The second part of NERV's plan to retake Adam starts this chapter. Let's see how things continue to unfold. Disclaimer: I don't own Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Evangelion, or Anarchy Reigns.
Cruel Angel's Thesis Chapter 21: Taking the Island
"As if the damage from that little rampage wasn't bad enough," Lorenz mused, "It looks like the Twelfth Angel arrived and was dealt with without us even being properly notified. But NERV is making some bold moves lately. Why the sudden attack when they've been so focused on the Angels lately? What could I be missing?" He had long forgotten what it meant to be human, thanks to the cybernetics that were practically holding his ailing body together. Speedwagon's actions in keeping SEELE from gaining the power it desired had lead to stress which caused his health to fail. Which of course only made him want his plans more.
He sat down at his desk. 'Gendo wouldn't just declare an assault out of the blue like that. He's a chessmaster. This has to be part of some greater plan of his. What could I be missing?' He went over the series of events as they unfolded and something caused him to frown. "Does Mayumi know about our recent transfer of Adam? But such a introverted girl… Would she even tell this to anyone she doesn't know? And even if she did, NERV couldn't get close after we bolstered the defenses of the sky citadel…" He gasped, realizing what Gendo must have been planning. He hit a button for the communicator. "Send Jack to the factory! Immediately!"
Yui watched the footage as Keebo and Mari dealt with the crab mech before moving on to Leliel. "Looks like the plan is working as intended," she noted. "A plan is easier to follow when you have fewer details," Gendo noted, "That's what makes a true chessmaster, that you can make your plan flexible to account for whatever your opponent might do. Too many details, and things can go wrong. What of our strike force going into the factory?" "They're approaching now," Maya replied, "But something else is making its way there. Wavelength confirmed human." Gendo nodded. "Looks like Lorenz might be catching on. A bit too late, however."
Several bio-fiends were standing in the way of the trio. Smaller groups were blasted by Cadence and her Stand while Shining used his own to provide defense. Meanwhile Aigis overclocked herself to deal with the larger threats, including several Executioners. "Sensors indicate the central computer is just ahead," she noted, "We should be able to use it to cause some serious havoc with SEELE's forces." She got an alert coming in from Fuyutsuki. 'We've just detected a new presence quickly approaching your location. Wavelength confirmed human, likely one of the artificial Stand users. Be on alert."
"Copy that," Aigis said, extending her sensors to determine where the threat might be coming from. Just then, a rather large man with a cybernetic arm that looked like an old motorbike engine leapt down, the arm shifting into a double-bladed chainsaw. Luckily, Shining saw him coming. "Radioactive!" His bubble shield easily blocked the incoming attack, though the man kept trying to rev up his chainsaw faster. At least, until Aigis dropkicked him into the nearby wall. The man stood up and spit out some blood. "Nice kick, missy. Name's Jack. Boss man told me to come down here, and now I can see why."
He rotated his shoulder to get some kinks out. "I really don't like it when people mess with our business." "You're all just a bunch of mercenaries, aren't you?," Aigis asked, "Why go through with such extreme modifications?" "Do you know how hard it is to stand out compared to other mercenaries?," Jack replied, "But SEELE said they had something that could give us a leg up. Now, unlike the others I ain't an idiot. This chainsaw is nice, but it's more a glorified weapon than a real Stand. But not everyone of us understands how this business works. But me, I did a brief stint in Green Dolphin Prison, and I saw a few inmates using powers that were nothing like what SEELE gave us."
He revved up the chainsaw. "Pretty good for cutting up sons of bitches, though! Gator Tooth!" He stuck at Aigis, who smirked as the steel teeth bounced off her chassis. Jack was a little surprised. "You cybernetic too?" "Actually I'm a fully sentient AI inhabiting a robotic platform," she clarified, "My chassis was built using duralumin, one of the strongest materials ever discovered. In addition…" She transformed her arms into revolvers. "I've been equipped with significant munitions for self-defense purposes. Father always wanted to make sure his children could take of themselves."
She easily jumped over another swipe before firing off a few shots, which Jack blocked with his metal arm. He scoffed. "Tech is advancing so far even robots are becoming human. Least you sit outside the uncanny valley." Aigis rolled her eyes. Growing up, which for her meant getting her platform updated, she had heard that quip a number of times. "Seriously, if I had a hundred yen for every time I heard that line, I'd be able to afford a full overhaul!" Electricity surged through her body as she rushed forward, ducking under Jack's attack before blasting him point-blank.
The blast sent Jack sailing right into the back wall. "I get the feeling like someone decided to nerf my fighting skills," he said as he got up. "You're basically bringing a knife to a gun fight!," Aigis pointed out as she rushed forward, "What did you think would happen!?" She landed a serious blow to Jack's jaw, causing his head to slam into the wall, knocking him out. Shining, seeing the battle finished, started working on the computer. "Looks like Mayumi's intel was accurate. I have the exact location of Adam within the citadel. Give me a few minutes. Hacking is never as easy as it is in media…"
Once Shining had full control of the system, it officially gave NERV control of just over fifty-seven percent of the island. And with the defenses down on the citadel, the other four pilots were having their EVAs transported. "Remember," Shinji said, "The Thirteenth Angel is due to attack during our assault. We'll likely have to deal with him while managing this operation." "Still, your dad is impressive," Kaworu noted, "If we successfully complete this operation, we'll have a majority control over Zero Point." "Don't count your chickens before they hatch," Asuka said, "This is where things get really difficult."
She's not wrong. We'll see how the next Angel fight goes next chapter. Things are really getting intense. Read and review.