EDF Command, this is Rusty the Girl Robot. I am en route to Big Gal."
...
His hand squeezes his wrist. There is a click and a hiss of air, and a grunt as the plugsuit goes skintight. At very least, Uri thinks, it could be worse. He could be neglecting his exercises, then there would be things like fat being caught, or something like that. He was there when Doctor Orlov tried to woo Mother by demonstrating his 'physique.' They had to-
The freighter jolts. Digging one heel, he keeps his balance. Hears things crashing around him as his train of thought is broken. "Damn."
He rolls around the two earpieces in his palm. Staring at the four eyed giant, he fits the connectors on. "Mother, it's Uri. I'm at Zwei. Open the entry plug." He balls his hands. Hears the knuckles crack. "Please."
A hiss of steam from the back of the Evangelion's neck. The plate slides down and the white cylinder rotates out. "Uri." His mother appears in the corner of his vision, hand pushing a sailor out of the picture and Doctor Ikari behind her, "I can have Shinji sent down to co-pilot with you! Theoretically, it can increase your synch-"
"I'm fine here." Uri grins, grabbing onto the plates around the left lower eye and pulls himself up. "Also! Theoretically it could lead to thought noise, confusion..."
"It worked against the Fifth!" Yui pushes her way into the picture. Next to her, Kyoko narrows her eyes but doesn't interrupt. "The cross-synchronization between Shinji and the three classmates was effective!"
He pulls himself up the side of the Evangelion's head. "I don't want to risk the chance of romancing the Fourth, Doctor Ikari. Horaki seems territorial." He smirks despite himself. He wonders if he just actually cracked a joke during an Angel attack. "Start the sequence. I'm entering the plug."
...
She throws out her hand, grabbing at a lashing tentacle. It goes limp and she lets gravity do the rest. Swinging, she tucks her legs underneath. The fish warbles, screeching in confusion. Hatchi swings under it, dragging it down before she lets go and flies foot first into another monster.
The roof of the freighter bursts outward, a cloud of shrapnel and bolts rising into the air. Flame and force send something through the smoke and haze- held aloft by two jets from her feet and two from her hands, Mana shoots out of the freighter and towards the Over the Rainbow. Diving towards the carrier, she glances between the dozens of creatures with a grimace.
"Awfully busy airspace, Dad." Beneath the helmet, she cocks an eyebrow. Her eyes center on Hatchi. She watches the pale girl run across the back of one of the fish before leaping fist first into another. "Okay, that's new-"
A lashing tentacle slaps her across the stomach. Mana swears, extensively and at length, knocked from the sky and bouncing once, twice across the deck of the aircraft carrier. She rolls, fires her boot jets, and lands kneeling. "Okay then." She stamps her foot to the deck and pushes herself up. "Let's go fishing."
Inside her helmet, a screen opens up to a close up of Spencer's face. "Uh, Mana? Sweetie? The SUIT-3 doesn't have any weapons."
She thrusts her hands behind her. One of the fish creature things notices her and dives towards with with a screech. "Actually? Kinda do." Four jets ignite and she's shot forward. She flies head first into the mouth of the gaghielim, making it warble and shriek in surprise. It lurches, seizes up, spasming from one end to the other.
Mana erupts out the other end in a burst of flame and a spray of yellow liquid. Behind her, the cherubim drops to the deck and onto a parked jet. "That's coming out of my allowance," Mana mutters, and flies fist-first into another monster.
...
The door slams open on the bridge of the Over the Rainbow. Yui doesn't look up from her perch at the window. Kyoko has already commandeered a group of consoles and has drafted three officers into being her impromptu Bridge Bunnies. Everyone else, however, looks up as Misato strides in with a "Why are the guns not firing?"
The officers and seamen stare at the uniformed woman. Fists against her waist, arms akimbo, she narrows eyes and stares them down. One officer, a man young enough to not know better, raises his hand. "Ma'am, the close in guns don't have the targeting arc to hit the..." He coughs. "We can't turn the guns to fire on the deck."
Misato folds her arms. "Then have the gunships target the angels." She strides past the officers, towards the front console and the free-floating display. "Alright, in the absence of the UN Security Council, I am now ranking officer!"
Another officer raises his hand. "And by gunship," Misato calls out, "I mean every boat in this fleet that has a cannon to aim at us!"
The entire bridge falls into silence. All the eyes not occupied by Kyoko Sohyru look at Katsuragi. Questioning authority. Sanity, as well. "Spencer!" She taps the console. A close up of Spencer's face appears. "The gunships aren't accurate enough to hit the Angels while missing your girl and Hatchi! You got a fix?"
Spencer doesn't respond verbally. He nods his head, making a sound similar to an excited puppy. "Do it," Misato barks, and turns to the crew once more, "Listen up! I am Lieutenant Colonel Misato Katsuragi. I am the Tactical Operations Chief of NERV!" Her hand slams down on the console. Some crewman squeak. "Any protests about my seizing command of this battle group will be responded as such: I so far outrank every single one of you that your Commander prays to me for the fertility of his daughter."
The response is an overwhelming "Yes Ma'am!" The ship lists, shaking from the impacts of Cherubim attacking and being attacked. A fish monster floats past the window, blithely ignoring the bridge. It launches teeth like missiles from its open maw and dives down into the battle on the deck.
"Thank you, Colonel Katsuragi. You have successfully rustled my jimmies." She turns on her heel to Spencer. He coughs in response to her glare. "Right! Patch is updated to the SUIT. Mana, sweetie? Could you please paint some targets?"
...
Shinji currently regrets leaving his giant abomination-killing cyborg at home, because it sure would be useful right now. Running through the ship, he tries to ignore the screeches of the Old Ones outside or whatever they are called, because he's far more focused on the pertinent fact that he can't find his ex-maybe-not-ex-girlfriend.
If he were a civilian inside a city-sized ship being attacked by flying space fish, where would he be? Running down the hallway and yelping in time with the inhuman shieks, he decides that any sane person would be hiding in a lifeboat.
He finds it in the form of a large, orange oval suspended over the railing. The door is slightly ajar, and he climbs into it, panting and yelling. The yelling becomes higher pitched when two hands grabs him by the collar of his NERV blazer and Hikari mashes her lips against his.
Shinji has no idea how to actually fight. Hikari took judo for four years, and hence effortlessly pins him to the floor of the life raft with a smile. "Hey," she purrs, "What's the commotion outside?"
He points to the door. "Angel attack!"
Her eyes go wide. The saucy smile vanishes. "Wait what?!"
The ship rocks. The lifeboat sways, and lines snap to release the dayglow oval. Hikari and Shinji both scream, their embrace going from romantic to desperate just as the sealed boat splashes down.
...
Mana flares her boot jets and extends an arm at a charging fish monster. The forearm opens with a click-whir, extending a small black rod. The tip glows and a red dot appears on the forehead of the charging monster. The creature warbles in confusion, before shrieking in alarm at the deafening boom from one of the naval destroyers.
The shell hits it in the side and it bursts like an over-inflated balloon. Bits of reddish black fish melt into yellow LCL, drenching the deck beneath it. Hatchi dances between the rain drops as two fish monsters strike the deck. They grow eight legs and skitter towards her with shrieks.
One cherubim braces. Two more legs grow from its abdomen and drive into the ground. Pointed tendrils burst from its side and fly towards the pale girl. They whistle and shriek through the air.
Hatchi ducks under one. Jumps over another. Plants her feet on the side of a third and runs down it towards the creature. Another tendril lashes out and she cartwheels, letting the spike carve the deck where she had just been. In range, she leaps, bringing her fist back with a yell-
And slams into an orange wall that appears with the sound of chiming bells. Hatchi snarls, teeth bared and orange leaking from her nostril. She swings her entire body back, fingers digging into the shimmering field. With a roar she slams both bare heels into the shimmering wall. Spider web cracks spread out with the first strike. Deeper cracks appear with the second. The creature shrieks, its many eyes wide as a third strike shatters it and sends the blue haired girl flying towards it.
The fist slams between its eyes. Her arm buries itself up to the elbow in the creature's face. "Heaven!" The legs of the monster are driven back. The two embedded spikes are torn from the deck. "Thunder!" The end of Hatchi's fist, buried halfway in the monster's head, flashes orange. "HAMMER!"
A crack and a boomrattles the deck. With a failing warble the Cherubim goes flying, flipping end over end. It slams into the sides of two more monsters, breaking bone and scale. All three drop to the deck with shrieks of confusion, anger and surprise. Then Mana hovers over them and paints them with her targeting laser.
The deck rocks again from the cannon blasts. Scale, flesh, and eyes rain down on the deck, bouncing and melting into LCL. Mana lands in a crouch and Hatchi walks over, cracking her knuckles.
One cherubim lands in front of them with a glass-cracking shriek. Another flies down and lands on top of the first. It digs spiked spider legs into the back of the first. Two more slam into the sides, grinding teeth into its flesh. They shudder, contort, and melt into a golden sphere that hovers above the deck.
Two trunk-like feet slam into the deck with a bellow. The metal warps and explodes upwards in a cloud of bolts. A tail slams into the ground next, its bladed underside carving up furrows in a shower of sparks. It extends two arms ending in transparent, crystal claws. The center of its long and thin torso extends into a three part jaw and single green eye.
The creature rises up to its full height and stares down at the two girls who come up to its kneecap. Mana takes a step back, muttering a swear. Hatchi claps her hands together and giggles. "Ehmergard," she whispers, "They can gattai."
Mana turns to Hatchi. "Okay. Teamup?" Hatchi nods, and extends her fist. Pale fist meets armored fist, and the two girls kick off in opposite directions before the hoof slams into the deck where they were.
Cannons fire from a destroyer on the Over the Ranbow's port side. The blasts wash off an shimmering wall and the water breaks in front of the firing ship. The white beast roars and brings its jaws down on the bow. The metal of the ship tears along with the flesh of the crew, and the great beast drags the ship down to the depths with it.
"Dad," Mana yells, shooting into the air, weaving past a burst of spikes from the monster's face, "The Angel's doing something bullshitty with its magic hack thingy! We could use some help here!"
Inside her faceplate, another screen opens. "Miss Kirishima, this is Pilot Sohryu. Help is incoming."
...
There is a faint whir, growing louder and louder. The two bladed wheels built into the fins of the red giant spin, glowing red, then white, then blue. "Electric turbines online. Battery charge at one hundred percent." Inside the plug, Uri nods. His hands grip the controls. His mother announces the systems in order. Screen pop up around him and blink out just as fast. The ship lists, but he does not feel it. "Stage one passed. Ionizing LCL. Uri, are you ready?"
He nods. Of course he isn't. "I am," he lies. Tapping the back of his left hand, he brings up the number and sends out the call. The curved pieces of technology behind his ears spark and glow. The pale gold liquid shifts and moves. Uri closes his eyes deep within the darkened chamber and takes a deep breath. One ear listens to the reports of the battle. His vision goes inward- steadying himself against what is about to come. The hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Deep below, he feels the churning within the heart of the beast.
"Connectors charged and core contact confirmed. Synchronization in two...one!" The world turns shades of gray, and Uri is pulled back. Through the seat, through the wall of the plug, through the world and time.
The fifteen giants of light stare down and one reaches deep within itself. The beast of light and glass breaks down the middle and becomes something more and lesser as the sky turns to blood. There are sounds in the distance and they are scattered. They are pain and confusion.
There is a child screaming for her mother. There is a beast howling in the darkness that is not even a void. There are the hands around the throat and the shriek of metal against flesh.
There is the hand against glass meeting his. Each flows, shattering and melting as the memories, the thoughts, flow from one into another. Each as they vie for control, each shouting higher and higher and louder against the storm that consumes him.
But he shouts louder. He shouts them down. He brings nothing for them to latch onto, and opens his eyes. The plug lights up. The walls turn opaque, flowing into every collar at once. Then they are clear and the world becomes the interior of the cargo bay.
"Synchronization holding at forty five percent. Pilot and Core linked in metaphysical bridge. Activating the Evangelion in three-" Uri drags the back of his hand across his face, smearing the glove with blood. "Two-" The Core rumbles. His eyes glow blue in time with the connectors and it goes silent. "One."
Four eyes flash green in the darkness. Uri grins and roll his neck. He cranes his head and a screen appears to his left, displaying a number. Listening to the rings, he counts off silently. There is a click, and a familiar voice. "Uri?"
"Asuka," he says, "Remember how you did that paper about offensively using AT Fields? I need you to walk me through this."
...
The beast charges, making a straight line towards Hatchi. Its hooves leave craters on the carrier's deck and its roar warbles, peaking. Spikes line its head, and its skin hardens like armor. Hatchi only grins, charging to meet it head on.
Guns fire out from flanking gunships. The first rounds wash off the glowing field that appears to the beast's right. Then the field on the beast's left cracks and shatters. A surprised warble from the beast proceeds the blast exploding above its head. The surprise turns to dismay, and then to pain when Hatchi's fist slams into its kneecap.
"Miss Kirishima, this is Pilot Sohryu." Mana blinks, glancing to the screen inside her faceplate. "I am using Unit-02's AT Field to neutralize the Angel's own. I apologize, but my Evangelion is not equipped for water combat."
"No, no, this is absolutely fucking dandy." She grins, a flirty smile. "Say, Sohryu? Hold old're you?"
"Sixteen." Uri cocks his head. His face is slightly distorted by the LCL, but she can see the confusion. "Why?"
"Because it means what I'm gonna do to you when we get out of this is entirely legal. Kirishima out!" The screen blinks out. She dives down and slams a fist into the beast's face. Jets fire to stabilize her and paints it with her laser. Explosions hit it on the side and crack the armor. The beast shrieks in pain and rage.
Hatchi flows around it. Palm strikes and kicks shatter the armor on its leg. A sweep of its tail is blocked by the pale girl's punch. Its underside opens with a spray of torn flesh. The ragged, bloody tears give way to blades and spikes raining down on the girl.
Hatchi dances, dodges. Moves between the spearheads, blades and arrows made of flesh and bone. One glances her shoulder. One sheers off her shirtsleeve. One strikes her foot and embeds itself in the deck, making her howl.
The beast's tail stabs towards the girl. Biting through the pain, she throws both fists forward. Knuckles bleed and bone cracks. The beast howls and the bladed spearhead on the end of its tail shatters. Stumbling back, it shrieks in hate. A gaghielim slams into its side and liquifies. LCL becomes bone and armor, covering its arm like a mace.
It swings the arm back. The deck caves in with a spray of bolts and steam. Twisting its misshapen body, the creature roars and brings its mace down on the struggling Ayanami.
There is a blur and a bust of flame, followed by a confused warble. Knees bent and grunting, Mana holds the club over her and Hatchi's heads. She turns, boot jets kicking in and letting momentum do the rest. The creature is carried by its own swing with just a little help. Its fist is slammed into a plate that rises out of the deck. Flying underneath it, she jams the remains of its tail into a railing that runs the length of the carrier.
Hatchi pulls the spike through her foot with a yell, holding up a hand and catching Mana's. "I just jammed that ugly fucker's tail into the launch catapult! Think you can do that magic bullshit punch thing?"
"I can do better!" Hatchi looks down and watches the wound close on her bare foot. She wiggles her toes and grins. "Here's my plan!"
...
Standard operating procedure on an aircraft carrier is that, prior to launch a team of crewmen walk at arms length down the flight deck and make sure there are no foreign objects to be sucked into an intake. In this case, all the remaining servicemen have run back into the ship and found someplace sturdy to hold onto, as the thing being launched is a thirty foot tall fish monster.
Alarms blare, there is a burst of steam, and the creature shrieks. The tail is yanked by the catapult, followed by the rest of it. Its club-like arm tears from its socket, halfway embedded into the backsplash plate. The claws of its free hand gouge three lines the length of the runway.
At the end of the runway, Mana lands and Hatchi braces. She palms her fist, taking a step forward. Ducking underneath the monster, she explodes upwards. Her arm drives up to the elbow. The creature warbles, spraying LCL over the deck, and launches into the sky.
Mana grabs Hatchi by the arms and takes off. Jets flare, the two girls accelerating towards the flying cherubim, and with spin Mana hurls Hatchi towards it. Two pale hands grab the creature's tail. Bone cracks under her grip when she pulls, swinging underneath it to plant her feet into its spine.
She runs up the creature, gracefully dodging its spittle, its spines, its flailing limbs. A heel jammed into its throat sends her skyward with both arms extended. With a gentle turn, she tucks her knees in and makes a single half rotation that sends her falling towards the still shrieking monster.
And with a yell, brings back her fist to meet it. The resulting strike echoes like a thundercrack. The clouds part from the blast wave. The shriek of the cherubim cuts off, and its limp form falls towards the carrier.
The deck craters from the impact with an explosion of boats, screws and steam. One foot planted on the neck, her arms wrapped around its tongue, Hatchi stands up and jumps off the creature, walking away from the quickly expanding pool of LCL.
"Next?"
...
Hikari shrieks, holding onto Shinji. Shinji screams, pulling her back towards the rear of the lifeboat. The water rushes in, drenching them both. The white beast roars, charging at the capsule with its jaws open and endless rows of teeth bared.
There is the sound of bells and breaking glass, and the beast charges into the shimmering AT Field. Teeth shatter and bones break. Dropping into the water, the two teenagers watch it disappear with a low, bubbling roar. There is relief, there is a silent embrace, and then they start screaming again when the lifeboat jerks from side to side.
"Thank you, Uri! Doctor Ikari, I found the lifeboat!" Mana grabs the handles on the lifeboats roof, dragging it behind her. Inside her faceplate, a sonar display shows the location of the largest fish monster- the Angel- and its course around the fleet. Which go dark when another screen opens with Spencer's face.
"Mana, sweetie? Prime is going to pass over in less than thirty seconds. Get in there, now!" The lifeboat drops to the deck. Hand jets glow and she flies, into the remaining crowd of cherubim and through one. Warbling, shrieking, they take off in pursuit of her.
"Got it! Hope no one minds if I clear the airspace!"
Mana disappears into the distance with a thunderclap. The remaining Gaghielim shriek, vibrate, and disappear with an orange glow. On the flight deck of the Over the Rainbow, the door to the lifeboat opens and the two teenagers stumble out. Soaked, still shaking, they look to see Hatchi standing in front of them with her fists on her hips.
Two paper bags are shoved into their hands. Hikari and Shinji immediately bring them up to their mouths and hyperventilate.
"I told you to go someplace safe," Hatchi scolds, "That was, like, the opposite of safe!"
Hatchi puffs and blows a tuft of blue hair out of her face. Her scrunchie is somewhere in the pacific. Sighing, she grabs her remaining sleeve and tears it off. "There, that's symmetrical." Turning back to the teenagers, she folds her arms. "When we start your training, we're gonna have to start with the basics! Like, what words mean!"
She takes the torn off sleeve, pulling her hair back and tying the ripped fabric into a bow. Ponytail restored, she smiles, turning to the opening bulkhead door and the advancing Yui.
The smile fades when Hatchi gets a look at her face. Yui rushes past Hikari and Shinji, seizing Hatchi by the shoulders and looking her in the eye. Yui's hand cups her chin, turning the girl's head from side to side. "Hatchi," she says, "Are you alright? Are you-"
Hatchi coughs. Yellow leaks out of her nose and mouth. She pushes her mother back, holding her at arms length. Doubling over and back spasming, the pale girl makes a guttural, inhuman sound.
Followed by a small bit of red tentacle dropping to the deck. It spasms, twitches, and dissolves into LCL. Hatchi continues coughing, puddles of golden cherubim blood pooling before she wipes her mouth. "Sorry," she groans, "I got a mouthful of tentacle, and it wasn't nearly as fun as Iti's comics say they are!"
Yui lets out a long held-in breath, pulling the girl into a hug. She walks them over to the teens, fixing them with a stern, angry look. It softens and drops within a heartbeat, and she pulls the two of them up into a hug. "Come on," she says, "Let's get inside and-"
And then whatever she was going to say is cut off by the roar, and instead becomes four different sets of screams. The water breaks. A massive wave washes over the deck, sweeping equipment into the sea and throwing them off their feet. The foam and breaking wave gives way to white flesh and endless rows of teeth. Gaghiel climbs aboard the flight deck, its bulk forcing the aircraft carrier to list. Fixing them with four glowing blue eyes, it eyes then with contempt, hate, and hunger.
...
Jets flare and she feels the rumble. She feels the heat of the friction and the chill of the air as she pushes herself harder and harder, faster and faster. The sea speeds underneath her, a blue and white sheet. She outpaces the warbles and roars of the pursuing cherubim and feels the boom of the suit reaching top speed.
It first appears as a blue dot on the horizon. Mana's heads-up display brackets it with a blue box and zooms in. Arrows and pointers mark every system, priming embarkation. The giant approaches, strapped to burning engines and red hot intakes. Behind her helmet, Mana all but purrs the order. "Prepare to receive pilot!"
The head bisects and splits open. Plates spiral out along its neck and reveal a faint blue glow. The jets cut on her boots and Mana throws her hands forward. The kick of deceleration pushes the air from her lungs. Twisting around, she curls up into a ball and sails through the opening.
She hits the suspended gel field and the air kicks from her lungs again. Her back slams into the seat. The metal frame groans but does not break. Her hands wrap around the free-floating controls and her boots slide into braces. The hatch irises closed, the cockpit enveloped in darkness, and the only sound is her own breath.
"Okay girl. Let's go." Wires snap into her back and faint blue lights play over her her body. Screens pop into existence and the inside of her helmet becomes a clear view of the outside. Which is for the best, she realizes, because this gives her just enough warning against the charging cherubim. "Oh mother fucker!"
The thing has merged, a bubbling mass of orange and gold that slams into the giant and the flying wing. Liquid streams become thick red tentacles that wrap around the robot. The engines of the transport cut off and the cherubim drags them both towards the ocean. Screaming curses, Mana slams her fists into screens as they appear, feeling the familiar hum of the engine and the sensation of electricity up her spine.
The creature solidifies and coils its hundred arms around her. Its face becomes a mass of gold and red eyes, and it opens a lamprey jaw. Roaring, the teeth spin and yellow spittle soaks her machine's torso. Right as the circle at the center of the giant's chest flash and glows white.
"Biolink established," the voice announces, "Meta-Encapsulated Granule Awareness System; Online." The yellow visor on the head flashes, glows, and a metal fist slams into the mouth of the cherubim to come out the other side.
The other arm forces its way through the hole. Sparks running along the arms, it pulls them apart in time with Mana's scream and tears the cherubim in two. Thrusting its arms down, two circles glow on its palms. Two glow on each foot. Two glow on its back. With a burst of force and flame, the engines ignite to stop the giant before it crashes into the ocean.
The remains of the cherubim and the wing crash into the waves around it, and inside the cockpit Mana lets out a breath. "Alright girl. Lock in position to the Over the Rainbow! We've got more ass to kick!"
The jets flare, and Jet Alone Prime launches into the sky.
...
Dragging itself onto the carrier deck, Gaghiel roars. Standing in front of her family and friend, Hatchi steps forward and screams just as loud. The Angel rears back with a warble, causing the ship to list more. Yui and Shinji clamp a hand around Hatchi's collar and bolt with Hikari scrambling after. Shaking its snout, the Angel lunges at the four of them.
Shinji more feels than hears or sees the beak swinging after him, nearly blowing him off his feet with displaced air. Hikari screams, louder and louder as she pulls at Shinji's arm. Yui pulls them all along, refusing to give the Angel the satisfaction of seeing her terror.
It slams its snout into the the glowing AT Field. Slamming its into it again, and again, it fills the air with the sound of bell chimes and cracking glass. The Angel roars, rears back with a warble, and the ship yaws even further out of the water. Its lower jaw slams against the deck, the upper jaw extending out to half the length of the behemoth. It brings the teeth down on the orange wall, tearing through it to the sound of grinding stone.
The monster pulls itself up out of the water. Its fins grip the sides of the carrier, its claws digging into the deck. The ship yaws and planes, equipment, debris fall past it. Hatchi lunges past them and grabs a railing, Yui and Shinji holding onto her collar and Hikari holding onto Shinji's leg. Roaring, the Angel flattens its lower jaw against the deck and waits for its meal.
The carrier rights itself, the deck slamming into the underside of the Angel. Standing on the other end of the ship, Jet Alone Prime grinds a fist into its palm. "Well hello there. I'm Mana, and welcome to Japanese waters! 'Cause now you're sushi!"
The Angel roars its challenge and lunges across the carrier. Its underside clears the bridge tower, its jaws open and slathering yellow. Its shriek dopplers and breaks into a bass bellow, the jaw becoming wider than the robot is tall.
Jet Alone Prime ignites its back lets and flies fist first at Gaghiel. Its first punch shatters the lower jaw and makes the Angel bellow in pain. Its second punch hammers down between its eyes. Slamming its foot down on the flight deck, the robot throws back its arm. Reflective metal plates fold out and fuse to become a sectioned blade.
The first slice sends one of the fins flying into the water. The second slice carves off the lower jaw. In the cockpit, Mana pumps her right arm. The right fist of the robot opens, the fingers folding back, the forearm extending, and the glowing circle at the center of the palm extending into a barrel.
Holding the upper jaw with one hand, the Jet Alone Prime thrusts the cannon down Gaghiel's throat. "Empty the clip!" Mana yells. Oversized shells drop to the deck, bouncing off and tumbling into the water. There is a high pitched hum followed by a mechanical whine. Yui grabs her charges and huddles them close, diving for the deck.
The monster shrieks. The glow shines forth from its mouth, followed by slivers of light emerging from its bulk. With a burst of light and a blast wave that rocks the carrier back, the back half of the Angel vanishes. The head drops to the flight deck and yellow blood rains down, followed by bits of flesh and organ.
Standing tall, the metal giant retracts the sword. Its cannon folds back in and the hand returns to its normal shape. Rolling back its shoulders, it slams both fists into its hips. "Next?"
...
With a grunt, Shinji flicks a piece of Angel off his shoulder. He backs up against the wall and grabs a railing. With a louder groan, he pulls himself up, then stumbles over to help Hikari. The massive footfalls of Jet Alone Prime make the deck rock. The metal giant strides over to the remains of Gaghiel.
"Hold on," Mana's voice booms, "I'm gonna check for a pulse!"
The foot comes down on Gaghiel's head. An oversized eye rolls past Shinji and Hikari. Hikari covers her mouth, Shinji blanches. Hatchi pumps her fist into the air. "Yep," Mana confirms, "No pulse."
Shinji looks down at his clothes and confirms that, yes, he is covered in Angel guts and blood. Turning slightly, he watches Hikari spit out bits of yellow skin and meat. Behind them, Yui wipes the gold ichor off her face. "There's no way we're getting these clothes clean," she sighs, and shoves her PDA into Shinji's hand, "Point it at the Angel, hold for ten seconds. Tell me when it says Pattern Blue."
Hatchi leans against her mother, groaning and rolling her shoulders. "That was aaaawesome," the pale girl drawls, "Never had to actually fight like that! I mean, for real! I'm gonna brag about this so hard!"
Yui turns the girl to her. She cups her cheeks, narrowing her eyes. She examines the girl's face, from the droopiness of her eyes to the red tint of her ears. Hatchi begins coughing again, yellow leaking from her mouth and nose. Gurgling, choking, Hatchi pushes her mother away. She bends over, spasms.
Another puddle of yellow splashes the deck, followed by still-twitching bits of red cherubim. "Sorry," Hatchi croaks, "That just got up and out there!" She weakly pumps a fist in the air. "Ooo yeah! Let's see Rei get a face full of Angel!"
Yui nods with a relieved sigh. Wiping her sleeves free of Angel blood, she pulls the girl into a hug, then holds her at arms length. "Well, in any case," she says, "This probably means you're healthier than I thought." Hatchi nods, wide smile on her face.
"Hey! Mom!" Shinji turns from Gaghiel's head, holding up the PDA. "What does Pattern Indigo mean?"
Yui whirls back on her daughter and Hatchi tilts her head in confusion. A drop of blood hits the deck. Then another, and another. Hatchi touches her finger to her nose and it comes away red. Rubbing her eyes in disbelief, they come away scarlet. Bleeding from her eyes, ears, and nose, she sags, falling to all fours. Yui stoops down, hands already frantically rummaging through her pockets, and her daughter looks up to cough a mix of blood and angelic ichor down her front before collapsing face first onto the deck.
The air turns opaque gold. Off the starboard side of the carrier, a gold and black tentacle spears a destroyer before dragging it under.
...
...
...
By license of he who is named I AM I have come
Though my form drags across the depths of these holy seas,
I have come.
I am the reaver of flesh
The apex of the cycle of life.
You have wandered into my trap,
For I am the Hunter of all that live,
Breathe,
And think.
And you are now my Prey.
I am the Roaring Beast of God.
Angel of the Creatures of the Deep.
I am Gaghiel.
I have come.
...
Misato Katsuragi is not someone easily caught off guard. Her mind, her speciality, works by the assumption that no matter how ridiculous the situation, she can find a way to turn it to her advantage. Faced with impossibility, she finds possibility.
Standing on the bridge of the Over the Rainbow, she watches a harpoon tentacle pull a destroyer under. Debris and crewmen lucky enough to not be pulled down bob to the surface. Alerts chime throughout the ship, and she knows that she just got played. "That mother fucker," she growls, "It was getting into position!"
Whirling on her heel, she turns to the bank of consoles Sohryu had taken over to find Kyoko gone. "Every goddamn scanning system we have! Find me that Angel! I want to know where it is and what we can hit it with!"
The screen flips open in front of her. A green ring expands outwards, the blue shape of something laid out in detail. Canyons and trenches, hills and caverns. "Find me the Angel, not the sea floor!" Misato blinks. She tilts her head and takes a careful step back. Sees the shift in the images as another scan runs over it. "Ah shit. The Angel is the sea floor."
...
The harpoon stabs upwards off the Over the Rainbow's bow. The foam and water splash up to Jet Alone's ankle on the flight deck, washing away the cherubim guts and drenching the handful of people left in the open. The giant extends a hand and fires. The blast from the palm mounted jet sheers off bone. The water bubbles with a shriek, the harpoon disappearing into the depths.
"Dad, Jet Alone's not kitted for water combat! We've got a hoshit!" Flanking the Over the Rainbow, a pair of ocean swells rose up and burst. From them a harpoon burst forth, bracketing the carrier on all sides. The spears of flesh, muscle, and metal split down the middle, unfurling into rows of jagged bone spikes.
The tentacles flex and snap, throwing two massive arcs of blades at the carriers deck. Seconds before impact, a pair of golden walls carve through the air and block the assault, ringing like chimes. Prime steps in front of the bridge and the people on the deck, extending its arms at both flailing limbs. Two more blasts of flame, force, and light send the harpoons shrieking back below.
"Doctor Ikari! Colonel Katsuragi! We are sitting ducks out here!" A swell of water forms underneath a gunship. Sailors dives off the sides of the boat, swimming for safety. The harpoon splits the boat in two, and there is a bubbling laugh that carries through the currents.
Underneath Jet Alone, Yui rolls Hatchi onto her back and forces the girl's shoulders to the deck. "Shinji!" She turns to her son, frozen in place. "Hold her legs! Hikari, I need chest compressions!" The two teens say nothing, do nothing. "Now!"
White fingers dig into the deck. Shinji holds down his sister's ankles, Hikari falling to her knees and pushing her hands against Hatchi's chest. "Mom," Shinji yells, "What's happening to her?"
"She's sick," Yui snaps back, cupping Hatchi's chin, "Damn it damn it." She brings her hand back and slaps her daughter. Blood sprays across the floor. The pale girl shudders and the deck shakes in time with Jet Alone's footfalls.
"Hatchi!" She turns the girl's face to her, cupping the back of her head. "Hatchi! Listen to me! Listen to my voice!" The carrier shakes, listing from side to side. A destroyer in the distance rises on a golden harpoon and disappears into the depths. "Damn it, girl! Don't do this!"
The deck shudders. Bolts and screws explode in a crowd around them, throwing Hikari off and making Shinji scramble to catch her. Two pale fists drive into metal. Her eyes snap open, blood filled and pupils absent.
With a swear, Yui straddles her. Pinning her shoulders to the deck, she backhands Hatchi and sends black blood over the deck. "Fight it," Yui screams, "God damn it, fight it!" She slaps her daughter again, and again, each time rewarded with a pulse that tries to send her back, throw her off. One hand grabs the collar of Hatchi's shirt, the other hand balling into a fist.
"Let her go this instant," Yui snarls, "Let her go, you marshmallow bitch! Or I am coming down there for you!"
The water underneath the Over the Rainbow swells. Churning on all sides, it lifts the carrier up, tilting it back. Shinji and Hikari both hear the bubbling, gurgling laugh. Jet Alone is forced back, flaring the jets in its hands to keep balanced. The outline of a tentacle forces its way through the swell.
And reflects off a golden wall which appears underneath the carrier. It rings with chimes and bells, forming first into an octagon, then a perfect circle. It ripples outwards for a long moment, holding the carrier aloft on the harpoon. Then it pulses down and shatters the tendril.
Holding her daughter down, Yui pins her wrists and feels the bones in her hands crack. The screams- from her daughter, from her son and his girlfriend, from the Angel- make everything blend into a high pitched whine. Grinding her teeth against the sound, she does not see the bulkhead doors open, so focused is she on the pale, blue haired girl beneath her.
Who goes limp when the palm sized hypo is pressed against her neck. The hiss and whine of the injector drowns out Hatchi's fading scream. The voice counts down from five, pulls the injector back, and cups Hatchi's head to gently lower her to the deck.
"It's an LCL-based stabilization agent," Kyoko says, "You're not the only one with backdoors into the MAGIs of other branches."
"We need to submerge her in LCL," Yui says with a nod, and grabs the PDA from Kyoko's hand, "Uri! We need Unit-02 on the Over the Rainbow!"
A golden octagon appears in the water next to the carrier. It chimes, and the water swells before the harpoon slams into it. "Uri," Kyoko yells, "What are you doing?!"
"Asuka and I have worked out a theory, Mother." The freighter slams into the side of the carrier. Another octagon appears in the air in front of the Rainbow. Water rushes outwards and the harpoon drives into it. "We've figured out what the Angel is after. Or, more particularly, what it will target."
Yui blinks. She sits on her knees and pulls Hatchi into her lap. "It's targeting AT Fields. It's after the Evangelion."
"That is what we believe, yes." Across the deck of the freighter, the remaining crew climb aboard the carrier. Holding a briefcase and carrying Mana's clothes in one hand, Spencer is the last one across. "However, I have a plan. Which Asuka does not approve of. So if she does call you, please apologize for me."
The freighter jerks away from the Rainbow, water churning on its sides. The water beneath it glows gold and a swell rises beneath it. "This is Unit-02," Uri declares, "And I am engaging the Angel."
A gold and green harpoon spears the freighter. The lance splits, surrounding the roof of the freighter like a bone grapple, and the ship is pulled under.
...
At some point, Uriel Sohryu has to figure out how to lie better. Or at least, plan better, because in all honesty he has no plan. Silence blankets the entry plug. Hands wrapped around the controls, he looks out over the interior of the freighter. The walls have begun to buckle, distending from the pressure.
"Alright." He sighs, shaking his head. "What is the plan?" He glances at the screen to his left. The blank display tells him the connection was broken. Due to the freighter being submerged, most likely. He leans back in the cushioned chair but does not take his hands off the controls.
"Okay." A deep breath of the yellow liquid and he brings up screens with a thought. "Let's see what we have to work with."
The first streams of water break through the hull. Drizzles at first, collecting into puddles. Then larger and larger streams. The freighter falls deeper, is pulled deeper into the abyss, and the streams become jets of seawater.
He can see the spines sticking through the wall. The cargo bay hull begins to twist, the tentacle coiling around it. It is then that the walls begin to shake. To vibrate. A deep thrum runs the length of the freighter and stops over Unit-02.
It glowers and rumbles. The sounds become a distinct, steady pattern running along the bulkhead. It is the sound of metal grinding. It is the loosening of bolts and the scraping of broken glass. It becomes the voice of something too large to speak. Looking up, Uri realizes that the voice is addressing him.
Shadow of the Father. You are the prey. I am the Hunter.
...
The door to the bridge slams open. Turning on her heel, Misato opens her mouth to demand an update from Yui, and sees that it is not her friend and boss who is striding in. The red haired scientist runs onto the bridge. Her hands locked around their wrists, she pulls the two teenagers with her. "Sohryu?"
"No time," Kyoko snaps, "I need a manifest of the remaining ships, now!"
Misato snaps out her hand and catches a thrown tablet. Tapping the screen, she pitches it at Kyoko. Snatching it out of the air, she skims over the contents. "Yui! There are three freighters left with LCL reservoirs-" A tentacle thrusts up in the distance, followed by an explosion. "Two freighters with LCL reservoirs! Sending you the coordinates!"
The metal giant rises, the bridge coming up to its waist. "Got it, Kyoko," Yui's voice announces over the speakers. In Jet Alone's open palm, Yui sets down Hatchi. The pale girl, wrapped in Kyoko's discarded labcoat, shivers in her mother's arms. "What about Uri?"
Blood oozes from Hatchi's nose, her face smeared with her own and the Angel's blood. "Kyoko-"
"My son will be fine," Kyoko responds, "I trust that Uri can take care of himself, and-" She snaps up a finger before Yui can respond. "No that was not an insult directed at you. Get the girl to the freighter!"
The ship lists. Kyoko grabs onto a railing in front of the window, crewmen yelping, and Misato does not move. Jet Alone takes off, boot and back jets flaring, flying towards the ships in the distance. "In truth," Kyoko sighs, "Uri's in the giant war machine designed to fight Angels, and we're in a ship similar to those the Angel is sinking."
"Yeah, I'd be more worried about us," Misato adds, "Any results of those depths charges?" She turns to a crewman at one of the sonar consoles. He shakes his head, adding something about the explosive detonating before it could reach the Angel. "Yeah, magic forcefield. Fucker."
Misato folds her arms, shifting her hips. Around them, the bridge continues its operations in silence. The door swings open again. Spencer walks in, Mana's jacket and boots tucked under one arm. "Okay, so," he starts, "From what I can tell, the Angel's sunk about half of your resupply for the Evas."
Misato and Kyoko turn on him. He raises his hands with a smile, and steps behind the still pale Shinji and Hikari. "Now," he says, hands on the teenager's shoulders, "How about we talk about what we can do to get around this?"
...
Yui Ikari has flown many times in her life. In planes, helicopters, VTOLs, even piloting an Evangelion. This is a new one, however. This is the first time she has flown in the palm of a giant robot. "Doctor Ikari, sorry about the turbulence! I usually have to use JAP's hand thrusters to keep'er stable!"
The robot jerks and wobbles. Yui grits her teeth, holding Hatchi's head against her lap. Eyes scan over the remnants of the Pacific Fleet, glancing down to her PDA. A beep from the handheld confirms the identity of the boxy green freighter. "Kirishima!" She points to the ship. "That's the Longman! That's the ship with the LCL reservoir!"
The voice crackles over the speakers, distorted by static. "Got it, Doctor! Lemme just ease'erHOSHIT! Cherubim!"
The fingers rise up, forming a metal wall between Yui and the charging fist monster. She covers her ears against the shriek. She hears the sound of snapping bone and the scream of the Cherubim. Kicking back, she pulls Hatchi with her to the back of the metal giant's palm.
Another scream, and a jagged red spine jams itself between Jet Alone's fingers. The point rests where her head was.
The hand opens and Yui turns, seeing crimson and gold dripping off Jet Alone's other hand. "Sorry'bout that, Doctor Ikari!" The robot jerks forward. Yui holds her daughter close, scrambling to a handhold next to the palm jet and looping her foot through it. "Coming in for a landing! Longman, this is Jet Alone Prime and we are HOSHIT!"
The water beneath the freighter swells, lifting the boxy green ship up and forward. Gold and lined with emerald, the harpoon bursts through it. It splits the ship down the center, spilling LCL and equipment into the water. Tendrils of crimson wrap around it, holding it aloft for a moment. Mocking Yui, perhaps. Then it is gone, disappeared beneath the waves.
"Shit," Yui breathes. "Motherfucker," Mana adds. Yui taps up the PDA, pulling Hatchi closer. "Kirishima! There's one other freighter that has the equipment we need!" She stands, pointing towards the distance, through the explosions of fired-upon Cherubim and the smoke of dying ships. "Get us there! Now!"
Scanning the battlefield, Mana swallows thickly. The sound carries over the speakers. "Doc?" There is the familiar whine of Jet Alone's engines spinning up. "I don't think we're gonna have any ships left when we get there."
Yui sets her jaw and sits, pulling her daughter into her lap. "Then we're just going to have to hope for a miracle."
...
The walls creak and break. Water rises past the two lower eyes. Inside the entry plug, Uri grips the controls and closes his eyes. The voice speaks with rushing water and rending bulkheads. It speaks with ocean currents, grinding pressure. It is too big, too vast for a voice. It is and he hears it.
You hunt in the flesh of the Father. You take His claws and teeth as your own. But we are His children. We are His choir.
The ceiling creaks, bends. The outlines of vast coils pulls at it, grinds away at the metal.
You have eluded us. You have hunted us. But we hunt you. We are the Hunter. You are the Prey.
Hands wrap tightly. His hands wrap, tightly, 'round the butterfly controls. The red hair falls over his eyes, a long held breath released in time with his sagging into the seat. The voice, the presence of the voice, presses against him. He does not know how he understands it, or what language it is.
He just knows he can hear it, and he knows it is talking to him.
And yet. And yet, you seem familiar. Your scent is not that of Prey. There is something within you. It is familiar to us.
The plug glows. The hangar bay shifts, ripples in the water that now covers the ends of the Evangelion's fins. It shakes the hangar, the remains of the freighter. The coils that pull and push at the freighter spasm. There is a surprised growl from the beast that pulls them down, and the freighter flashes white like fire.
...
On the bridge of the Rainbow, Kyoko tilts her head, looking at the floating display streaming from her PDA. Data, numbers scroll down. The octagon field forms, outlined around the shape of Unit-02's freighter. In the distance, Cherubim seize up, dropping into the ocean. The harpoons spasm, yellow blood staining the seas.
"Is that." Misato blinks. "Is that an AT Field?" Severed harpoons bob up next to the remaining gunships and freighters. Briefly, she glances over to the distance, snatching a pair of binoculars and watching Jet Alone land.
A cherubim drops onto the flight deck and melts. The golden wall surrounding the fleet shatters, melting into light and sound. "Is that from the Eva?" Misato asks.
"Can't be," Kyoko mutters, arms folded, "An Evangelion can't produce an AT Field of that sort of power. It has to be from the Angel."
...
The red haired boy sits still in the entry plug. The water completely submerges the Evangelion, and he does not react. The cold and pressure would have chilled him even through the LCL, but he does not feel it. The first green and gold tentacles force their way through and wrap around the Evangelion's arms, but he does nothing.
How have you done this? The voice, grinding rocks and , has something new to it. Curiosity? Anger? Fear? What are you? It asks.
The sides of Uri's mouth pull into a faint, knowing smile. "Oh," he says, voice soft and slow, "You know exactly what I am." He sits up. Red eyes open. "Brother."
The roof ruptures. The voice splits, and he can hear rage in it.
TABRIS! You have betrayed us!
The smile goes wider. He looks up, folding his hands on his lap. "I have done no such thing. I am the same side I have always been. That of Father's."
A harpoon thrusts through the floor. The coils wrap tighter, squeezing the front of the hangar bay flat.
You side with the Lilim!
"I side with the end of this pointless war. I side with Father and look to end this madness. You are a hunter, Gaghiel. You would empty this world of life to feed your ravenous urges. You are chaos and you are animus." His hands grip the controls. His face becomes tight. "You are a wild, unthinking beast, brother. And Father is better served without your voice in the Choir."
The freighter explodes around the Evangelion. Shredded under the coils, the bubbles and foam clear, and he sees the Angel. All of it. The tentacles running the length of the sea floor, the coils that become mountains. The volcanic trenches that its eyes shine forth from.
The tentacles wrap around Unit-02's arms and legs, yanking it across the green and gold mass that is the sea floor. Over the mountains and trenches, past the rotting carcasses of submerged cities.
The landscape shifts, undulating, transforming from the coiling thing that lies beneath. There is no end to it that he can see, nor is there a beginning. The coils tighten and another tentacle wraps around the Evangelion's neck.
The rotted buildings crumble. The ground rises, a mountain forming of green flesh and golden blood. Dwarfing the Evangelion, it splits down the middle and reveals a crevice lined with blackened teeth. The glowing depths of its maw boil the water, the pulsing displacement of its arrival shaking the Evangelion and making Uri open blue eyes.
A gasp and he sits up. Deja vu and something play across his mind, but he focuses. He wonders for a moment what that was, but focuses. He has a job to do. Right in front of him.
Countless eyes stare upon the red giant in its grasp, and Uri feels its gaze upon him. Its voice speaks in old, ancient words he cannot understand, nor does he try. Instead, he takes in all the details, ignoring the blackout and the questions at the back of his mind, and finds it. "There you are. Katar."
Two blades pop out of the Evangelion's wrists, severing the tentacles. The arms sweep down and sever the fastenings on its legs, and a thrust cuts the bindings on its neck. Bringing its arms back, the Evangelion stares down the Angel Gaghiel.
"Let's go," Uri whispers. The back of the Evangelion's shoulder fin opens and drops a spinning black missile. The glow of the Angel's mouth becomes brighter, brighter, heat displacing the ocean with steam.
The missile detonates and the Evangelion throws out its arms. Carried by the shockwave, the Evangelion is thrown up through the water. Its eyes glow, golden light of an AT Field surrounding it to decrease drag. Lava and light strikes where it was but not where it is.
Flying through the water and towards the Core at the peak of the Angel's head.
There is a scream that pulses through the ocean. Throughout the Pacific, things older than bones stir. Creatures of the deep, both those in the shallows and those so far below man has no name for them hear it. It is a cry of wonder, of denial, of hate.
It is drowned out by the sound of the red and white fist driving into the Core. "Zwei!" Uri yells, "Piston Hammer!" The back of the Evangelion's arm pulses. The fist drives into the red crystal sphere and through it. Crimson shards spread out, dissolving. The scream cuts off and the miles of green, gold lined flesh begin to glow.
"Ah damn," Uri mutters, "Now how do I get back?"
The angel flashes, red lines running its length. The glow of its maw cuts out and its eyes burn. A single, final heartbeat and it becomes an expanding wave of light, force, LCL displacing the water. It slams into the Evangelion and Uri feels it. A silent thanks that his low synch ratio means he didn't break anything, and he grips the controls.
...
Beneath the fleet, beneath the waves and the remains of the cherubim, the water glows. On the bridge of the Rainbow, Misato grabs the railing and yells for everyone to brace. Kyoko grabs a chair. The crewman duck their heads. Shinji and Hikari glance at each other and hold onto each other before Spencer hugs them both.
The golden pillar erupts next to the carrier. It sprays down the deck, makes the carrier list and tilt. Crewman and civilians scream in time with the eruption. The fleet drifts with the waves. Inside one of the freighters, Yui grips the railing and thrusts one hand into the LCL pool to keep Hatchi submerged.
The light cuts out, raining LCL on the fleet. On the Rainbow, the waves wash against the sides. The shifting steadies, the light dying down and the panic lessens. Everyone on the bridge takes a deep breath. Kyoko opens her mouth.
Then the ship tilts forward. The bow hits the water, the flight deck cratering from the object that slams into it in a blur. Looking up from the railing, Misato and Kyoko tilt their heads and gaze upon what has landed.
Crouched on one knee, one fist driven into the deck, water sloughs off of the red, white, and black armor of the Evangelion.
"This is Unit-02." The voice crackles and strains through the speakers built into the neck of the giant. Seawater pours from every vent and seam. "The Angel has been neutralized."
-End Chapter 9-
