1 Chapter 2: Arrival of the
Gundams
It had been 5 days since the Evangelion team met up with the Mazingers, and Kogi Kabuto and Tetsuya Tsuragi are adapting nicely to their new school environment. Which means getting used to the teacher constantly lecturing about the 2nd Impact in every lesson, and becoming deaf to the insults and bickering that a certain girl with red hair always delivers to their comrade, Shinji Ikari. Hearing the verbal abuse directed at their friend, both Kogi and Tetsuya are frequently frustrated to no end. They wonder how Shinji can survive at home with her, and marvel at their good fortune that, unlike Shinji, they do not have to be around her all the time. Yet they did not dare to complain directly to the source of all their sufferings. After all, nobody, and absolutely nobody, messes with the great Soryu Asuka Langley and gets away with it. Or so they say……
On the other hand, Rei Ayanami is the extreme opposite of Asuka. Kogi had tried to talk to her, yet to date had extracted no more than one-worded responses. Tetsuya had asked around, and it is the whole class's unanimous opinion that Rei is a big time introvert. She is very silent in class, and always stares out of the window for no apparent reasons. However, it is Shinji's opinion that she actually hears and sees a lot more than people generally gives her credit for. Kogi and Tetsuya are impressed that he knows so much about his enigmatic fellow pilot, and nobody noticed the look on Asuka's face when Shinji blushed.
"So why are we going to the Photo-Atomic Research Institute today?" asked Asuka.
Misato had picked up the group after school, and everyone was cramped into her sports car. Seeing how everybody except Rei is packed like sardines in the backseat of the car, she was wondering if she should get a new car when Asuka popped her question.
"The Gundam pilots have arrived on Earth. We are taking you to meet them for introductions."
"How many Gundam pilots are there?" Kogi asked. " And what are their personalities and piloting skills like?"
"Worrying about competition?" teased Shinji.
"Hmm, all of you have good reasons to worry about competition. All five pilots are elite. All of them have destroyed at least 120 mobile suits or dolls in space during their career. One of them, Duo Maxwell, is known as the God of Death among the White Fang troops. Another one, called Heero Yuy, is completely merciless and cold-blooded when he is dealing with the enemy. Trust me, I have seen footage of them in action and I can tell you, these guys are at least as skilled as any of you here."
"And besides, all of them are so handsome….." added Misato, somewhat dreamily, and causing the car to nearly hit a 18 wheeler trailer truck. If the truck did not stop in time, all of them would have become real sardines packed in a steel can. Shouting a loud sorry to the driver, Misato continued on her way. What she did not notice is that there are no drivers whatsoever in the truck.
"Humans are so inconsiderate nowadays." thought Optimus Prime.
After several more swerving and near crashes that left all 5 passengers including Rei dizzy, disorientated and thoroughly scared of Misato and her car, the group finally reached the Koshiyako Institute. The first thing everyone did when they got off the accused machine was to puke in the grass. Out went their lunch, along with a lot of half-digested food. Misato could only stand by and wonder aloud: " It isn't so bad, right?"
After 5 minutes of vomiting, Rei issued a rare request in her monotone: "Captain Katsuragi, if you do not mind, I would not want to sit in your vehicle again."
The rest of the team could only look at Rei with surprise before a fresh wave of nausea came over them and they vomited again.
Misato looked at Kogi, Shinji, Asuka and Tetsuya, then looked back at Rei, who seemed paler than ever, if that was possible.
"Okay, I get the message……..."
Fifteen minutes later, the pilots, accompanied by Misato, arrived at the Koshiyako Institute's main briefing room. Dr Yumi and Ritsuko are already there, along with 5 individuals wearing military fatigues. One of them emanated an aura of coolness and crisp military efficiency, while one had a warm and somewhat goofy smile on his face. The other three kept neutral expressions, though Asuka thought the Arab boy had a kind face. All of them seemed to be about the same age as the Mazinger and Eva pilots.
Ritsuko did the introductions. "Gundam pilots, meet the Evangelion and Mazinger pilots that you have been hearing about from us. I would suggest you do personal introductions."
"Konichiwa, I am Heero Yuy, pilot of Wing Gundam Zero Custom."
"I am Duo Maxwell, I pilot Deathscythe Hell Custom."
"Trowa Barton, Heavyarms Custom pilot."
"Hi, I am Quatre Rerbaba Winner, pilot of Sandrock Custom. Just call me Quatre."
"I am Chang Wu-Fei, pilot of Gundam Nataku."
After all pilots have done their respective introductions, Dr Yumi continued: " All three teams are now assembled. All of you know what we are up against. Whether it is Angel attacks, Dr Hell's kikaijus or White Fang's attacks on Earth, you have to defend against all of them. The Mazingers will focus on fighting Kikaijus, the Evas will be fighting the Angels and the Gundams will fight White Fang's mobile dolls. However, do not be surprised if you have to fight enemies you are not used to fighting. There might well be combined-arms operations where the Gundam have to fight the Angels along with the Mazingers, while the Evas fight the Kikaijus."
Misato took over: " The Gundams will be housed in the hangar near the Koshiyako Institute. The pilots will be based in the Institute itself, and as usual all pilots will be going to the same school. The Gundam pilots will be in a different class, though. We can't risk all ten pilots being in the same class. If anything happens, at least some of you will be left to fight. Understood?"
"Yes, Captain!" shouted all ten pilots as one.
4 days later……
"Hey, Earth isn't so bad, right, people?" Duo said, his face in a big smile. The whole team of ten pilots is in the canteen eating lunch, and Duo is trying to make conversation.
It had been 4 days since the Gundam pilots arrived on Earth, and their initial reluctance to return to Earth had been replaced with acceptance. It did take them a while to get used to Earth's real gravity though. Also, while in space, all 5 pilots remained in a state of constant alert. Here, on Earth, they are civilians when they are not on piloting duty. It took some time for them to get used to their new operative status and the more relaxed atmosphere.
"I don't really like going to school, but seems like we have no choice." Quatre said.
"Face it, school sucks. I wonder why NERV insists on all pilots going to school. I would much rather spend time back at the Institute training on Mazinger Z." Kogi stated, then continued, "And besides, why do we need this knowledge fo……"
In mid sentence, Asuka's screaming rudely interrupted him.
"Arggh, Shinji, what sort of lunch did you make for us today? Its all toasted!" yelled Asuka at the pilot in question.
"Sorry, I forgot to mention that I overcooked the bacon." Said Shinji, with the slightest hint of irritation in his voice. 'Here we go again.' he thought.
Rei's voice cut in, "You should not blame everything on Ikari. You could have made the lunch yourself if you dislike what Shinji cooks."
Shinji, Tetsuya, Kogi and Asuka were taken aback. A spark of anger could be seen in Rei's normally emotionless eyes, if one looked hard enough.
Knowing Asuka's temper, Tetsuya quickly steered the topic towards calmer waters.
"So, Heero, how is living in space like?"
Asuka, however, was not so easily sidetracked. Just as Heero was about to answer, Asuka interrupted again, " Shut up, Tetsuya, I am having an argument."
Turning back to glare at Rei, she shot: "And why are you so protective of Shinji, Wonder Girl? I am only asking him what happened to the lunch. Don't tell me you are in love with him?"
Ignoring the pain in her heart as she said the words 'in love with him', she went on,
"But then that is impossible, you are supposed to be a doll without feelings, right?"
"I am not a doll." Rei had a slight tinge of red in her cheeks, and her eyes had more than a mere spark of anger now.
Sensing that things could turn ugly, Trowa tried to cool things down, "Ladies, please!" He then turned to Shinji and gave him a look that said "Say something!"
Shinji got the idea and sputtered "Errh, Asuka, Rei, don't fight over…." He was cut off by the ringing of ten cellphones, his included. At the same time, the dreaded, yet all too familiar siren began wailing. All ten pilots picked up their phones to hear the same voice, the same message.
"Ok, listen up," said Misato's voice "The 7th Angel had been detected approaching Tokyo-3. We are scrambling all ten machines. Kogi, Tetsuya, your pilders are running on autopilot and are already flying towards your school. Just wait at the school field. Once you get on the pilders, link up with Mazinger Z and Great Mazinger and await further orders. As for the rest, come to NERV for a quick briefing. Use Elevator 73."
Asuka was still glaring at Rei when all ten pilots scrambled away from the table they were sitting in. Rei did not notice her glare as she was looking at Shinji with an inscrutable expression on her face. Asuka, of course noticed that and it only made her more angry. "What is she up to? Trying to steal Shinji away from under my nose?" she wondered.
10 minutes later, Kogi and Tetsuya got into position, and the rest are at NERV command center. Ritsuko gave the briefing, and the Mazinger pilots patched into the command center's microphones via their machines' communication computers.
"This Angel is the first of its kind. We do not know of its capabilities, but we do know one thing. It has some kind of extremely powerful electromagnetic generator on board. What this generator can do is anyone's guess, so be careful when fighting it. It may have some kind of nasty surprise planned for us."
"The Gundam and Mazinger pilots should use more caution. I know all of you have been briefed on what Angels are, but remember these are not Kikaijus or Mobile Dolls. Angels have AT Fields, which may neutralize some of your weapons. Their average size are also larger than Mobile Dolls. This is the first time you are facing Angels in actual combat conditions, so be extra careful."
Misato gave the orders: " All pilots to their machines. We estimate the Angel to arrive at the northern outskirts of Tokyo-3 in 52 minutes. Assemble at these coordinates in 30 minutes. Mazinger Z and Great Mazinger may move out now."
"Yes Ma'am!"
50 minutes later………
"Yes, Misato-san, the Angel has been sighted." Reported Shinji in Eva- 01. His Eva carried a standard issue rifle. Asuka's Eva carried a vibroaxe while Rei's Eva carried a Positron Rifle.
"All the other units are in position." Added Heero in his cold voice.
"Very good, commence attack." Ordered Gendo Ikari in the command center.
"Let me fire the first shot! Rocket Punch!" shouted Kogi. Mazinger Z's forearms fired off in the direction of the Angel with fists clenched, the rocket engines mounted behind the forearms burning hard. It looked like a sure hit, it was a sure hit…… yet it missed.
"What the hell!" Kogi exclaimed as the forearms missed their target and flew back to reattach itself back to Mazinger Z, while the others looked on in stunned amazement.
The Angel had disappeared at the last possible moment before the flying punches could hit it. It then reappeared a good 40 meters closer to the group.
Ritsuko's voice rang out: " Be careful! We have determined that this Angel can actually teleport itself!"
What happened next was a masterpiece of confusion. The Angel teleported around, using its claws and optical beams to wreak havoc among the group of robots. Shinji, Rei and Asuka had it easier, as they are protected by AT Fields. Nearly everyone else took damage in some form or another. Mazinger Z and Great Mazinger survived nearly unscathed, except for armor chipped or scratched off. All the Gundam pilots seemed to be relying on sheer skill and quick reflexes. Nearly all the weapons fired by everybody missed, thanks to the Angel's swift reflexes and teleporting capabilities.
Yet, amidst the chaos, all the weapons fired by one particular robot hit the Angel dead on. Heero Yuy in Wing Gundam Zero Custom had not missed a single shot since the battle with the Angel started.
That fact was not lost upon the people at the Koshiyako Institute and NERV command center.
"He seems to be able to accurately predict where the Angel's next teleporting location! He is even able to use his beam saber to carry out melee combat when the Angel sneaks up on him!" said Misato incredulously.
"I am not surprised." Stated Ritsuko.
"Why?"
From the room's speakers came Dr Yumi's voice, "I don't think you read the technical data that Howard supplied us. Wing Zero Custom has a unique cockpit system called the Zero System. It allows the pilot to predict the enemy's next move, or moves. That's why Heero can so accurately predict the Angel's movement."
Misato watched as Heero pinned the Angel down with his beam saber, then fired his shoulder mounted machine cannon at it. The hail of 120mm shells battered the Angel and caused it serious damage. The Angel then disappeared, and did not reappear. Had they won?
Just then, another alarm sounded. "What, 4 Kikaijus sighted off the shore of Tokyo? Dr Hell really chose the most inconvenient times to attack." signed Misato wearily.
"Captain Katsuragi, retreat all Gundams except for Wing Zero Custom and order Wing Zero, the Evas and the Mazingers to destroy the Kikaijus." ordered Gendo in a calm voice.
"Yes sir."
Half an hour later, all four Kikaijus were wiped out by the team and now, the pilots are at the Koshiyako Institute receiving their debriefing. All of them, with the exception of the Gundam pilots, watched with obvious admiration at the video footage of Wing Zero Custom in action that was being played on the main screen. The whole video lasted for all of 8 seconds. All they saw was Wing Gundam Zero hovering in the air with its Buster Rifles pointed at its targets. Then a giant laser beam, larger than the Rifle itself, shot from the Rifle's twin barrels. The laser beam pounded onto 2 Kikaijus and the area surrounding them for several seconds, and when the beam finally stopped, all that was left of the 2 ill-fated machines was a huge smoking crater.
"Now I know how he clocked up 120 kills." commented Asuka to Shinji. Shinji merely nodded, impressed by the Gundam's power. No one noticed Rei's look as Asuka leaned in to Shinji to talk to him.
"Another Angel killer. The Evas will be out of job soon." Muttered Misato in mock despair.
"Not so. The Evas did a good job of taking out Kikaijus too." Said Dr Yumi. "Look."
The footage of the Evas in action was now being played. They were fighting a two headed Kikaiju that was about the same size as the Evas. The Kikaiju fired an energy beam at Unit-02 from one of its heads, but it was defected by Unit-02's AT Field. Then all 3 Evas rushed their target, with Unit-01 and 02 engaging in hand to hand combat while Unit-00 gave fire support from its Positron Rifle. Everyone watched as Unit-01 used its Prog Knife to cut away one of the Kikaiju's head in a single stroke while Unit- 02 literally broke the other head's neck in a swift motion. Both Evas then somersaulted away to allow Unit-00 to give the coup de grace. The whole video lasted for 34 seconds and was so perfect that it looked like a giant robot show.
"Not bad for a female fighter." Said Wu Fei, eliciting stares from Asuka and a glance from Rei.
"Our Gundams can never move that fast or be that agile." Duo lamented to Shinji, who blushed with pride.
Heero merely gave a nod, acknowledging the Evangelion's superior speed and agility.
Finally, the Mazinger's footage was played. All the Gundam pilots concentrated on the video, curious about Mazinger Z's and Great Mazinger's capabilities.
They were not disappointed.
The fighting started with Mazinger Z firing its Koshiyako Beam. The beam of photonic energy hit the Kikaiju, and melted the shield that the Kikaiju used to protect itself to red-hot liquid metal. The Kikaiju's right hand ended in a massive drill, and it was about to fire that drill at Mazinger Z when Great Mazinger, flying in from the Kikaiju's rear, punched a hole in its chest with its Atomic Punch.
Then Great Mazinger hovered in the air and pointed its right index finger at the damaged Kikaiju, then Tetsuya shouted, "Thunder Break!" A moment later, a bolt of lighting from the heavens came down and struck Great Mazinger's horns. Great Mazinger then directed the incredible electrical energies through its index finger to the Kikaiju it was pointing at.
Meanwhile, on the ground, Mazinger Z prepared its own killing move. Kogi shouted, "Freeze Beam!" and an ice blue beam of light was clearly seen firing from Mazinger Z's horns. Mazinger Z's ice beam hit the Kikaiju first, partially turning the Kikaiju into ice in 3 seconds before Great Mazinger's Thunder Break attack hit the frozen monster.
Unable to withstand the onslaught of the combined freeze and electrical attack, the Kikaiju exploded in a hail of ice and smoking armor bits. Then the video ended. The footage lasted for 21 seconds.
The Gundam pilots, with the exception of Heero and Trowa, were staring at the screen in mute shock with eyes wide open and jaws hanging.
"Shit…." said Duo.
"How many weapons does each Mazinger have?" asked Heero calmly.
Dr Yumi answered him, "Each have at least eleven weapons housed in various locations on their body structure. What Great Mazinger used is an electrical attack called Thunder Break and it is Great Mazinger's most powerful weapon. Mazinger Z's most powerful attack is called 'Breast of Fire' and it works by completely melting down the enemy to liquid metal."
"By the way, Great Mazinger possess a variant of the attack called 'Breast of Burn'." finished Dr Yumi.
"Cool." Said Trowa.
"Cool?" asked Kogi, "Breast of Fire and Breast of Burn are anything but cool. They are hot! Damned hot! So hot that the enemy can't stand it!" Kogi began laughing raucously but stopped when he realized everyone in the room are staring at him.
"My goodness, the number of weapons they have, coupled with their toughness, makes them mobile fortresses!" exclaimed Quatre.
"That's the idea," said Tetsuya, "We have to be tough enough to take down Kikaijus. But one problem is that we are not as agile as your Gundams or NERV's Evas. However, if you compare weapons and toughness, we are it."
"Seems like each teams have their own strengths…" said Shinji
"Ok, ladies and gentlemen, enough discussion." Said Ritsuko, "I believe we have found a way to counter the Angel's teleporting capabilities. The Magi estimate that Angel will take 2 days to regenerate itself, so all of you have 2 days to prepare yourselves. Come to NERV tomorrow and I will explain more."
Next chapter: How is NERV going to counter the 7th Angel? How will the Gundam and the Mazingers be fitting into Ritsuko's and Misato's strategy? How will the relationship between Shinji, Rei and Asuka develop? Will Mazinger Z and Great Mazinger be able to face up to faster and more agile Mobile Dolls? Find out in Chapter 3: White Fang Strikes!
It had been 5 days since the Evangelion team met up with the Mazingers, and Kogi Kabuto and Tetsuya Tsuragi are adapting nicely to their new school environment. Which means getting used to the teacher constantly lecturing about the 2nd Impact in every lesson, and becoming deaf to the insults and bickering that a certain girl with red hair always delivers to their comrade, Shinji Ikari. Hearing the verbal abuse directed at their friend, both Kogi and Tetsuya are frequently frustrated to no end. They wonder how Shinji can survive at home with her, and marvel at their good fortune that, unlike Shinji, they do not have to be around her all the time. Yet they did not dare to complain directly to the source of all their sufferings. After all, nobody, and absolutely nobody, messes with the great Soryu Asuka Langley and gets away with it. Or so they say……
On the other hand, Rei Ayanami is the extreme opposite of Asuka. Kogi had tried to talk to her, yet to date had extracted no more than one-worded responses. Tetsuya had asked around, and it is the whole class's unanimous opinion that Rei is a big time introvert. She is very silent in class, and always stares out of the window for no apparent reasons. However, it is Shinji's opinion that she actually hears and sees a lot more than people generally gives her credit for. Kogi and Tetsuya are impressed that he knows so much about his enigmatic fellow pilot, and nobody noticed the look on Asuka's face when Shinji blushed.
"So why are we going to the Photo-Atomic Research Institute today?" asked Asuka.
Misato had picked up the group after school, and everyone was cramped into her sports car. Seeing how everybody except Rei is packed like sardines in the backseat of the car, she was wondering if she should get a new car when Asuka popped her question.
"The Gundam pilots have arrived on Earth. We are taking you to meet them for introductions."
"How many Gundam pilots are there?" Kogi asked. " And what are their personalities and piloting skills like?"
"Worrying about competition?" teased Shinji.
"Hmm, all of you have good reasons to worry about competition. All five pilots are elite. All of them have destroyed at least 120 mobile suits or dolls in space during their career. One of them, Duo Maxwell, is known as the God of Death among the White Fang troops. Another one, called Heero Yuy, is completely merciless and cold-blooded when he is dealing with the enemy. Trust me, I have seen footage of them in action and I can tell you, these guys are at least as skilled as any of you here."
"And besides, all of them are so handsome….." added Misato, somewhat dreamily, and causing the car to nearly hit a 18 wheeler trailer truck. If the truck did not stop in time, all of them would have become real sardines packed in a steel can. Shouting a loud sorry to the driver, Misato continued on her way. What she did not notice is that there are no drivers whatsoever in the truck.
"Humans are so inconsiderate nowadays." thought Optimus Prime.
After several more swerving and near crashes that left all 5 passengers including Rei dizzy, disorientated and thoroughly scared of Misato and her car, the group finally reached the Koshiyako Institute. The first thing everyone did when they got off the accused machine was to puke in the grass. Out went their lunch, along with a lot of half-digested food. Misato could only stand by and wonder aloud: " It isn't so bad, right?"
After 5 minutes of vomiting, Rei issued a rare request in her monotone: "Captain Katsuragi, if you do not mind, I would not want to sit in your vehicle again."
The rest of the team could only look at Rei with surprise before a fresh wave of nausea came over them and they vomited again.
Misato looked at Kogi, Shinji, Asuka and Tetsuya, then looked back at Rei, who seemed paler than ever, if that was possible.
"Okay, I get the message……..."
Fifteen minutes later, the pilots, accompanied by Misato, arrived at the Koshiyako Institute's main briefing room. Dr Yumi and Ritsuko are already there, along with 5 individuals wearing military fatigues. One of them emanated an aura of coolness and crisp military efficiency, while one had a warm and somewhat goofy smile on his face. The other three kept neutral expressions, though Asuka thought the Arab boy had a kind face. All of them seemed to be about the same age as the Mazinger and Eva pilots.
Ritsuko did the introductions. "Gundam pilots, meet the Evangelion and Mazinger pilots that you have been hearing about from us. I would suggest you do personal introductions."
"Konichiwa, I am Heero Yuy, pilot of Wing Gundam Zero Custom."
"I am Duo Maxwell, I pilot Deathscythe Hell Custom."
"Trowa Barton, Heavyarms Custom pilot."
"Hi, I am Quatre Rerbaba Winner, pilot of Sandrock Custom. Just call me Quatre."
"I am Chang Wu-Fei, pilot of Gundam Nataku."
After all pilots have done their respective introductions, Dr Yumi continued: " All three teams are now assembled. All of you know what we are up against. Whether it is Angel attacks, Dr Hell's kikaijus or White Fang's attacks on Earth, you have to defend against all of them. The Mazingers will focus on fighting Kikaijus, the Evas will be fighting the Angels and the Gundams will fight White Fang's mobile dolls. However, do not be surprised if you have to fight enemies you are not used to fighting. There might well be combined-arms operations where the Gundam have to fight the Angels along with the Mazingers, while the Evas fight the Kikaijus."
Misato took over: " The Gundams will be housed in the hangar near the Koshiyako Institute. The pilots will be based in the Institute itself, and as usual all pilots will be going to the same school. The Gundam pilots will be in a different class, though. We can't risk all ten pilots being in the same class. If anything happens, at least some of you will be left to fight. Understood?"
"Yes, Captain!" shouted all ten pilots as one.
4 days later……
"Hey, Earth isn't so bad, right, people?" Duo said, his face in a big smile. The whole team of ten pilots is in the canteen eating lunch, and Duo is trying to make conversation.
It had been 4 days since the Gundam pilots arrived on Earth, and their initial reluctance to return to Earth had been replaced with acceptance. It did take them a while to get used to Earth's real gravity though. Also, while in space, all 5 pilots remained in a state of constant alert. Here, on Earth, they are civilians when they are not on piloting duty. It took some time for them to get used to their new operative status and the more relaxed atmosphere.
"I don't really like going to school, but seems like we have no choice." Quatre said.
"Face it, school sucks. I wonder why NERV insists on all pilots going to school. I would much rather spend time back at the Institute training on Mazinger Z." Kogi stated, then continued, "And besides, why do we need this knowledge fo……"
In mid sentence, Asuka's screaming rudely interrupted him.
"Arggh, Shinji, what sort of lunch did you make for us today? Its all toasted!" yelled Asuka at the pilot in question.
"Sorry, I forgot to mention that I overcooked the bacon." Said Shinji, with the slightest hint of irritation in his voice. 'Here we go again.' he thought.
Rei's voice cut in, "You should not blame everything on Ikari. You could have made the lunch yourself if you dislike what Shinji cooks."
Shinji, Tetsuya, Kogi and Asuka were taken aback. A spark of anger could be seen in Rei's normally emotionless eyes, if one looked hard enough.
Knowing Asuka's temper, Tetsuya quickly steered the topic towards calmer waters.
"So, Heero, how is living in space like?"
Asuka, however, was not so easily sidetracked. Just as Heero was about to answer, Asuka interrupted again, " Shut up, Tetsuya, I am having an argument."
Turning back to glare at Rei, she shot: "And why are you so protective of Shinji, Wonder Girl? I am only asking him what happened to the lunch. Don't tell me you are in love with him?"
Ignoring the pain in her heart as she said the words 'in love with him', she went on,
"But then that is impossible, you are supposed to be a doll without feelings, right?"
"I am not a doll." Rei had a slight tinge of red in her cheeks, and her eyes had more than a mere spark of anger now.
Sensing that things could turn ugly, Trowa tried to cool things down, "Ladies, please!" He then turned to Shinji and gave him a look that said "Say something!"
Shinji got the idea and sputtered "Errh, Asuka, Rei, don't fight over…." He was cut off by the ringing of ten cellphones, his included. At the same time, the dreaded, yet all too familiar siren began wailing. All ten pilots picked up their phones to hear the same voice, the same message.
"Ok, listen up," said Misato's voice "The 7th Angel had been detected approaching Tokyo-3. We are scrambling all ten machines. Kogi, Tetsuya, your pilders are running on autopilot and are already flying towards your school. Just wait at the school field. Once you get on the pilders, link up with Mazinger Z and Great Mazinger and await further orders. As for the rest, come to NERV for a quick briefing. Use Elevator 73."
Asuka was still glaring at Rei when all ten pilots scrambled away from the table they were sitting in. Rei did not notice her glare as she was looking at Shinji with an inscrutable expression on her face. Asuka, of course noticed that and it only made her more angry. "What is she up to? Trying to steal Shinji away from under my nose?" she wondered.
10 minutes later, Kogi and Tetsuya got into position, and the rest are at NERV command center. Ritsuko gave the briefing, and the Mazinger pilots patched into the command center's microphones via their machines' communication computers.
"This Angel is the first of its kind. We do not know of its capabilities, but we do know one thing. It has some kind of extremely powerful electromagnetic generator on board. What this generator can do is anyone's guess, so be careful when fighting it. It may have some kind of nasty surprise planned for us."
"The Gundam and Mazinger pilots should use more caution. I know all of you have been briefed on what Angels are, but remember these are not Kikaijus or Mobile Dolls. Angels have AT Fields, which may neutralize some of your weapons. Their average size are also larger than Mobile Dolls. This is the first time you are facing Angels in actual combat conditions, so be extra careful."
Misato gave the orders: " All pilots to their machines. We estimate the Angel to arrive at the northern outskirts of Tokyo-3 in 52 minutes. Assemble at these coordinates in 30 minutes. Mazinger Z and Great Mazinger may move out now."
"Yes Ma'am!"
50 minutes later………
"Yes, Misato-san, the Angel has been sighted." Reported Shinji in Eva- 01. His Eva carried a standard issue rifle. Asuka's Eva carried a vibroaxe while Rei's Eva carried a Positron Rifle.
"All the other units are in position." Added Heero in his cold voice.
"Very good, commence attack." Ordered Gendo Ikari in the command center.
"Let me fire the first shot! Rocket Punch!" shouted Kogi. Mazinger Z's forearms fired off in the direction of the Angel with fists clenched, the rocket engines mounted behind the forearms burning hard. It looked like a sure hit, it was a sure hit…… yet it missed.
"What the hell!" Kogi exclaimed as the forearms missed their target and flew back to reattach itself back to Mazinger Z, while the others looked on in stunned amazement.
The Angel had disappeared at the last possible moment before the flying punches could hit it. It then reappeared a good 40 meters closer to the group.
Ritsuko's voice rang out: " Be careful! We have determined that this Angel can actually teleport itself!"
What happened next was a masterpiece of confusion. The Angel teleported around, using its claws and optical beams to wreak havoc among the group of robots. Shinji, Rei and Asuka had it easier, as they are protected by AT Fields. Nearly everyone else took damage in some form or another. Mazinger Z and Great Mazinger survived nearly unscathed, except for armor chipped or scratched off. All the Gundam pilots seemed to be relying on sheer skill and quick reflexes. Nearly all the weapons fired by everybody missed, thanks to the Angel's swift reflexes and teleporting capabilities.
Yet, amidst the chaos, all the weapons fired by one particular robot hit the Angel dead on. Heero Yuy in Wing Gundam Zero Custom had not missed a single shot since the battle with the Angel started.
That fact was not lost upon the people at the Koshiyako Institute and NERV command center.
"He seems to be able to accurately predict where the Angel's next teleporting location! He is even able to use his beam saber to carry out melee combat when the Angel sneaks up on him!" said Misato incredulously.
"I am not surprised." Stated Ritsuko.
"Why?"
From the room's speakers came Dr Yumi's voice, "I don't think you read the technical data that Howard supplied us. Wing Zero Custom has a unique cockpit system called the Zero System. It allows the pilot to predict the enemy's next move, or moves. That's why Heero can so accurately predict the Angel's movement."
Misato watched as Heero pinned the Angel down with his beam saber, then fired his shoulder mounted machine cannon at it. The hail of 120mm shells battered the Angel and caused it serious damage. The Angel then disappeared, and did not reappear. Had they won?
Just then, another alarm sounded. "What, 4 Kikaijus sighted off the shore of Tokyo? Dr Hell really chose the most inconvenient times to attack." signed Misato wearily.
"Captain Katsuragi, retreat all Gundams except for Wing Zero Custom and order Wing Zero, the Evas and the Mazingers to destroy the Kikaijus." ordered Gendo in a calm voice.
"Yes sir."
Half an hour later, all four Kikaijus were wiped out by the team and now, the pilots are at the Koshiyako Institute receiving their debriefing. All of them, with the exception of the Gundam pilots, watched with obvious admiration at the video footage of Wing Zero Custom in action that was being played on the main screen. The whole video lasted for all of 8 seconds. All they saw was Wing Gundam Zero hovering in the air with its Buster Rifles pointed at its targets. Then a giant laser beam, larger than the Rifle itself, shot from the Rifle's twin barrels. The laser beam pounded onto 2 Kikaijus and the area surrounding them for several seconds, and when the beam finally stopped, all that was left of the 2 ill-fated machines was a huge smoking crater.
"Now I know how he clocked up 120 kills." commented Asuka to Shinji. Shinji merely nodded, impressed by the Gundam's power. No one noticed Rei's look as Asuka leaned in to Shinji to talk to him.
"Another Angel killer. The Evas will be out of job soon." Muttered Misato in mock despair.
"Not so. The Evas did a good job of taking out Kikaijus too." Said Dr Yumi. "Look."
The footage of the Evas in action was now being played. They were fighting a two headed Kikaiju that was about the same size as the Evas. The Kikaiju fired an energy beam at Unit-02 from one of its heads, but it was defected by Unit-02's AT Field. Then all 3 Evas rushed their target, with Unit-01 and 02 engaging in hand to hand combat while Unit-00 gave fire support from its Positron Rifle. Everyone watched as Unit-01 used its Prog Knife to cut away one of the Kikaiju's head in a single stroke while Unit- 02 literally broke the other head's neck in a swift motion. Both Evas then somersaulted away to allow Unit-00 to give the coup de grace. The whole video lasted for 34 seconds and was so perfect that it looked like a giant robot show.
"Not bad for a female fighter." Said Wu Fei, eliciting stares from Asuka and a glance from Rei.
"Our Gundams can never move that fast or be that agile." Duo lamented to Shinji, who blushed with pride.
Heero merely gave a nod, acknowledging the Evangelion's superior speed and agility.
Finally, the Mazinger's footage was played. All the Gundam pilots concentrated on the video, curious about Mazinger Z's and Great Mazinger's capabilities.
They were not disappointed.
The fighting started with Mazinger Z firing its Koshiyako Beam. The beam of photonic energy hit the Kikaiju, and melted the shield that the Kikaiju used to protect itself to red-hot liquid metal. The Kikaiju's right hand ended in a massive drill, and it was about to fire that drill at Mazinger Z when Great Mazinger, flying in from the Kikaiju's rear, punched a hole in its chest with its Atomic Punch.
Then Great Mazinger hovered in the air and pointed its right index finger at the damaged Kikaiju, then Tetsuya shouted, "Thunder Break!" A moment later, a bolt of lighting from the heavens came down and struck Great Mazinger's horns. Great Mazinger then directed the incredible electrical energies through its index finger to the Kikaiju it was pointing at.
Meanwhile, on the ground, Mazinger Z prepared its own killing move. Kogi shouted, "Freeze Beam!" and an ice blue beam of light was clearly seen firing from Mazinger Z's horns. Mazinger Z's ice beam hit the Kikaiju first, partially turning the Kikaiju into ice in 3 seconds before Great Mazinger's Thunder Break attack hit the frozen monster.
Unable to withstand the onslaught of the combined freeze and electrical attack, the Kikaiju exploded in a hail of ice and smoking armor bits. Then the video ended. The footage lasted for 21 seconds.
The Gundam pilots, with the exception of Heero and Trowa, were staring at the screen in mute shock with eyes wide open and jaws hanging.
"Shit…." said Duo.
"How many weapons does each Mazinger have?" asked Heero calmly.
Dr Yumi answered him, "Each have at least eleven weapons housed in various locations on their body structure. What Great Mazinger used is an electrical attack called Thunder Break and it is Great Mazinger's most powerful weapon. Mazinger Z's most powerful attack is called 'Breast of Fire' and it works by completely melting down the enemy to liquid metal."
"By the way, Great Mazinger possess a variant of the attack called 'Breast of Burn'." finished Dr Yumi.
"Cool." Said Trowa.
"Cool?" asked Kogi, "Breast of Fire and Breast of Burn are anything but cool. They are hot! Damned hot! So hot that the enemy can't stand it!" Kogi began laughing raucously but stopped when he realized everyone in the room are staring at him.
"My goodness, the number of weapons they have, coupled with their toughness, makes them mobile fortresses!" exclaimed Quatre.
"That's the idea," said Tetsuya, "We have to be tough enough to take down Kikaijus. But one problem is that we are not as agile as your Gundams or NERV's Evas. However, if you compare weapons and toughness, we are it."
"Seems like each teams have their own strengths…" said Shinji
"Ok, ladies and gentlemen, enough discussion." Said Ritsuko, "I believe we have found a way to counter the Angel's teleporting capabilities. The Magi estimate that Angel will take 2 days to regenerate itself, so all of you have 2 days to prepare yourselves. Come to NERV tomorrow and I will explain more."
Next chapter: How is NERV going to counter the 7th Angel? How will the Gundam and the Mazingers be fitting into Ritsuko's and Misato's strategy? How will the relationship between Shinji, Rei and Asuka develop? Will Mazinger Z and Great Mazinger be able to face up to faster and more agile Mobile Dolls? Find out in Chapter 3: White Fang Strikes!