Taming the Beast

Summary: An error in the Space Bridge Project sends Coby, Lori, and the Convoys into the Eva Universe. Why are the Rumbles that Coby and Lori pilot so similar to the Evas? Is there a connection between the Angels and the Transformers? Will they survive?

Disclaimer: I don't own Evangelion or Transformers Galaxy Force, but they are interesting stories.

Chapter 12

"It's red," Shinji remarked. Aside from the fact that it was red, a color that was still unsettling to him due to his change, he was impressed by the design. It was simple and effective.

"That's not all that's different," Asuka boasted. "Unit 01 is just the test type, and the fact that it synced with an untrained pilot like you shows it has serious flaws. My Unit 02 is the first Production Model, the world's first true Evangelion!"

Shinji felt it before he heard it. Somehow, he knew.

"Angel," he whispered.

Asuka looked at the boy in shock. The way he had whispered had scared her, and the fact that his red eyes seemed to glow slightly and his white hair shift in no breeze didn't help.

BOOM!

The sound came a second after Shinji's whisper, snapping him out of his trance like state. "We're in trouble," he remarked.

Grabbing a bag, Asuka smiled, the incident before forgotten. Now I'll show him!

"Why won't it sink?" the Admiral snarled.

"It's an Angel," Coby Rumble replied of the comm. "Only the Eva stands a chance against it. Lori Hitomi and Us are only backup."

A chopper on the deck hummed to life as it took off and began skimming over the water. To everyone's surprise, except for Coby Rumble's and Lori Hitomi's, it began picking up those who escaped the ship that the Angel struck and moved them to life rafts or nearby ships.

BOOM! There went another one.

"All ships, Fire!" the Admiral ordered the fleet. The barrage shot out, but was ineffective.

"I hope you have a better plan than that, Admiral," said a voice. "I can't keep rescuing your men if you have no ships left."

"Who are you?" the Admiral demanded.

"I am Live Convoy, and I answer to the same Soushireikan as Coby Rumble and Lori Hitomi," was the answer.

"Message from the frigate," the comm. officer said. "Unit 02 is activating."

"What?" The Admiral grabbed the mike, "Shut down! What the hell are you doing? Shut your stupid toy down!"

"Admiral, I am enacting NERV's authority," Misato said. "I am now in charge of this operation. Captain, set up the external power supply."

"With pleasure," said the Captain, turning to give orders.

"Why you…" the Admiral turned beet red.

"Shut up or I will have you Court Marshaled!" Misato yelled. The Admiral realized his career was in jeopardy and did as he was told. Misato grabbed the mike, "Go for it, Asuka!"

"Misato, remind me to bring my plug suit with me next time," Shinji said.

"Are you in there too, Shinji?" Misato asked.

"Yes, the Baka's here," Asuka said. "What's the matter with the plugsuit I gave you, idiot?"

"Too tight on the chest, too lose on the stomach," Shinji said angrily. "Forget the plugsuit and let's kill the Angel."

You'll pay for that! Asuka thought. "Let's play hopscotch!"

She wasn't kidding. Unit 02 jumped from ship to ship till it was on the carrier, landing with a thud. Thankfully, it didn't capsize the ship. The red Eva reached down and plugged in the cable. It then took a battle stance, drawing its progressive knife.

I better get in there and give them some cover, Live Convoy thought, thinking about Coby Rumble, Lori Hitomi, and Shinji.

"LIVE CONVOY! TRANSFORM!"

Asuka's eyes widened in shock, "What the hell?"

"He's a friend," Coby Rumble said.

"Hurt him or Shinji-san, and you'll end up a target," Lori Hitomi warned.

Live Convoy began hovering over the water, "Here, fishy-fishy-fishy-fishy-fishy! Here, fishy-fishy-fishy-fishy-fishy!"

HHHRRROOOAAAARRRR!

"Shit! Big Fishy!" Live Convoy swore as dodged the Angel that had jumped out of the water, mouth wide trying to swallow him. Unfortunately, that meant the Angel ran right into Unit 02, sending both into the water. "Damn it! Please tell me that thing works in the water!"

"Sort of," Misato replied sheepishly.

"We're going," Coby Rumble said. "Live Convoy, stay up top. We have a plan." Coby Rumble and Lori Hitomi dived into the water, vanishing.

"Hey!" Kensuke yelled. "Who's that?"

"Sorry, but I have to go," Kaji said, inside the aircraft Kensuke was pointing to. "I have a delivery to make, and I need to get it there in one piece."

"Coward! Get back here!" Misato yelled as Kaji took off.

His forward progress was stopped as Live Convoy hooked him with his rescue line. "A line like this isn't strong enough to hook an Angel, but I can keep you here," he said, pulling Kaji's craft into his arms. A swing of his fist smashed the engines. Live Convoy landed and placed the craft on the corner of the deck. "You're staying right here," he said, before floating back up over the water, watching carefully.

"The core… mouth…" came Shinji's voice through the static that Misato had been hearing since the Eva went underwater. Then the water suddenly began to glow and foam with energy.

"What the hell?" the Captain asked.

The foam burst as two glowing Symbiocons rose into the air, holding the Angel by the tail between them. They floated above the deck of the ship, the Angel's mouth pointing downward. Then the Eva rose from the ocean to climb onto the deck, dripping wet, and the Angel right above it.

"How are they doing that?" the Admiral asked.

"Displacing their Center of Gravity," Misato answered, having seen it before, not to mention being the victim of such ability once.

"Pilots Soryu and Ikari, open the Angel's mouth and hold it open!" Coby Rumble ordered. To Misato's surprise, she heard no complaint from Asuka as Unit 02 rose up and grabbed the jaws above it. Straining only slightly, it ripped them open, revealing the red core inside.

"Live Convoy!" Hitomi yelled.

"Understood!" Live Convoy replied, having caught on to the plan. He flew down and stood on Unit 02's forehead.

"What are you doing?" Asuka yelled. "Get off!" Unit 02's head began to shake back and forth.

"HOLD STILL!" Shinji yelled, surprising everyone. Asuka was so shocked by the outburst that she did just that. Unit 02 stopped moving, and energy swirled around Live Convoy.

"FORCE CHIP! IGNITION! JET MISSILE!" Live Convoy roared. His aim was true, and the missiles struck the core, destroying it. The Angel writhed for a moment, and then was still. The Symbiocons and Eva let it splash into the water and sink into the depths of the sea.

After the pilots had climbed out, Misato rushed to see Shinji and Asuka. What she didn't expect to find was Shinji with a bloody nose, and Asuka being restrained by Coby and Lori.

"How dare you yell at me like that, Third Child!" she yelled as she fought against her restrainers. "Let go of me!"

Coby gave Lori a look and they let go, but not before sticking out a foot each so that Asuka fell on her face. Lori rolled the red-haired girl over and picked her up by the collar of her plugsuit, lifting the girl into the air as if she weighed nothing. Asuka's expression quickly shifted from one of anger to one of fear.

"If you're supposed to be the best pilot, stop acting like an immature child," Lori growled. "If it wasn't for Shinji realizing the core was inside the Angel's mouth, not to mention suggesting several strategies that you used, you wouldn't be alive. He has every right to yell at you for being ungrateful, especially since you consented to his plan of having Live Convoy stand on Unit 02's head and firing into the Angel." She put Asuka down and stormed away, the air around her sparking slightly.

"Misato, where did you put the beer you brought?" Coby asked, the air around him sparking slightly too. "Lori and I need some before we blow something up."

"On the chopper in the black case," Misato answered.

"Jerks!" Asuka yelled before walking away herself.

Shinji slowly approached Misato. "Misato, I need to talk to Ritsuko as soon as we get back to Tokyo 3."

"What's wrong, Shinji?" Misato asked, worried about the fear in his voice.

"I'm afraid that piloting Eva did something to me," Shinji answered. "Somehow, seconds before the Angel attacked, I could sense it. Somehow, I knew it was there and attacking!" His voice grew louder and more panicked. "Somehow, I could even sense Unit 02!"

In her apartment in Tokyo 3, Rei tossed and turned as she slept. If anyone was listening they would have heard her mutter, "You are waking up, brother. You are becoming Tabrias. Help me to wake up. Help me to become who I am. Help me become Shitorei, Zero Angel."

She would not remember anything from her dream upon awakening.