Disclaimer: Forward, into the breach again. Let us stand against the villains once more. You're next!
The Reprint and Repackaging of Evangelion
Chapter 25 I'll Follow You Down
By Marik Kurakashi
For all intents and purposes, Mari Illustrious Makinami was Evangelion Unit-05. It is important to remember this fact that despite her attractive appearance, she was in fact an inhuman monstrosity brought about by an absence of logic and reason in this world. Also to keep in mind, since she was very much a monster, her capabilities will not match her appearance.
All that truly means is that she wasn't bound by things the normal mundie might be, such as gravity or physics in general. Indeed, as she leapt from rooftop to rooftop here in Tokyo-3, you'd be hard pressed to think of her but some kind of superhero on patrol. Of course, this was because she had been left behind for a certain purpose.
Not even the end of the world happening all over again would stop humans from being foolish to certain degrees.
Yes, even for all the good NERV did, people wholly divorced from SEELE wanted them gone. But if not to control the destiny of mankind as a unified New Godling, what purpose would they want NERV gone? Money dear boy, it was usually money and the overwhelming presence of Section Two prevented those who prefered to cut the government out of their dealings from doing their thang.
Oh and there were the fervent patriots who wanted to establish a new Japanese Empire and weren't happy the strongest force of arms wasn't under their thumb. That the UN and other assorted global coalitions placed NERV's authority beyond the country that currently housed them also chaffed these people something fierce. Kaji had been good for more than opening the doors to the SEELE directors, he had collected a list of names of people who needed to be expunged.
Wet work was usually the old man's thing but this was something of a show of force than plausible deniability in the face of mass assassinations.
"Makinami." Fuyutsuki called at the arranged time. Due to being part Evangelion, she had a comms center hardwired into her skull so no need for phones.
"Sub-commander." Mari replied as she backflipped off a building, luckily dressed in a plugsuit to avoid losing clothing. "Is it time?"
"Indeed my dear." Fuyutsuki chuckled, sounding amused by her eagerness. "Please head to the airport for your flight to Kyoto-2."
"Supersonic insertion, without care for the collateral?" Mari asked as she righted herself to land on her feet as if she didn't plummet down from several stories up.
"Correct, anyone at or around the party point is a target to be eliminated or their pets." Fuyutsuki answered with a fond paternal tone. "Please, enjoy yourself tonight and indulge the Beast all you wish."
"Oh you know how to treat a girl." Mari said with a happy squeal. She was running towards the airport at about a hundred kilometers now. "Thank you for allowing me to ensure that NERV continues to control the future of humanity."
"You're most certainly welcome." Fuyutsuki said. "There's no hard time limit but do be a dear and make sure you're back before the commander returns."
"Roger!" Mari said, hopping the fence on the airport. "Let's do this!"
/-\ /-\ /-\
"Makinami will be entering the airspace for Kyoto-2 in five minutes," Maya noted as she continued to work a program under the auspice of the MAGI. "Preparations for Code Fang Over Fang will be done in two."
"Adjusting satellites to keep track of targets," Hyuga added. "Creating a real-time updating kill list."
"All non-hostiles have been warded off successfully." Aoba finished, punching in a few more commands. "Issuing a general warning to those who might still be too close to the splash zones."
"Very good." Fuyutsuki said, rubbing his chin as he contemplated what else needed prepped. "Exit path for the transport established?"
"Just finished." Hyuga said. "Weapons loaded, establishing an ammo count for her guns."
"Hi-frequency blade is fully charged." Maya added. "Patching in energy gauge so she doesn't run it dry by accident."
"Scan timetable established, she'll get a routine update on positioning and what might be inside the compound without having to stop and ask for it." Aoba finished yet again. "First scan timed for when she lands."
"Excellent." Fuyutsuki said. "How goes the Hokkaido relief project?"
Aoba actually lead off. "Most of the city has already recovered, treatment is proceeding without issue."
"No fatalities reported, just minor injuries and aches from the psywave attack." Maya continued. "Communications have been established should we need to contact the rescue team up north."
"The hospitals have finished receiving any of the borderline cases so we can better observe them and treat any emergent issues." Hyuga ended things this time.
"Splendid." Fuyutsuki said. "There is naught else but to sit back and watch the spectacle."
"I aim to deliver." Mari promised, as she jumped out the side of the transport over Kyoto-2.
"All restraints release." Fuyutsuki said, holding up his right hand. "Once she has made landfall, start Code Fang Over Fang."
"Yes sir!" The bunnies chorused as one.
"Ah feels good!" Mari called as she felt the shackles that kept her human adjacent fall away. The Beast shook awake from its controlled slumber and everything was about to begin. Her feet touched down a few seconds later.
"Code Fang Over Fang start!" Maya shouted.
"All restraints have been lifted, all systems have come on line." Hyuga reported.
"The Beast has activated!" Aoba finished. "Warnings will continue to be issued to the surrounding areas outside of Kyoto-2 until mission is complete."
"Mission start!" Fuyutsuki yelled.
It was kind of horrific, what science could do once you had the cheats enabled. Mari's bones cracked and snapped before refitting into better alignment. Blood shot forth only to coalesce into bright green and white armor, as her height rose to almost seven feet. Her face was covered in a helmet reminiscent of Unit-01, though its horn was red.
Her eyes lit up a shimmering sapphire blue. "MANIFEST, EVANGELION UNIT-05!" Her voice shook the air, giving an illusion that her cry had shaken the heavens themselves. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained... The Beast has arrived!"
"Augmented UI is ready," Maya reported. "She'll be able to keep an eye on her kill count as she goes."
"Interesting." Fuyutsuki said with a chuckle. "Good hunting, my dear."
/-\ /-\ /-\
Yakuza just weren't what they used to be. Triads either, the mass destruction that followed Second Impact left large portions of the Earth submerged or on fire. Those that survived the fallout were more likely to congregate into military super cities like Tokyo-3 which meant you couldn't strongarm them for cash or push drugs on them. Shit sucks, is what I'm saying.
Thusly, if there were people after SEELE who wanted NERV gone, it was those who had ties to or dreams of reviving these things. Add in the odd JSSDF soldier disillusioned from handing defense of the Homeland to some weirdo in sunglasses and his robot and you had a nice little force going. All told, their numbers was about 100 officers with another 450 in grunts, mooks and other death catching type personnel.
It wasn't exactly a fair fight, an international super PMC against some Japanese guys larping as gangsters.
Money did play a factor and they at least had some form of cash to toss about. Mainly in trying to shore up for taking NERV out as well as fortifications for a UN raid once they succeeded there. And well, they held no illusion that NERV might get wind of it and might swat at them to scare the bad boys away.
But you gotta understand, once you've committed enough capital to a cause, sometimes you tend to become a little conceited. You think you're a bigger thing than you are so you start deluding yourself about what might happened if you swung on the big burly biker dude. In some respects, they did deserve credit for at least sticking it out and not running once they realized they had been made.
Of course it'd probably end horrifically for them but they had guts!
Kanehiro "Kanchi" Katsura was old money and old school, a throwback to the bosses before the fall of mankind. He dressed the part, looking like he was relaxing after a shower at an old style ryokan inn. Even more so, he raised himself a cadre of loyal goons who helped him make it to the top heap of the dung pile of crime that Kyoto-2 was.
Life was alright but he always wanted more, wanted to be bigger. In this post-apocalypse world, everything was for the taking now. So many old clans and families were wiped out by Second Impact that he took it as a sign that maybe God had done him a solid and delivered a world he could conquer.
He was wrong, about God, but things did go his way enough to make it not feel like he was delusional.
Atsumi "Acchan" Hatoko was an ex-JSSDF man, used to be in charge of a platoon of soldiers and everything. They were the elite, ready to protect Japan from any threat, even Godzilla's ugly ass if need be. But then one day he gets told that the mission he thought he signed up for was to be filled by an egghead with a robot and bunch of his yes men.
Without question, it stuck in his craw to the point they just discharged him instead of dealing with his shit. It was post-Second Impact, your life was your own okay? If you wanted to leave the military, get the fuck out and go home to cry about it you little shit.
Teaming up with the Yakuza wasn't exactly choice but as more of his fellow patriots trickled in, his mind slowly changed.
Neither man was great shakes in the looks department, Kanehiro looked like someone's grandpa who had dyed his hair to look younger while Atsumi's face seemed frozen in an angry scowl. But they weren't here to be pretty, they were there to bring down NERV and take this box of jewels for themselves. In fact, they even bought and finished the Jet Alone project just in case of Evangelion attack.
Improbable yes but being prepared enough meant being ready for anything. The varying men under them weren't people who sucked. In fact, if not for having a pet abomination to sick on them, Gendo would be wise not to fuck with them. Slip the UN a fiver and let their marines punch open their buttholes.
Mari being around, however, changed everything.
"Let's rock." She said firmly, pulling out from somewhere a trench gun. It was a hulking slab of obsidian metal that looked like it could kill you from seeing it. This thing didn't so much fire as it did create calamities, guaranteed to kill your target and the next five guys behind him or your money back. "Contact in five."
One of the soldiers stationed here walked around the corner and stopped, seeing Mari. He didn't get a chance to do much else than that.
The trench gun roared and turned him into something approaching a rough and chunky salsa. He didn't suffer long, for what that's worth.
"Leeron you beautiful bastard, I'd have your babies if you were inclined that way and I had a uterus." Mari declared, hefting the trench gun and admiring it. Gosh, she better stop or she might waste time making out with this sexy piece of murder and death.
Seven more soldiers came running at the sound, alarms began to go off and panic was about to begin.
It was a shame not to entertain these boys, all rugged and manly as they readied their rifles. Gosh she should just dance around and let them spend a few rounds. But there was a time table to keep and more people to kill.
"Hi..." Mari said, before she moved faster than they could ever comprehend. She reappeared, right at the end of the line formation they had hastily made. "Also, die." She pulled the trigger again.
Six died as the seventh man managed to pitch out of the way of the blast of shrapnel and body parts.
"What the fuck." It could only be a statement, his shock and horror so encompassing that his brain couldn't process how to make it sound like a question anymore.
"You've been naaaaaughty~." Mari cheered, putting up her trench gun and zipping forward.
He managed to bring his rifle to bear but it was too late and his brain far too slow to deal with this invader. By the time he realized his mistake and started to drop his weapon, it was far too late.
Mari was in range, striking with a brutal punch that shattered the man's rib cage. Blood bile and other fluids ejected from his mouth as he rocketed back into a wall and cracked both it and his skull. He was pretty much dead before he hit the ground but Mari made sure to end his misery by squashing his head.
Suddenly, she darted away from gunfire, more men had show up. "How nice!" She squealed. "Don't bore me now boys!"
Alarms were sounding and more and more people were rushing in on her. It didn't really seem to matter because she pulled a machine gun from the same place she had pulled her trench gun from and returned fire. Loses were mounting up and it was beginning to look really bad in this little cluster of buildings.
"SEND IN THE JET ALONE, STOP FEEDING THE MEAT GRINDER!" Kanehiro roared, it was obviously something that required more than just manpower to solve.
From the nearby waterfront came the hulking mass of metal, it was roughly on par with a normal Evangelion in height and size. There was just one real issue here, which kind of broke everything apart. It wasn't the lack of NERV's staff or supercomputers, they had managed to rebuild it from its half scrapped state. It wasn't even that Mari was so much better than the Jet Alone, they were probably equal in terms of power and performance honestly.
It was really that she had an AT-field and it didn't.
Still, she had to destroy the damn thing or it'd cause her to waste time and maybe cause some of the rats to scurry away. Fist met fist, a loud bang that shattered windows and cratered the ground underneath Mari. Didn't matter, she punched again, knocking the fist away.
The Jet Alone skidded back a step before shifting around and bringing down a large overhand left that should render its target into paste. It should but it doesn't as Mari's return blow just stops it cold again. How could this be?
"I'm not human." Mari taunted, using her AT-field to push the Jet Alone back. "Come on!" She leapt off the shattered ground and met it fist to fist mid-air.
"I can't believe it," Atsumi muttered. "The Jet Alone is losing?"
It wasn't winning at least, that was obvious. Still, it was preventing her from slaughtering the lot of them so there was that at least? Maybe you guys should run already.
Out came the Jet Alone's wire guided cutters, crashing into the dirt after being blocked by the AT-field. There was something to be said for having a pilot at the helm of the giant robot. Sure, you could argue that allowing a superior computer that follows logic and reason to drive means you avoid issues where the pilot loses their shit.
But wasn't that down on the quality of the pilot and not an inherent flaw in having a human pilot? After all, adjustments need to be made, minor corrections that can only be grasped by human instincts. Such as the need to tactically back off and assess how the fuck you're getting kicked back by something that is comparatively an ant.
For all the trumpeting of the perfection of machine logic, people often forget it is superficial at best and downright stupid at worst.
Like how often does a computer lock up because one line of code in a program they were running went stupid? The only thing an unmanned robot could do better was press an ill fated attack and maybe get lucky, if we're being realistic here. All one would have to do is measure how fast the computer reacts and then exceed that benchmark.
This thing won't get better, not without a stinkin' human to update it. Someone has to reprogram it to process and react faster, it will stay at the level it started at. Even if someone is remote piloting it, doesn't that just expose another flaw here?
Because it doesn't take a genius to figure that it's hard to grasp the tensions and nuances of a fight hundreds of feet away while locked in a bunker with panicking dipshits.
"This is fun!" Mari chortled as she dodged the wire cutters again by what seemed to be the last possible second. "You'd make a good robot for assaulting a fortress where you don't give a shit if it comes back."
She pulled out her hi-frequency sword, a nodachi by request. Must come with being the result of human experimentation with an alien lifeform. It took no more than the shiver of her forebrain to activate its cutting mode.
"Now, let me show you how it's done!" Mari cried, posing with her sword. "E-Sword Altair!" Red energy crackled along the blade, her helmet lights glowed with a sinister power. "Prepare yourself!"
The guided wires came again, rocketing in with a wave of razor sharp edges coming in for the kill. Obviously, as long as she has an AT-field it didn't matter how sharp they were. But deflecting them had only been about learning the timing of their launch than anything else. With that, it was a simple swipe of her blade and she shore through all five of the wire cutters head towards her.
Again, this would have been a good time for a pilot. Seeing the deflections, maybe they'd understand that they'd have to find a way that would prevent her from using the AT-field. Tax her stamina, force her into a corner by trying unorthodox tactics to make something land. Problem was that the remote control was too removed from the equation, like trying to drive your car from your living room.
You might get it going fine in empty roads, but when you need split-second changes you just ended up missing something you shouldn't have.
Coupled with the AI control the moment to moment decision making, it was hardly a surprise it just launched its other set of wire cutters. It did do an impressive backflip before firing them off, but Mari had the Magi backing her up which invented new math to crunch for kicks. Yes, it was a nice theory, changing up the timing and angle of the attack should throw someone who was timing you off.
"Naive." Mari said as she swept her sword all five cutters. "Points for effort at least but I already saw through you from the first time you swung at me." She pointed her blade at the Jet Alone which had landed in a crouch. "You lot, you could have fished the waters or dive for treasure left with old Kyoto under the waves, But you lack the resolve to truly live in this new era so I'm doing you a favor by ending your miserable existence."
The Jet Alone stood up and came rushing forward again, swinging away like a tantruming child.
"Screw you, bitch!" Atsumi roared, even though Mari couldn't hear him. He reached into his coat and pulled out a golden revolver, more evidence of his hubris and lack of forward thinking. It looked cool so it was fine, wasn't like he'd ever really fire it right. "Jet Alone, bring that whore back here so I can put a bullet through her brain!"
Rage mixed with fear made for a powerful cocktail that fucked up rational thinking. After watching the armor clad girl wipe out the only arms they trusted it to carry, the rational thing would be to get her into chasing it so you could flee. Of course, that rage and fear cocktail smashed into the brain of a dude who was having the adult version of Eighth Grader syndrome.
As such, he wasn't exactly in touch with the reality before him and admitting he bit off more than he can chew was just not in the cards. They say the tallest nail gets hammered down so stay in your lane so you can avoid the blow. But when you're someone who has desires and dreams and ambitions, you can't let such weak thoughts hold you back.
Mr. Nail, please meet Ms. Hammer.
The Jet Alone sent a series of punches that were met with a series of slashes. Nothing seemed to be happening except the punches weren't smashing Mari to shit or even breaking her sword. What exactly was going on here?
"Oh sir?" Mari asked as she rolled back from the last punch thrown and slid into a crouch. "How do you like my swordsmanship?" Right as she finished, her sword flared red.
A loud shearing sound, as if someone took a plasma cutter to ridiculously thick metal, was heard just before both hands of the Jet Alone exploded into scrap.
"WHAT?!" Atsumi hollered in shock.
"The Jet Alone..." Kanehiro gasped, a cold realization and fear began to gripe his soul. "Impossible! Where was NERV hiding this?!"
"Did you think some children cosplaying soldiers and Yakuza could measure up to the Commander? The Sub-Commander? On her worst day, the Major has forgotten better plans than you could ever dream of creating." Mari taunted, laughing uproariously. "You won't escape me, you lower lifeforms. Just clean your necks and give thanks to me when I end your life."
"JET ALONE!" Atsumi commanded in equal parts terror and fury. "Stop fucking around and kill her!"
The Jet Alone leapt into the air to try and stomp on her. Desperate times call for desperate measures! Something had to work, she wasn't invincible!
Not that she needed to be. "Thanks for the hard work, Robot-san yo." Mari said, leaping up to meet the falling robot and slash it with her sword along its left side.
All along the Jet Alone's left side, numerous cuts and gashes appeared. Heck, it looked like its side was being cubed into pieces. If there was one regret, it was that they couldn't keep the nuclear reactor and had to settle for some weird battery thing that was barely better than the Evangelion's. It was also fortunate because when the Jet Alone crashed into the ground and exploded, the reactor didn't get breached and nuke the town.
Small comfort. "Is she a devil?" Kanehiro gaped.
"God, Devil, Monster, lower life forms like you have such a shallow imagination." Mari said, flaring out her AT-field. "You're all going to die, you know? Accept it and stop your futile struggling. It'll only end worse for you."
The hexagonal pattern familiar to the AT-field covered a nearby wrecked building. "Shatter." And thus it did, turning into a powder finer than dust. "Do not resist me, all of you will scatter like sand on the wind."
"We have to retreat." Kanehiro decided. "As long as someone survives, we can have our revenge."
"Then run gramps, I'm going to stand and fight." Atsumi decided.
"Very well, good luck. I will see you soon." Kanehiro ran from the command post.
"Ah, yeah." Atsumi agreed, checking his revolver. "See ya."
/-\ /-\ /-\
"There's nothing we can do to slow her down!" One of the yakuza grunts cried as he emptied his handgun into Mari's AT-field. "She blocks or dodges all our shots! This is pointless!"
"It's not pointless!" Atsumi commanded, prepping a shotgun just for something with a stronger kick. "Wear her out, drain every last bit of stamina from her! Let her arrogance lead to her downfall."
"Ah, ah, getting bored." Mari yawned, before she had a good idea. "Oh right, The Beast hasn't eaten yet today." Her faceplate creased open, revealing an inhuman maw of more teeth than should ever be in a human mouth. "The Beast! Feeding Frenzy!" An AT-field spread from her mouth, picking up the bits and pieces of the varying grunts who had already be turned into salsa and one unfortunately too close youngster.
"Wha- ah - ah- help!" He wailed as he was dragged into the maw.
SPLUNCH!
Oh, so that's the sound of a humanoid abomination biting down into the flesh of human. Neat.
"S-save me." The young man begged but it was clearly too late considering the copious amounts of blood he lost.
"She's... she's eating my people." Atsumi said with disgusted horror. "What the hell is she?"
Several more gross squelches and crunches sounded before Mari finished her mid-battle snack. "Mmm, nice." She giggled which was extremely inappropriate considering what she just did. "You can call me God or the Devil if it helps you come to grips with what is happening."
"This can't be happening." Atsumi spat out. "You're telling me NERV already out maneuvered us before we even started?!"
"The Commander was the one who helped the rumors and anti-NERV propaganda circulate around the E-net." Mari answered, tearing a soldier in two before devouring each half. "The game was rigged from the start, sorry."
"DON'T SCREW WITH US!" a bold young Yakuza yelled, rushing forward to throw hands at Mari.
His right hand hit her AT-field, which then wrapped around him.
"Eh? W-What?" He sputtered in disbelief.
"Burst." Mari commanded, the field squeezing down on him until he exploded into a shower of gore. "Anyone else? Or do you wish to continue this futile struggle?"
A hail of bullets answered her.
"I know what you're thinking." Mari paused. "Well, some of you are thinking you can slow me down so some of your fellows can escape. If you move elsewhere, like Osaka, you can start again! Next time you won't get caught." She cackled, relishing the moment to be the full monster she always. "But you're not getting anywhere but the grave." Her kill counter showed she was up to 399 kills, with an addendum for Jet Alone being counted separate.
"Fuck you." Someone said, growing a little bold even if the carnage before them should cause them to flee in an attempt at self preservation. Then again, that wouldn't work either and getting shot in the back was only different in the location of the fatal wound; you were still dead.
"Aw, can't banter any better when you're hopelessly outgunned huh?" Mari taunted, hefting her sword suddenly. "I feel ya though, you guys are nothing but filler really. The only reason you aren't getting your shit pushed in by the bossman himself is because he's busy exterminating the Angel up in space."
There was a tension in the air as the remaining last stand guys felt a chill run down their spines.
"Not that it would have been any easier on you lot." Mari said, flaring the energy on her sword again. "At least you got to swing back." She gave a flat laugh. "For all the good it did."
"What the he-" someone started to say, but stopped when Mari simply vanished from before their eyes.
The sound of her sword shearing through flesh and bone, or anything the blade touched really, rang out clear in the stillness.
"Retreat retreat!" One of the officers at the back hollered.
It wasn't helping, but it was better than standing still. Every second she wasted was another second the fleeing members had to get away. NERV may have won by ambushing them today but the knowledge gained would assure their victory for tomorrow. They had to believe that, anyways.
"Some people have a complex about these kind of things." Mari said as she suddenly stood in front of the pack of fleeing men. Her kill counter was now 426 kills. "People like you need to be built up so there is a reason for you to exist." She examined her blade.
"The fuck are you talking about you bitch?" Atsumi snarled, still managing to remain brave in the face of everything.
"Nothing too much," Mari said, giggling a bit. "You have to understand that some people feel like there's an order to everything, all neat und tidy like." She flicked the sword, cleaning it of anything that might remain on it. "But the reality is that things don't line up like they do in the serials. Sometimes, you just end up under the boot even if there really isn't any need for you to."
Atsumi growled and spat. "Are you saying NERV is invincible is that it?"
"Heavens no." Mari said, popping her neck. "Nothing truly invincible exists in this world, but how were you going to take down NERV anyways? Just roll up and shoot everyone?" She laughed. "Or you'd convince people within the organization to turn traitor! Maybe the commander's son will shoot him in the face for some plastic swag!" She revealed her maw again in a feral sneer. "Were you so busy dreaming about what happens after you win that you forgot the part where you had to do it?"
Atsumi whipped out his revolver. "Shut your fucking trap you piece of shit!" He knew, on all levels, there was nothing intimidating to this action. He refused to give in to fear, however and replaced it all with anger. "You think you can mock me?"
"It's not a question of ability to do so," Mari corrected him. "It's whether I should. You were a patriot no? It must hurt to see the power of NERV not belong to Japan. It'd be strange if you didn't!" She wagged a finger at him. "But have you ever considered what happens once the threat of the Angels are done? What happens to NERV and all its wonderful people once the organization fulfils its purpose?"
"..." Atsumi could not answer that, hell he couldn't even grasp the concept. He had been so ticked that he went running off at the first gig that offered him the brass ring he wanted.
"All you had to do was keep your heads down and not make any noise." Mari said in that final fleeting silence. "The nail that sticks out gets hammered down right? The arrogance of the strong would do well to learn the wisdom of the weak: There are just some fights you don't pick."
The revolver roared, as to be expected, a pitiful and futile response.
"I could spare you, let you train up a bit," Mari said, before she sighed. "But I'm a soldier just like you. If the bosses say I gotta kill everyone in your stupid group, then you're all gonna die." She raised her sword into a proper stance. "No hard feelings right?"
Sadly, the echoes of their mournful final scream lasted longer than they did.
/-\ /-\ /-\
Kanehiro was in his personal plane, flying away from the city that had been his home for the last couple of years. It was hard to flee everything right as he was ready to start his grand plan to overthrow NERV and seize ultimate power over this busted world. But you didn't conquer the world by dying like a bitch and that's what Atsumi and all the rest were for. At least they brought some time, the useless mugs. So useless...
Tears welled in the old man's eyes, the soldier boy had been the replacement of the son he had lost in Second Impact. He hadn't intended to swing at the top of the ladder but the way the boy talked it seemed like it could happen. Just a little bit of luck and some hard work and they'd run the planet tits to toes...
Yet now...
"Boss." One of the few officers lucky enough to escape with him. The other two were flying this damn thing with help from a VI. "What do we do? Do we head to Osaka-4?"
Go...? Go where? Running was only a meager resistance to the fact that their revolution had failed before it began! What could they accomplish when NERV had who knows what else kind of monsters lurking under its command!
Still, he had a job to do and title to live up tot. "They're expecting us to go there! Head southward, let's see what is left down there." Kanehiro commanded, maybe if they hide in the ruins they'd be spared.
And then the plane's radio system forcibly activated. "All of the men who stayed behind are dead." Mari said solemnly. "Old soldier boy stood his ground though, you should be proud of your number two." Though no one on board could see, Mari was holding Atsumi's head, his face frozen in frustrated rage. "Alas, it is but you five left."
Kanehiro hissed. "You... you dare..." He couldn't even finish, he was so pissed. At his weakness, at being caught, at everything! How did it turn out like this? How could it end up like this!?
"The people seeking to overthrow humanity's defenders because they want to make money don't get to claim audacity here." Mari reminded him, tossing Atsumi's head away as she floated in line with the plane, following along without showing much effort. "Should have kept quiet old man, we almost missed you."
"Don't you lie to me like that!" Kanehiro snapped. "The thoroughness of this operation couldn't be some last minute thrown together plan! You've known about us for how long?"
"We only knew about soldier boy," Mari admitted. "It was when we were gearing up to slap him down that we discovered he shacked up with you Yakuza scum." She snickered. "The Commander first put the rumors of counter NERV orgs on the E-net to weed out scum like you."
"That's what he.." Kanehiro gasped, before slamming his fist into the armrest of the chair he was in. "Fuck! Fuck fuck fuck!"
"You certainly are." Mari agreed, raising her trench gun. "How do you want to do this? I can shoot you down, maybe I can get them to spare whoever survives the crash."
"Hit the boost and get us out of here!" Kanehiro ordered.
"B-boss?" The pilot of the craft said. "I can't... the VI has been hacked."
"H-Hacked...?" Kanehiro sputtered.
"You think a plane's computer could resist the Magi?" Mari asked as she sped up to catch up to the plane. "Anymore than your men could resist me!"
"Damn it all..." Kanehiro said, despair gripping his soul. "Damn it all!"
"Inferno round, loaded." Mari said with surgical precision. "Chamber holding, energy level nominal."
"Boss, do something!" One of the final officers yelled pitifully.
"Shh, stop struggling and embrace your entrance to the promised land." Mari said, squeezing the trigger. The trench gun roared once again, the call of thunder that could be heard for miles.
The tail end of the plane exploded upon the impact of the shell, before the plane ignited from the incendiary in the round.
Just before the wave of fire hit him, Kanehiro could only offer one final comment. "Sorry kid, I..." He didn't get to finish the apology, getting lit on fire tends to do that.
Another explosion fully consumed the plane, erasing the last of this rebellion.
"Ah, it's over." Mari said with a slight frown. "Oh well, not my concern. I am but a tool for the Commander to make use of after all." She chuckled darkly though. "But if anyone is taking this box of jewels we call Earth, it'll be the Commander. The devilish man who destroyed the world is now the one to save it! How delicious!"
Her laughter rained down alongside the ashes of the plane and its occupants.
/-\ /-\ /-\
"The mission has been completed." Maya reported. "No one survived."
"Geh, gruesome but efficient." Hyuga noted. "About what you'd expect if you put an Evangelion against normal humans."
"I'd feel bad for bullying them but they wanted to take us all out." Aoba complained. "And not for drinks either." He liked his face sans bullet thank you.
"It is to be expected," Fuyutsuki commented with his old teacher tone. "Envy is a very ugly thing when it manifests in those who cannot deal with it."
Silence lasted for a few moments, letting them absorb that.
"The Commander has contacted us," Maya said.
"Read it out." Fuyutsuki commanded.
"The angel has been slain." Maya said, before furrowing her brow. "All personnel should be ready for briefing on Operation Death and Rebirth." She looked baffled. "What is that?"
Hyuga shrugged. "I never heard of it."
"Same here." Aoba said.
Fuyutsuki chuckled. "Well well Commander, you seem to have an idea for our final battle huh?" He grinned, just a little unsettling, before shaking his head. "I guess we'll see when you get back." He thrust a hand out. "Recall Makinami and get ready for the Humanity's return."
He then thrust his hand to the sky, one finger held up.
"There is only one more Angel to face!"
End Chapter 25
Preview for Chapter 26 "I Get Dark Only to Shine"
Rei Ayanami had a problem. This wasn't a problem that required intellect, it was something that required her emotional capacity to solve. She was sure how she felt but she wasn't sure how he felt and ugh.
Not to mention, she was also certain there was complications thanks to Asuka. Even if he complained about the romantic comedy bits, it was because he wanted to play it cool. He was nothing if not a boy, one with a smart mouth and the ability to kill godlings but details.
Those details were what was futzing the cold equations though.
Also complicating things was the existence of the other Reis. Her life was not her own, okay? She had to make not one but two choices here and she had to live with them regardless. Either she lived on whole or remained fragmented as she is now. Once they were free they were never coming back to her.
If only he had confessed before now, things would be easier.
Author note: And we're winding down here folks. Only a few chapters left!