And so the Agama, the flagship of the Anti-Earth United Nations Government (hence called the "AEUG"), with its few-but-strong entourage of escort ships makes its course to the main base of the now-infamous Anaheim Electronics, the "La Vie En Rose". It would seem that the Titans had taken a break from pursuing the AEUG that the latter had passed so safely though colonies and Sides without being attacked...
Anaheim Electronics was renowned for the construction of the Gundam RX78-GP03 Physalis in Universal Century 0083--an obvious violation of the Adelaide Treaty which banned the use of nuclear weapons in warfare--and was much more made infamous through their apparent taking of sides in favor of the AEUG this U.C. 0087.
The Agama crew stayed at La Vie En Rose for less than a day and as soon as they had themselves resupplied, soon left to make way for Side 1. Inside the Agama, however, one Camille Vidan was still despondent over what had happened during the few days he had been with the AEUG. He just could not believe his mother would die just like that...not that it mattered anyway, now that he thought of it. Emma, now wearing her trademark green AEUG uniform (Author: not that the AEUG had a standard uniform anyway...) signifying her unconditional defection to the group, approaches Camille and tries to have a conversation with him.
********************
A Mobile Suit Gundam / Neon Genesis Evangelion crossover
written by Lloyd Barrieses (kachiko00@yahoo.com)
Mobile Suit Gundam (c)1978 Yoshiyuki Tomino/Bandai/Sunrise.
Neon Genesis Evangelion (c)1996 Gainax/Project Eva./TV Tokyo/NAS.
All rights reserved.
This fanfiction owned and authored by Lloyd Barrieses. Any attempt to
steal this fic (i.e. putting your name in the credits) shall be met with
appropriate punishments such as watching "Annie" all day or have Akane
Tendo or Miaka Yuuki cook for the thief responsible for a WHOLE YEAR.
heh heh heh. I'm serious, folks.
********************
[Act 2]
Episode 3, "The Dark Side of the Moon / To the Earth Sphere"
-------------------
Emma: Hey, Camille? You okay?
Camille: ...mm, huh? Oh, it's you, Miss Emma...
Emma: (raises her eyebrows) What do you mean, "Oh, it's you, Miss Emma..."? Hey, don't look all so melancholy like that! Come on, cheer up. You can tell me what the matter is, hmm?
Camille: Well...it's just that I was thinking about my parents again. Now that I think of it, they haven't really been so good to me for most of my life: they'd rather be with their jobs than shed just a *little* bit of their time with me. Somehow, I don't feel remorse as to why my mother died. One of your buddies--his name was Jerid Mesa, right?--had told me while I was detained back there in your ship not to be so attached to my mother as it would make me look like a baby. (sighs) I guess when he shot that life-support capsule, he was just doing his duty as a soldier on the battlefield...
Emma: Camille... (pats his shoulder) You know, that sounds pretty deep coming from you. I had expected you to take all of this so mournfully but...I guess I was wrong. Heh, you must be expecting me to tell you this, but I've known people who have the same situation as you are.
Camille: (snicker) That's very comforting to know...how can you know what I feel? You used to be with those fricking Titans...
Quattro: It sometimes helps to trust people for what they have got inside, Camille.
Emma: (a bit surprised at Quattro's sudden appearance behind them) Ah, Lieutenant! You were listening in on us...?
Quattro: I...was just passing by, Lieutenant.
Camille and Emma exchange doubting looks for a moment and face the still stern-looking blonde AEUG high officer with sunglasses. Quattro sits down with them and continues on their conversation.
Quattro: Camille, do you know who the "Red Comet" Char Aznable is?
Camille: Of course I know who Char Aznable is, you think I'm that dumb? He fought alongside the Zeon in the One-Year War and sought revenge against the family who took the Duchy of Zeon away from his own family, the Zabi's. I had always thought he was a fool to be risking his life just for revenge...
Quattro: Exactly my point, Camille. You and Char have similar destinies, but in the Red Comet's case, he had to reconstruct what the Zabi family had destroyed...he had to continue his noble father's dream of creating a future for all spacenoids and earthnoids to live in...
Camille: ...whatever. (looks away from the both of them and into space again) But then even though they are what they are, they're still my parents and I'd feel sad if any one of them...well, you know.
Emma: (trying to change subjects) *ahem*, Lieutenant Quattro, why are we headed to Side 1 anyway?
Quattro: (taken slightly aback at Emma's question) Hm. Now that you've mentioned it, it would probably be best if you'd ask the Commander himself. I had only heard just twenty minutes ago that we were to head to Side 1 and never even bothered to ask Commander Brex about it. I would guess, however, judging from the route we're taking, Side 1 is one of the shortest routes back to Earth and into the Federation base at Jabrow.
Emma: I see...ummm, Camille, I've heard you were designing a new mobile suit model? Is this true?
Camille: Y...yeah, more or less. What's it to you anyway?
Quattro: Well, can we see it?
Camille: (shrugs) Well, it wouldn't hurt anyone if I did, right? Let's go to Mr. Astonage's computer and let's see what I've done so far. I think you'd be pretty interested...
Emma: Heh heh, I'd want to see it already! Well, if you had engineered the new design yourself then it would be much more interesting to see, in my opinion. Remember, I've seen your records showing what you've done back in Green Noah 1 and I did say they were pretty much outstanding coming from a boy like you.
Camille: (lightly blushing) Ah...thank you, Miss Emma...
Emma: Naah, but don't go thinking I'm interested in you or anything. I was just complementing your achievements. Besides, I'd like older guys than you! (winks at Camille and nudges him with her elbow)
Camille: Errr...ahem. Well, if that's so...then I'd also like to tell you I don't like old sourpusses like you in the first place. Heh heh heh...
Emma: Ack...you called me a sourpuss? Why you...! (noogies Camille in a friendly way)
Camille, Emma, and Quattro soon head off to the computer of the Agama's head mechanic, Astonage Medosso. Camille shows the two the blueprints of the mechanics and specifics of the mobile suit he designed on Astonage's computer: it had a radical, tapered design and had some of the capabilities and features of the Gundam Mark-II (strengthened armor) and the Rick Dias (exceptional mobility and agility). One of its features was also the capability to transform into a mobile armor that looked like a slightly large jet fighter. Camille had named this new proposed design of mobile suit the MSZ-006 "Zeta" Gundam.
Emma: Interesting...I wonder how it will fare in real-time battles?
Quattro: I'd reckon it would be much useful for the AEUG and would give us an edge over the Titans. However, this "Zeta" is at its prototype stages so we should just observe how it would work first before adding any improvements into it. Camille, I'm afraid you've done a wonderful achievement again.
Camille: Thank you...I guess...
Astonage: Ah, if it isn't our beloved Picasso, Mr. Camille Vidan. Doing another one of your masterpieces on my comp again? Tsk tsk, you should be asking permission from me first but, oh well. I'd think you were such a gifted child, it's almost like you're a Newtype or something. The Zeta truly *is* an extraordinary mobile suit in its time--
Camille: (leers at Astonage who happens to be behind them) Astonage, you don't have to yell it to the whole world. I didn't like it when you guys took me into your ranks just because you suspect I'm a Newtype and I did something commendable in my past, so could you at least please keep it down?
Astonage: (shrugs) All right, since you asked so nicely anyway. Lieutenant Quattro sir, it seems that I'm having some difficulties studying the mechanics of the Mark-II, since Titan mobile suit design is so much complicated than ours. I had suggested to the Commander that we should at least just use only one Mark-II and use the other two as spare parts if ever Unit-03 should need repairs.
Quattro: Well, just do your best, Mr. Astonage.
Astonage: Thank you, sir...
Quattro: Oh, by the way. Is the coffee mixer in the Commander's fixed already? I see you're drinking some fine espresso there...
Astonage: Ah, it was nothing that I couldn't fix. Heh, now we can get to try that new batch of cappuccino that the guys back in the engineering department have brought in two days ago...oh, Chief Petty Officer Reccoa Londo wants to see you, sir. It's about that thing regarding our journey to Jabrow...
Quattro: Hmm, I was right about that Jabrow thing. She can see me anytime she wants.
Camille: (raises an eyebrow and thinks) This Reccoa...is she Lieutenant Quattro's...? (saves his work and takes his diskette away from Astonage's computer) I'll be in my room if any of you need me, all right?
Emma: Okay, just don't make a big deal of the AEUG wanting to use your abilities as a Newtype--
Camille: Gaah, didn't I just tell you guys--ah, never mind! I'm off! (storms off towards his room and unknowingly shoves off a pretty woman in her twenties with short red hair who was just outside the room they were in)
Reccoa: What the...what's *his* problem?
Emma: (shrug) Dunno...
Quattro: What is it you wanted to see me about, Officer Reccoa?
Reccoa: (reads from her clipboard) Lieutenant, it's this Jabrow infiltration operation that we've devised...
---
Back in the Alexandria, however, there was much of the same planning and tactics going on in defeating the AEUG...or maybe not.
Jerid: Goddamn it, woman! I am so sick and tired of your insults! As a Titan, I won't take any more criticisms from a mere Federal Forces pilot like you! Bah!
Lyla: Hmph. I can't help it if you're such a wimp *and* an amateur, Lieutenant j.g. (Author: "j.g." means junior grade) Jerid Mesa. Obviously you've only been trained in piloting a mobile suit in Earth so you're not so used in dogfighting in space...and that's why you were so badly beaten by that AEUG boy last time. Heh, talk about pathetic...
Jerid: Why you frickin' bitch...!
Jerid tried to punch Lyla's lights out, but since they were in a zero-gravity lounge in the Alexandria, Lyla easily dodged Jerid's attack and captured him with a hammerlock and shoved his face forcefully into the floor. A little too forcefully, to be exact, much to the amusement of Lyla's fellow Federal Forces soldiers who happened to be in the room as well.
Lyla: See, you couldn't even stand up to a poor little..."frickin' bitch" like me! I couldn't believe you would be such a loser, I'm wondering why you got into the Earth Federation--or even the Titans--in the first place! Damn!
Jerid: S...sshhhit...
Interrupting this brief lover's quarrel, Titans Lieutenant j.g. Kirkricon Kirkler who just came into the room they were in, tried to peel off Lyla from Jerid.
Kirkricon: Would you two knock it off? Try to reserve that energy for the AEUG next time we make a sortie, okay? Sergeant Jamaican wants an officers' meeting in the bridge a.s.a.p. Haven't you ladies heard the announcement on the P.A.?
Lyla: (releasing her grip on Jerid) All right. Let's go to the bridge immediately. I'll deal with you later, Jerid.
Jerid: (rubbing his chin) Yeah, whatever...
---
In the bridge of the Alexandria, a thin-faced Titans officer with a thick moustache and neatly-combed hair by the name of Corps Sergeant 1st Class Jamaican Danningan was briefing Jerid, Lyla, Kirkricon, and a few other Federal Forces and Titans mobile suit pilots on hand in the Alexandria that the AEUG flagship Agama, its supply ship the Mont Blanc, and their faithful and few mini-battleship escorts, were sighted to have been making way for either Side 1, Side 2, or the moon.
Jamaican: Judging from the route they're taking, it also seems that the AEUG is headed for Earth and into our base in Jabrow, South America. We have resolved that the AEUG would make its first assault on Jabrow just like what the Zeon attempted to do seven years ago. Our plan is to ambush the AEUG as they leave the turning point on one of the colonies at either Side 1, Side 2, or the moon, since our battleships and your Zaku's would easily hide themselves in a small asteroid belt just outside our abandoned large asteroid base Fifth Luna. Is that understood?
Lyla: I'd think it's a pretty good plan, Sergeant. But why should I be assigned to lead an assault force with an *amateur* in my ranks? (stares at Jerid coldly, who was gritting his teeth in anger) I'd think it would be better if--
Jamaican: Lieutenant j.g. Lyla Mira Lyla, the Titans' authority would stand above the Federal Forces authority in these situations so even if I could, I would not grant your request for the reason that you *are* from the Federal Forces. It's Colonel Bosque Ohm's orders and I cannot possibly break his chain of command.
Lyla: (shrugs) I understand, sir. When are we to take our positions in Fifth Luna?
---
Reccoa: ...and that is the plan, sir.
Quattro: I see. Well, I think I better leave you two here because I...sense you two ladies have something to talk about and I have to see the Commander about this. See you both later, ladies.
Reccoa: Yeah...
Emma: Yes sir... (sighs as she sees Quattro walk away towards the Agama's bridge) Well, that was a neat gesture...he's got that regal air with him, you know? He's got a real cute butt too...
Reccoa: Uh huh...I'd agree with you on the "cute" part, though...well, I also came to tell you to umm...please take care of my orchids for me while I'm at Jabrow, okay Emma? Pretty please?
Emma: Hmm...well okay, it's not a big deal for me anyway, at least I have something extra to do than just bum around in the Agama. Besides, I love flowers too, you know.
Reccoa: Really? How interesting!
---
Unknown to the two women, their little girl talk was being monitored at the bridge. Brex and Henken listened to every word the two women would say.
Brex: Okay, now whose bright idea was it to listen in to all this girl talk anyway, Henken? I'm getting all sleepy now!
Henken: Uhh... (looking guilty and beet-red) Commander...it's just that I uh...it's Emma I'm...you know...
Brex: (blinks and shakes his head) Never mind, Henken. Well, she *is* just fresh from her resignation from the Titans and we still can't fully trust her, so this might be--oh, Camille, what a surprise! I thought you were sleeping in your room? You'll need your rest, don't you know that?
Camille: (brushing off something from his eye and scratching his head) Commander Brex, it's just that I was kinda bored so I told myself, oh what the heck, and I went around for a little trip around the Agama for a while.
Brex: I see. Why don't you sit down for a while? We have some snacks on the fridge on the back if you're hungry...
Camille: Eh heh heh, thank you sir. (sits down somewhere on the bridge room and munches on a Twinkie) (thinking) Hmm...I thought they never made Twinkies anymore...
Emma: /...so you're saying that 30 Bunch, that colony in Side 3...we--I mean the Titans--pumped G3 nerve gas into it and killed 3 million innocent inhabitants within the colony? Impossible, G3 was outlawed even before the One-Year War!/
Reccoa: /But it *is* true, Emma. The Titans have so mercilessly killed off 30 Bunch just because it wouldn't comply with Federation rules and regulations...and there was an ongoing AEUG demonstration in the colony./
As Reccoa went on with the story, Brex and Henken exchanged looks and looked like they weren't so surprised at this, but Camille's face showed otherwise. He was thinking, so it's not only when they killed his mother that the Titans have proven themselves so be a bunch of white trash, but also exterminating a whole colony! How horrible must it have been...
Camille: How horrible must it have been...for those poor innocent people...
Brex: It truly is, Camille. Haven't I told you the story about 30 Bunch a long while ago?
Camille: You have, sir...but not in this much detail...
Brex: It's better that Emma knows about it too. Even though she came from the Titans, I would wish that Lieutenant j.g. Emma Sheen would stay with us for good because, seeing her performance in the simulator and in actual combat, she would be an excellent addition to the AEUG. Camille, a war is about to simmer and we'll need a few good men to push our noble cause across...
---
A few hours later, the Agama's navigator, Torres, informs Brex that they will arrive at Side 1 in a matter of minutes...
Torres: ...so I think we should be prepared if any ambush operations by the Titans should arise, sir.
Brex: Right. Lieutenants Quattro in the red Rick Dias and Apolli and Roberto in their own black Rick Diases should be launching by now to escort the Agama and the Mont Blanc and defend it against possible enemy fire. Another horde of GM-II's from the Mont Blanc should cover us and take escort to our dropship with Officer Reccoa Londo inside, but we should still be prepared for what the Titans possibly have prepared for us. They might strike either the Agama or Reccoa as she enters Earth's atmosphere and into the Federal Forces' base at Jabrow.
Camille: How about me?
Brex: You may have to stand by in the Mk-II Unit-03. We may need some backup. (looks at Camille inquisitively) Are you ready for battle, Camille?
Camille: I'd swear if my dad will be ambushing us, I'll be the one to kill him.
Brex: You'd kill your own father?
Camille: This is war...
Brex: (pausing for a moment) I admire your courage. Son, you remind me of someone...but enough of that, get ready to scramble. Lieutenant Emma's out there with a lot of our crew guiding the Agama and very vulnerable so you should be keeping watch over her. Be careful.
Camille: Yes sir. (turns around as he heads off to the mobile suit dock) Oh...and sir, I wouldn't be surprised if everybody on this ship, even you, would be reminded of that someone you mentioned just now. That someone would be the guy who helped the Federation win the One-Year War...that very same Amuro Ray, am I right, sir? I'll be off now...
The old AEUG leader just leaned back on his chair and sighed. He thought deeply about what the AEUG had gotten itself into...and much more. "Camille...that boy...he truly is a Newtype...the second coming of Amuro Ray, even...I just couldn't believe his Newtype ability would be that strong as he read what my thoughts were exactly just now..."
Henken: She surely is good, isn't she, sir? I mean, she warned us of incoming space debris and stray asteroids and all that, and she's good at guiding our ship into safety...
Brex: Hmm? Ah, is it Emma again? Egads, man, you really have taken a liking for that girl haven't you?
Henken: Well...you might say that, sir. Heh heh...
Brex: I'm not surprised. Her expertise in military operations comes from her being a former Titan, and on top of that, she's...pretty attractive too. I'm sure my dead wife would agree with me on that...Jesus, I wonder if those Titans would ambush us...
Henken: I would have to take to that affirmatively, sir. We really are in such a vulnerable position right now as Sides 1 and 2 are neutral, and what's more, there's an asteroid belt just outside Fifth Luna where Titans mobile suits could hide and possibly strike from either a distance or come to us unnoticed.
Brex: And *that's* why I told our men to be cautious at all times. Much more with Reccoa, I'm especially worried for her, she just came to the AEUG this past month...
---
Lyla Mira Lyla fidgeted inside the cockpit of her Galbaldy-Beta.
And usually when she fidgets, she's getting really impatient.
Lyla: Where *are* those stinking AEUG assholes?! I thought they were gonna come here!
The captain of the Bosnia, the main support ship for the Alexandria, spoke to the irate Federal Forces ace through a two-way radio that was being plagued by static.
Captain: Ma'am, uh...maybe if we'd split up into groups and catch them from behind?
Lyla: That's exactly what I'm planning to do! All right troops, let's split up into two. Jerid and I will stay here with the Alexandria and half of our troops. A decoy assault force of GM's led by Kirkricon will have to go ahead of us and take the Agama from behind. They will have to go around Side 1 and hit the AEUG from their blind side. Clear?
Kirkricon: All right, let's MOVE it!!
Kirkricon's Zaku II led the way for his small GM army and take the AEUG from around Side 1. Jerid wiped the sweat off his brow as he anticipated for the right time to ambush the small AEUG fleet, but had much confidence in him as he set his goal on tanning Camille's hide so bad.
Lyla: Well, now that I've taught you the basics of space battle maybe now you could manage for yourself when you fight that boy again, right?
Jerid: Yeah, yeah. I guess so. That pain and suffering you had me go through a few hours earlier weren't for nothing, ya know.
Lyla: Good. Now we wait...
Just as she said those words, the captain of the Bosnia radioed Lyla and Jerid that the Agama and the Mont Blanc were just about six to seven kilometers away from the asteroid belt they were in right now.
Lyla: That's just fine. Let's move out, Jerid.
Jerid: Yeah...I'll teach that boy some lessons in manhood he'll never forget...
And so Lyla's Galbaldy-Beta, Jerid's Zaku II, the Alexandria, the Bosnia, and a small horde of GM's moved out from their positions and carefully and slowly paced through the asteroid belt, avoiding any stray asteroids that would come by their way. It would now have to be a pincer attack, Lyla thought.
Lyla: (thinking) Geez, if it were not for Sergeant Jamaican I would have...never mind. I'll show these Titans jocks what it means to be a Federal Forces soldier. Hmm...I just hope that red mobile suit doesn't come out and hit on me again...he's almost like the Red Comet for crying out loud...but he's not really *that* unstoppable now, is he?
---
Camille: You sure you gonna be all right?
Reccoa: Yeah. Just pray I don't get jet lag when I get to Earth, okay? Besides... (pats Camille's shoulder) ...I've got my little toy gun with me to protect myself with. (shows him a caliber .45 pistol) And try not to be too abrasive next time, hmm? I'll see you on Earth, Camille. Oh, you better get into your Gundam now, we're about to launch, remember?
The blue-haired boy almost blushed the moment Reccoa tapped his shoulder. They both waved at each other as Reccoa closed her dropship's airlock and prepared for launch. "She really is cute when she smiles like that," he thought, and soon dismissed the idea as he moaned at a vision of him getting beaten to a pulp by his own girlfriend Fa. "Gee whiz..."
Everybody in the Agama was scurrying here and there in preparing Camille's Gundam Mk-II Unit-03 for launch as escort for Reccoa's dropship which was headed for Earth. "I dunno what the Commander's thinking, but I guess following the footsteps of the White Base would be a good idea..."
Indeed, AEUG Supreme Commander Brex Forra was patterning itself after the strategy of the former White Base captain, Bright Noah. More or less, it was some kind of a decoy operation that would lead the Titans to think that the Agama would enter Earth in a vulnerable position. Instead, the small AEUG fleet would serve as cover for Reccoa Londo as she would enter Earth's orbit unnoticed and infiltrate Jabrow Base, one of the strongholds of the Earth federation, now reportedly being made a mere weapons supply base for the Titans.
Camille zipped up his jumpsuit and put on his helmet as he boarded the Mk-II Unit-03. In a matter of minutes, after flipping some switches and stuff, the Agama launched Camille's Gundam into space along with Reccoa's dropship.
And in just a few more minutes, shots from beam rifles were all over the place; the Titans had started attacking them. Quattro, Apolli, Roberto, and their small horde of GM-II's retaliated. "This is going to be a long day," Camille thought, panting.
---
Somewhere in a colony in Side 7, two 14-year old children paused for a moment from packing their bags. One of them, a pretty girl with semi-long reddish-brown hair, probably of mixed German and Japanese descent, looked around the room they were in, her eyebrows meeting and her eyes squinting. Her male partner with short black hair, obviously of Japanese descent, was doing the same thing too.
Their heads felt a little like...buoyant, like they were free to do just about anything and go almost anywhere. It was like a feeling of nirvana all of a sudden.
girl: There's that..."feeling" again, Shinji. It's almost like...
Shinji: It can't be, Asuka. It can't possibly be Amuro Ray again...
Asuka: Well, if it isn't, who could that be, baka? Couldn't possibly be the Red Comet! I'd think he's pretty gone now, after seven years and all that...
Shinji: No...it's something else...something...different...
The two children just stared at each other, then continued packing their bags.
---
This little skirmish between a small fraction of the Titans forces and *the* small army of the AEUG itself had ensued for almost an hour now. Quattro, Apolli, and Roberto were shooting down Titans GM's like easy paper targets; but even though they were having a hard time standing up against the AEUG, Lyla, Jerid, and Kirkricon were slowly making their own kills as well among the ranks of the AEUG's small horde of GM-II mobile suits.
The battle had nearly reached its climax when all six opposing mobile suits faced each other in a three-on-three duel. Jerid and Kirkricon were having a hard time fighting against Apolli and Roberto; but since Jerid had some last-minute training in space battle with Lyla earlier, he was more-or-less able to hold his own against the two AEUG lieutenants.
This wasn't to say the battlecruisers weren't involved in the fun, however; the Agama had decimated nearly one half of the Alexandria's Salamis-class support ships and many of the Titans' GM's and it looked like the battle was in the AEUG's favor, although there were also a few of the Agama's own Salamis-class support ships. Sergeant Jamaican was furious as he had lost a lot of mobile suits to the upstart AEUG whose size was only a fraction of the whole population of the Titans--the whole Federation fleet even.
Camille shot down any GM that might come near him and Reccoa's dropship. To his surprise, however, the Galbaldy-beta that was involved in the three-on-three duel had seemingly charged towards him. Camille stood his guard and did his best to defend Reccoa's dropship, which was now preparing for re-entry into Earth. Quattro's Rick Dias soon followed to add support for the small AEUG dropship but did not intefere with Camille's and Lyla's duel.
Lyla: (thinking) He fights like...yes, I'm sure it's that boy I'm fighting again!
Camille: It's that Galbaldy-beta again...looks like I'll have to fight harder this time, I've seen this one fight with Lieutenant Quattro once and I thought he had a pretty hard time with it...
Lyla got onto Camille's frequency and talked to him through the radio.
Lyla: /Is that you again, boy? Don't you ever learn?/
Camille: /What the...? How did you...? Never mind, I'll never let you stinking Titans away this time! After what you did at 30 Bunch, and my mother too.../
Lyla: /What do you mean, "what we did at 30 Bunch"?/
Camille: /You creeps killed off millions of innocent people in that colony with G3 nerve gas! And just because that colony was in Side 3 and had an ongoing AEUG demonstration, you Earthnoid Titan creeps had no discrimination whatsoever and just killed off millions of lives!/
Lyla: /What?! That's impossible! G3 was banned even before the One Year War! Colonel Bosque would never do such a thing! It's way too much like what the Zeon would do! That is far much worse than the biggest lie you AEUG scum would ever produce!/
Camille: /I don't care! You Earthnoids can all just go home and DIE!!/
The Gundam Mk-II Unit-03 starts slashing its way towards the maroon Galbaldy-beta with a beam saber. Lyla was surprised at this and barely dodges Camille's attack. Lyla felt for the handle of her own beam saber and went for the Gundam's head, to no avail. The two mobile suits soon clash "swords" and eventually Lyla's beam saber falls out of her grip, much to her misfortune. She quickly boosted away from Camille and felt for her bazooka. She soon fired at Camille, but it's as if the latter has disappeared from her crosshairs after she had fired.
Lyla: (thinking) My God, he's *fast*! He's almost like that red mobile suit...could he be...a Newtype? It's not impossible, I would have beaten him so easily if it were not...but still, I won't lose to a mere kid...
Back in the Alexandria, Sergeant Jamaican was watching all of this on a little TV screen. He was awed at the reflexes and agility that the AEUG's Gundam Mk-II was displaying against Lyla; he had further concluded that the Gundam's pilot was a Newtype, although he had believed Newtypes were just a myth at first.
Jerid was getting very worried for Lyla. Normally he wouldn't care less, but ever since she had quite effectively taught him a thing or two about battle tactics hours earlier, Jerid had looked up to Lyla as an important mentor, a surrogate big sister even. As he was fighting with the two black Rick Diases, he had managed to see Camille's and Lyla's fight on screen even if just a glimpse and further concluded that that boy from the AEUG has gotten better. He was also worried why Sergeant Jamaican hadn't sent in more reinforcements by now to help his female Federal Forces comrade.
Jerid: /Sergeant, why haven't you sent in more troops?! Lyla's getting eaten alive out there!/
Jamaican: (in a not-so-obvious worried tone) /Calm down, Lieutenant. We're just waiting for the Agama to be within range of the Alexandria's mega beam cannon. Besides, it'll look good on your records if we succeed in doing this./
Jerid: (thinking) I don't give a fuck about my personal records, I'm worried about Lyla!
Camille had some sort of an advantage; he and Lyla were fighting alongside a large abandoned vintage space station and he had managed to hide away from the Titan mobile suit in a very close call. He would have been space dust if he hadn't dodged that bazooka...anyway, he stayed in one corner of the space station and waited for the right time to attack when Lyla would pass overhead.
Lyla: /I know you're in here somewhere, boy...I won't fall so easily to a kid like you!/
And indeed, in a matter of seconds, Lyla passes over Camille without noticing him, signaling him to fire at the Galbaldy-beta with his beam rifle and catch Lyla off-guard. Lyla's mobile suit "tumbled" in space but soon caught its balance again and nearly got the Galbaldy-beta's head hit by the Gundam's vulcan guns had she not dodged the attack.
(Author's note: A mobile suit's "eyes" are actually cameras that help the pilot to "see" outside. The mobile suit's cockpit is actually near or at the "chest" of the MS itself.)
Lyla tried to retaliate with her spare beam saber but through a surge of Newtype force, Camille fired his beam rifle straight at the Galbaldy-beta's cockpit. Lyla felt her whole life passing before her as the shot from the beam rifle hit home and killed her instantly.
Lyla: (sighs with a peaceful smile on her face) Ahh...now I see it all...how could I have been so ignorant? These...Newtypes...really *are* the final stage in mankind's evolution...it's...all clear to me...now...
Jerid went haywire as he saw Camille's beam rifle shot blast through Lyla's cockpit. Had it not been for Kirkricon restraining him and the obvious odds of this battle in favor of the AEUG, he would have gone out and killed Camille himself. He cursed under his breath as he, Kirkricon, and what was left of the Titan and Federal Forces GM's retreated back to the Alexandria.
Jerid: Camille Vidan...I swear I'll kill you if it's the last thing I'll ever do...I WILL KILL YOU!!
---
Seeing that the Alexandria was retreating due to their obvious disadvantage and Reccoa Londo's re-entry into Earth was successful, the Agama soon made its way to Von Braun, a large city occupying almost half of the moon, to meet up with top AEUG officials and financiers.
Camille just curled up inside his room in the Agama and thought about the events of the day. He had never thought he would make such an action as to kill that lady Titans officer whose name Emma had told him was Lyla Mira Lyla, a Federal Forces ace pilot.
Camille: (thinking) Lyla...
Moments later, there was a knock on his door. There were two people looking for him behind it and it looks as if they were looking for him for hours now. The first one was now in his trademark dark sunglasses and red AEUG outfit while the other one was back in her own teal-green AEUG uniform.
Quattro: Could we talk with you, Camille?
Camille: (sounding pissed off) Just a second! I'm doing something here, okay!
Emma: What the hell...? Well, fine! Don't open the door, then!
Camille: (opening the door) What do you want?!
Quattro: Pipe down, Camille. We just want to ask you some questions regarding your battle with Lyla...
Camille: Just leave me alone, willya? I don't wanna answer any of your stupid questions...
Quattro: Hm. Well, sorry I asked anyway...
Emma: Oh, would you just leave me with him, Lieutenant? You're not getting anywhere with an attitude like that!
Quattro just shook his head and left the two of them. Emma shut the door behind her and faced Camille.
Camille: I'm surprised you don't have any escorts anymore like you usually had for the past couple of weeks.
Emma: *Well*, Einstein, if you didn't know by now, I'm now an AEUG officer. Lieutenant Commander Quattro and I just came here to congratulate you on your first kill as far as your standing here in the AEUG is concerned...and to ask you if you felt anything during your fight with Lyla-sempai back there.
Camille: I see another Newtype stereotyping again...look, Miss Emma. Sorry to disappoint you but I didn't feel anything in that fight with Lyla! I was just too lucky to have beaten her like that!
The blue-haired boy just stormed out of his room and into the nearest elevator to his room in the Agama. Emma followed him quickly into the elevator and tried to converse with him some more.
Emma: Hey Camille, wait up! (pants a little as she enters the elevator to the docking bay) Camille, please don't deny the fact anymore that you're a Newtype. You know, you kinda remind me of Amuro Ray. You and him are similar in almost every aspect, except that he has slightly dark reddish-orange curly hair and he looks different from you. I happened to meet him on Earth two years ago when I ran out of gas in front of his home. He's actually a very quiet person if you get to meet him...
---
In the "comfort" of his guarded home in Cheyenne, Wyoming, in the United States, a 22-year old Federal Forces Reserve Officer named Lieutenant j.g. Amuro Ray sneezed. He could have sworn he didn't catch a cold that day...
Amuro: *sniff,sniff* Damn, I think somebody's talking about me...
---
Camille: Did he tell you his name?
Emma: No, but I found out soon after I met him, back at New York or somewhere else in the U.S....
As they went out the elevator, Camille soon led the way for him and Emma to do a routine check on their mobile suits. As ordered by Brex himself, Camille's Gundam was finally painted mostly white instead of the standard Titan color black. Without them noticing, Quattro followed behind and listened in to their discussion with a bugging device he had put somewhere near Emma and Camille.
Emma: ...so that's basically it. Personally, Lieutenant Commander Quattro was different from Amuro in a lot of ways, but somehow, they're a little bit alike. I'd also like to cite Amuro's extraordinary character as my inspiration in joining the AEUG's cause.
Camille: Emma, do you think someone in this ship...has a definite similarity in character as the "Red Comet" Char Aznable?
Emma: Y...yeah, but don't you think that's a bit too far-fetched? Besides, I never really thought of it that way.
Camille: (sighs) Then you've already met him.
Emma: Huh?
Camille: Oh, what I meant was uhh...if you'd want to meet him or not, that's it! Heh heh!
Emma: (leers and pouts at Camille) That's not what you said. You said I've already met him. Hmm...
At that very same moment, Quattro gulped and wiped the sweat off his brow.
Camille: (tries to look silly with a big sweatdrop on his head) I didn't say that!
---
In "ancient" times, man's first experience in setting foot on the moon, pioneered first by the Russians and then the Americans, spearheaded by astronauts such as John Glenn and Neil Armstrong, as it was just a mere small step for a man, was considered to be a giant leap for mankind indeed. Hundreds of years after, the space colonization program proposed by the Federated Union of Nations (once called the United Nations), or simply called the "Earth Federation", was proved to be very successful as there was almost no more room on the Earth for its growing human population. The moon was only the first of many proposed human habitations, one of which is now the most commonly accepted, the large cylindrical kilometers-long and wide satellite-like structures called "colonies", and clusters of these colonies were called "Sides".
Although there have been built seven of these Sides (one of which was completely destroyed due to the One Year War of U.C. 0079) for the convenience of mankind, some people still choose to live on the moon, though the moon (or almost 50% of it) was now considered to have been just largely a mobile suit factory...to the current Earth Federation's knowledge, that is. Little did the Federation know that Von Braun, the old city built on the moon, also houses their new thorn in the flesh since the Duchy of Zeon, the AEUG.
At this time, the Agama and its four Salamis support ships were ever so conveniently parked in a hidden hangar somewhere in Von Braun to undergo maintenance as AEUG Supreme Commander Brex Forra, Lieutenant Commander Quattro Bajina, and other top AEUG officials and financiers, the head of which was a stubble-chinned handsome Japanese man in his early thirties. The AEUG was having this meeting concerning the effective infiltration of the Federation base at Jabrow, South America at a fast-food joint somewhere in Von Braun named "McDaniel's".
(The AEUG had been informed to go to Von Braun prior to this meeting by a one of Quattro's friends, who was also a former Zeon spy, from Side 3 who came to the Agama as it headed out of Side 2 earlier.)
Brex: Well, I must say, I'm very thankful that you have gathered all of us here to talk about what we are to do in Jabrow, Ryouji Kaji-kun.
Kaji: Yes, well, where do we start? Ah, yes. Do you people have any questions regarding our plan?
Quattro: *ahem*. If we do land in Jabrow, which will be any time between now and the next 72 hours, what would be our major demands and actions? Wouldn't it be better if we capture Gryps first, *then* we capture Jabrow?
Kaji: That isn't really a very good idea. We don't know what Gryps is capable of, besides, the Federation won't be so much affected if we do capture it first. We will not really have any political or public support anyway because Gryps isn't under the Federation's jurisdiction. No one would really trust us anyway if we had a colony laser that large; we'd appear as just mere terrorists.
Quattro: Heh, you should have been a politician instead, Kaji-kun.
Kaji: (snicker) Yeah, right, Lieutenant Commander Char Aznable.
Quattro: Please don't call me by that name anymore, Kaji-kun.
Brex: How about one of our partners, the Kalaba Forces?
Kaji: Hmm. The Kalaba are still doing well but they need mobile suits.
Quattro: Well, Commander. Do you think we should help them?
Brex: I definitely think we should, Lieutenant.
All of a sudden there were sirens blaring; an intruder alert was imminent. The P.A. system announced it was a Titan attack on the Agama spearheaded by a maroon RMS-117 Galbaldy-beta and a dark green RMS-106 Zaku II. Brex and Quattro had little need for worry as they, anticipating a possible Titan surprise attack here in Von Braun, had prepared countermeasures. Camille (still piloting the Gundam Mk-II Unit-03), Emma (now piloting Quattro's red MSA-009 Rick Dias), Apolli, and Roberto (still in their own black Rick Diases) were now engaging in battle against a very angry Jerid (Galbaldy-beta), Kirkricon (Zaku II), and three slightly damaged RGC-80 GM Cannons. (Author: see note at the end of this text file.)
Jerid and Camille immediately recognize each other and the former hurriedly and madly charged against the Mk-II. Jerid was experiencing vehement rage against the boy in the Gundam for the death of Lyla. Applying what Lyla had taught him, Jerid had a bit of an edge over Camille this time, using hit-and-run tactics and the moon's surface to his advantage.
Jerid: /CAMILLE VIDAN!!!!! You're the fucking asshole who killed Lyla! I'll kill you with my very own hands, you little motherfucker!/
Camille: /J...Jerid Mesa?! YOU?! Are you trying to avenge Lyla's death?!/
Jerid: /Shut up!!/
Camille: /How would you like it if she found out you're doing this for revenge, you idiot?!/
Jerid: /FUCK YOU, CAMILLE VIDAN!!!!/
While Emma and the others were busy picking off Kirkricon and the three GM Cannons, Jerid and Camille were involved in their own battle and neither bothered to help their respective comrades. The two rivals were engaging into more heated battle as their mobile suits clashed in basic hand-to-hand combat at first, Camille eventually kicking the side of his opponent's head.
Jerid starts taking shots at Camille with his beam rifle but the latter suddenly "disappears" inside a large crater. A little while later, he makes the Mk-II jump, but he does this a little too hard on his boosters so it looks like he's flying over Jerid, who's looking a little surprised by the Mk-II's "flight".
Camille: (sounding very surprised and gasping) WOW! I didn't know I could make a jump *that* high!!
The Mk-II then starts taking shots at the Galbaldy-beta with its beam rifle, to no avail. Dodging Camille's shots, somehow in Jerid's case experience has proven to be superior over a Newtype's abilities. Camille lands on the crater again, this time Jerid hot on his trail. The two continue to fire at each other but both miss, depleting almost all of their beam rifle ammo. Camille makes an attempt to escape and climbs the crater, but Jerid catches up and kncoks the Gundam into the center of the crater again, pulling out his beam saber to finish off his opponent, which Camille blocks with his beam rifle, destroying it in the process.
Kirkricon, however, wasn't having much luck as the three AEUG pilots have managed to finish off his three GM Cannon companions in less than 30 minutes. Three against one was indeed an unfair fight, and the Titan lieutenant had no more choice than to escape.
Kirkricon: /Jerid, we have to fall back for now! We're dead meat if we go on like this!/
Jerid: /Say WHAT?! All of our GM Cannons were destroyed?!/
Kirkricon: /Yeah!! That's why I told you we should fall back, and I mean right NOW, Jerid!!/
Jerid: /Shit...I guess we'll meet again, Camille Vidan. Next time I won't go so easy on you.../
As a farewell gift, Jerid fires the last of his rockets at the Mk-II while keeping his distance, which took Camille by surprise as one of the rockets had destroyed the Mk-II's large shield. Camille chased after him with a beam saber but Jerid had already fled along with his companion Kirkricon. Emma soon catches up with Camille and helps him out of the crater.
Emma: You okay, Camille?
Camille: Yeah, that Jerid sure gave me a hard time back there...is he really that good when you were still with the Titans, Miss Emma?
Emma: Come to think of it, he fought differently than when I last saw him. More like how Lyla-sempai had fought in the old days...
Camille: How do you know about a mobile suit pilot's way of fighting?
Emma: Well, some people can actually determine another's way of fighting when in a dogfight. You know, you should be careful next time especially when you're fighting one-on-one. You might not be so lucky the next time you fight.
Camille: Uh huh...
---
Commander Brex and his motley AEUG crew soon leave after receiving word from observers just outside the moon that the whole Titan fleet which was so annoyingly pursuing them, seeing that their current forces were almost diminished to the point of vulnerability, had totally gone from even touching the moon's surface.
A day or two passes after that incident. Back at Earth, AEUG Petty Officer Reccoa Londo, who had apparently been escorted by a thin, average-looking silver-haired Reuters journalist Kai Shiden, one of the original crew of the infamous White Base of the One Year War and one, along with now Federal Forces Lieutenants Amuro Ray and Bright Noah and others, who has been hailed as the heroes of the One Year War, were making their way in a raft along the Amazon River in finding a secret entrance to the former Federal Forces base Jabrow in South America, now made a mere Titans weapons supply depot. Aside from the danger of being eaten alive by piranhas, Reccoa and Kai worried if there would be any more assaults on them like what they had so luckily fended off earlier.
Kai: You should be more careful next time, miss. I'm not used to these kinds of recon stuff anymore, you know?
Reccoa: Let's just get into Jabrow as soon as possible, Officer Kai Shiden, sir...
Kai: Ohh, you shouldn't be calling me that. As you can see I'm not with the Feddies anymore and... (shows her a moderately large ID) ...I'm with the media now.
Reccoa: Heh heh.
Kai: Gaah, why should we even be chatting now? Come on, I know a shortcut around here somewhere...geez, why do I always fall for cute redheads? I guess I'm such a sucker for ya cuties...
Reccoa: (blushing lightly) I...uh...well, I thank you for that compliment Mr. Kai. Heh heh... (looks up at a plane passing overhead them) You know, that has *got* to be like the fortieth time I've seen a plane pass overhead. Do you think they've been moving stuff around?
Kai: Hmm, I guess so...
Reccoa: Well, since it seems like they're moving out, where do you think the new Titan base will be?
Kai: Dunno actually, that's why I'm here to find out. Lucky I bumped into you...I immediately sensed you were from that AEUG thingy I've been hearing here and there...and speaking of the AEUG, I'd think you're here to spy on Jabrow too, am I correct?
Reccoa: Yeah, but I don't have much time.
Kai: Well, why don't you relay the info to your bosses at Jabrow itself? I think they have this really good laser transmitter there. But then, for now...we have to wait in these woods. Too risky after what those jerks way back there did to us...oh but I won't lay a hand on you or anything! I'm not that type of person, you know! Even though I said I liked cute redheads like you, I'd never...
Reccoa: (raises an eyebrow and wipes the sweat off her brow) Mmmhmm...Kai sir, I never thought you talked *way* too much...
---
The Agama was making its way to Amman, a small military asteroid base (which was named after a city in Jordan, a nation somewhere in the Middle East back in Earth) near Side 3 and home to Quattro. The AEUG stayed clear of Granada, a large Titan asteroid base just in close proximity to Side 3 and Amman itself and made it safely to Amman. Quattro, Brex, Henken, and Kaji were still on the Agama's bridge discussing their positions on the current situation.
Kaji: ...although I'd still think it's pretty ironic that Amman would be located *so* close to Granada.
Quattro: Yes, and it worries us a lot just thinking about it.
Brex: Lieutenant Quattro, is our new support battlecruiser "Radish" ready?
Quattro: I'd think so, sir. The new alloy should be helpful to compliment for the Mont Blanc's faults, as well as improving on the performance as compared to its fellow "Irish"-class cruisers.
Henken: And to think we were so lucky that the Feddies never found out we had customized an "Irish" to our own liking!
Kaji: Yes...the Federal Forces are mostly ignorant of spacenoid activities. Kind of like in the old days when the Europeans were very much ahead of the Americans in terms of technological advances. Well, that said, I'd think history really does repeat itself.
Camille soon caught up with them, with a tired Emma tagging along. Camille seems to be fidgeting around with a green basketball-sized metal sphere with two red dots that passed for "eyes" and a wide "mouth". The sphere seemed to be saying, "Hello, my name is Haro." in a split between a child's voice and a toy robot-like sort of voice.
Emma: (panting heavily) Sorry we're late, Sirs...
Quattro: You're late, Camille. What took you?
Kaji: Errr...Commander Brex, who's this...boy?
Brex: Oh, he's one of our pilots. Camille, this is--
Kaji: Camille, huh. Could you excuse me, sir? (gets in front of Camille) Hey, schoolboy. You're an AEUG pilot, right? Why in the world are you still playing with toys like that?
Camille: (leers at Kaji) Who the hell are YOU? And what's it to you if I'm fixing Haro here?! (drops Haro and attempts to kick Kaji's shin, but the latter dodges)
Kaji: Tsk, tsk. A little hot-headed, are we? (does a sweeping roundhouse kick and trips Camille over) You Newtype delinquent. With that attitude, I'd doubt if you'd even get through *half* of this war!
Camille: Shut up, man!
Kaji: I mean, look at you. You're even late for our meeting! A soldier...a mobile suit pilot...has to be punctual at all times, and with your being late today, you jeopardize your teammates' lives by...by playing around with your toys!
Camille: Why can't I fix Haro?! He might have some information about the White Base--
Kaji: See, you can't even get your priorities straight! Haro may have been Amuro Ray's companion in the duration of his stay in the White Base but that has no bearing on our mission! (does a swinging roundhouse kick to Camille's face and the latter is taken aback by the force)
Camille: (rising up and wiping the blood from his mouth) Ugh...I won't lose to you!
Kaji: Why are you so damn arrogant?! You won't even give an apology for being late! (continues to beat Camille to a pulp to the point of unconsciousness)
Quattro, Emma, and Brex could only watch as Kaji "whipped" the poor boy real good. Quattro stopped Emma as she attempted to stop beating up Camille, who had later woken up at an infirmary somewhere in the Agama.
Apolli: Well, well. It seems as if our little Boy Wonder is awake now...
Camille: (holding his head) Ughhh...what happened...?
Roberto: Heh, that's Ryouji Kaji for you, Camille. He may be a gentleman at times but he'd really hate to see anyone, especially one of our pilots, lazing around like what you did.
Quattro: How do you feel, Camille? (gives Haro to Camille)
Camille: Where the hell are we?
Quattro: We're docking here at Amman for a fly-by and we're about to leave in a few minutes. Our Granada spies tell us it's okay to go with the mission.
Camille: (sitting up and looking at Haro sourly) What the heck happened to this thing? It's...
Quattro: It's damaged beyond repair.
Emma meets Apolli and Roberto as they go out of the infirmary room. She catches Quattro and Camille having a conversation and promptly sits down on a couch in the room.
Camille: Some friends *you* are! Leaving me out there while Kaji was kicking my ass!
Quattro: You are now part of the AEUG, and with that, you are granted a very big responsibility--
Camille: Well, he's not even part of our struggle! What right does he have to beat me up like that?!
Quattro: Ryouji Kaji is a very important AEUG financier--
Camille: Hmph! Anything you say, Quattro...but I'm still not going on this mission!
Emma: (angrily) Now, now. Aren't you being so stubborn again, Camille? What has everyone on this ship been telling you? You *have* to fulfill your duties as a part of the AEUG! Don't you understand?
Quattro: Look, if you're going to be this way then fine. Just don't do it *now*. (storms out the room)
Emma: (sighs and turns her voice into a more calming tone) Camille, look...you're a very important pilot to us. Don't be so self-centered. You know, I think that's why Kaji had to "discipline" you back there. He couldn't tolerate the selfishness of most Earthnoids, but with the fact of you being a spacenoid would add to his prejudice and anger. Camille, just because you're the only kid around here doesn't mean you're all too privileged to do whatever you want...
Upon hearing those words, Camille drops Haro. As it was about to hit the ground, the light-green spherical robot bounced to its "feet" and maintained its balance.
Haro: /How do you do, Camille?/
---
Preparations were being made for the planned assault mission against the Titan base at Granada. Quattro briskly jumped out of the cockpit of his new gold-colored mobile suit, the MSN-00100 "Type 100" or the "Hyakushiki".
Quattro: I think she's pretty ready, boys. You boys better be careful of this mission and don't get mixed up at who or what you're shooting at. Why? Well, as you might well know by now, we have a few of our spies aboard Granada, that's why.
Apolli: Well, it can't really be helped...
Roberto: Is Camille coming along with us?
Quattro: Yes, Emma's taking care of it right now.
Apolli: Why do you think Kaji-san was so angry? He didn't have to beat up on the boy...
Quattro: That boy Camille was being an arrogant idiot.
The blonde AEUG lieutenant soon flew off in the Hyakushiki with Apolli and Roberto tagging behind, still with their black Rick Diases. As they flew out of the Agama and into Granada, a similar group of three Titans Zaku-II's holding guard near Granada detect them and inform the base of the arrival of the three AEUG mobile suits.
Kirkricon: /What the...? A new mobile suit model? Geez, the AEUG sure surprises me sometimes with their dirty tricks...men, tell Sergeant Jamaican to prepare for an invasion./
Titans officer A: /Lieutenant Kirkricon sir, the Alexandria tells us she's prepared for battle./
Kirkricon: /Good. I'll be expecting Jerid to come any moment now...I know he's been waiting for this moment to come. It's really devastating for us to lose pilots like Lyla; we can lose mobile suits but not pilots./
In the Alexandria's bridge, Jamaican recieves word that ten new RMS-108 Marasai mobile suits coming from none other than an Anaheim Electronics factory have arrived at Granada and were ready for launch into the Alexandria for their own utility. Jamaican rubbed his chin in wonder and asked his captain what Anaheim's been up to with giving them ten mobile suits and all.
Jamaican: Don't you think it's too suspicious?
Titans captain: Sir, I'd think they're AEUG sympathizers, sir.
Jamaican: Hmm. No wonder Colonel Bosque wanted Granada so badly...how's everything going so far? Where's Jerid Mesa?
Titans captain: Sir, he will be ready as soon as the Marasai come...
---
Soon enough, Camille caught up with the three AEUG aces in his Gundam Mk-II. He was scratching his head and wondering how did he get himself into this mess in the first place.
Camille: (thinking) Gee whiz...if Lieutenant Quattro had been so less convincing I never would have gone out like this! I don't feel like fighting with those Titan jerks today, dammit! Geez...the last thing I want right now is someone duping me to do something I don't wanna do...oh well, since I'm here now might as well get out there and fight...
Camille: /Hey guys, wait up!/
Quattro: /Hm? Oh, it's you. So you finally decided to make this show a quartet?/
Camille: /Yeah, whatever. So what's the plan anyway?/
Quattro: (sighing) /You haven't been listening to the briefing again, have you? Well, I'll just have to tell you once again. Our mission is to liberate this asteroid base Granada from the Titans and capture as much as we can, making it an AEUG military base./
Camille: /Couldn't we just use our spies here?/
Roberto: /Camille, that's not the point. We have to use brute force to get our point across to the Titans' thick heads--that we are serious and we will not back down any time soon. So, as a result of this, we might gain more supporters for the AEUG, both moral and financial. If you didn't know by now, there are a lot of people right now who hate the Titans more than ever./
Quattro then receives an OK signal from his communications link with the AEUG spies at Granada and the four AEUG mobile suits land on the Granada spacedock. Camille captures a Zaku-II while Quattro's wingmen threaten to blast through the bridge of a Federal Forces battlecruiser with missile guns. Quattro and Camille continue to fight outside of their mobile suits in zero-g environment with submachineguns alongside their fellow AEUG troops; killing many Titans soldiers on the way.
Back in Amman, Emma, in Quattro's old mobile suit, the red Rick Dias, and her small entourage of Nemo's were having small trouble with Kirkricon and his own small troop of Zaku-II's. Somehow, although they were quite a distance away from each other, Camille "felt" Emma's racing heartbeat as she tried desperately to pick off her former Titan comrades.
Camille: ...!!
Quattro: Something wrong, Camille?
Camille: Did you...feel that, Quattro?
Quattro: I didn't feel anything, Camille. Now let's go and make this thing snappy, shall we?
Camille: Right...
Quattro, Camille, and the rest of their AEUG comrades have soon successfully secured the Granada spacedock to the AEUG's favor, but Camille still feels the sensation of imminent danger in his head...another one of those buoyant feelings but nonetheless...there was heavy breathing...a woman's voice, a familiar one...Emma!
Quattro: ...there *is* something bothering you, Camille. Care to tell me?
Camille: (gulping) Quattro, I have a bad feeling Amman is being attacked...
The AEUG Lieutenant Commander had no doubt about it the moment he had heard those words from his young protege; he truly *is* a Newtype more powerful than even he, or Amuro...or even Lalah is. Why hadn't he sensed it earlier? he asked himself.
Quattro: ...Amman being attacked?! Oh, SHIT! Camille, you better go hurry back and protect the Agama... /Apolli, can you hear me? Position yourself in standby mode at the exit, you and Camille are going back to Amman and defend our Agama!/
Apolli: /Roger, Lieutenant!/
Camille floated towards his Gundam Mk-II and flew back to Amman with Apolli tailing behind.
The duel between Emma and Kirkricon had come to a climax: the lady AEUG pilot had luckily hidden her red Rick Dias away from the sight of the Zaku-II in a big pile of space junk floating towards Amman. Kirkricon searched for his rival in the debris and, by his own stroke of luck, finds the red mobile suit attempting to shoot his head off when, unfortunately for Emma, a piece of debris gets in her way as she fires her beam rifle at him. He shoots back with his Zaku's beam gun and, making Emma confused as a result of all the debris flying everywhere, eventually closed in on Emma's rear and cuts one of the red Rick Dias' arms off with his beam axe, attempting to finish her off with it.
Just in the nick of time, Camille rescues her and successfully shoots off the Zaku's arm with a beam rifle. Kirkricon's luck turned around as he had failed in his attempt to attack Camille with the last of his weaponry, and having found out that all of his fellow mobile suits have all been decimated, retreated. The white Gundam Mk-II floated towards the Rick Dias and Camille escorted Emma back to the Agama.
Emma: /Hey, you! You left our work at Granada before it was over!/
Camille: /Yeah, but I came here to save you, Emma.../
Emma: /Save me? How could you know I was in trouble, I didn't even send a signal to you!/
Camille: /I...I just knew, Emma. I...*felt*...it, the whole thing...I just *had* to save you. Quattro even let me go, it's all true! Believe me!/
Emma: (her features starting to feel less tense) /Is that so...? (sigh) Well, all I have to say is...thank you, Camille. And I'm sorry if I got mad at you or anything, if you hadn't com...then Lieutenant Kirkricon would have.../
Camille: (smiling) /It's not important now, you know.../
Emma: /Eh heh. Well you better go back and check up on Granada...or would you like to be "disciplined" again? Tee-hee.../
Camille: /Ohhh yeah! I'd *love* to!/
---
As the operation to capture Granada was successful, resulting in the rest of the Titans having to resolve to retreat from the asteroid base, so was it seemingly successful for Reccoa and Kai to finally infiltrate Jabrow back in Earth.
Reccoa: Uh, sir...I think you've helped me enough. You can get on with your journalistic assignments now, whatever they may be...
Kai: No. I believe what you've been telling me about the AEUG's cause and I should at least accompany you if anything might happen to you.
Reccoa: N...no, it's unsafe for you...I can take care of myself from here on...
A door suddenly opens before them. They both gasp in surprise.
---
With the Agama still docked by Amman, the AEUG soon learn of the current developments at Jabrow. Knowing that they now have strategy as far as Granada was concerned, Brex promptly pressed his subordinates to make speedy preparations to launch another attack against the Titans as soon as possible.
Camille saves his work on Astonage's computer and turned it off. That computer's owner was amazed at how brilliant this young boy could be; of course, he would have also thought that the proposed "Zeta" Gundam would also feature transformability, resulting in atmospheric flight capabilities.
Astonage: You only just beat me to it, you know!
Camille: Eh heh heh. But it's my idea now, so if you would just--
Astonage: --on *my* computer even, Camille. You forget...you've just saved your file on drive C rather than on your diskette, my little friend. *And*, whatever's on my computer, automatically becomes my property. Get it? Heh heh heh heh. (smirks)
Camille: (face turning red) Oh, shut up, man! Everyone forgets stuff every now and then!
Astonage: Well, not as worse as *you* would forget things.
Alarms sounded off as soon as the two had stopped laughing themselves off; there was another bogey invasion on the way. As if automatically, Camille immediately went to the Agama's mobile suit hangar and later launched on his own. The Alexandria, just a few kilometers away from Amman, was launching a missile barrage at the asteroid base. Luckily for Camille, though, the Alexandria wasn't firing its mega beam cannon, and thanks to Camille's quick reflexes due to his experience in battles, he had successfully slashed off and took shots at the Alexandria's missiles with his beam saber and rifle.
Apparently, the Titan mobile suits Camille was now facing looked somewhat different; they were orange-red and had a strange head design, almost like a helmet from a samurai's lacquer armor. Camille told himself, these must be those new RMS-108 Marasai's I've been hearing rumors about...I can take them down, yeah...there seems to be only two or three of them headed this way...
---
Jerid: /Oooh yeah, I've been waiting for this! I can finally kick that Camille Vidan's ass once and for all!/
Kirkricon: /Jerid, don't forget that we are to destroy the whole of the AEUG as well. Don't just go and concentrate your force on that boy./
Jerid: /Yeah, yeah I know. Let's go and avenge Lyla's death...her departure from the Federation's service will not go unpaid.../
Kirkricon: /How true, Jerid. That's the first time I've heard something like that from you.../
---
And so Marasai and Gundam soon intercept in mid-space. Camille was having the worst time of his life; he was obviously outnumbered in this specific battle and he wouldn't be surprised if he actually lost. He could tell one of the Marasai was piloted by none other than his perennial Titan thorn-in-the-flesh, Jerid Mesa. Jerid, too, can tell he was doing battle with Camille, and although it had seemed that he and Kirkricon were teaming up on him, one can tell that it was Jerid and Camille who were having the "time of their lives", so to speak.
Kirkricon resolved then to make an assault on Amman and on the AEUG ship Agama itself and called on his other two Marasai-ridden comrades to do so. Camille left his duel with Jerid to protect the Agama and its two support ships, the Mont Blanc and the Radish, which were by themselves wildly shooting its turret machineguns at the three Marasai's. Jerid chased after Camille and took potshots at him to no avail, and Camille, through careful thinking of the situation, chose to abandon Amman, much to his dismay. The three AEUG ships sped up as Camille's Mk-II docked into the Agama and succesfully made their narrow escape. Jerid and Kirkricon cursed under their breath as they saw those accursed AEUG ships leave the scene like the cowards that they are.
Jerid: Tch...We'll see each other again, Camille Vidan. I'll see to it that we will...
---
A few hours earlier, somewhere in Side 7...
Bright: (thinking) Jesus Christ...what the heck did I do to deserve this...? To be reduced to the level of a luxury cruiser captain...how revolting...
First mate: (saluting and standing in attention) Captain Bright, sir, the "Temptation" is ready to launch off to our one-way course to Japan, sir.
Bright: (saluting back) That's good. And ummm...you don't have to salute me like that. I'm off-duty as a Federal Forces officer anyway...(sighs)
First mate: Yes sir. By your leave, sir...
Bright: (slumping on his chair and thinking) Geez...these kids can be too stubborn these days...well, if the Federation would just...ah, wait. I wouldn't want any of that shit happening anymore...
And so the Federation luxury cruiser set its Earth-bound course, totally leaving Side 7. The journey was very peaceful; there were no troubles encountered whatsoever and Federal Forces Lieutenant 1st Class Bright Noah, in his trademark Federal Forces khaki-black-and-red uniform and austere personality let out a sigh of relief.
He could still clearly remember the events of seven years ago, when he had fought the "fight" against the Duchy of Zeon alongside his subordinates...actually, he would rather call them his friends rather than his subordinates...Amuro, Kai, Hayato, Ryu, his now-fiancee Mirai...and Sayla. Sayla Mass...he still couldn't believe she would be actually the Red Comet's long-lost younger sister and one of the rightful heirs to the Duchy of Zeon...
Meanwhile, somewhere else on the ship...
Shinji: (giving his partner a quizzical look) Asuka, would you *stop* eating like that? It's very humiliating for such a...a...
Asuka: (looking up at her partner) A rarft? (gulping down her food and leering back) A what, baka?
Shinji: (sighs) ...a *lady* like you. Ughhh...
Asuka stood up from her seat and put her hands on her hips. Shinji thought, uh oh, this is just so *great*. Here she goes again with another one of her ego trips...you and your big mouth, Shinji...
Asuka: HA!! So NOW you finally realize *I'm* the most elegant and the most beautiful 14-year old lady in the entire universe! YOU, being the lowliest *scum* of the galaxy, just can't accept it! Well, I don't really mind having a chauffeur every now and then, but I'll give you proper credit when it's due! Muwahahahahaha!!!
Shinji: Asuka, stop that, please! You're just making an asshole of yourself! You realize that there *are* people in this ship, helloooo?
Asuka: What's that supposed to mean, pervert? (grabs him by the collar)
Shinji: HA!! Now *that's* ladylike for you! Lookit all 'em people lookin at *you* right now, you red-haired freak!
Asuka: AAARGH! I will *not* contend with your stupidity anymore, Mr. Shinji Ikari! Besides, a lady like me doesn't really like it when she's just so unluckily paired with the most loathsome pervert in the whole galaxy, so I'll just have to take it whether I like it or not! Bleah!!! (sticks out her tongue at Shinji)
The two children continue their meal in the Temptation's makeshift ballroom/dining room. Shinji sighed as he stopped eating and just stared at what was left of his food. He just couldn't believe his father would want his presence after such a long time...
Asuka: ...helloooo, Earth to Shinji...? You spacing out on me again? Thinking about stuff again, are you? (tries to hide the concerned look on her face)
Shinji: .....it's nothing, Asuka.
Asuka: Oh come on, you can tell me. We haven't been friends since birth for nothing, you know? I can listen to whatever you say, I might help you...
Shinji: (smiling) I said it's nothing, Asuka. I just don't want you to get involved in my problems, that's all...
Asuka: (crossing her arms) Oh well, if you say so. Hmm...hey, I thing I might have the thing that'll cheer you up...this cruiser we're in is named the "Temptation", right? Well, Shinji...I happen to know from... *ahem* reliable sources that *this* very ship's captain is none other than...
Shinji: ...Captain Bright Noah of the White Base? Yeah, yeah, I know about that already. So what's your point?
Asuka: Hmph. Well, remember last week--or was it last month?--who's the one who was blabbering about actually getting an autograph from even *one* of those people from White Base, huh? And who's the one who bet me a fortune after doing such a stunt, eh?
Shinji: (face getting red) Hey! We were just messing around in that party! I didn't expect you to take it so seriously! Besides, I don't think I'll ever have any guts to--
Asuka: Ha! Like you got any guts to begin with, fool! Come on, let's just go to the bridge, and let's have that autograph signed! Or are you just too wimpy that you can't show a lady some class, hmmm? it's not as if you're gonna get killed or anything, it's just a measly autograph!
Shinji: Asuka...aaarg okay already! But don't go blaming me if I get the rough end of things, okay? Sheesh... (scratches his head and finishes the rest of his meal)
Asuka: Tee-hee, that's the spirit, caveman! Ha ha ha ha ha! You were born for this moment, my little wimpy friend!
Shinji: (sighs) Asuka, you've just made my life more complicated than it already is...
---
And so Shinji and Asuka asked almost every available hand on deck on the whereabouts of the Temptation's captain. Many passengers and workers in the ship had mistaken the pretty 14-year old German-Japanese girl to be Shinji's girlfriend, even sneaking in some snide comments like, "Hey boy, you're sure lucky to have a gal like her!" to which Shinji only replies with a blushing face and a straight "She's not my girlfriend...".
The two kids had finally gotten outside the ship's bridge. Shinji was getting a bit nervous as to the tight situation he's gotten himself into; he just couldn't let Asuka down even if it was just a stupid bet he had made on their farewell party from their home colony in Side 7.
Asuka: Well what the hell are you waiting for, get in there and have that autograph signed!
Shinji: Yeah, yeah, just don't push me around too much! Last thing I want is somebody pushing me around to do thing I don't wanna do in the first place! Now just be quiet and behave like a real lady would, okay?!
Shinji took all the guts he had and knocked on the door. For a few minutes, there was no answer from behind that door to the bridge of the ship. He knocked on some more until he finally resolved to just go get in there and get this over with. "Sheesh," he thought, "These military types are so..."
Bright: What are you two kids doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in your bunkers or something?
The two children almost jumped for the moon as they realized the one they've been looking for was just behind them. For some unknown reason, they both slipped and made a big mess of the carpet under them, and of course they fell down on the floor. Asuka, with her legs spread on the floor and complaining about her hurting butt...and Shinji...well, his face was in a most peculiar place in his partner's anatomy.
A few seconds pass...Asuka was then struck with the realization that Shinji's face was on her crotch. She just stared at him like that for quite a while. He rose and reeled from their fall, but he never noticed that very sour and angry expression on his redheaded partner's face.
Hell hath no fury over Asuka Langley Sohryu scorned.
---
Camille: Guys, did you hear that...?
Apolli: Yeah, sounded like...
Roberto: If I'm not mistaken, that was German for "Shinji, you fucking pervert!" or something...
The Agama was quite a long way from the Temptation at that time.
---
Bright Noah was getting near the edge of kicking these two Japanese kids off his ship; the redheaded one had apparently formed a dent--or a lot of them--on the walls surrounding and on the door to the ship's bridge, almost destroying it. He had never seen such disorder in the history of his employment in the Federal Forces...
Bright: (angrily) WOULD YOU TWO KIDS JUST KNOCK IT OFF?! Get back to your quarters, immediately!!
Asuka: (pulling Shinji by his hair) But Captain, this dirty no-good pervert started it! He should have known better to peek into my panties like that! UGHHHH, I'm gonna *kill* you, Shinji Ikari!!
Shinji: *I* started it?! If it wasn't for *your* hair-brained schemes I wouldn't be here in the first place, you bumbling red-haired idiot!
Asuka: Ah, so *I'm* the idiot now?! You really want to shorten your life, don't you?!
Bright: (radioing security) /Guards, anybody...*please* help me get some...very annoying nuisances out of my bridge at once...double time, even.../
As soon as these events transpired at the Temptation's bridge, the floor shook under them violently. Luckily the three had kept their balance so they wouldn't fall the second time. Bright could have sworn that was an explosion.
Asuka: What the hell was that?
Shinji: Sounded like an explosion to me...
Asuka: Explosion? Impossible, who in his right mind would attack a defenseless transport cruiser like the one we're in right now?
Shinji: I dunno...unless....
Bright: That couldn't have been an explosion, missy. But it's safe you two better get back to your rooms right now, this might be an emergency that may require special hands to help with...
Shinji: Captain, I think we're experienced enough to be of some help to you.
Asuka: Yeah, we've experienced countless air raids back in our colony and I think we may be of some help to you. Sir, think of it as paying you back for the shit we've done for you just now, what do you say?
Bright: Well...all right. Just don't do any more damage like what just happened, okay kids? This ship is no place for lover's quarrels or anything of the sort, got that?
Shinji and Asuka: We're NOT lovers!
Shinji, Asuka, and Bright entered the Temptation's bridge. People were scurrying all over the place; this ship may have really been attacked. But who, indeed, would attack them? The AEUG? No, it's a very far-fetched idea, the AEUG would never do this even if they wanted to. Could it be...
Ship engineer: Captain, we've spotted what seems to be a compact mobile armor on our tail. I think that's the cause of the explosion earlier, sir...
Bright: A mobile armor shooting a harmless transport cruiser? God, I can't believe what's been happening these days, first it's me being dissed by lower officers and now this! What's this galaxy coming to...
Ship engineer: Sir, we have audio-visual contact with the mobile armor. I'll put it on screen right now, sir.
The ship's engineer tweaked a few controls and soon enough there was an image of a black beret-clad handsome man with shoulder-length purple hair wearing no less than the standard black-and-red Titan military uniform. Bright looked on in uncertainty as the man did a hand salute seemingly addressed towards him. He thought, he's from the Titans? How could that be...?
Man: /Greetings, Federal Forces Lieutenant Commander Bright Noah of the infamous White Base. You might not know me, but I know you, sir. I am Titans Lieutenant Commander j.g. Paptimus Scirocco of the Engineering Division assigned in one of the Federation's research bases orbiting the planet Jupiter, the "Jupitoris". I have recieved specific orders from my superiors to personally exterminate you, sir, on the grounds that you have been colloborating with the AEUG./
Bright Noah was stunned. He had been ordered to be exterminated? By whom? He had never gotten in touch with the AEUG whatsoever, and even if he did, he wouldn't have let it known! Shinji and Asuka were just as surprised at this sudden turn of events. They just looked at each other in mixed wonder and fear; if this guy was just targeting the captain, why was he taking shots at the ship itself? Didn't he know there were a lot of lives on this ship?
The lie was barely noticeable.
Bright: What makes you think I've colloborated with the AEUG?
Scirocco: (smirking) /I was just following orders from upstairs, sir./ And I will make sure you won't get back to Earth alive...besides, this would be a very good test run for my PMX-000 Messala. Without Jupiter's gravity holding it back, I'm about to see how fast and good this baby could go. Heh heh heh...
Bright: (slamming his hands on the table) SHIT! That's a bunch of bull! With your reasoning I might actually turn my services over to the AEUG!
Scirocco: /An unwise decision, Captain. With that, it'd make me much more determined to kill you *and* your cargo. Say your prayers, people.../
Scirocco then prepared to lock his crosshairs targeting the Temptation. This was going to be easy, the purple-haired Titans officer thought, as he made final adjustments to fire at the helpless Federation transport cruiser. He then suddenly stopped in his tracks as his Minovsky radar detected a high concentration of Minovsky particles somewhere north-northeast of him. Scirocco made an evil grin as he saw the Agama, the Mont Blanc, and the Radish come toward his direction.
Scirocco: And so the AEUG finally comes out of the shadows. I've been waiting for this!
---
Bright: Oh, great. Now the AEUG come into the picture. What do we do now?
First mate: Sir, I think those AEUG ships are in no place to harm us. They might even be here to help us, sir.
Bright: Is that so? Try to get contact with the AEUG's main ship immediately, we might actually need their help right now in this time of our dire need...
Ship engineer: Sir, they've established audio-visual contact with us!
Quattro: /I believe you might need some help, Captain Bright Noah?/
Bright: (thinking) It's...it's the Red Comet! He's alive?! How could that be? But of course...Amuro never told me he actually killed Char back then...why would Char Aznable help us now...?
Bright: Yes...we do need some help around here, I just didn't expect it to come from you.
Quattro: /Hmph. Very well, my commander will send out our best pilots ASAP to defend your ship the best we can. Over and out./
Bright sat in his chair just thinking over the events that had transpired this day. He had just found out the Titans were out to kill him, now Char Aznable was out there to help them? True, it was no surprise to him now that he knows that Char was with the AEUG, but then...
Shinji: Asuka, maybe if we had gone to our rooms in the first place we wouldn't have...
Asuka: ...Shinji, for the first time in my life, I'd think you're definitely right...I'm already scared...I don't want to die, Shinji...
As Shinji reassuringly patted Asuka's back, the gold-colored Hyakushiki and the white Gundam Mark-II had launched from the Agama to protect the Temptation from any more attacks, but it looked as if Scirocco wasn't targeting the Temptation in the first place, but was waiting for the right time for the AEUG to come out...
Quattro aimed his mega-bazooka launcher at the Messala and fired a shot or two at it, but with the Messala's overall structure having been adapted to Jupiter's high gravity, Scirocco had easily dodged the Hyakushiki's bazooka attack due to its uncanny speed. Quattro was just left so amazed at this mobile armor's speed...
Camille had followed up with a melee attack using his beam saber, but in the process, he never saw the Messala transforming into a mobile suit coming and Scirocco had successfully blocked Camille's attack with his own beam saber. Camille and Scirocco had a fight that lasted for minutes, and the former had again "sensed" something in his head...he had thought, this guy's a tough cookie to deal with, but the blue-haired boy kept on fighting anyway.
Scirocco had sensed the same feeling coming from the white Gundam, and resolved to retreat for the time being. Two against one was an unfair fight, much more because one of them was a fellow Newtype like him. Scirocco had cursed under his breath as he transformed his Messala into mobile armor mode once again and fleeted towards Earth.
Strangely enough, Shinji and Asuka also sensed something in their heads like a sudden rush of adrenaline. They just looked at each other and wondered about it.
---
The crew and passengers of the Temptation had taken refuge in the Agama and were warmly welcomed there. Shinji and Asuka were just awed at the sights they had and were about to see inside the AEUG flagship. Bright, however, had kept silent all throughout this and waited for the person who had offered to help them in their time of need.
Camille and Quattro had later presented themselves to Bright and his mates at the Temptation, with Camille being very eager to meet the former White Base captain for the first time.
Camille: (shaking Bright's hand and grinning) It's a very, very big honor to meet you, Bright-captain! I've always wanted to meet you ever since I heard you were assigned back in Green Noah 1 and have my autograph signed from you! Oh by the way, my name's Camille Vidan!
Bright: Uh...well, it's very pleasant to meet you, Mr. Camille Vidan...
Quattro: (offering a handshake to Bright) And it's very pleasant to meet you too, Captain Bright Noah of the White Base.
Bright: (leering at Quattro and shaking his hand) Right... (whispering in a gruff tone into the side of Quattro's ear) Very, VERY nice to meet you again indeed, "Red Comet" Char Aznable. Or should that be Casval Lem Daikun, the rightful heir to the Duchy of Zeon? And what's with the sunglasses disguise anyway?
Quattro: Please don't call me by those names anymore...or at least not *yet*, Captain Bright. (smirks) Right now, I am Quattro Bajina of the AEUG. Where's Amuro, by the way? And one of your crewmembers...Sayla Mass was her name, was it?
Bright: He's...he's in a better place if you must ask, Char. As for your sister Artesia...Sayla, I mean...she's now at Earth serving as a nurse for the Federal Forces in Dakar, in Africa.
Quattro: Heh...
Shinji: Uh...Camille-san, why do you think they're talking to each other like that? It's as if they know each other...and their handshakes seem a bit too tight...
Camille: (shrugs) Dunno...
Quattro: Oh, and who might these children be, Captain?
Bright: Ah, these two kids are just passengers in my ship. This is Shinji Ikari and this is Asuka Langley Sohryu. We were supposed to drop them off at Japan if our trip hadn't been so rudely interrupted by Lieutenant Scirocco back there...
Shinji and Asuka: (bowing politely) Douzo yoroshiku o-negaishimasu.
Quattro: Hmm, so you two are Japanese. That's good. (bowing back politely) It's also very nice to meet you two. So Captain, where are you headed now?
Bright: Well, we *were* originally headed off to the Philippines to drop off a number of our passengers there, including Shinji and Asuka here, but I'm considering going to Germany because Asuka here told me she was going to get some of her things there, but everything's basically just intended to drop almost everyone off to Manila and...go on our way, yeah.
Quattro: Mmhmm. Captain, could we have a little private talk on the Agama's bridge? I'd pretty much think we have a lot of...business opportunities to talk about upstairs, if you wouldn't mind.
Bright: Hmm. Well, I suppose we could...Lieutenant Quattro.
---
Brex: Ah, if it isn't my old friend in the army, Lieutenant j.g. Bright Noah. How nice to see you here in these parts, come on in!
Bright: (saluting him) And it's a pleasure to meet you again after such a long time, Colonel Brex Forra. How long has it been, six, seven years? I could remember I was under your regiment in the Tianem Fleet way back when I was still Ensign, just before the One Year War...
Brex: Ha ha ha ha, yes, yes. Well, everything's been going well so far. I would think this new struggle we have would have a really good future ahead of us, don't you think so, sir?
Bright: Colonel, why have you gone against the authority of the Federation?
Brex: Well, son, it's kind of a very long line of sad stories as to why I'm here and being the leader of the very force that would eventually go against the Federation...oh, I stand corrected. The AEUG is definitely not going against the whims of the noble Earth Federation, it's just that when they had put these despicable thugs who are none other than the Titans into place, well...let's just say there's been some fishy business happening among rank and file. Especially that stuff that happened in 30 Bunch back in Side 3...
Bright: You mean to say that that 30 Bunch incident wasn't just a lie after all? God...and I thought those were just rumors! Those poor people...there must have been a lot of women and children there...
Brex: Exactly. And from what happened earlier...that mobile armor seemed very enthusiastic in destroying your ship back there, am I right? And from the looks of it, I don't think that mobile armor was ever one of ours.
Bright: Come to think of it, that...Lieutenant Scirocco fellow who was piloting that MA told me he had orders "coming from upstairs to exterminate" me...thank goodness you people came and saved me and my ship...
A resonating silence soon filled the room. Quattro put his hands into his pockets and gazed out into space and sighed as Brex looked into the former White Base captain's face which was now marked with worry and concern for his own life.
Brex: Son...I'm making a deal with you. We have just entered into a new struggle against a corrupt Earth government. You must also be valuing your life above all, and from what I've known of you, you seem to always like "doing the right thing", you know.
Bright: What are you trying to tell me, Colonel...?
The old AEUG commander paused for a bit then let out a little sigh.
Brex: I'll be frank. I want you to join us in the resistance against the corruption of the Titans. Lieutenant, I have seen how you have led a successful 13th Autonomous Corps into its glory and victory against the Zeons. It was a very exceptional and outstanding thing that you did seven years ago, how you have handled most of the work that could have been done with a very big fraction of the Federal Forces. Lieutenant, we need a strategist and a captain of your caliber to lead this small and humble fleet in its resistance movement. Will you join us?
Bright thought it over for a long while, walking to and fro slowly across the room. Quattro peered at him through his sunglasses and smirked; he knew this decision would probably turn the tables in their favor.
Bright: ...I...
---
Four people were walking down the halls of the Agama talking more or less about the events of the day. The brown-haired Japanese boy still seemed awed at the inner features of the AEUG flagship, although he could have sworn his red-haired half-German partner was skipping along as she was having a discussion with a certain woman. The woman's blue-haired young partner didn't seem to be so enthusiastic on coming with them, but he was with them anyway.
Emma: So why are you two kids on board the Temptation? Are you both going to Earth on a certain point of itinerary or something?
Asuka: Yes, ma'am! We're umm...finally moving to Earth after a long time of living in space, and we'll be staying and living in Japan! But I still have to get some of my...stuff back in Germany and I'll get to live with li'l ol' wussy-head here.
Emma: I see...
Shinji: (raising an eyebrow) *We*? Heh, and I thought *I* was the one who spent most of his life in space...you were gone most of the time doin' your little trips to Earth while I stayed alone in that hellhole of a colony!
Asuka: Hmph. Well I *had* to make those "little trips to Earth" because I was currently finishing my college education there while you were just bumming around back home, idiot!
Camille and Emma: Say *what*?! You finished college already? At your age?!
Shinji: (rolling his eyes) Ohhh dear, there goes Miss Prodigy Girl again...hmm, how many times have I heard about the great legend of the red-headed freak...?
Asuka: What's *that* supposed to mean?! Why I oughta bust your ass right here and now...!
Instinctively, Emma got a hold of Asuka before she even got a chance to pound away at Shinji, who had already taken cover from the impending danger he's once again about to face. Camille just shook his head as he retrieved the hiding Shinji and tried to feed him some words of wisdom about dealings with the opposite sex.
Camille: Tsk, tsk...Shinji, do you always do this to Asuka? I mean, she's just trying to be friendly and all...
Shinji: (Pant, pant) ...friendly? You don't even know the half of how she really is! You violent red-haired freak! Nyaaaah!!
Camille: (sighs) Geez, you're hopeless, man...
Emma released Asuka when she knew the girl had calmed down a bit. Asuka just crossed her arms and fumed at Shinji, acting as if she was brushing dust off her sleeves.
Asuka: Hmph! Well, at least I'm not as wimpy as *you* are, fool! Or have you forgotten that I was the one who's always saving your sorry ass back when those jerks were picking on you in that colony, huh?
Emma: Children...please, let's just calm down a bit, okay? We'll have enough fights for one day and I'll say this is final. Now you two just shake hands and make up unless I'll have to force you two to do it.
Shinji reluctantly offered his hand to the still-fuming Asuka, who shook hands with him quite reluctantly herself. All four sighed almost in unison and Camille and Emma prompted to lead the two children to their new rooms in the Agama. It was just a fleeting moment before Camille had finally realized who had just tackled him from out of nowhere...
Fa: (giggling and hugging Camille) Camille!! Oh Camille, where have you been? I've looked all over Green Noah 1 for you!
Camille: (looking really surprised) Fa!! Uhh...it's really great to see you too! I've looked all over the place for you too, it's just that I didn't expect you to be here! Heh heh, I'm very surprised, were you on the Temptation like Shinji and Asuka here?
Fa: (pouts) I've missed you, you know! Yeah, I've been on the ship cuz I knew Captain Bright Noah was the resident captain and since you've told me once you've always wanted to get an autograph from him, I'd thought you were with him or he's seen you or something. Captain Bright told me he must have seen you some place the time you disappeared in Green Noah 1, so I told Mom I'd go with Captain Bright to go look for you, and...I found you! Tee-hee!
Camille: (wiping the sweat off his brow) ...aaaand I've missed you too! Heh heh heh...
Shinji and Asuka: (whispering and squinting) Uhh...what the hell...?
Emma: Your...girlfriend, I presume, Camille...?
Camille: Uhh, yeah! A-ahem, folks, this is my girlfriend Fa Yuiri, she's been living in my neighborhood in Green Noah 1 back in Side 7 since we were little kids. Fa, this is one of my superior officers in the AEUG, Emma Sheen; and these two are Shinji Ikari and Asuka Langley-Sohryu, they're from Side 7 too and they're planning on living on Earth permanently with their parents.
Fa: (shaking everybody's hands) It's nice to meet all of you!
Shinji and Asuka: Err...nice to meet you too!
Emma: It's a pleasure to meet new people everyday!
Camille: (sighs) Ah, well now, judging from the time we've taken journeying I'd say we'll be arriving on Earth in five more hours from now. I'm sure you two are excited to finally land on Earth, am I right?
Asuka: Yeah! I'm very ecstatic as a matter of fact! Umm... (looks at Shinji, who's suddenly looking so sullen) ...and I'm sure Shinji here's very enthusiastic about it as well, heh heh heh!
Shinji: .....
Emma: Well now, we should be getting back to our posts right now and you two better go back to your rooms. See you on Earth, you two!
Asuka waved at Camille, Emma, and Fa walking away from them and smiled as she said her farewells to them. She looked at her partner with concern and gave him a pat on the back.
Asuka: Shinji, is this about the Com...I mean, your father again?
Shinji: I...I don't really want to talk about it, Asuka. It's bad enough now as it is and like I've told you time and again, I don't want you getting involved in my personal problems...much more with my Dad...
Asuka: (sighs) I understand. Well, why don't we go roaming around this ship...it's called the "Agama", right?...while we're not doing anything, hmm? Yeah, I'd think it'd be a good idea for us to wander around for a while! What do you say?
The redhead was very eager to strike up a conversation with Shinji as they walked down the halls of the AEUG flagship, but it seems that Shinji was in his own world at the time, and this made Asuka worry very much for her best friend. It really was true what he said earlier, even though they were friends ever since they had learned how to talk, there really was something deep bothering Shinji inside of him that even she couldn't put a finger upon. Even though she had already finished college...maybe she still had a lot to learn from Shinji; after all, she'd been gone from his presence most of the time when she was on Earth...
---
Brex: Bright, son, you have made an excellent choice in your life. I congratulate you on your acceptance as new Captain of the Agama of the AEUG! (shakes Bright's hands)
Bright: Thank you for accepting me in your ranks, sir. I appreciate your acknowledgment of my abilities as a leader and I will assure you that with your leadership, I will do anything I can to achieve our success. (salutes Brex, but is still looking suspiciously at Quattro)
Quattro: Right. Captain, you said you were going to drop off some of your passengers from the Temptation into the spaceport at Manila, am I right? Commander Brex sir, does Torres already know our itinerary for Manila?
Brex: Yes, as a matter of fact I've told him that just a while ago. Besides, the Philippines is a neutral country and I would doubt if the Titans would even plan to launch a strike force against us there. It would also be one of our turning points into our entry into Tokyo; the AEUG seems to have some friends at Japan that we didn't even know about. So, I would say that we should just relax a little bit, even though we should stay on guard for sudden enemy attacks. That Scirocco fellow seemed really nasty...
Quattro: Indeed, Commander. Captain, I'll show you to the bridge.
---
Episode 4, "Angel Attack"
-------------------
And so the Agama had safely made its way into the spaceport at Manila, Philippines. Asuka tried hard to keep her arrogant "mask" on her face just to lighten Shinji up as she was so concerned for the poor boy, to no avail. She just sighed and wrapped Shinji's head with a tackle and rubbed his scalp with her other fist.
Asuka: Don't be so mopey all the time, or you'll really regret it. Come on, lighten up will ya? It's not as if you'll be lonely all the time, you did tell me there was this really cute woman named Misato Katsuragi who'll meet you by the time you'll arrive in Tokyo, right? Trust me, she's a real fun fellow to be with, I've known her for a long time when I was in Germany in my fourth year.
The sullen boy just couldn't help but laugh a little at his redheaded partner's attempt at cheering him up, so he retaliated by tickling at her sides, or at least trying to.
Shinji: Heh heh...well, I guess I'll see you in Japan in a few weeks or so. Take care of yourself, okay Asuka?
Asuka: (releasing Shinji from her grip) Yeah, you too, wussy! Don't worry, I'll bring you something *really* good from Germany when I come home in Japan. I'm sure you'll really, really like it!
Shinji: (raising his eyebrow) Hmm...what is it?
Asuka: Ah-ha, I can't tell you that, it's a secret! (winks at him suggestively)
Shinji: (blinks) Yeah, right...well you gotta be going now or you'll be late for your flight...
Asuka and Shinji said their last goodbyes to each other before the former had taken a cab to the nearest international airport and waved at the latter through the car window. She even stuck out her tongue at him and made an ugly face at him as she went away...but he knew better than that.
With the sun setting in the onset of a crimson-red sky behind his back, Shinji Ikari just sighed and popped his mini-headphones connected to his Walkman and listened in to Bach...or was it Beethoven...he couldn't really care less about "ancient" musicians or composers anymore, now that he was about to meet the most hated person in his life in a matter of hours. This person was his father of fourteen years, the man who had abandoned him for the most part of his life, Gendo Ikari. Shinji could still vaguely remember his father's cold, peering gaze through a pair of glasses...and that little pale ice-blue-haired girl who seemed to be always with him ever since his mother died.
And as Shinji boarded the Agama and went into his room, AEUG Lieutenant Emma Sheen was looking at him with almost the same concern as the other child Asuka had for him. This boy, she thought, is going to have a very, very hard time on Earth before him...
---
Shinji stepped off the monorail and watched it leave with a rush of wind blowing though him. He thought, with so many technological advances we've had in this time, Japan hasn't really much changed. He was still seeing those familiar rice paddy fields and beautiful sceneries of forests and ancient Buddhist and Shinto temples; time doesn't really change culture that much, even now that it *is* U.C. 0087.
He could never repay the kindness and the friendship that the AEUG had given to him, much more with his newfound friends in Camille Vidan, his girlfriend Fa Yuiri, the austere former White Base Federal Forces Captain Bright Noah, the motherly former Titans Lieutenant Emma Sheen, and the rest of the crew of the Agama...and especially the enigmatic Quattro Bajina, whom he had thought at first to be Char Aznable of the fallen Duchy of Zeon, but later dismissed the idea. He had always thought the AEUG were some kind of terrorists--or at least that was the thought that those visiting Titans officers back in his colony were trying to insinuate into his and his best friend Asuka's mind.
Asuka...I wonder what she's doing right now? he thought. For once, he had missed her wisecracks and insults at him. It was almost as if like she...naah, it would be too much of a far-fetched idea.
So he was finally going to see his father who had abandoned him...that's just fine, he thought. It's not as if I'm very excited to see him or anything, he just dumped me off at my uncle's place in Side 7. But then...after fourteen years, what could he want from him now?
As he got off the monorail station, he walked a long distance from it and finally sat down at a park. Shinji wondered greatly as he had expected Tokyo to be a very busy city; it had apparently become like a ghost town. No matter, he thought as he lay his baggage down for a while and reached into his back pocket to look at a little postcard he had gotten as an "official summons" for him to go to Tokyo. It pictured a beautiful Japanese young woman with long black hair, probably in her late twenties, and most definitely in skimpy denim short shorts and a sexy yellow sleeveless shirt. The postcard read, "To Shinji, I'm going to pick you up, so please wait for me! P.S.: Note the cleavage!"
Shinji squirmed at the thought. A lady *her* age wearing *that* outfit? And she's his father's *what*? He just shook his head and stretched out, then went on his way. It's useless going to other monorail stations anyway, maybe that's what the air raid siren that had gone off earlier meant as to why Tokyo's virtually empty right now, so he thought he had rather walk.
---
At a location somewhere a bit distant from where Shinji was, a small horde of old-fashioned howitzer-type tanks and three or four GM Sniper Custom mobile suits were standing off the coast of Tokyo. It seemed that this little Kalaba regiment was taking aim at something coming at their direction...quite speedily at that, from the Sea of Japan.
The leader of the group, a familiar former Federal Forces Lieutenant Commander in his middle twenties with short dark red curly hair, piloting his viridian-green AEUG-issue Rick Dias wanted to wipe the sweat off his brow but couldn't, if it wasn't for the fiberglass filter that his helmet had. He radioed his trusty wingman in her own customized deep cerulean AEUG-issue Rick Dias, a pretty young redheaded former Federal Forces 1st Class Chief Petty Officer also in her middle twenties about the situation on her end of the coast.
Amuro: /Officer Christina MacKenzie, how's things going on there?/
Chris: /Pretty fine, Amuro-sempai. Although I would have wondered why they would want me in the service *now*...I mean, I've taken my leave and all so I could spend more time with Bernie and our wedding plans.../
Amuro: /Well, we're needed right now, so we're not really entitled to complain. Bernie will be fine, don't worry. Besides, this will be good training for you, Chris. The Federation needs a few good men right now and I'd think, from our current situation with the Titans, the Federation is running out of good men.../
Chris: (giggling) /Indeed, Amuro-sempai! Oh, shit, here it comes...it's an ugly sonofabitch, all right.../
The small fleet prepared to take aim at the approximately 40-meter-tall black ugly humanoid thing with a small disc-like structure with two black dots that would probably count as its "face" that has just risen out of the sea. Amuro Ray just couldn't believe his eyes at the monstrosity he, Chris, and the rest of his Kalaba junkies were about to face.
Amuro: /That's odd...I don't recall *anybody* making such a mobile suit...if it could be called a mobile suit at all...do you, Chris?/
Chris: /Me neither...should we open fire, Commander?/
Amuro: /Yes, immediately. All men, fire at will!/
---
A few minutes pass. Or more appropriately, more than twenty minutes pass, but the target still hasn't gone down. Somewhere in a large dark underground room that looked like more like a bridge or a sortie room of a Federation battleship near where Amuro and Chris were, a number of Federation officers were very angry at this turn of events; the thing didn't even seem to budge, moreover, this "monster" was terrorizing almost half of the small Federal Forces fleet as they were speaking. It was also sighted to have been advancing through Tokyo.
Federation officer A: It's a tough bastard! Even Officers Amuro and MacKenzie weren't able to place even a single dent on this fucker!
Federation officer B: What the hell do we do now?!
Across this room that was being filled with control room operators' shouts of current developments on the situation, two people, one standing beside the seated other, were just calmly watching the events that have been happening as if they were expecting this kind of thing to happen. The seated one was a Japanese man in his forties who had short hair and donned a pair of darkly colored eyeglasses. The other one who stood was also a thin Japanese man in his early sixties.
Standing man: It has been almost seven years, hasn't it, Ikari-kun?
Gendo: Yes, Fuyutsuki, there's no mistake...the Angels have finally come. The day has finally arrived...the time of trials that humanity cannot avoid...
---
Amuro just couldn't believe his luck...or the lack of it, as his ammunition was down way too low for his own good and he might have to risk doing a melee attack on the monster. He just couldn't believe how intense their attack had been on the monster and not one single scratch had been done to it.
Amuro: /Shit...Christina, do you still have some ammo?/
Chris: /I'm on my worst day myself, sempai. What the hell should we do now?/
Amuro: /Chris, do you remember that Zeon-patented "jet-stream attack" I've taught you a few days earlier? Well, it's a long shot, but I'd think we would have a chance if we do it on this big piece of chicken shit./
Chris: /But Commander, we've only two mobile suits! That jet-stream attack requires three people to execute just like those three Zeon dudes called the Black Trinary did when you last fought them! It's just impossible!/
Amuro: /Nothing's too impossible, Chris. We can do it even with only two mobile suits. Now let's go and kick some ass!/
As if they had prepared for this situation, Amuro had extra apogee motors installed in his and Chris' respective emerald and azure Rick Diases a few weeks ago. Chris had gotten behind the target with incredible speed and attempted to shoot at it from behind, but she knew it would turn around and counterattack. That's when Amuro would come in from behind the target and attempt to make a treacherous assault on it with the last of charges on his beam rifle.
It seemed as if they had made the connection, but to Chris' surprise the monster--otherwise known as an "Angel" by Gendo Ikari--grabbed the blue Rick Dias' head with an outstretched arm and hurled it towards the nearest building. And as Amuro shot at the Angel with the last of his beam rifle shots, was done the same, unfortunately, and was forced to radio Chris to retreat, which Chris thought was very unusual for a soldier such as Amuro Ray to do...unusual, but right indeed, as they were outgunned and outmanned by this towering epitome of ugliness which was now advancing towards its own target.
Nearby, however, Shinji had taken cover from where the Gundam had taken fall and was almost hit by some flying shrapnel if it were not for the U.C. 0087 Nissan Sentra that suddenly screeched in front of him, serving as his cover. The woman driver, who had called Shinji by name as if she knew him, offered him a getaway ride out of here.
Woman: C'mon, get in the car!!
Shinji: I...Is that you, Miss Misato Katsuragi?
Misato: Yeah, yeah, just HURRY up and GET IN!!
Just as soon as Shinji had gotten into the car, Misato had stepped on the gas and hightailed it out of the wreckage that had been a large building. He looked at the monster who had just hurled the Gundam like it was a rag doll and wondered what in the world was it.
Misato: Sorry I was late, kiddo...
Shinji: N...no, that's all right, I was the one who's late...
Misato: Fuck it, don't those Feddies ever learn? No matter what the hell they do, they simply just can't do any significant damage to that thing over there.
Shinji: Umm...so what exactly is that thing over there? Some kind of a new mobile suit model or something?
Misato: You seem pretty calm about it, given the circumstances. No, that couldn't even begin to be a mobile suit...that thing, my friend, is an "Angel".
Shinji: An..."Angel"...?
Misato: No time to explain. We have to get out of here as soon as possible--oh, SHIT!!!
The 29-year-old Japanese woman almost never noticed that air-to-ground missile that had gone their way and the two had just braced for impact. The next thing they knew, the car was turned upside down and Misato helped Shinji to get out of the car.
Misato: Aww geez, are they shooting blind?! You okay, Shinji?
Shinji: Yeah, thanks...I guess so...
Misato just suddenly shrieked in terror at the demise of her Nissan Sentra and her black one-piece sleeveless-and-miniskirt outfit. She was yelling about how she still has a lot of payments on the car, about how her dress was so ruined now, about how her sunglasses were pulverized...she just didn't notice Shinji staring at her weirdly, who was thinking how weird Misato looked like making a fool of herself.
Shinji was just suddenly tackled by Misato as the latter had seen the Angel coming down upon them but had apparently been shoved away by another Angel-like thing. Shinji stared at the new purple giant in terror and panted.
Shinji: There's another one?!
Misato: No, this one's on our side. See, it even turned over our car. Now come on, let's scram out of here, on the double! We just can't run out of time just standing around here doing nothing!
Shinji: R...right...Miss Katsuragi, is that other thing...a new kind of mobile suit?
---
The Federation officials just looked on in worry as they saw the large purple robot being trashed around by the Angel, and soon enough Gendo ordered its evacuation from the premises through an entry point that had just opened under it. In a fit of desperation, the Federation officials ordered an N2 mine deployment operation against the Angel in three minutes...
And in three minutes, a nuclear explosion had happened kilometers away from where Shinji and Misato were, toppling over their car once again and making them feel the impact of the blast. The Federation officials were shouting for joy as they had seen the aftermath of the Angel; they wouldn't need the "Eva's" help after all, recognizing the power of the Federation's hidden nuclear force.
It wasn't too long before a certain control room operator had reports of energy readings from ground zero and these Federation officials had exclaimed that the Angel was some kind of an immortal monster or a devil of some sort.
Federation officer A: We had just received word from the Committee. (sighs) Effective immediately, command authority for this operation has been transferred to you, the Supreme Commander of Nerv! Let's just see what you and Nerv are capable of!
Federation officer B: Even our mobile suit aces Lieutenant Commander Amuro Ray and Chief Petty Officer 1st Class Christina MacKenzie don't stand a chance against the target. But...do you really think you'd do the job more effectively?
Gendo Ikari just calmly shifted his glasses back from the bridge of his nose into its place in reply and kept a stern face as he looked at the panel of Earth Federation officers before him.
Gendo: Do not be concerned. After all, this is the purpose of Nerv.
---
Misato's car had soon finally entered into a transport portal of sorts leading to what seemed to be a very large underground facility. Shinji thought he had seen a symbol or logo of half a red maple leaf with large red letters beside it that read like "N-E-R-V" with the phrase around the logo, "God's in His Heaven, all's right with the world".
As they were being transported to their destination, Shinji opened a folder and skimmed the contents of it.
Shinji: So...Miss Katsuragi, you're with this agency called "Nerv"?
Misato: Oh, just call me Misato. Yeah, I'm with Nerv, it's an unpublicized organization under the direct control of the Federated Union of Nations, or what we would call the Earth Federation. I work at Nerv as an international civil servant, just like your father...
Shinji: Just like my father, huh... (sighs as he looks out the car window) Miss Katsuragi, why do you think Dad summoned me here? I had always thought he had forgotten about me or something...
Misato: Why do you ask? You're not really comfy with him, are you?
Shinji: No...it's just that I think it's inconvenient. And what's more, we could probably just be fighting anyway...
Shinji couldn't help but watch in awe as Misato's car was being transported to their point of destination; although he was kind of depressed at the moment, the scenery of a very, very large underground hollow with these structures he could have mistaken for upside-down buildings at the "ceiling" of the hollow and a pyramid-like structure below them with certain spires beside it amidst a vast, lush, green forest. He couldn't even begin to imagine such enormous underground hollows had existed.
Shinji: What's...this...? Is it a real...umm, what do you call it again? A "geofront"...?
Misato: Oh yeah, this is what your grade school teachers might have taught you; yes, it is a geofront, more specifically, Nerv Headquarters. This, Shinji...this is the keystone for the resurrection of the world, and the stronghold of humanity.
---
The whole room was silent as three figures saw through a monitor a near-severely injured 14-year old girl with short ice-blue hair being applied life support and being wheeled away in a recliner. Nerv Supreme Commander Gendo Ikari was seated watching all of this as the two other figures, the elderly Nerv Supreme Vice-Commander Kouzou Fuyutsuki and a thirty year-old Japanese woman with short hair dyed blonde named Professor Ritsuko Akagi who was clad in a lab coat and a blue shirt and a short black skirt underneath, watched on.
Fuyutsuki: Even these people from Kalaba are giving up...
Ritsuko: Commander Ikari...what will we do now?
Gendo: ...we will have to reinitialize Unit-01.
Fuyutsuki: But that's impossible, we have no more pilots for it!
Ritsuko: Yes, and Rei's no longer able to...
Gendo just looked at the little TV monitor marked "Camera 1" and faced his two colleagues. He was watching his son being accompanied by Misato going down a certain hall somewhere in Nerv HQ.
Gendo: There is no more need for concern...the reserve pilot has just arrived.
---
The two walked down the halls of Nerv Headquarters, with Shinji just innocently following by. But Shinji was no fool; he had noticed that Misato had just been leading the both of them in circles. He finally had the courage to tell this to Misato and the latter just snapped at him like she knew what she was doing.
Misato: Shut up, okay? I know *exactly* where we're going, I happen to know this place better than you do! Eh heh heh heh heh!
Shinji: (thinking) Oh great...now I'm stuck with a grown woman who has no sense of direction whatsoever...what could be worse...?
A few moments later, an automatic sliding door had opened somewhere behind them and a ticked-off Ritsuko Akagi beamed at them, more specifically at Misato.
Ritsuko: Captain Misato Katsuragi! You're LATE!
Misato: (slowly turning behind her in surprise) Err...Ritsuko, what a pleasant surprise, you found us! Tee-hee-hee-hee!
Ritsuko: Hmph! I'll have you know that we neither have the personnel nor the time for such nonsense. (sounding bored) Just admit that you're lost in your own HQ, won't you?
Misato: (giggling) Uhh...heh heh. Umm, I guess I really *am* lost, Ritsuko! I'm sorry, really--I haven't been given the full run-down of this place yet! (scratches her head and tries to look real silly)
The blonde woman in lab coat then turned her gaze at the boy who accompanied her old college friend and rubbed her chin in observing him.
Ritsuko: Hmm...so *this* is the Third Child, huh? Very interesting.
Shinji: Umm...I'm Shinji Ikari. Nice to meet you, ma'am. (thinking) *Now* what is this "Third Child" stuff...?
Ritsuko: And it is a pleasure to meet you too, Shinji. I'm Professor Ritsuko Akagi from the Nerv first engineering division and the supervisor of "Project E". Come along, Shinji. I have...*something* to show you before you see your father.
Ritsuko just led the way for the boy into a large dark room somewhere in the Nerv headquarters with Misato tailing nearby. Shinji knew this fateful reunion with his father was going to take a violent turn on his life...he just didn't know if it would take a turn for the better or for the worse.
Shinji: (murmuring) Something to show me, huh...
---
The Nerv control room seemed less than calm as control room operators were shouting damage reports caused by the Angel; the large 40 meter-tall monstrosity had apparently made its rampage once again through Tokyo. Gendo seemed quiet in all this ruckus and had finally made his decision.
Gendo: I leave it all to you, Fuyutsuki.
Fuyutsuki: Right...
The old man just watched as Gendo had himself transported into another part of Nerv Headquarters through some sort of a transport mechanism that the latter had been pushing some buttons with. Fuyutsuki shook his head as he thought of what might come for his Commander and his son whom he had neglected for most of his life.
Fuyutsuki: (sighs) ...his first meeting with his son in years...
---
The moment Ritsuko had turned on the lights to this very dark room that she had led Shinji and Misato into, Shinji was just so awed at the sight of what seemed to be an enormous robot's head a number of times larger than Shinji's body. It definitely looked like the mobile suit...or whatever it was...that saved them earlier.
Shinji: Is it...is it some kind of a new kind of mobile suit...?
Ritsuko: Strictly speaking, she's not a mobile suit....she's not even a robot. She is a man-made, all-purpose weapon--artificial human Evangelion!
Shinji: So this is the thing that saved us earlier...
Misato: Yes, it is, Shinji...she's the best-kept secret of Nerv, and she's just part of your father's work...
Shinji: My father's...work?
Gendo: That is correct.
All three looked up to see Gendo looking down upon them from an exit to a hall way just above the Evangelion's head. Shinji and Gendo almost instantly met gazes with the former looking quite surprised. The latter, however, didn't seem that way.
Shinji: D...Dad...!
Gendo: It has been a while. Shinji, listen carefully to what I'm about to tell you. You are going to ride in her and battle and hope to exterminate the Angel.
Shinji: ...!!
Misato: (looking very surprised) But Commander... you should remember that it took Rei a long time to synchronize with the Eva! It's just *impossible* for a boy who just arrived today to pilot--
Gendo: He only needs to sit in her. I'm not expecting more at this point.
Misato: B, but--!
Ritsuko: Captain Katsuragi, our overriding priority is to halt and repel the Angel! We cannot even hope to accomplish that unless we let someone, no matter who, who may be able to synchronize with the Eva to some extent...or would you like to share some other alternatives of your own?
Misato: .....
Shinji: (trembling in anger and fear) ...th...this is a joke, right? You're not serious about letting me die out there fighting that thing...are you...Dad...?
Gendo: You're the only one we have at the moment. You don't need any details, just get inside.
Shinji: (breathing hard) N...No!! I will NOT ride in her, no matter what! You've neglected me, abandoned me for God knows how long....and NOW you ask for favors?! I am not going to let myself be ordered to my death!
Gendo: If you don't do as I say, all of humanity will perish. The very fate of mankind is placed in your hands now.
Shinji: (loudly) *NO!!*
Gendo: ...I see. I have no further need of you here. Go home to Side 7 for all I care...cowards are useless in a battle where man's future is at stake.
The Ikari patriarch then turned around to contact his second commander through a small audio-visual communications link on what to do, since things have turned out this way.
Gendo: /Fuyutsuki...I am afraid we shall have to use Rei again./
Fuyutsuki: /Are you sure about this, Ikari-kun? She's terribly injured.../
Gendo: /She's not dead. Have her brought here immediately./
After Ritsuko had ordered the Nerv engineers on-hand to "reinitialize Eva Unit-01's systems for Rei", Shinji couldn't help but fall on his knees over what he had done. True, he was needed right now...but to fight the Angel was something very different of what he had expected. He just didn't want to die out there. Misato just watched in pity and felt very sorry for the poor boy.
Moments later, the very same red-eyed albino girl of about the same age as Shinji with short, ice-blue hair was wheeled out carefully in a hospital bed, dextrose still attached to her arm and bandage still wrapped around most of her body. She was also wearing some sort of a white skin-tight pilot's suit that would almost show her slim figure, for a 14-year-old. Shinji and Misato saw this girl being wheeled out and the former kept his gaze fixed on her.
The girl was truly a very pitiful sight for anyone to see.
Gendo: Rei...our only replacement is useless. You must pilot the Eva again.
Rei: (faintly, weakly) ...yes...sir...
Rei tried desperately to even rise up from her sick bed. It suddenly dawned on Shinji as he watched on; they're gonna send *her* into battle in that condition...? What is his father thinking?
There was a sudden blasting sound from outside of the room, which trembled as a result of the sound. All except Rei were taken by surprise by the noise and almost looked up to the ceiling in unison.
Gendo: The Angel has discovered our location!
Misato: The city blocks on the Geofront's ceiling dome are starting to fall!
And indeed the city blocks from the Geofront's ceiling dome were starting to fall. People on-hand were staring to go to and fro across the room and took cover for their lives. Some of the room's ceiling lights fell near Rei's sick bed and caused Rei to fall down to the floor. By instinct, Shinji came to her side and tried desperately to help the poor girl up.
He still couldn't believe his father would want to send this injured girl into battle with that...that Angel, that devil...
Misato: Shinji, you must now realize that we really do need you. You told me earlier that even you knew you weren't going to celebrate some joyous reunion with your dad, right? You knew there was just some other reason why we reached out as far as your home in Side 7 just to get you, didn't you?
Shinji: .....
Misato: If you don't pilot the Eva now, that child in your arms would have to get inside the Eva again! Don't you have any shame, Shinji...?
Gendo: Don't waste any more time on him, Captain Katsuragi. Shinji...if you're going to go home, don't dawdle...GET OUT OF HERE!
The boy could do nothing more than clutch the girl in his arms and accept defeat. This is going to be the biggest day of his so-called life...he slowly lay the unconscious girl down on the floor and sighed.
Shinji: ...all right...*Dad*...I'll do it. I just have to get in her, right...?
Misato: (looking very concerned) Shinji...
Ritsuko walked towards the boy and helped him to stand up. Shinji slowly looked up at his father and leered at him with much anger in his eyes as Gendo looked back at his son with a smirk on his face.
Ritsuko: Well said, Shinji. Now let's come this way...I may have to give you a simple lecture on the controls and the Evangelion's operating systems...
---
As he sat on the Eva's entry plug cockpit, Shinji had nothing on his mind but hate for his father. He had thought that while his dad had never needed him for almost all fourteen years of his life, he had scorned on the idea that his dad made a mobile suit...a robot...that needed him.
Shinji: (thinking) Tch...what a joke this is! Well, I'm up for the challenge...I am not afraid to die and I will definitely NOT let Dad call *me* a coward!
Shinji waited as he felt his entry plug being inserted onto the back of the Eva while back in the Nerv control room, a female control room operator receives reports of confirmation of Shinji's entry into the Eva.
Ritsuko: How's Shinji going, Lieutenant Ibuki?
Maya: Plug lock-in procedure completed, ma'am. Initiating first level interface and flooding entry plug!
Shinji's brow curled in wonder. "Flooding...?" What did she mean by...
His eyes almost bugged out as a clear yellowish-orange liquid started to flood the confines of his cockpit and he was soon engulfed in the liquid up to his knees.
Shinji: W...what the hell is THIS?!
Ritsuko: /Do not be alarmed! Once your lungs are saturated with the LCL, you will be able to undergo direct oxygen exchange!/
Misato: /You'll get used to it in a minute, Shinji! Don't worry about it!/
Shinji had gulped deep as the yellow liquid had finally consumed him and filled the whole cockpit with it. He really did thought he was going to die in there...a few seconds later, after he had realized that he was able to "breathe" the liquid, a flurry of fancy lights had suddenly come in his sight. He didn't really know what was going to happen next now...
Ritsuko: (watching Maya's monitor) This is incredible...synchronization errors are within 0.3%...Captain Katsuragi, this is going to work!
Misato: Right. Evangelion Unit-01, prepare to launch!
The primary and secondary locks and restraints binding the 40 meter-tall, thin, purple Evangelion Unit-01 had finally been released and was now being prepared to be transported above ground through an "elevator" of some sort. Misato turned towards her Commander after confirming reports of this. Gendo, seated and hunched on a heightened platform a bit above Misato and Ritsuko with his clasped fingers in front of his face, looked back calmly through his dark orange-colored eyeglasses.
Misato: Commander Ikari, do we proceed?
Gendo: Of course, Captain Katsuragi. If we fail to defeat the Angels, all of humanity will perish.
Misato: (nods) Evangelion Unit-01, LAUNCH!!
Shinji felt a sudden rush as his Eva was launched upwards to sea level. Much to his surprise, the sudden stop that he felt made him look face-to-face with the monstrosity that had been terrorizing Tokyo since that early afternoon. He breathed hard and deep and told himself, "This is it, Shinji..."
Maya: /Releasing final safety locks!/
Misato: LIFT OFF! (thinking) Good luck, Shinji...
Shinji: R...right...
Misato: /Try walking, Shinji!/
Shinji: /Y...yeah, b-but how do I walk?/
Misato: /Just concentrate and focus your thoughts on the concept of walking!/
And Shinji did as he was told, "feeling" his Eva lift up a leg and stamp it on the ground as his first step. Realizing he couldn't stop "himself" from walking, he decided to charge wildly towards the Angel with a mighty yell. Misato and the others were watching as Shinji would be making a very terrible mistake.
Misato: /Oh, no! Shinji, wait...!!/
It was too late as Shinji had totally missed the Angel and tripped, landing face-first into a building. He tried to get up, only to see the Angel now standing behind him. Shinji could only gasp in terror as the Angel picked the Eva by its head and seemed to look back at him with what seemed to be its four "eyes" and in two faceless discs.
Misato: /Shinji, get the hell out of there!! PLEASE!!/
The Angel reached out for the Eva's right arm with its free hand and crushed and pulled it with unbelievable ease. Shinji just screamed in terror and pain as he "felt" his arm experiencing the same treatment as the Angel did his Eva.
Misato: /Shinji, listen to me! What was trapped and dislocated wasn't *your* arm, okay?!/
Maya: Arm has sustained damage! Disconnecting all circuits and rerouting connections!
Misato: /Can't you do something, Ritsuko?! At this rate, he won't have a chance in combat!/
Ritsuko: (thinking) This can't be happening...unless...unless the synchro frequencies have gone into hyper-fluctuation?!
Ritsuko: Lt. Ibuki, can you lower the neural circuit feedback regulators a notch--or even two?!
Maya: I'll give it a try!
Shinji could now only gasp as he saw something flashing within the Angel's "hand", or claw, or whatever that's holding him up by the head. A powerful surge of energy suddenly blasted through the Eva's eyes and through its head. Shinji instantly experienced excruciating pain in his left eye, like it was the one blasted through with the sudden burst of energy and could only scream in terror. The impact of the blast sent the Eva hurling to a nearby building and crashed into it, the Eva slumping to the ground. Suddenly, the Eva's left eye seemed to explode in a fountain of blood; Misato, Ritsuko, Maya, and two other control room operators looking on in shock.
Makoto: Degree of cranial damage unknown!
Shigeru: Cutting power to control neurons! Reversing synchrographs!
Makoto: P-pulse is...surging back!
Misato: Pull the circuit manually! Just stop that flow!
Maya: Negative! Signal's been rejected! It's refusing all input!
Misato: What about Shinji?!
Makoto: Monitors not responding--we can't tell if he's alive or dead! Unit-01 has gone completely silent!
Misato: (sighing) All right, I'm suspending original orders! Pilot safety is now our only priority! Force ejection of the entry plug!
Maya: ...th-there's no manual override! We've lost all contact with the Eva!
---
Shinji felt like he was floating in an endless pool of nothingness. It felt so warm and so free in here, he thought as he wondered where he was. It felt so much like...like his mother's arms cradling him as a baby.
Shinji: Heh...I guess death isn't such a big deal after all...
Shinji had suddenly felt like someone was grabbing him by the wrists. He looked around and saw...handcuffs?! What the hell were handcuffs doing here?! He gasped all of a sudden and thought...was he being arrested? No, it couldn't be! He's just a juvenile!
Shinji: AAAAARGGGHHH!!! I swear to God, I'm not allied with the Zeon! Honest! Please don't arrest meeeeeee!!!!!!! I'M INNOCENT!!!!!!! MOMMY, DADDY, PLEASE HELP MEEEE!!!
Shinji gulped as the darkness seemed to move, feeling an unknown force spreading his legs and arms wide. In the twinkling of an eye, there she was, wearing an utterly seductive, gorgeous, and sexy black dominatrix outfit and holding a cat-o'nine-tails whip. He couldn't really hide the bulge in front of his pants now as he saw the face of his redheaded tormentor grinning hugely and evilly...
Shinji: A...ASUKA?! W-what the hell do you think you're DOING?!
Asuka: O-HOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!! Hello, slave! Like my new threads? They're made with 100% knitted leather, you know. So tell me, slave...do you want me to give you a lot of lustful pleasure...or a whole world of excruciating pain, hmmmmmmmmmm? I'm feeling *REALLY* hot under these... (grinning evilly and teasingly rubbing her...)
Shinji: Asuka, this isn't funny! Lemme go, dammit!
Asuka: DON'T CALL ME ASUKA, SLAVE! Call me "Mistress", you disgusting little worm! Nnnrgh! (starts whipping Shinji's butt with her cat-o'nine-tails quite forcefully)
Shinji: AAAAAAAAACKKKK, NOOOOOO!!!!! HELP ME, SOMEBODY!! MOMMY, DADDY, ANYBODY!!!!! AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
Asuka: Shut up, slave! O--HOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!!!
---
As if it was some kind of a weird miracle, the Eva Unit-01's head suddenly looked up into heaven. It forced its jaw open and let out a horrendous roar that would want one of a weak heart to faint if he could ever hear it.
Makoto: ...Unit-01 has reactivated! She's ripped off her own frontal shut-off joint!
Ritsuko: But the synchrograph is still in the negative zone! She can't be moving...unless...oh my God...she's out of control?!
The Eva rushed itself towards the Angel in all its rage. It jumped high above it, tumbling and turning like an acrobat, dodging every energy burst attack from the Angel and landed feet first at its face quite forcibly. The Angel was shooting wildly while the Eva just simply dodged it with incredible ease.
Misato: What the hell's happening?! Is Shinji controlling the Eva?!
Ritsuko: It is totally impossible! Just...just look at the way he's fighting...Shinji can't be at *this* level yet...!
There was one person, however, who was not as panicky as everyone else in the Nerv control room who were watching the Evangelion make a killing of the Angel. Gendo Ikari's lip curled just a bit upward as he let out a faint chuckle and watched on.
---
Amuro: ...!!
Even though he was quite a distance away from the fight between the Eva and the Angel, it all came to Amuro like a sudden flash of light that just went through his head. It was a feeling like...someone...or some*THING*...was getting very, very worked up in a fight somewhere near him. He denied the possibility that it could be Char once more...but then, Char might show up in the most unexpected of situations.
But no, not like this.
Chris: Sempai...? You doing okay there?
Amuro: Uh...? Oh, Christina. It's okay, it just that...I think I need some more rest from that fight earlier...
Chris sipped at her cup of coffee and gave Amuro a friendly little pat. She shook her head as she walked away from him, walking towards her blue Rick Dias gave Amuro a wave. She thought, so Amuro-sempai has another one of his Newtype "visions", huh. Who could it be now...?
Who could it be now, indeed? Amuro asked himself. It couldn't possibly be Char, no way. Nor was it Lalah, he happens to know she's gone in a better place than this world already. In that brief flash of Newtype clairvoyance, he had resolved that the feeling he felt...was something even more powerful, something even more intense...
Former Federal Forces and now Kalaba Lieutenant Senior Grade Amuro Ray just looked at his green Rick Dias and sighed. His thoughts had slowly drifted off into what had happened these past years that he's been away from action...
---
As its defense, the Angel generated for itself a "shield" of its own; it looked almost like a flat hexagonal board of light that suddenly appeared in front of the Angel and had stopped the Evangelion as it advanced towards it with its mighty and terrible howl and unstoppable ferocity.
Misato: An A.T. field?!
Ritsuko: So the Angels can generate A.T. fields of their own, too! The Eva can't possibly approach it as long as the Angel has that A.T. field up!
To almost everyone's surprise, the Eva restored its right wrist as if it were rubber and started to resume its charge against the Angel, deploying its own A.T. field, thus neutralizing the Angel's A.T. field and forcing it open, leaving Misato gagged for the rest of the moment.
The Angel fired a pair of beam energy bursts from its hollow eyes, but the Eva simply crossed its forearms and successfully deflected the attack, sending the Angel flying to a nearby building and crashed into it. Using other buildings as its pedestal, the Eva jumped up quite high and landed upon the Angel with full force.
The Eva started to pound on the red sphere located somewhere in the Angel's "abdomen", and seeing this was a viable threat to its life, the Angel wrapped itself around the Eva, and a few seconds later, sacrificed itself by exploding. Misato, Ritsuko, and the other people at the Nerv HQ control room were just awed at what had just happened; they could not believe it all transpired in just a matter of minutes.
The battle-hardened Evangelion Unit-01 walked through the flames that the Angel's explosion had caused. It was such a sight to see that the Eva was still standing after all that had happened.
Maya: Life signs confirmed for both Unit-01 and pilot! Dispatching retrieval units! Contacting emergency crews--!!
---
Shinji found himself in a hospital bed. As the gentle wind from an open window blew at his face, he rose up, wondering what in the world had happened to him...whether it was all a dream or not.
---
The pitch-black room was only lit with the faint lamps that shone under their faces. This committee of five German elders and one middle-aged Japanese man were seated in a long, rectangular table and were discussing things that are not most likely to be publicly disclosed. Kiel Lorenz, the most elderly of the six and most probably this committee's leader, seated adjacently to the Japanese person on the other end of the table, looked up from his laptop computer and looked at him through some kind of weird, narrow eyeglasses.
Kiel: Herr Ikari...this committee would like to point out to you that if you might use the Evangelions more...efficiently, if you will.
Man 1: We've seen that you have almost destroyed Unit-01 on her maiden campaign. The repair bills will be so much of concern for us as it will definitely cost us more than what we have bargained for!
Man 2: Herr Ikari, you must remember your primary obligations so as not to bankrupt this Committee so easily just as you have done!
Man 3: Nerv and the Eva's are not your only concerns!
Kiel: You must understand, Herr Ikari, that our goal of accomplishing the Human Instrumentality Project is, above anything else, representative of our greatest hopes in these desperate times! Where are your priorities?
Gendo: I understand...
Kiel: In any case, anything that will force a delay in the I.P. schedule that is attributable to the second coming of the Angels cannot and WILL not be allowed. Your budget requests will be considered, Herr Ikari.
Man 4: Now, how is the Intel Op progressing?
Gendo: No need for concern...that matter has already been dealt with.
---
Gendo's son wandered around the hospital. His mind was doing a little wandering around as well; he thought deep and hard if he just imagined what happened to him or not. He shook his head as images of his best friend clad in black leather whipping him real bad started coming back to him; he would never ever want to see Asuka like that. It was just too horrible a thought for him altogether.
His thoughts wandered over to that TV report that he saw earlier as he was walking around in that hospital...it told nothing of the Eva's or the Angel whatsoever. He wondered if it was all a bad dream, whether he had piloted the Eva or not.
Then he saw that girl--her name was Rei, wasn't it?--being wheeled away yet again in a hospital bed. Their gazes meet for just a fleeting moment, then as if from out of nowhere, his father came to her. It seemed to him as if Gendo was asking Rei something...and then Gendo's eyes rolled over to Shinji's. They stared at each other for a minute or so, then Gendo turned around and walked away, with Rei's doctors wheeling her bed away with her. Shinji could do nothing but just stand there watching his dad walk away just like that.
Misato: (shaking her head) Tsk, tsk...he couldn't even say "thank you" to his son...makes me wonder sometimes why he summoned you here to Tokyo in the first place, Shinji...
Shinji: (turning around) Misato...?
Misato: (smiling) Hi there! Just came over to pick you up, you know. You should know I'm glad you're feeling good right now. Nerv HQ gave me instructions to inform you that you will be, from now on, living there with your father. Is that okay with you?
Shinji: (sighs) Sure...but still...I don't know if it's okay with him. I don't think he wants me around anyway...I'll just be living alone. Now if you will excuse me, Misato...
Misato: Oh, come on, don't be silly! Parents and children naturally live together--well, unless you're married now, that is, but I have doubts that you are, but still--
Shinji: (louder tone) Didn't I tell you to please leave me alone, Misato? It's none of your business anyway!
Misato: H...hey!! What's with THAT tone of voice? I'm just concerned for you, that's all--
Shinji: (shouting) Don't you have enough to worry about?!
The 29-year-old Nerv tactician raised her eyebrow and was sure that last comment from the boy was quite the last straw for her. She trembled as she reached over to her cellphone and leered at Shinji, which was making him quite a bit nervous now.
Misato: ...you got a problem with me, boy? I'll fix that problem for you, if you don't mind...
Shinji: Uh...you wouldn't dare...
Misato: /Oh, hello, Ritsuko? Yeah, it's me. Shinji told me he's gonna live with me in my condo for a while soooo--/
Shinji: WHAT THE HELL ARE Y--?!
Misato: /Oh, don't worry too much about that, I'm not so desperate that I'd jump a child, you know. Just get me the proper approval from upstairs and everything will be fine. Shinji also said he'll be expecting his stuff immediately at my place, so just hurry it up, okay? Bye-bye Ri-chan!/ (turns off her cellphone)
Ritsuko: /Hey, wait up! Captain Katsuragi--!!/
Misato: There, that should do it! Let's get going, shall we?
Shinji: Y...you have GOT to be kidding! Who are you to decide what I'm to do?! And why the hell do I have to live with you in the first place?!
Misato: Will you SHUT UP ALREADY?!! (leers at Shinji) What part of "commanding officer" don't you understand?
Shinji was just so helpless at the moment. He's seen those eyes before...he could not ever forget that moment when Asuka...no, this can't be! Aaaargh!! He just screamed for help inwardly as Misato started to drag Shinji, who was just so paralyzed at Misato leering at him.
A few minutes later, Misato's car could be seen speeding off from the underground Nerv geofront into the surface. Misato was mentioning something about her and Shinji having a welcoming party for the boy as he was going to be her new roommate. Shinji didn't seem so enthusiastic as Misato was at the time and just looked out the window, depressed as he was. Misato just looked at him with much concern for him as she drove on...and had all of a sudden that they should take a little detour somewhere in the Tokyo highlands.
Misato parked her Sentra somewhere beside the road and invited Shinji to go see something, but the boy was still unexcited about it all.
Shinji: This doesn't look like a good site for a picnic...
Misato: Damn it, Shinji! You aren't a very cute kid, you know that?! I just wanna show you something! (looks at her watch) It's almost time...
And there truly was a sight to see as Shinji viewed the place where the Angel had attacked; there were buildings rising from the ground. In his whole life of living in Side 7, he had never seen something like this.
Shinji: Whoa...nobody ever told me Japan had this kind of technology...I mean, do you see that? Those buildings are just coming out of the ground like plants!
Misato: Well, Japan does have this kind of technology...at least it's just true for Tokyo. And they're not just any buildings...this is our patented "anti-Angel siege fortress"...*our* city! No, it's more than that...it's the city *you* defended!
That made Shinji gasp in surprise as Misato's comment struck him through the heart.
Shinji: B...b-but...I...I didn't really...I didn't really do it because it was for mankind or for that girl's sake or anything...it wasn't anything selfless like that...
Misato: I know...but no matter what your motives were, you did quite well. You should have more confidence in yourself.
Tears started to stream down Shinji's face. It wasn't until Shinji started sobbing that Misato turned around and tried to console with him.
Misato: Shinji? Oh, dear--hey...d-did I say something wrong?
Shinji: (sobbing and wiping his tears off) N...no...it's just that...Misato, I...I just wanted to hear those words...from him...
The sunset made a silhouette of the pair as they looked on at Tokyo's magnificence. Soon enough, Misato drove Shinji back to her condo as darkness started to set in and totally swallowed the sky.
To be continued
---
Hi again, kids. Well, as of this typing, it's 11:00 AM of April 23, 2001 and I'm feeling just a bit okay (I guess). I'm also thinking of a lot of other things at the moment, mostly if I will ever finish college in time and if I'll ever get out of this daily cycle of life called "unemployment". Not that you or anyone who's care to do an MST'ing of this fanfic would care anyway, I just thought that I'd tell you.
Well, what of Chapters 5 and 6? I'm thinking of finally having to mix in the two series, Neon Genesis Evangelion and Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam and just get on with the story. Some people in the Gundam Mailing List (gundam@aeug.org) are suggesting a lot of things for this fanfic and frankly I'm VERY MUCH THANKFUL FOR ALL OF YOU WHO HELPED ME. And for all of you who didn't, well...I'd have to thank you too as well. It's okay, really. ;)
Again, C&C's are welcome, NO FLAMES PLEASE.
Till next episode, "you'll see the tears of time."....
P.S. I would just like to take this time to thank the few humble people
who were responsible in the help of making this fic in its most presentable
form:
- Mrs. Cindy Genato (cindygenato@cheerful.com) for volunteering to beta-read
this piece of trash for me. Thanks be to you, old friend! Regards to your
husband, by the way! :p
- Jean Pierre Domingo (kaiser_reinhardt@yahoo.com), my college schoolmate and
the bestest friend anyone could ever have. He's the one responsible for
getting me into Gundam in the first place (and learning that Gundam Wing
ISN'T the only Gundam series out there worth watching...if ever Gundam Wing
*is* worth watching at all...UH-UH, no flames, please!
- Rachel Grey (elfbard@iprimus.com.au), my one and only sweet and loving
(and lovely!) girlfriend, who's also an Evangelion otaku like I am and
who has been more than an inspiration for me to make this fic. She's
also helped in some parts of the fic. Honey, I love you more than you
will ever know and I just hope someday that we'll finally meet. :)
- Those people from the Gundam Mailing List (gundam@aeug.org) who helped me
through their wonderful suggestions to me. More power to all of you in your
dealings with mankind and such. I bid thee and thine good tidings.
- Gainax and Bandai for producing such spectacular anime mecha series such
as Neon Genesis Evangelion and Mobile Suit Gundam. Thanks be to you, folks.
And last, but not the least:
- I would like to thank you, dear reader, for taking the time to read my
work. I really appreciate it and hope by your reading of this, it will give
me more inspiration to write some more.
(Author's note: The Zeon's MS-06 Zaku II and the Titans'/Federation's RMS-106 Zaku II [actually the RMS-106's model name should be "Hizack" instead of "Zaku II" but I intended it to be named that way for personal reasons] are both of essentially the same design but the latter was further customized for Federation use and was therefore the most commonly mass-produced Federation mobile suit by U.C. 0087.)
Anaheim Electronics was renowned for the construction of the Gundam RX78-GP03 Physalis in Universal Century 0083--an obvious violation of the Adelaide Treaty which banned the use of nuclear weapons in warfare--and was much more made infamous through their apparent taking of sides in favor of the AEUG this U.C. 0087.
The Agama crew stayed at La Vie En Rose for less than a day and as soon as they had themselves resupplied, soon left to make way for Side 1. Inside the Agama, however, one Camille Vidan was still despondent over what had happened during the few days he had been with the AEUG. He just could not believe his mother would die just like that...not that it mattered anyway, now that he thought of it. Emma, now wearing her trademark green AEUG uniform (Author: not that the AEUG had a standard uniform anyway...) signifying her unconditional defection to the group, approaches Camille and tries to have a conversation with him.
********************
A Mobile Suit Gundam / Neon Genesis Evangelion crossover
written by Lloyd Barrieses (kachiko00@yahoo.com)
Mobile Suit Gundam (c)1978 Yoshiyuki Tomino/Bandai/Sunrise.
Neon Genesis Evangelion (c)1996 Gainax/Project Eva./TV Tokyo/NAS.
All rights reserved.
This fanfiction owned and authored by Lloyd Barrieses. Any attempt to
steal this fic (i.e. putting your name in the credits) shall be met with
appropriate punishments such as watching "Annie" all day or have Akane
Tendo or Miaka Yuuki cook for the thief responsible for a WHOLE YEAR.
heh heh heh. I'm serious, folks.
********************
[Act 2]
Episode 3, "The Dark Side of the Moon / To the Earth Sphere"
-------------------
Emma: Hey, Camille? You okay?
Camille: ...mm, huh? Oh, it's you, Miss Emma...
Emma: (raises her eyebrows) What do you mean, "Oh, it's you, Miss Emma..."? Hey, don't look all so melancholy like that! Come on, cheer up. You can tell me what the matter is, hmm?
Camille: Well...it's just that I was thinking about my parents again. Now that I think of it, they haven't really been so good to me for most of my life: they'd rather be with their jobs than shed just a *little* bit of their time with me. Somehow, I don't feel remorse as to why my mother died. One of your buddies--his name was Jerid Mesa, right?--had told me while I was detained back there in your ship not to be so attached to my mother as it would make me look like a baby. (sighs) I guess when he shot that life-support capsule, he was just doing his duty as a soldier on the battlefield...
Emma: Camille... (pats his shoulder) You know, that sounds pretty deep coming from you. I had expected you to take all of this so mournfully but...I guess I was wrong. Heh, you must be expecting me to tell you this, but I've known people who have the same situation as you are.
Camille: (snicker) That's very comforting to know...how can you know what I feel? You used to be with those fricking Titans...
Quattro: It sometimes helps to trust people for what they have got inside, Camille.
Emma: (a bit surprised at Quattro's sudden appearance behind them) Ah, Lieutenant! You were listening in on us...?
Quattro: I...was just passing by, Lieutenant.
Camille and Emma exchange doubting looks for a moment and face the still stern-looking blonde AEUG high officer with sunglasses. Quattro sits down with them and continues on their conversation.
Quattro: Camille, do you know who the "Red Comet" Char Aznable is?
Camille: Of course I know who Char Aznable is, you think I'm that dumb? He fought alongside the Zeon in the One-Year War and sought revenge against the family who took the Duchy of Zeon away from his own family, the Zabi's. I had always thought he was a fool to be risking his life just for revenge...
Quattro: Exactly my point, Camille. You and Char have similar destinies, but in the Red Comet's case, he had to reconstruct what the Zabi family had destroyed...he had to continue his noble father's dream of creating a future for all spacenoids and earthnoids to live in...
Camille: ...whatever. (looks away from the both of them and into space again) But then even though they are what they are, they're still my parents and I'd feel sad if any one of them...well, you know.
Emma: (trying to change subjects) *ahem*, Lieutenant Quattro, why are we headed to Side 1 anyway?
Quattro: (taken slightly aback at Emma's question) Hm. Now that you've mentioned it, it would probably be best if you'd ask the Commander himself. I had only heard just twenty minutes ago that we were to head to Side 1 and never even bothered to ask Commander Brex about it. I would guess, however, judging from the route we're taking, Side 1 is one of the shortest routes back to Earth and into the Federation base at Jabrow.
Emma: I see...ummm, Camille, I've heard you were designing a new mobile suit model? Is this true?
Camille: Y...yeah, more or less. What's it to you anyway?
Quattro: Well, can we see it?
Camille: (shrugs) Well, it wouldn't hurt anyone if I did, right? Let's go to Mr. Astonage's computer and let's see what I've done so far. I think you'd be pretty interested...
Emma: Heh heh, I'd want to see it already! Well, if you had engineered the new design yourself then it would be much more interesting to see, in my opinion. Remember, I've seen your records showing what you've done back in Green Noah 1 and I did say they were pretty much outstanding coming from a boy like you.
Camille: (lightly blushing) Ah...thank you, Miss Emma...
Emma: Naah, but don't go thinking I'm interested in you or anything. I was just complementing your achievements. Besides, I'd like older guys than you! (winks at Camille and nudges him with her elbow)
Camille: Errr...ahem. Well, if that's so...then I'd also like to tell you I don't like old sourpusses like you in the first place. Heh heh heh...
Emma: Ack...you called me a sourpuss? Why you...! (noogies Camille in a friendly way)
Camille, Emma, and Quattro soon head off to the computer of the Agama's head mechanic, Astonage Medosso. Camille shows the two the blueprints of the mechanics and specifics of the mobile suit he designed on Astonage's computer: it had a radical, tapered design and had some of the capabilities and features of the Gundam Mark-II (strengthened armor) and the Rick Dias (exceptional mobility and agility). One of its features was also the capability to transform into a mobile armor that looked like a slightly large jet fighter. Camille had named this new proposed design of mobile suit the MSZ-006 "Zeta" Gundam.
Emma: Interesting...I wonder how it will fare in real-time battles?
Quattro: I'd reckon it would be much useful for the AEUG and would give us an edge over the Titans. However, this "Zeta" is at its prototype stages so we should just observe how it would work first before adding any improvements into it. Camille, I'm afraid you've done a wonderful achievement again.
Camille: Thank you...I guess...
Astonage: Ah, if it isn't our beloved Picasso, Mr. Camille Vidan. Doing another one of your masterpieces on my comp again? Tsk tsk, you should be asking permission from me first but, oh well. I'd think you were such a gifted child, it's almost like you're a Newtype or something. The Zeta truly *is* an extraordinary mobile suit in its time--
Camille: (leers at Astonage who happens to be behind them) Astonage, you don't have to yell it to the whole world. I didn't like it when you guys took me into your ranks just because you suspect I'm a Newtype and I did something commendable in my past, so could you at least please keep it down?
Astonage: (shrugs) All right, since you asked so nicely anyway. Lieutenant Quattro sir, it seems that I'm having some difficulties studying the mechanics of the Mark-II, since Titan mobile suit design is so much complicated than ours. I had suggested to the Commander that we should at least just use only one Mark-II and use the other two as spare parts if ever Unit-03 should need repairs.
Quattro: Well, just do your best, Mr. Astonage.
Astonage: Thank you, sir...
Quattro: Oh, by the way. Is the coffee mixer in the Commander's fixed already? I see you're drinking some fine espresso there...
Astonage: Ah, it was nothing that I couldn't fix. Heh, now we can get to try that new batch of cappuccino that the guys back in the engineering department have brought in two days ago...oh, Chief Petty Officer Reccoa Londo wants to see you, sir. It's about that thing regarding our journey to Jabrow...
Quattro: Hmm, I was right about that Jabrow thing. She can see me anytime she wants.
Camille: (raises an eyebrow and thinks) This Reccoa...is she Lieutenant Quattro's...? (saves his work and takes his diskette away from Astonage's computer) I'll be in my room if any of you need me, all right?
Emma: Okay, just don't make a big deal of the AEUG wanting to use your abilities as a Newtype--
Camille: Gaah, didn't I just tell you guys--ah, never mind! I'm off! (storms off towards his room and unknowingly shoves off a pretty woman in her twenties with short red hair who was just outside the room they were in)
Reccoa: What the...what's *his* problem?
Emma: (shrug) Dunno...
Quattro: What is it you wanted to see me about, Officer Reccoa?
Reccoa: (reads from her clipboard) Lieutenant, it's this Jabrow infiltration operation that we've devised...
---
Back in the Alexandria, however, there was much of the same planning and tactics going on in defeating the AEUG...or maybe not.
Jerid: Goddamn it, woman! I am so sick and tired of your insults! As a Titan, I won't take any more criticisms from a mere Federal Forces pilot like you! Bah!
Lyla: Hmph. I can't help it if you're such a wimp *and* an amateur, Lieutenant j.g. (Author: "j.g." means junior grade) Jerid Mesa. Obviously you've only been trained in piloting a mobile suit in Earth so you're not so used in dogfighting in space...and that's why you were so badly beaten by that AEUG boy last time. Heh, talk about pathetic...
Jerid: Why you frickin' bitch...!
Jerid tried to punch Lyla's lights out, but since they were in a zero-gravity lounge in the Alexandria, Lyla easily dodged Jerid's attack and captured him with a hammerlock and shoved his face forcefully into the floor. A little too forcefully, to be exact, much to the amusement of Lyla's fellow Federal Forces soldiers who happened to be in the room as well.
Lyla: See, you couldn't even stand up to a poor little..."frickin' bitch" like me! I couldn't believe you would be such a loser, I'm wondering why you got into the Earth Federation--or even the Titans--in the first place! Damn!
Jerid: S...sshhhit...
Interrupting this brief lover's quarrel, Titans Lieutenant j.g. Kirkricon Kirkler who just came into the room they were in, tried to peel off Lyla from Jerid.
Kirkricon: Would you two knock it off? Try to reserve that energy for the AEUG next time we make a sortie, okay? Sergeant Jamaican wants an officers' meeting in the bridge a.s.a.p. Haven't you ladies heard the announcement on the P.A.?
Lyla: (releasing her grip on Jerid) All right. Let's go to the bridge immediately. I'll deal with you later, Jerid.
Jerid: (rubbing his chin) Yeah, whatever...
---
In the bridge of the Alexandria, a thin-faced Titans officer with a thick moustache and neatly-combed hair by the name of Corps Sergeant 1st Class Jamaican Danningan was briefing Jerid, Lyla, Kirkricon, and a few other Federal Forces and Titans mobile suit pilots on hand in the Alexandria that the AEUG flagship Agama, its supply ship the Mont Blanc, and their faithful and few mini-battleship escorts, were sighted to have been making way for either Side 1, Side 2, or the moon.
Jamaican: Judging from the route they're taking, it also seems that the AEUG is headed for Earth and into our base in Jabrow, South America. We have resolved that the AEUG would make its first assault on Jabrow just like what the Zeon attempted to do seven years ago. Our plan is to ambush the AEUG as they leave the turning point on one of the colonies at either Side 1, Side 2, or the moon, since our battleships and your Zaku's would easily hide themselves in a small asteroid belt just outside our abandoned large asteroid base Fifth Luna. Is that understood?
Lyla: I'd think it's a pretty good plan, Sergeant. But why should I be assigned to lead an assault force with an *amateur* in my ranks? (stares at Jerid coldly, who was gritting his teeth in anger) I'd think it would be better if--
Jamaican: Lieutenant j.g. Lyla Mira Lyla, the Titans' authority would stand above the Federal Forces authority in these situations so even if I could, I would not grant your request for the reason that you *are* from the Federal Forces. It's Colonel Bosque Ohm's orders and I cannot possibly break his chain of command.
Lyla: (shrugs) I understand, sir. When are we to take our positions in Fifth Luna?
---
Reccoa: ...and that is the plan, sir.
Quattro: I see. Well, I think I better leave you two here because I...sense you two ladies have something to talk about and I have to see the Commander about this. See you both later, ladies.
Reccoa: Yeah...
Emma: Yes sir... (sighs as she sees Quattro walk away towards the Agama's bridge) Well, that was a neat gesture...he's got that regal air with him, you know? He's got a real cute butt too...
Reccoa: Uh huh...I'd agree with you on the "cute" part, though...well, I also came to tell you to umm...please take care of my orchids for me while I'm at Jabrow, okay Emma? Pretty please?
Emma: Hmm...well okay, it's not a big deal for me anyway, at least I have something extra to do than just bum around in the Agama. Besides, I love flowers too, you know.
Reccoa: Really? How interesting!
---
Unknown to the two women, their little girl talk was being monitored at the bridge. Brex and Henken listened to every word the two women would say.
Brex: Okay, now whose bright idea was it to listen in to all this girl talk anyway, Henken? I'm getting all sleepy now!
Henken: Uhh... (looking guilty and beet-red) Commander...it's just that I uh...it's Emma I'm...you know...
Brex: (blinks and shakes his head) Never mind, Henken. Well, she *is* just fresh from her resignation from the Titans and we still can't fully trust her, so this might be--oh, Camille, what a surprise! I thought you were sleeping in your room? You'll need your rest, don't you know that?
Camille: (brushing off something from his eye and scratching his head) Commander Brex, it's just that I was kinda bored so I told myself, oh what the heck, and I went around for a little trip around the Agama for a while.
Brex: I see. Why don't you sit down for a while? We have some snacks on the fridge on the back if you're hungry...
Camille: Eh heh heh, thank you sir. (sits down somewhere on the bridge room and munches on a Twinkie) (thinking) Hmm...I thought they never made Twinkies anymore...
Emma: /...so you're saying that 30 Bunch, that colony in Side 3...we--I mean the Titans--pumped G3 nerve gas into it and killed 3 million innocent inhabitants within the colony? Impossible, G3 was outlawed even before the One-Year War!/
Reccoa: /But it *is* true, Emma. The Titans have so mercilessly killed off 30 Bunch just because it wouldn't comply with Federation rules and regulations...and there was an ongoing AEUG demonstration in the colony./
As Reccoa went on with the story, Brex and Henken exchanged looks and looked like they weren't so surprised at this, but Camille's face showed otherwise. He was thinking, so it's not only when they killed his mother that the Titans have proven themselves so be a bunch of white trash, but also exterminating a whole colony! How horrible must it have been...
Camille: How horrible must it have been...for those poor innocent people...
Brex: It truly is, Camille. Haven't I told you the story about 30 Bunch a long while ago?
Camille: You have, sir...but not in this much detail...
Brex: It's better that Emma knows about it too. Even though she came from the Titans, I would wish that Lieutenant j.g. Emma Sheen would stay with us for good because, seeing her performance in the simulator and in actual combat, she would be an excellent addition to the AEUG. Camille, a war is about to simmer and we'll need a few good men to push our noble cause across...
---
A few hours later, the Agama's navigator, Torres, informs Brex that they will arrive at Side 1 in a matter of minutes...
Torres: ...so I think we should be prepared if any ambush operations by the Titans should arise, sir.
Brex: Right. Lieutenants Quattro in the red Rick Dias and Apolli and Roberto in their own black Rick Diases should be launching by now to escort the Agama and the Mont Blanc and defend it against possible enemy fire. Another horde of GM-II's from the Mont Blanc should cover us and take escort to our dropship with Officer Reccoa Londo inside, but we should still be prepared for what the Titans possibly have prepared for us. They might strike either the Agama or Reccoa as she enters Earth's atmosphere and into the Federal Forces' base at Jabrow.
Camille: How about me?
Brex: You may have to stand by in the Mk-II Unit-03. We may need some backup. (looks at Camille inquisitively) Are you ready for battle, Camille?
Camille: I'd swear if my dad will be ambushing us, I'll be the one to kill him.
Brex: You'd kill your own father?
Camille: This is war...
Brex: (pausing for a moment) I admire your courage. Son, you remind me of someone...but enough of that, get ready to scramble. Lieutenant Emma's out there with a lot of our crew guiding the Agama and very vulnerable so you should be keeping watch over her. Be careful.
Camille: Yes sir. (turns around as he heads off to the mobile suit dock) Oh...and sir, I wouldn't be surprised if everybody on this ship, even you, would be reminded of that someone you mentioned just now. That someone would be the guy who helped the Federation win the One-Year War...that very same Amuro Ray, am I right, sir? I'll be off now...
The old AEUG leader just leaned back on his chair and sighed. He thought deeply about what the AEUG had gotten itself into...and much more. "Camille...that boy...he truly is a Newtype...the second coming of Amuro Ray, even...I just couldn't believe his Newtype ability would be that strong as he read what my thoughts were exactly just now..."
Henken: She surely is good, isn't she, sir? I mean, she warned us of incoming space debris and stray asteroids and all that, and she's good at guiding our ship into safety...
Brex: Hmm? Ah, is it Emma again? Egads, man, you really have taken a liking for that girl haven't you?
Henken: Well...you might say that, sir. Heh heh...
Brex: I'm not surprised. Her expertise in military operations comes from her being a former Titan, and on top of that, she's...pretty attractive too. I'm sure my dead wife would agree with me on that...Jesus, I wonder if those Titans would ambush us...
Henken: I would have to take to that affirmatively, sir. We really are in such a vulnerable position right now as Sides 1 and 2 are neutral, and what's more, there's an asteroid belt just outside Fifth Luna where Titans mobile suits could hide and possibly strike from either a distance or come to us unnoticed.
Brex: And *that's* why I told our men to be cautious at all times. Much more with Reccoa, I'm especially worried for her, she just came to the AEUG this past month...
---
Lyla Mira Lyla fidgeted inside the cockpit of her Galbaldy-Beta.
And usually when she fidgets, she's getting really impatient.
Lyla: Where *are* those stinking AEUG assholes?! I thought they were gonna come here!
The captain of the Bosnia, the main support ship for the Alexandria, spoke to the irate Federal Forces ace through a two-way radio that was being plagued by static.
Captain: Ma'am, uh...maybe if we'd split up into groups and catch them from behind?
Lyla: That's exactly what I'm planning to do! All right troops, let's split up into two. Jerid and I will stay here with the Alexandria and half of our troops. A decoy assault force of GM's led by Kirkricon will have to go ahead of us and take the Agama from behind. They will have to go around Side 1 and hit the AEUG from their blind side. Clear?
Kirkricon: All right, let's MOVE it!!
Kirkricon's Zaku II led the way for his small GM army and take the AEUG from around Side 1. Jerid wiped the sweat off his brow as he anticipated for the right time to ambush the small AEUG fleet, but had much confidence in him as he set his goal on tanning Camille's hide so bad.
Lyla: Well, now that I've taught you the basics of space battle maybe now you could manage for yourself when you fight that boy again, right?
Jerid: Yeah, yeah. I guess so. That pain and suffering you had me go through a few hours earlier weren't for nothing, ya know.
Lyla: Good. Now we wait...
Just as she said those words, the captain of the Bosnia radioed Lyla and Jerid that the Agama and the Mont Blanc were just about six to seven kilometers away from the asteroid belt they were in right now.
Lyla: That's just fine. Let's move out, Jerid.
Jerid: Yeah...I'll teach that boy some lessons in manhood he'll never forget...
And so Lyla's Galbaldy-Beta, Jerid's Zaku II, the Alexandria, the Bosnia, and a small horde of GM's moved out from their positions and carefully and slowly paced through the asteroid belt, avoiding any stray asteroids that would come by their way. It would now have to be a pincer attack, Lyla thought.
Lyla: (thinking) Geez, if it were not for Sergeant Jamaican I would have...never mind. I'll show these Titans jocks what it means to be a Federal Forces soldier. Hmm...I just hope that red mobile suit doesn't come out and hit on me again...he's almost like the Red Comet for crying out loud...but he's not really *that* unstoppable now, is he?
---
Camille: You sure you gonna be all right?
Reccoa: Yeah. Just pray I don't get jet lag when I get to Earth, okay? Besides... (pats Camille's shoulder) ...I've got my little toy gun with me to protect myself with. (shows him a caliber .45 pistol) And try not to be too abrasive next time, hmm? I'll see you on Earth, Camille. Oh, you better get into your Gundam now, we're about to launch, remember?
The blue-haired boy almost blushed the moment Reccoa tapped his shoulder. They both waved at each other as Reccoa closed her dropship's airlock and prepared for launch. "She really is cute when she smiles like that," he thought, and soon dismissed the idea as he moaned at a vision of him getting beaten to a pulp by his own girlfriend Fa. "Gee whiz..."
Everybody in the Agama was scurrying here and there in preparing Camille's Gundam Mk-II Unit-03 for launch as escort for Reccoa's dropship which was headed for Earth. "I dunno what the Commander's thinking, but I guess following the footsteps of the White Base would be a good idea..."
Indeed, AEUG Supreme Commander Brex Forra was patterning itself after the strategy of the former White Base captain, Bright Noah. More or less, it was some kind of a decoy operation that would lead the Titans to think that the Agama would enter Earth in a vulnerable position. Instead, the small AEUG fleet would serve as cover for Reccoa Londo as she would enter Earth's orbit unnoticed and infiltrate Jabrow Base, one of the strongholds of the Earth federation, now reportedly being made a mere weapons supply base for the Titans.
Camille zipped up his jumpsuit and put on his helmet as he boarded the Mk-II Unit-03. In a matter of minutes, after flipping some switches and stuff, the Agama launched Camille's Gundam into space along with Reccoa's dropship.
And in just a few more minutes, shots from beam rifles were all over the place; the Titans had started attacking them. Quattro, Apolli, Roberto, and their small horde of GM-II's retaliated. "This is going to be a long day," Camille thought, panting.
---
Somewhere in a colony in Side 7, two 14-year old children paused for a moment from packing their bags. One of them, a pretty girl with semi-long reddish-brown hair, probably of mixed German and Japanese descent, looked around the room they were in, her eyebrows meeting and her eyes squinting. Her male partner with short black hair, obviously of Japanese descent, was doing the same thing too.
Their heads felt a little like...buoyant, like they were free to do just about anything and go almost anywhere. It was like a feeling of nirvana all of a sudden.
girl: There's that..."feeling" again, Shinji. It's almost like...
Shinji: It can't be, Asuka. It can't possibly be Amuro Ray again...
Asuka: Well, if it isn't, who could that be, baka? Couldn't possibly be the Red Comet! I'd think he's pretty gone now, after seven years and all that...
Shinji: No...it's something else...something...different...
The two children just stared at each other, then continued packing their bags.
---
This little skirmish between a small fraction of the Titans forces and *the* small army of the AEUG itself had ensued for almost an hour now. Quattro, Apolli, and Roberto were shooting down Titans GM's like easy paper targets; but even though they were having a hard time standing up against the AEUG, Lyla, Jerid, and Kirkricon were slowly making their own kills as well among the ranks of the AEUG's small horde of GM-II mobile suits.
The battle had nearly reached its climax when all six opposing mobile suits faced each other in a three-on-three duel. Jerid and Kirkricon were having a hard time fighting against Apolli and Roberto; but since Jerid had some last-minute training in space battle with Lyla earlier, he was more-or-less able to hold his own against the two AEUG lieutenants.
This wasn't to say the battlecruisers weren't involved in the fun, however; the Agama had decimated nearly one half of the Alexandria's Salamis-class support ships and many of the Titans' GM's and it looked like the battle was in the AEUG's favor, although there were also a few of the Agama's own Salamis-class support ships. Sergeant Jamaican was furious as he had lost a lot of mobile suits to the upstart AEUG whose size was only a fraction of the whole population of the Titans--the whole Federation fleet even.
Camille shot down any GM that might come near him and Reccoa's dropship. To his surprise, however, the Galbaldy-beta that was involved in the three-on-three duel had seemingly charged towards him. Camille stood his guard and did his best to defend Reccoa's dropship, which was now preparing for re-entry into Earth. Quattro's Rick Dias soon followed to add support for the small AEUG dropship but did not intefere with Camille's and Lyla's duel.
Lyla: (thinking) He fights like...yes, I'm sure it's that boy I'm fighting again!
Camille: It's that Galbaldy-beta again...looks like I'll have to fight harder this time, I've seen this one fight with Lieutenant Quattro once and I thought he had a pretty hard time with it...
Lyla got onto Camille's frequency and talked to him through the radio.
Lyla: /Is that you again, boy? Don't you ever learn?/
Camille: /What the...? How did you...? Never mind, I'll never let you stinking Titans away this time! After what you did at 30 Bunch, and my mother too.../
Lyla: /What do you mean, "what we did at 30 Bunch"?/
Camille: /You creeps killed off millions of innocent people in that colony with G3 nerve gas! And just because that colony was in Side 3 and had an ongoing AEUG demonstration, you Earthnoid Titan creeps had no discrimination whatsoever and just killed off millions of lives!/
Lyla: /What?! That's impossible! G3 was banned even before the One Year War! Colonel Bosque would never do such a thing! It's way too much like what the Zeon would do! That is far much worse than the biggest lie you AEUG scum would ever produce!/
Camille: /I don't care! You Earthnoids can all just go home and DIE!!/
The Gundam Mk-II Unit-03 starts slashing its way towards the maroon Galbaldy-beta with a beam saber. Lyla was surprised at this and barely dodges Camille's attack. Lyla felt for the handle of her own beam saber and went for the Gundam's head, to no avail. The two mobile suits soon clash "swords" and eventually Lyla's beam saber falls out of her grip, much to her misfortune. She quickly boosted away from Camille and felt for her bazooka. She soon fired at Camille, but it's as if the latter has disappeared from her crosshairs after she had fired.
Lyla: (thinking) My God, he's *fast*! He's almost like that red mobile suit...could he be...a Newtype? It's not impossible, I would have beaten him so easily if it were not...but still, I won't lose to a mere kid...
Back in the Alexandria, Sergeant Jamaican was watching all of this on a little TV screen. He was awed at the reflexes and agility that the AEUG's Gundam Mk-II was displaying against Lyla; he had further concluded that the Gundam's pilot was a Newtype, although he had believed Newtypes were just a myth at first.
Jerid was getting very worried for Lyla. Normally he wouldn't care less, but ever since she had quite effectively taught him a thing or two about battle tactics hours earlier, Jerid had looked up to Lyla as an important mentor, a surrogate big sister even. As he was fighting with the two black Rick Diases, he had managed to see Camille's and Lyla's fight on screen even if just a glimpse and further concluded that that boy from the AEUG has gotten better. He was also worried why Sergeant Jamaican hadn't sent in more reinforcements by now to help his female Federal Forces comrade.
Jerid: /Sergeant, why haven't you sent in more troops?! Lyla's getting eaten alive out there!/
Jamaican: (in a not-so-obvious worried tone) /Calm down, Lieutenant. We're just waiting for the Agama to be within range of the Alexandria's mega beam cannon. Besides, it'll look good on your records if we succeed in doing this./
Jerid: (thinking) I don't give a fuck about my personal records, I'm worried about Lyla!
Camille had some sort of an advantage; he and Lyla were fighting alongside a large abandoned vintage space station and he had managed to hide away from the Titan mobile suit in a very close call. He would have been space dust if he hadn't dodged that bazooka...anyway, he stayed in one corner of the space station and waited for the right time to attack when Lyla would pass overhead.
Lyla: /I know you're in here somewhere, boy...I won't fall so easily to a kid like you!/
And indeed, in a matter of seconds, Lyla passes over Camille without noticing him, signaling him to fire at the Galbaldy-beta with his beam rifle and catch Lyla off-guard. Lyla's mobile suit "tumbled" in space but soon caught its balance again and nearly got the Galbaldy-beta's head hit by the Gundam's vulcan guns had she not dodged the attack.
(Author's note: A mobile suit's "eyes" are actually cameras that help the pilot to "see" outside. The mobile suit's cockpit is actually near or at the "chest" of the MS itself.)
Lyla tried to retaliate with her spare beam saber but through a surge of Newtype force, Camille fired his beam rifle straight at the Galbaldy-beta's cockpit. Lyla felt her whole life passing before her as the shot from the beam rifle hit home and killed her instantly.
Lyla: (sighs with a peaceful smile on her face) Ahh...now I see it all...how could I have been so ignorant? These...Newtypes...really *are* the final stage in mankind's evolution...it's...all clear to me...now...
Jerid went haywire as he saw Camille's beam rifle shot blast through Lyla's cockpit. Had it not been for Kirkricon restraining him and the obvious odds of this battle in favor of the AEUG, he would have gone out and killed Camille himself. He cursed under his breath as he, Kirkricon, and what was left of the Titan and Federal Forces GM's retreated back to the Alexandria.
Jerid: Camille Vidan...I swear I'll kill you if it's the last thing I'll ever do...I WILL KILL YOU!!
---
Seeing that the Alexandria was retreating due to their obvious disadvantage and Reccoa Londo's re-entry into Earth was successful, the Agama soon made its way to Von Braun, a large city occupying almost half of the moon, to meet up with top AEUG officials and financiers.
Camille just curled up inside his room in the Agama and thought about the events of the day. He had never thought he would make such an action as to kill that lady Titans officer whose name Emma had told him was Lyla Mira Lyla, a Federal Forces ace pilot.
Camille: (thinking) Lyla...
Moments later, there was a knock on his door. There were two people looking for him behind it and it looks as if they were looking for him for hours now. The first one was now in his trademark dark sunglasses and red AEUG outfit while the other one was back in her own teal-green AEUG uniform.
Quattro: Could we talk with you, Camille?
Camille: (sounding pissed off) Just a second! I'm doing something here, okay!
Emma: What the hell...? Well, fine! Don't open the door, then!
Camille: (opening the door) What do you want?!
Quattro: Pipe down, Camille. We just want to ask you some questions regarding your battle with Lyla...
Camille: Just leave me alone, willya? I don't wanna answer any of your stupid questions...
Quattro: Hm. Well, sorry I asked anyway...
Emma: Oh, would you just leave me with him, Lieutenant? You're not getting anywhere with an attitude like that!
Quattro just shook his head and left the two of them. Emma shut the door behind her and faced Camille.
Camille: I'm surprised you don't have any escorts anymore like you usually had for the past couple of weeks.
Emma: *Well*, Einstein, if you didn't know by now, I'm now an AEUG officer. Lieutenant Commander Quattro and I just came here to congratulate you on your first kill as far as your standing here in the AEUG is concerned...and to ask you if you felt anything during your fight with Lyla-sempai back there.
Camille: I see another Newtype stereotyping again...look, Miss Emma. Sorry to disappoint you but I didn't feel anything in that fight with Lyla! I was just too lucky to have beaten her like that!
The blue-haired boy just stormed out of his room and into the nearest elevator to his room in the Agama. Emma followed him quickly into the elevator and tried to converse with him some more.
Emma: Hey Camille, wait up! (pants a little as she enters the elevator to the docking bay) Camille, please don't deny the fact anymore that you're a Newtype. You know, you kinda remind me of Amuro Ray. You and him are similar in almost every aspect, except that he has slightly dark reddish-orange curly hair and he looks different from you. I happened to meet him on Earth two years ago when I ran out of gas in front of his home. He's actually a very quiet person if you get to meet him...
---
In the "comfort" of his guarded home in Cheyenne, Wyoming, in the United States, a 22-year old Federal Forces Reserve Officer named Lieutenant j.g. Amuro Ray sneezed. He could have sworn he didn't catch a cold that day...
Amuro: *sniff,sniff* Damn, I think somebody's talking about me...
---
Camille: Did he tell you his name?
Emma: No, but I found out soon after I met him, back at New York or somewhere else in the U.S....
As they went out the elevator, Camille soon led the way for him and Emma to do a routine check on their mobile suits. As ordered by Brex himself, Camille's Gundam was finally painted mostly white instead of the standard Titan color black. Without them noticing, Quattro followed behind and listened in to their discussion with a bugging device he had put somewhere near Emma and Camille.
Emma: ...so that's basically it. Personally, Lieutenant Commander Quattro was different from Amuro in a lot of ways, but somehow, they're a little bit alike. I'd also like to cite Amuro's extraordinary character as my inspiration in joining the AEUG's cause.
Camille: Emma, do you think someone in this ship...has a definite similarity in character as the "Red Comet" Char Aznable?
Emma: Y...yeah, but don't you think that's a bit too far-fetched? Besides, I never really thought of it that way.
Camille: (sighs) Then you've already met him.
Emma: Huh?
Camille: Oh, what I meant was uhh...if you'd want to meet him or not, that's it! Heh heh!
Emma: (leers and pouts at Camille) That's not what you said. You said I've already met him. Hmm...
At that very same moment, Quattro gulped and wiped the sweat off his brow.
Camille: (tries to look silly with a big sweatdrop on his head) I didn't say that!
---
In "ancient" times, man's first experience in setting foot on the moon, pioneered first by the Russians and then the Americans, spearheaded by astronauts such as John Glenn and Neil Armstrong, as it was just a mere small step for a man, was considered to be a giant leap for mankind indeed. Hundreds of years after, the space colonization program proposed by the Federated Union of Nations (once called the United Nations), or simply called the "Earth Federation", was proved to be very successful as there was almost no more room on the Earth for its growing human population. The moon was only the first of many proposed human habitations, one of which is now the most commonly accepted, the large cylindrical kilometers-long and wide satellite-like structures called "colonies", and clusters of these colonies were called "Sides".
Although there have been built seven of these Sides (one of which was completely destroyed due to the One Year War of U.C. 0079) for the convenience of mankind, some people still choose to live on the moon, though the moon (or almost 50% of it) was now considered to have been just largely a mobile suit factory...to the current Earth Federation's knowledge, that is. Little did the Federation know that Von Braun, the old city built on the moon, also houses their new thorn in the flesh since the Duchy of Zeon, the AEUG.
At this time, the Agama and its four Salamis support ships were ever so conveniently parked in a hidden hangar somewhere in Von Braun to undergo maintenance as AEUG Supreme Commander Brex Forra, Lieutenant Commander Quattro Bajina, and other top AEUG officials and financiers, the head of which was a stubble-chinned handsome Japanese man in his early thirties. The AEUG was having this meeting concerning the effective infiltration of the Federation base at Jabrow, South America at a fast-food joint somewhere in Von Braun named "McDaniel's".
(The AEUG had been informed to go to Von Braun prior to this meeting by a one of Quattro's friends, who was also a former Zeon spy, from Side 3 who came to the Agama as it headed out of Side 2 earlier.)
Brex: Well, I must say, I'm very thankful that you have gathered all of us here to talk about what we are to do in Jabrow, Ryouji Kaji-kun.
Kaji: Yes, well, where do we start? Ah, yes. Do you people have any questions regarding our plan?
Quattro: *ahem*. If we do land in Jabrow, which will be any time between now and the next 72 hours, what would be our major demands and actions? Wouldn't it be better if we capture Gryps first, *then* we capture Jabrow?
Kaji: That isn't really a very good idea. We don't know what Gryps is capable of, besides, the Federation won't be so much affected if we do capture it first. We will not really have any political or public support anyway because Gryps isn't under the Federation's jurisdiction. No one would really trust us anyway if we had a colony laser that large; we'd appear as just mere terrorists.
Quattro: Heh, you should have been a politician instead, Kaji-kun.
Kaji: (snicker) Yeah, right, Lieutenant Commander Char Aznable.
Quattro: Please don't call me by that name anymore, Kaji-kun.
Brex: How about one of our partners, the Kalaba Forces?
Kaji: Hmm. The Kalaba are still doing well but they need mobile suits.
Quattro: Well, Commander. Do you think we should help them?
Brex: I definitely think we should, Lieutenant.
All of a sudden there were sirens blaring; an intruder alert was imminent. The P.A. system announced it was a Titan attack on the Agama spearheaded by a maroon RMS-117 Galbaldy-beta and a dark green RMS-106 Zaku II. Brex and Quattro had little need for worry as they, anticipating a possible Titan surprise attack here in Von Braun, had prepared countermeasures. Camille (still piloting the Gundam Mk-II Unit-03), Emma (now piloting Quattro's red MSA-009 Rick Dias), Apolli, and Roberto (still in their own black Rick Diases) were now engaging in battle against a very angry Jerid (Galbaldy-beta), Kirkricon (Zaku II), and three slightly damaged RGC-80 GM Cannons. (Author: see note at the end of this text file.)
Jerid and Camille immediately recognize each other and the former hurriedly and madly charged against the Mk-II. Jerid was experiencing vehement rage against the boy in the Gundam for the death of Lyla. Applying what Lyla had taught him, Jerid had a bit of an edge over Camille this time, using hit-and-run tactics and the moon's surface to his advantage.
Jerid: /CAMILLE VIDAN!!!!! You're the fucking asshole who killed Lyla! I'll kill you with my very own hands, you little motherfucker!/
Camille: /J...Jerid Mesa?! YOU?! Are you trying to avenge Lyla's death?!/
Jerid: /Shut up!!/
Camille: /How would you like it if she found out you're doing this for revenge, you idiot?!/
Jerid: /FUCK YOU, CAMILLE VIDAN!!!!/
While Emma and the others were busy picking off Kirkricon and the three GM Cannons, Jerid and Camille were involved in their own battle and neither bothered to help their respective comrades. The two rivals were engaging into more heated battle as their mobile suits clashed in basic hand-to-hand combat at first, Camille eventually kicking the side of his opponent's head.
Jerid starts taking shots at Camille with his beam rifle but the latter suddenly "disappears" inside a large crater. A little while later, he makes the Mk-II jump, but he does this a little too hard on his boosters so it looks like he's flying over Jerid, who's looking a little surprised by the Mk-II's "flight".
Camille: (sounding very surprised and gasping) WOW! I didn't know I could make a jump *that* high!!
The Mk-II then starts taking shots at the Galbaldy-beta with its beam rifle, to no avail. Dodging Camille's shots, somehow in Jerid's case experience has proven to be superior over a Newtype's abilities. Camille lands on the crater again, this time Jerid hot on his trail. The two continue to fire at each other but both miss, depleting almost all of their beam rifle ammo. Camille makes an attempt to escape and climbs the crater, but Jerid catches up and kncoks the Gundam into the center of the crater again, pulling out his beam saber to finish off his opponent, which Camille blocks with his beam rifle, destroying it in the process.
Kirkricon, however, wasn't having much luck as the three AEUG pilots have managed to finish off his three GM Cannon companions in less than 30 minutes. Three against one was indeed an unfair fight, and the Titan lieutenant had no more choice than to escape.
Kirkricon: /Jerid, we have to fall back for now! We're dead meat if we go on like this!/
Jerid: /Say WHAT?! All of our GM Cannons were destroyed?!/
Kirkricon: /Yeah!! That's why I told you we should fall back, and I mean right NOW, Jerid!!/
Jerid: /Shit...I guess we'll meet again, Camille Vidan. Next time I won't go so easy on you.../
As a farewell gift, Jerid fires the last of his rockets at the Mk-II while keeping his distance, which took Camille by surprise as one of the rockets had destroyed the Mk-II's large shield. Camille chased after him with a beam saber but Jerid had already fled along with his companion Kirkricon. Emma soon catches up with Camille and helps him out of the crater.
Emma: You okay, Camille?
Camille: Yeah, that Jerid sure gave me a hard time back there...is he really that good when you were still with the Titans, Miss Emma?
Emma: Come to think of it, he fought differently than when I last saw him. More like how Lyla-sempai had fought in the old days...
Camille: How do you know about a mobile suit pilot's way of fighting?
Emma: Well, some people can actually determine another's way of fighting when in a dogfight. You know, you should be careful next time especially when you're fighting one-on-one. You might not be so lucky the next time you fight.
Camille: Uh huh...
---
Commander Brex and his motley AEUG crew soon leave after receiving word from observers just outside the moon that the whole Titan fleet which was so annoyingly pursuing them, seeing that their current forces were almost diminished to the point of vulnerability, had totally gone from even touching the moon's surface.
A day or two passes after that incident. Back at Earth, AEUG Petty Officer Reccoa Londo, who had apparently been escorted by a thin, average-looking silver-haired Reuters journalist Kai Shiden, one of the original crew of the infamous White Base of the One Year War and one, along with now Federal Forces Lieutenants Amuro Ray and Bright Noah and others, who has been hailed as the heroes of the One Year War, were making their way in a raft along the Amazon River in finding a secret entrance to the former Federal Forces base Jabrow in South America, now made a mere Titans weapons supply depot. Aside from the danger of being eaten alive by piranhas, Reccoa and Kai worried if there would be any more assaults on them like what they had so luckily fended off earlier.
Kai: You should be more careful next time, miss. I'm not used to these kinds of recon stuff anymore, you know?
Reccoa: Let's just get into Jabrow as soon as possible, Officer Kai Shiden, sir...
Kai: Ohh, you shouldn't be calling me that. As you can see I'm not with the Feddies anymore and... (shows her a moderately large ID) ...I'm with the media now.
Reccoa: Heh heh.
Kai: Gaah, why should we even be chatting now? Come on, I know a shortcut around here somewhere...geez, why do I always fall for cute redheads? I guess I'm such a sucker for ya cuties...
Reccoa: (blushing lightly) I...uh...well, I thank you for that compliment Mr. Kai. Heh heh... (looks up at a plane passing overhead them) You know, that has *got* to be like the fortieth time I've seen a plane pass overhead. Do you think they've been moving stuff around?
Kai: Hmm, I guess so...
Reccoa: Well, since it seems like they're moving out, where do you think the new Titan base will be?
Kai: Dunno actually, that's why I'm here to find out. Lucky I bumped into you...I immediately sensed you were from that AEUG thingy I've been hearing here and there...and speaking of the AEUG, I'd think you're here to spy on Jabrow too, am I correct?
Reccoa: Yeah, but I don't have much time.
Kai: Well, why don't you relay the info to your bosses at Jabrow itself? I think they have this really good laser transmitter there. But then, for now...we have to wait in these woods. Too risky after what those jerks way back there did to us...oh but I won't lay a hand on you or anything! I'm not that type of person, you know! Even though I said I liked cute redheads like you, I'd never...
Reccoa: (raises an eyebrow and wipes the sweat off her brow) Mmmhmm...Kai sir, I never thought you talked *way* too much...
---
The Agama was making its way to Amman, a small military asteroid base (which was named after a city in Jordan, a nation somewhere in the Middle East back in Earth) near Side 3 and home to Quattro. The AEUG stayed clear of Granada, a large Titan asteroid base just in close proximity to Side 3 and Amman itself and made it safely to Amman. Quattro, Brex, Henken, and Kaji were still on the Agama's bridge discussing their positions on the current situation.
Kaji: ...although I'd still think it's pretty ironic that Amman would be located *so* close to Granada.
Quattro: Yes, and it worries us a lot just thinking about it.
Brex: Lieutenant Quattro, is our new support battlecruiser "Radish" ready?
Quattro: I'd think so, sir. The new alloy should be helpful to compliment for the Mont Blanc's faults, as well as improving on the performance as compared to its fellow "Irish"-class cruisers.
Henken: And to think we were so lucky that the Feddies never found out we had customized an "Irish" to our own liking!
Kaji: Yes...the Federal Forces are mostly ignorant of spacenoid activities. Kind of like in the old days when the Europeans were very much ahead of the Americans in terms of technological advances. Well, that said, I'd think history really does repeat itself.
Camille soon caught up with them, with a tired Emma tagging along. Camille seems to be fidgeting around with a green basketball-sized metal sphere with two red dots that passed for "eyes" and a wide "mouth". The sphere seemed to be saying, "Hello, my name is Haro." in a split between a child's voice and a toy robot-like sort of voice.
Emma: (panting heavily) Sorry we're late, Sirs...
Quattro: You're late, Camille. What took you?
Kaji: Errr...Commander Brex, who's this...boy?
Brex: Oh, he's one of our pilots. Camille, this is--
Kaji: Camille, huh. Could you excuse me, sir? (gets in front of Camille) Hey, schoolboy. You're an AEUG pilot, right? Why in the world are you still playing with toys like that?
Camille: (leers at Kaji) Who the hell are YOU? And what's it to you if I'm fixing Haro here?! (drops Haro and attempts to kick Kaji's shin, but the latter dodges)
Kaji: Tsk, tsk. A little hot-headed, are we? (does a sweeping roundhouse kick and trips Camille over) You Newtype delinquent. With that attitude, I'd doubt if you'd even get through *half* of this war!
Camille: Shut up, man!
Kaji: I mean, look at you. You're even late for our meeting! A soldier...a mobile suit pilot...has to be punctual at all times, and with your being late today, you jeopardize your teammates' lives by...by playing around with your toys!
Camille: Why can't I fix Haro?! He might have some information about the White Base--
Kaji: See, you can't even get your priorities straight! Haro may have been Amuro Ray's companion in the duration of his stay in the White Base but that has no bearing on our mission! (does a swinging roundhouse kick to Camille's face and the latter is taken aback by the force)
Camille: (rising up and wiping the blood from his mouth) Ugh...I won't lose to you!
Kaji: Why are you so damn arrogant?! You won't even give an apology for being late! (continues to beat Camille to a pulp to the point of unconsciousness)
Quattro, Emma, and Brex could only watch as Kaji "whipped" the poor boy real good. Quattro stopped Emma as she attempted to stop beating up Camille, who had later woken up at an infirmary somewhere in the Agama.
Apolli: Well, well. It seems as if our little Boy Wonder is awake now...
Camille: (holding his head) Ughhh...what happened...?
Roberto: Heh, that's Ryouji Kaji for you, Camille. He may be a gentleman at times but he'd really hate to see anyone, especially one of our pilots, lazing around like what you did.
Quattro: How do you feel, Camille? (gives Haro to Camille)
Camille: Where the hell are we?
Quattro: We're docking here at Amman for a fly-by and we're about to leave in a few minutes. Our Granada spies tell us it's okay to go with the mission.
Camille: (sitting up and looking at Haro sourly) What the heck happened to this thing? It's...
Quattro: It's damaged beyond repair.
Emma meets Apolli and Roberto as they go out of the infirmary room. She catches Quattro and Camille having a conversation and promptly sits down on a couch in the room.
Camille: Some friends *you* are! Leaving me out there while Kaji was kicking my ass!
Quattro: You are now part of the AEUG, and with that, you are granted a very big responsibility--
Camille: Well, he's not even part of our struggle! What right does he have to beat me up like that?!
Quattro: Ryouji Kaji is a very important AEUG financier--
Camille: Hmph! Anything you say, Quattro...but I'm still not going on this mission!
Emma: (angrily) Now, now. Aren't you being so stubborn again, Camille? What has everyone on this ship been telling you? You *have* to fulfill your duties as a part of the AEUG! Don't you understand?
Quattro: Look, if you're going to be this way then fine. Just don't do it *now*. (storms out the room)
Emma: (sighs and turns her voice into a more calming tone) Camille, look...you're a very important pilot to us. Don't be so self-centered. You know, I think that's why Kaji had to "discipline" you back there. He couldn't tolerate the selfishness of most Earthnoids, but with the fact of you being a spacenoid would add to his prejudice and anger. Camille, just because you're the only kid around here doesn't mean you're all too privileged to do whatever you want...
Upon hearing those words, Camille drops Haro. As it was about to hit the ground, the light-green spherical robot bounced to its "feet" and maintained its balance.
Haro: /How do you do, Camille?/
---
Preparations were being made for the planned assault mission against the Titan base at Granada. Quattro briskly jumped out of the cockpit of his new gold-colored mobile suit, the MSN-00100 "Type 100" or the "Hyakushiki".
Quattro: I think she's pretty ready, boys. You boys better be careful of this mission and don't get mixed up at who or what you're shooting at. Why? Well, as you might well know by now, we have a few of our spies aboard Granada, that's why.
Apolli: Well, it can't really be helped...
Roberto: Is Camille coming along with us?
Quattro: Yes, Emma's taking care of it right now.
Apolli: Why do you think Kaji-san was so angry? He didn't have to beat up on the boy...
Quattro: That boy Camille was being an arrogant idiot.
The blonde AEUG lieutenant soon flew off in the Hyakushiki with Apolli and Roberto tagging behind, still with their black Rick Diases. As they flew out of the Agama and into Granada, a similar group of three Titans Zaku-II's holding guard near Granada detect them and inform the base of the arrival of the three AEUG mobile suits.
Kirkricon: /What the...? A new mobile suit model? Geez, the AEUG sure surprises me sometimes with their dirty tricks...men, tell Sergeant Jamaican to prepare for an invasion./
Titans officer A: /Lieutenant Kirkricon sir, the Alexandria tells us she's prepared for battle./
Kirkricon: /Good. I'll be expecting Jerid to come any moment now...I know he's been waiting for this moment to come. It's really devastating for us to lose pilots like Lyla; we can lose mobile suits but not pilots./
In the Alexandria's bridge, Jamaican recieves word that ten new RMS-108 Marasai mobile suits coming from none other than an Anaheim Electronics factory have arrived at Granada and were ready for launch into the Alexandria for their own utility. Jamaican rubbed his chin in wonder and asked his captain what Anaheim's been up to with giving them ten mobile suits and all.
Jamaican: Don't you think it's too suspicious?
Titans captain: Sir, I'd think they're AEUG sympathizers, sir.
Jamaican: Hmm. No wonder Colonel Bosque wanted Granada so badly...how's everything going so far? Where's Jerid Mesa?
Titans captain: Sir, he will be ready as soon as the Marasai come...
---
Soon enough, Camille caught up with the three AEUG aces in his Gundam Mk-II. He was scratching his head and wondering how did he get himself into this mess in the first place.
Camille: (thinking) Gee whiz...if Lieutenant Quattro had been so less convincing I never would have gone out like this! I don't feel like fighting with those Titan jerks today, dammit! Geez...the last thing I want right now is someone duping me to do something I don't wanna do...oh well, since I'm here now might as well get out there and fight...
Camille: /Hey guys, wait up!/
Quattro: /Hm? Oh, it's you. So you finally decided to make this show a quartet?/
Camille: /Yeah, whatever. So what's the plan anyway?/
Quattro: (sighing) /You haven't been listening to the briefing again, have you? Well, I'll just have to tell you once again. Our mission is to liberate this asteroid base Granada from the Titans and capture as much as we can, making it an AEUG military base./
Camille: /Couldn't we just use our spies here?/
Roberto: /Camille, that's not the point. We have to use brute force to get our point across to the Titans' thick heads--that we are serious and we will not back down any time soon. So, as a result of this, we might gain more supporters for the AEUG, both moral and financial. If you didn't know by now, there are a lot of people right now who hate the Titans more than ever./
Quattro then receives an OK signal from his communications link with the AEUG spies at Granada and the four AEUG mobile suits land on the Granada spacedock. Camille captures a Zaku-II while Quattro's wingmen threaten to blast through the bridge of a Federal Forces battlecruiser with missile guns. Quattro and Camille continue to fight outside of their mobile suits in zero-g environment with submachineguns alongside their fellow AEUG troops; killing many Titans soldiers on the way.
Back in Amman, Emma, in Quattro's old mobile suit, the red Rick Dias, and her small entourage of Nemo's were having small trouble with Kirkricon and his own small troop of Zaku-II's. Somehow, although they were quite a distance away from each other, Camille "felt" Emma's racing heartbeat as she tried desperately to pick off her former Titan comrades.
Camille: ...!!
Quattro: Something wrong, Camille?
Camille: Did you...feel that, Quattro?
Quattro: I didn't feel anything, Camille. Now let's go and make this thing snappy, shall we?
Camille: Right...
Quattro, Camille, and the rest of their AEUG comrades have soon successfully secured the Granada spacedock to the AEUG's favor, but Camille still feels the sensation of imminent danger in his head...another one of those buoyant feelings but nonetheless...there was heavy breathing...a woman's voice, a familiar one...Emma!
Quattro: ...there *is* something bothering you, Camille. Care to tell me?
Camille: (gulping) Quattro, I have a bad feeling Amman is being attacked...
The AEUG Lieutenant Commander had no doubt about it the moment he had heard those words from his young protege; he truly *is* a Newtype more powerful than even he, or Amuro...or even Lalah is. Why hadn't he sensed it earlier? he asked himself.
Quattro: ...Amman being attacked?! Oh, SHIT! Camille, you better go hurry back and protect the Agama... /Apolli, can you hear me? Position yourself in standby mode at the exit, you and Camille are going back to Amman and defend our Agama!/
Apolli: /Roger, Lieutenant!/
Camille floated towards his Gundam Mk-II and flew back to Amman with Apolli tailing behind.
The duel between Emma and Kirkricon had come to a climax: the lady AEUG pilot had luckily hidden her red Rick Dias away from the sight of the Zaku-II in a big pile of space junk floating towards Amman. Kirkricon searched for his rival in the debris and, by his own stroke of luck, finds the red mobile suit attempting to shoot his head off when, unfortunately for Emma, a piece of debris gets in her way as she fires her beam rifle at him. He shoots back with his Zaku's beam gun and, making Emma confused as a result of all the debris flying everywhere, eventually closed in on Emma's rear and cuts one of the red Rick Dias' arms off with his beam axe, attempting to finish her off with it.
Just in the nick of time, Camille rescues her and successfully shoots off the Zaku's arm with a beam rifle. Kirkricon's luck turned around as he had failed in his attempt to attack Camille with the last of his weaponry, and having found out that all of his fellow mobile suits have all been decimated, retreated. The white Gundam Mk-II floated towards the Rick Dias and Camille escorted Emma back to the Agama.
Emma: /Hey, you! You left our work at Granada before it was over!/
Camille: /Yeah, but I came here to save you, Emma.../
Emma: /Save me? How could you know I was in trouble, I didn't even send a signal to you!/
Camille: /I...I just knew, Emma. I...*felt*...it, the whole thing...I just *had* to save you. Quattro even let me go, it's all true! Believe me!/
Emma: (her features starting to feel less tense) /Is that so...? (sigh) Well, all I have to say is...thank you, Camille. And I'm sorry if I got mad at you or anything, if you hadn't com...then Lieutenant Kirkricon would have.../
Camille: (smiling) /It's not important now, you know.../
Emma: /Eh heh. Well you better go back and check up on Granada...or would you like to be "disciplined" again? Tee-hee.../
Camille: /Ohhh yeah! I'd *love* to!/
---
As the operation to capture Granada was successful, resulting in the rest of the Titans having to resolve to retreat from the asteroid base, so was it seemingly successful for Reccoa and Kai to finally infiltrate Jabrow back in Earth.
Reccoa: Uh, sir...I think you've helped me enough. You can get on with your journalistic assignments now, whatever they may be...
Kai: No. I believe what you've been telling me about the AEUG's cause and I should at least accompany you if anything might happen to you.
Reccoa: N...no, it's unsafe for you...I can take care of myself from here on...
A door suddenly opens before them. They both gasp in surprise.
---
With the Agama still docked by Amman, the AEUG soon learn of the current developments at Jabrow. Knowing that they now have strategy as far as Granada was concerned, Brex promptly pressed his subordinates to make speedy preparations to launch another attack against the Titans as soon as possible.
Camille saves his work on Astonage's computer and turned it off. That computer's owner was amazed at how brilliant this young boy could be; of course, he would have also thought that the proposed "Zeta" Gundam would also feature transformability, resulting in atmospheric flight capabilities.
Astonage: You only just beat me to it, you know!
Camille: Eh heh heh. But it's my idea now, so if you would just--
Astonage: --on *my* computer even, Camille. You forget...you've just saved your file on drive C rather than on your diskette, my little friend. *And*, whatever's on my computer, automatically becomes my property. Get it? Heh heh heh heh. (smirks)
Camille: (face turning red) Oh, shut up, man! Everyone forgets stuff every now and then!
Astonage: Well, not as worse as *you* would forget things.
Alarms sounded off as soon as the two had stopped laughing themselves off; there was another bogey invasion on the way. As if automatically, Camille immediately went to the Agama's mobile suit hangar and later launched on his own. The Alexandria, just a few kilometers away from Amman, was launching a missile barrage at the asteroid base. Luckily for Camille, though, the Alexandria wasn't firing its mega beam cannon, and thanks to Camille's quick reflexes due to his experience in battles, he had successfully slashed off and took shots at the Alexandria's missiles with his beam saber and rifle.
Apparently, the Titan mobile suits Camille was now facing looked somewhat different; they were orange-red and had a strange head design, almost like a helmet from a samurai's lacquer armor. Camille told himself, these must be those new RMS-108 Marasai's I've been hearing rumors about...I can take them down, yeah...there seems to be only two or three of them headed this way...
---
Jerid: /Oooh yeah, I've been waiting for this! I can finally kick that Camille Vidan's ass once and for all!/
Kirkricon: /Jerid, don't forget that we are to destroy the whole of the AEUG as well. Don't just go and concentrate your force on that boy./
Jerid: /Yeah, yeah I know. Let's go and avenge Lyla's death...her departure from the Federation's service will not go unpaid.../
Kirkricon: /How true, Jerid. That's the first time I've heard something like that from you.../
---
And so Marasai and Gundam soon intercept in mid-space. Camille was having the worst time of his life; he was obviously outnumbered in this specific battle and he wouldn't be surprised if he actually lost. He could tell one of the Marasai was piloted by none other than his perennial Titan thorn-in-the-flesh, Jerid Mesa. Jerid, too, can tell he was doing battle with Camille, and although it had seemed that he and Kirkricon were teaming up on him, one can tell that it was Jerid and Camille who were having the "time of their lives", so to speak.
Kirkricon resolved then to make an assault on Amman and on the AEUG ship Agama itself and called on his other two Marasai-ridden comrades to do so. Camille left his duel with Jerid to protect the Agama and its two support ships, the Mont Blanc and the Radish, which were by themselves wildly shooting its turret machineguns at the three Marasai's. Jerid chased after Camille and took potshots at him to no avail, and Camille, through careful thinking of the situation, chose to abandon Amman, much to his dismay. The three AEUG ships sped up as Camille's Mk-II docked into the Agama and succesfully made their narrow escape. Jerid and Kirkricon cursed under their breath as they saw those accursed AEUG ships leave the scene like the cowards that they are.
Jerid: Tch...We'll see each other again, Camille Vidan. I'll see to it that we will...
---
A few hours earlier, somewhere in Side 7...
Bright: (thinking) Jesus Christ...what the heck did I do to deserve this...? To be reduced to the level of a luxury cruiser captain...how revolting...
First mate: (saluting and standing in attention) Captain Bright, sir, the "Temptation" is ready to launch off to our one-way course to Japan, sir.
Bright: (saluting back) That's good. And ummm...you don't have to salute me like that. I'm off-duty as a Federal Forces officer anyway...(sighs)
First mate: Yes sir. By your leave, sir...
Bright: (slumping on his chair and thinking) Geez...these kids can be too stubborn these days...well, if the Federation would just...ah, wait. I wouldn't want any of that shit happening anymore...
And so the Federation luxury cruiser set its Earth-bound course, totally leaving Side 7. The journey was very peaceful; there were no troubles encountered whatsoever and Federal Forces Lieutenant 1st Class Bright Noah, in his trademark Federal Forces khaki-black-and-red uniform and austere personality let out a sigh of relief.
He could still clearly remember the events of seven years ago, when he had fought the "fight" against the Duchy of Zeon alongside his subordinates...actually, he would rather call them his friends rather than his subordinates...Amuro, Kai, Hayato, Ryu, his now-fiancee Mirai...and Sayla. Sayla Mass...he still couldn't believe she would be actually the Red Comet's long-lost younger sister and one of the rightful heirs to the Duchy of Zeon...
Meanwhile, somewhere else on the ship...
Shinji: (giving his partner a quizzical look) Asuka, would you *stop* eating like that? It's very humiliating for such a...a...
Asuka: (looking up at her partner) A rarft? (gulping down her food and leering back) A what, baka?
Shinji: (sighs) ...a *lady* like you. Ughhh...
Asuka stood up from her seat and put her hands on her hips. Shinji thought, uh oh, this is just so *great*. Here she goes again with another one of her ego trips...you and your big mouth, Shinji...
Asuka: HA!! So NOW you finally realize *I'm* the most elegant and the most beautiful 14-year old lady in the entire universe! YOU, being the lowliest *scum* of the galaxy, just can't accept it! Well, I don't really mind having a chauffeur every now and then, but I'll give you proper credit when it's due! Muwahahahahaha!!!
Shinji: Asuka, stop that, please! You're just making an asshole of yourself! You realize that there *are* people in this ship, helloooo?
Asuka: What's that supposed to mean, pervert? (grabs him by the collar)
Shinji: HA!! Now *that's* ladylike for you! Lookit all 'em people lookin at *you* right now, you red-haired freak!
Asuka: AAARGH! I will *not* contend with your stupidity anymore, Mr. Shinji Ikari! Besides, a lady like me doesn't really like it when she's just so unluckily paired with the most loathsome pervert in the whole galaxy, so I'll just have to take it whether I like it or not! Bleah!!! (sticks out her tongue at Shinji)
The two children continue their meal in the Temptation's makeshift ballroom/dining room. Shinji sighed as he stopped eating and just stared at what was left of his food. He just couldn't believe his father would want his presence after such a long time...
Asuka: ...helloooo, Earth to Shinji...? You spacing out on me again? Thinking about stuff again, are you? (tries to hide the concerned look on her face)
Shinji: .....it's nothing, Asuka.
Asuka: Oh come on, you can tell me. We haven't been friends since birth for nothing, you know? I can listen to whatever you say, I might help you...
Shinji: (smiling) I said it's nothing, Asuka. I just don't want you to get involved in my problems, that's all...
Asuka: (crossing her arms) Oh well, if you say so. Hmm...hey, I thing I might have the thing that'll cheer you up...this cruiser we're in is named the "Temptation", right? Well, Shinji...I happen to know from... *ahem* reliable sources that *this* very ship's captain is none other than...
Shinji: ...Captain Bright Noah of the White Base? Yeah, yeah, I know about that already. So what's your point?
Asuka: Hmph. Well, remember last week--or was it last month?--who's the one who was blabbering about actually getting an autograph from even *one* of those people from White Base, huh? And who's the one who bet me a fortune after doing such a stunt, eh?
Shinji: (face getting red) Hey! We were just messing around in that party! I didn't expect you to take it so seriously! Besides, I don't think I'll ever have any guts to--
Asuka: Ha! Like you got any guts to begin with, fool! Come on, let's just go to the bridge, and let's have that autograph signed! Or are you just too wimpy that you can't show a lady some class, hmmm? it's not as if you're gonna get killed or anything, it's just a measly autograph!
Shinji: Asuka...aaarg okay already! But don't go blaming me if I get the rough end of things, okay? Sheesh... (scratches his head and finishes the rest of his meal)
Asuka: Tee-hee, that's the spirit, caveman! Ha ha ha ha ha! You were born for this moment, my little wimpy friend!
Shinji: (sighs) Asuka, you've just made my life more complicated than it already is...
---
And so Shinji and Asuka asked almost every available hand on deck on the whereabouts of the Temptation's captain. Many passengers and workers in the ship had mistaken the pretty 14-year old German-Japanese girl to be Shinji's girlfriend, even sneaking in some snide comments like, "Hey boy, you're sure lucky to have a gal like her!" to which Shinji only replies with a blushing face and a straight "She's not my girlfriend...".
The two kids had finally gotten outside the ship's bridge. Shinji was getting a bit nervous as to the tight situation he's gotten himself into; he just couldn't let Asuka down even if it was just a stupid bet he had made on their farewell party from their home colony in Side 7.
Asuka: Well what the hell are you waiting for, get in there and have that autograph signed!
Shinji: Yeah, yeah, just don't push me around too much! Last thing I want is somebody pushing me around to do thing I don't wanna do in the first place! Now just be quiet and behave like a real lady would, okay?!
Shinji took all the guts he had and knocked on the door. For a few minutes, there was no answer from behind that door to the bridge of the ship. He knocked on some more until he finally resolved to just go get in there and get this over with. "Sheesh," he thought, "These military types are so..."
Bright: What are you two kids doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in your bunkers or something?
The two children almost jumped for the moon as they realized the one they've been looking for was just behind them. For some unknown reason, they both slipped and made a big mess of the carpet under them, and of course they fell down on the floor. Asuka, with her legs spread on the floor and complaining about her hurting butt...and Shinji...well, his face was in a most peculiar place in his partner's anatomy.
A few seconds pass...Asuka was then struck with the realization that Shinji's face was on her crotch. She just stared at him like that for quite a while. He rose and reeled from their fall, but he never noticed that very sour and angry expression on his redheaded partner's face.
Hell hath no fury over Asuka Langley Sohryu scorned.
---
Camille: Guys, did you hear that...?
Apolli: Yeah, sounded like...
Roberto: If I'm not mistaken, that was German for "Shinji, you fucking pervert!" or something...
The Agama was quite a long way from the Temptation at that time.
---
Bright Noah was getting near the edge of kicking these two Japanese kids off his ship; the redheaded one had apparently formed a dent--or a lot of them--on the walls surrounding and on the door to the ship's bridge, almost destroying it. He had never seen such disorder in the history of his employment in the Federal Forces...
Bright: (angrily) WOULD YOU TWO KIDS JUST KNOCK IT OFF?! Get back to your quarters, immediately!!
Asuka: (pulling Shinji by his hair) But Captain, this dirty no-good pervert started it! He should have known better to peek into my panties like that! UGHHHH, I'm gonna *kill* you, Shinji Ikari!!
Shinji: *I* started it?! If it wasn't for *your* hair-brained schemes I wouldn't be here in the first place, you bumbling red-haired idiot!
Asuka: Ah, so *I'm* the idiot now?! You really want to shorten your life, don't you?!
Bright: (radioing security) /Guards, anybody...*please* help me get some...very annoying nuisances out of my bridge at once...double time, even.../
As soon as these events transpired at the Temptation's bridge, the floor shook under them violently. Luckily the three had kept their balance so they wouldn't fall the second time. Bright could have sworn that was an explosion.
Asuka: What the hell was that?
Shinji: Sounded like an explosion to me...
Asuka: Explosion? Impossible, who in his right mind would attack a defenseless transport cruiser like the one we're in right now?
Shinji: I dunno...unless....
Bright: That couldn't have been an explosion, missy. But it's safe you two better get back to your rooms right now, this might be an emergency that may require special hands to help with...
Shinji: Captain, I think we're experienced enough to be of some help to you.
Asuka: Yeah, we've experienced countless air raids back in our colony and I think we may be of some help to you. Sir, think of it as paying you back for the shit we've done for you just now, what do you say?
Bright: Well...all right. Just don't do any more damage like what just happened, okay kids? This ship is no place for lover's quarrels or anything of the sort, got that?
Shinji and Asuka: We're NOT lovers!
Shinji, Asuka, and Bright entered the Temptation's bridge. People were scurrying all over the place; this ship may have really been attacked. But who, indeed, would attack them? The AEUG? No, it's a very far-fetched idea, the AEUG would never do this even if they wanted to. Could it be...
Ship engineer: Captain, we've spotted what seems to be a compact mobile armor on our tail. I think that's the cause of the explosion earlier, sir...
Bright: A mobile armor shooting a harmless transport cruiser? God, I can't believe what's been happening these days, first it's me being dissed by lower officers and now this! What's this galaxy coming to...
Ship engineer: Sir, we have audio-visual contact with the mobile armor. I'll put it on screen right now, sir.
The ship's engineer tweaked a few controls and soon enough there was an image of a black beret-clad handsome man with shoulder-length purple hair wearing no less than the standard black-and-red Titan military uniform. Bright looked on in uncertainty as the man did a hand salute seemingly addressed towards him. He thought, he's from the Titans? How could that be...?
Man: /Greetings, Federal Forces Lieutenant Commander Bright Noah of the infamous White Base. You might not know me, but I know you, sir. I am Titans Lieutenant Commander j.g. Paptimus Scirocco of the Engineering Division assigned in one of the Federation's research bases orbiting the planet Jupiter, the "Jupitoris". I have recieved specific orders from my superiors to personally exterminate you, sir, on the grounds that you have been colloborating with the AEUG./
Bright Noah was stunned. He had been ordered to be exterminated? By whom? He had never gotten in touch with the AEUG whatsoever, and even if he did, he wouldn't have let it known! Shinji and Asuka were just as surprised at this sudden turn of events. They just looked at each other in mixed wonder and fear; if this guy was just targeting the captain, why was he taking shots at the ship itself? Didn't he know there were a lot of lives on this ship?
The lie was barely noticeable.
Bright: What makes you think I've colloborated with the AEUG?
Scirocco: (smirking) /I was just following orders from upstairs, sir./ And I will make sure you won't get back to Earth alive...besides, this would be a very good test run for my PMX-000 Messala. Without Jupiter's gravity holding it back, I'm about to see how fast and good this baby could go. Heh heh heh...
Bright: (slamming his hands on the table) SHIT! That's a bunch of bull! With your reasoning I might actually turn my services over to the AEUG!
Scirocco: /An unwise decision, Captain. With that, it'd make me much more determined to kill you *and* your cargo. Say your prayers, people.../
Scirocco then prepared to lock his crosshairs targeting the Temptation. This was going to be easy, the purple-haired Titans officer thought, as he made final adjustments to fire at the helpless Federation transport cruiser. He then suddenly stopped in his tracks as his Minovsky radar detected a high concentration of Minovsky particles somewhere north-northeast of him. Scirocco made an evil grin as he saw the Agama, the Mont Blanc, and the Radish come toward his direction.
Scirocco: And so the AEUG finally comes out of the shadows. I've been waiting for this!
---
Bright: Oh, great. Now the AEUG come into the picture. What do we do now?
First mate: Sir, I think those AEUG ships are in no place to harm us. They might even be here to help us, sir.
Bright: Is that so? Try to get contact with the AEUG's main ship immediately, we might actually need their help right now in this time of our dire need...
Ship engineer: Sir, they've established audio-visual contact with us!
Quattro: /I believe you might need some help, Captain Bright Noah?/
Bright: (thinking) It's...it's the Red Comet! He's alive?! How could that be? But of course...Amuro never told me he actually killed Char back then...why would Char Aznable help us now...?
Bright: Yes...we do need some help around here, I just didn't expect it to come from you.
Quattro: /Hmph. Very well, my commander will send out our best pilots ASAP to defend your ship the best we can. Over and out./
Bright sat in his chair just thinking over the events that had transpired this day. He had just found out the Titans were out to kill him, now Char Aznable was out there to help them? True, it was no surprise to him now that he knows that Char was with the AEUG, but then...
Shinji: Asuka, maybe if we had gone to our rooms in the first place we wouldn't have...
Asuka: ...Shinji, for the first time in my life, I'd think you're definitely right...I'm already scared...I don't want to die, Shinji...
As Shinji reassuringly patted Asuka's back, the gold-colored Hyakushiki and the white Gundam Mark-II had launched from the Agama to protect the Temptation from any more attacks, but it looked as if Scirocco wasn't targeting the Temptation in the first place, but was waiting for the right time for the AEUG to come out...
Quattro aimed his mega-bazooka launcher at the Messala and fired a shot or two at it, but with the Messala's overall structure having been adapted to Jupiter's high gravity, Scirocco had easily dodged the Hyakushiki's bazooka attack due to its uncanny speed. Quattro was just left so amazed at this mobile armor's speed...
Camille had followed up with a melee attack using his beam saber, but in the process, he never saw the Messala transforming into a mobile suit coming and Scirocco had successfully blocked Camille's attack with his own beam saber. Camille and Scirocco had a fight that lasted for minutes, and the former had again "sensed" something in his head...he had thought, this guy's a tough cookie to deal with, but the blue-haired boy kept on fighting anyway.
Scirocco had sensed the same feeling coming from the white Gundam, and resolved to retreat for the time being. Two against one was an unfair fight, much more because one of them was a fellow Newtype like him. Scirocco had cursed under his breath as he transformed his Messala into mobile armor mode once again and fleeted towards Earth.
Strangely enough, Shinji and Asuka also sensed something in their heads like a sudden rush of adrenaline. They just looked at each other and wondered about it.
---
The crew and passengers of the Temptation had taken refuge in the Agama and were warmly welcomed there. Shinji and Asuka were just awed at the sights they had and were about to see inside the AEUG flagship. Bright, however, had kept silent all throughout this and waited for the person who had offered to help them in their time of need.
Camille and Quattro had later presented themselves to Bright and his mates at the Temptation, with Camille being very eager to meet the former White Base captain for the first time.
Camille: (shaking Bright's hand and grinning) It's a very, very big honor to meet you, Bright-captain! I've always wanted to meet you ever since I heard you were assigned back in Green Noah 1 and have my autograph signed from you! Oh by the way, my name's Camille Vidan!
Bright: Uh...well, it's very pleasant to meet you, Mr. Camille Vidan...
Quattro: (offering a handshake to Bright) And it's very pleasant to meet you too, Captain Bright Noah of the White Base.
Bright: (leering at Quattro and shaking his hand) Right... (whispering in a gruff tone into the side of Quattro's ear) Very, VERY nice to meet you again indeed, "Red Comet" Char Aznable. Or should that be Casval Lem Daikun, the rightful heir to the Duchy of Zeon? And what's with the sunglasses disguise anyway?
Quattro: Please don't call me by those names anymore...or at least not *yet*, Captain Bright. (smirks) Right now, I am Quattro Bajina of the AEUG. Where's Amuro, by the way? And one of your crewmembers...Sayla Mass was her name, was it?
Bright: He's...he's in a better place if you must ask, Char. As for your sister Artesia...Sayla, I mean...she's now at Earth serving as a nurse for the Federal Forces in Dakar, in Africa.
Quattro: Heh...
Shinji: Uh...Camille-san, why do you think they're talking to each other like that? It's as if they know each other...and their handshakes seem a bit too tight...
Camille: (shrugs) Dunno...
Quattro: Oh, and who might these children be, Captain?
Bright: Ah, these two kids are just passengers in my ship. This is Shinji Ikari and this is Asuka Langley Sohryu. We were supposed to drop them off at Japan if our trip hadn't been so rudely interrupted by Lieutenant Scirocco back there...
Shinji and Asuka: (bowing politely) Douzo yoroshiku o-negaishimasu.
Quattro: Hmm, so you two are Japanese. That's good. (bowing back politely) It's also very nice to meet you two. So Captain, where are you headed now?
Bright: Well, we *were* originally headed off to the Philippines to drop off a number of our passengers there, including Shinji and Asuka here, but I'm considering going to Germany because Asuka here told me she was going to get some of her things there, but everything's basically just intended to drop almost everyone off to Manila and...go on our way, yeah.
Quattro: Mmhmm. Captain, could we have a little private talk on the Agama's bridge? I'd pretty much think we have a lot of...business opportunities to talk about upstairs, if you wouldn't mind.
Bright: Hmm. Well, I suppose we could...Lieutenant Quattro.
---
Brex: Ah, if it isn't my old friend in the army, Lieutenant j.g. Bright Noah. How nice to see you here in these parts, come on in!
Bright: (saluting him) And it's a pleasure to meet you again after such a long time, Colonel Brex Forra. How long has it been, six, seven years? I could remember I was under your regiment in the Tianem Fleet way back when I was still Ensign, just before the One Year War...
Brex: Ha ha ha ha, yes, yes. Well, everything's been going well so far. I would think this new struggle we have would have a really good future ahead of us, don't you think so, sir?
Bright: Colonel, why have you gone against the authority of the Federation?
Brex: Well, son, it's kind of a very long line of sad stories as to why I'm here and being the leader of the very force that would eventually go against the Federation...oh, I stand corrected. The AEUG is definitely not going against the whims of the noble Earth Federation, it's just that when they had put these despicable thugs who are none other than the Titans into place, well...let's just say there's been some fishy business happening among rank and file. Especially that stuff that happened in 30 Bunch back in Side 3...
Bright: You mean to say that that 30 Bunch incident wasn't just a lie after all? God...and I thought those were just rumors! Those poor people...there must have been a lot of women and children there...
Brex: Exactly. And from what happened earlier...that mobile armor seemed very enthusiastic in destroying your ship back there, am I right? And from the looks of it, I don't think that mobile armor was ever one of ours.
Bright: Come to think of it, that...Lieutenant Scirocco fellow who was piloting that MA told me he had orders "coming from upstairs to exterminate" me...thank goodness you people came and saved me and my ship...
A resonating silence soon filled the room. Quattro put his hands into his pockets and gazed out into space and sighed as Brex looked into the former White Base captain's face which was now marked with worry and concern for his own life.
Brex: Son...I'm making a deal with you. We have just entered into a new struggle against a corrupt Earth government. You must also be valuing your life above all, and from what I've known of you, you seem to always like "doing the right thing", you know.
Bright: What are you trying to tell me, Colonel...?
The old AEUG commander paused for a bit then let out a little sigh.
Brex: I'll be frank. I want you to join us in the resistance against the corruption of the Titans. Lieutenant, I have seen how you have led a successful 13th Autonomous Corps into its glory and victory against the Zeons. It was a very exceptional and outstanding thing that you did seven years ago, how you have handled most of the work that could have been done with a very big fraction of the Federal Forces. Lieutenant, we need a strategist and a captain of your caliber to lead this small and humble fleet in its resistance movement. Will you join us?
Bright thought it over for a long while, walking to and fro slowly across the room. Quattro peered at him through his sunglasses and smirked; he knew this decision would probably turn the tables in their favor.
Bright: ...I...
---
Four people were walking down the halls of the Agama talking more or less about the events of the day. The brown-haired Japanese boy still seemed awed at the inner features of the AEUG flagship, although he could have sworn his red-haired half-German partner was skipping along as she was having a discussion with a certain woman. The woman's blue-haired young partner didn't seem to be so enthusiastic on coming with them, but he was with them anyway.
Emma: So why are you two kids on board the Temptation? Are you both going to Earth on a certain point of itinerary or something?
Asuka: Yes, ma'am! We're umm...finally moving to Earth after a long time of living in space, and we'll be staying and living in Japan! But I still have to get some of my...stuff back in Germany and I'll get to live with li'l ol' wussy-head here.
Emma: I see...
Shinji: (raising an eyebrow) *We*? Heh, and I thought *I* was the one who spent most of his life in space...you were gone most of the time doin' your little trips to Earth while I stayed alone in that hellhole of a colony!
Asuka: Hmph. Well I *had* to make those "little trips to Earth" because I was currently finishing my college education there while you were just bumming around back home, idiot!
Camille and Emma: Say *what*?! You finished college already? At your age?!
Shinji: (rolling his eyes) Ohhh dear, there goes Miss Prodigy Girl again...hmm, how many times have I heard about the great legend of the red-headed freak...?
Asuka: What's *that* supposed to mean?! Why I oughta bust your ass right here and now...!
Instinctively, Emma got a hold of Asuka before she even got a chance to pound away at Shinji, who had already taken cover from the impending danger he's once again about to face. Camille just shook his head as he retrieved the hiding Shinji and tried to feed him some words of wisdom about dealings with the opposite sex.
Camille: Tsk, tsk...Shinji, do you always do this to Asuka? I mean, she's just trying to be friendly and all...
Shinji: (Pant, pant) ...friendly? You don't even know the half of how she really is! You violent red-haired freak! Nyaaaah!!
Camille: (sighs) Geez, you're hopeless, man...
Emma released Asuka when she knew the girl had calmed down a bit. Asuka just crossed her arms and fumed at Shinji, acting as if she was brushing dust off her sleeves.
Asuka: Hmph! Well, at least I'm not as wimpy as *you* are, fool! Or have you forgotten that I was the one who's always saving your sorry ass back when those jerks were picking on you in that colony, huh?
Emma: Children...please, let's just calm down a bit, okay? We'll have enough fights for one day and I'll say this is final. Now you two just shake hands and make up unless I'll have to force you two to do it.
Shinji reluctantly offered his hand to the still-fuming Asuka, who shook hands with him quite reluctantly herself. All four sighed almost in unison and Camille and Emma prompted to lead the two children to their new rooms in the Agama. It was just a fleeting moment before Camille had finally realized who had just tackled him from out of nowhere...
Fa: (giggling and hugging Camille) Camille!! Oh Camille, where have you been? I've looked all over Green Noah 1 for you!
Camille: (looking really surprised) Fa!! Uhh...it's really great to see you too! I've looked all over the place for you too, it's just that I didn't expect you to be here! Heh heh, I'm very surprised, were you on the Temptation like Shinji and Asuka here?
Fa: (pouts) I've missed you, you know! Yeah, I've been on the ship cuz I knew Captain Bright Noah was the resident captain and since you've told me once you've always wanted to get an autograph from him, I'd thought you were with him or he's seen you or something. Captain Bright told me he must have seen you some place the time you disappeared in Green Noah 1, so I told Mom I'd go with Captain Bright to go look for you, and...I found you! Tee-hee!
Camille: (wiping the sweat off his brow) ...aaaand I've missed you too! Heh heh heh...
Shinji and Asuka: (whispering and squinting) Uhh...what the hell...?
Emma: Your...girlfriend, I presume, Camille...?
Camille: Uhh, yeah! A-ahem, folks, this is my girlfriend Fa Yuiri, she's been living in my neighborhood in Green Noah 1 back in Side 7 since we were little kids. Fa, this is one of my superior officers in the AEUG, Emma Sheen; and these two are Shinji Ikari and Asuka Langley-Sohryu, they're from Side 7 too and they're planning on living on Earth permanently with their parents.
Fa: (shaking everybody's hands) It's nice to meet all of you!
Shinji and Asuka: Err...nice to meet you too!
Emma: It's a pleasure to meet new people everyday!
Camille: (sighs) Ah, well now, judging from the time we've taken journeying I'd say we'll be arriving on Earth in five more hours from now. I'm sure you two are excited to finally land on Earth, am I right?
Asuka: Yeah! I'm very ecstatic as a matter of fact! Umm... (looks at Shinji, who's suddenly looking so sullen) ...and I'm sure Shinji here's very enthusiastic about it as well, heh heh heh!
Shinji: .....
Emma: Well now, we should be getting back to our posts right now and you two better go back to your rooms. See you on Earth, you two!
Asuka waved at Camille, Emma, and Fa walking away from them and smiled as she said her farewells to them. She looked at her partner with concern and gave him a pat on the back.
Asuka: Shinji, is this about the Com...I mean, your father again?
Shinji: I...I don't really want to talk about it, Asuka. It's bad enough now as it is and like I've told you time and again, I don't want you getting involved in my personal problems...much more with my Dad...
Asuka: (sighs) I understand. Well, why don't we go roaming around this ship...it's called the "Agama", right?...while we're not doing anything, hmm? Yeah, I'd think it'd be a good idea for us to wander around for a while! What do you say?
The redhead was very eager to strike up a conversation with Shinji as they walked down the halls of the AEUG flagship, but it seems that Shinji was in his own world at the time, and this made Asuka worry very much for her best friend. It really was true what he said earlier, even though they were friends ever since they had learned how to talk, there really was something deep bothering Shinji inside of him that even she couldn't put a finger upon. Even though she had already finished college...maybe she still had a lot to learn from Shinji; after all, she'd been gone from his presence most of the time when she was on Earth...
---
Brex: Bright, son, you have made an excellent choice in your life. I congratulate you on your acceptance as new Captain of the Agama of the AEUG! (shakes Bright's hands)
Bright: Thank you for accepting me in your ranks, sir. I appreciate your acknowledgment of my abilities as a leader and I will assure you that with your leadership, I will do anything I can to achieve our success. (salutes Brex, but is still looking suspiciously at Quattro)
Quattro: Right. Captain, you said you were going to drop off some of your passengers from the Temptation into the spaceport at Manila, am I right? Commander Brex sir, does Torres already know our itinerary for Manila?
Brex: Yes, as a matter of fact I've told him that just a while ago. Besides, the Philippines is a neutral country and I would doubt if the Titans would even plan to launch a strike force against us there. It would also be one of our turning points into our entry into Tokyo; the AEUG seems to have some friends at Japan that we didn't even know about. So, I would say that we should just relax a little bit, even though we should stay on guard for sudden enemy attacks. That Scirocco fellow seemed really nasty...
Quattro: Indeed, Commander. Captain, I'll show you to the bridge.
---
Episode 4, "Angel Attack"
-------------------
And so the Agama had safely made its way into the spaceport at Manila, Philippines. Asuka tried hard to keep her arrogant "mask" on her face just to lighten Shinji up as she was so concerned for the poor boy, to no avail. She just sighed and wrapped Shinji's head with a tackle and rubbed his scalp with her other fist.
Asuka: Don't be so mopey all the time, or you'll really regret it. Come on, lighten up will ya? It's not as if you'll be lonely all the time, you did tell me there was this really cute woman named Misato Katsuragi who'll meet you by the time you'll arrive in Tokyo, right? Trust me, she's a real fun fellow to be with, I've known her for a long time when I was in Germany in my fourth year.
The sullen boy just couldn't help but laugh a little at his redheaded partner's attempt at cheering him up, so he retaliated by tickling at her sides, or at least trying to.
Shinji: Heh heh...well, I guess I'll see you in Japan in a few weeks or so. Take care of yourself, okay Asuka?
Asuka: (releasing Shinji from her grip) Yeah, you too, wussy! Don't worry, I'll bring you something *really* good from Germany when I come home in Japan. I'm sure you'll really, really like it!
Shinji: (raising his eyebrow) Hmm...what is it?
Asuka: Ah-ha, I can't tell you that, it's a secret! (winks at him suggestively)
Shinji: (blinks) Yeah, right...well you gotta be going now or you'll be late for your flight...
Asuka and Shinji said their last goodbyes to each other before the former had taken a cab to the nearest international airport and waved at the latter through the car window. She even stuck out her tongue at him and made an ugly face at him as she went away...but he knew better than that.
With the sun setting in the onset of a crimson-red sky behind his back, Shinji Ikari just sighed and popped his mini-headphones connected to his Walkman and listened in to Bach...or was it Beethoven...he couldn't really care less about "ancient" musicians or composers anymore, now that he was about to meet the most hated person in his life in a matter of hours. This person was his father of fourteen years, the man who had abandoned him for the most part of his life, Gendo Ikari. Shinji could still vaguely remember his father's cold, peering gaze through a pair of glasses...and that little pale ice-blue-haired girl who seemed to be always with him ever since his mother died.
And as Shinji boarded the Agama and went into his room, AEUG Lieutenant Emma Sheen was looking at him with almost the same concern as the other child Asuka had for him. This boy, she thought, is going to have a very, very hard time on Earth before him...
---
Shinji stepped off the monorail and watched it leave with a rush of wind blowing though him. He thought, with so many technological advances we've had in this time, Japan hasn't really much changed. He was still seeing those familiar rice paddy fields and beautiful sceneries of forests and ancient Buddhist and Shinto temples; time doesn't really change culture that much, even now that it *is* U.C. 0087.
He could never repay the kindness and the friendship that the AEUG had given to him, much more with his newfound friends in Camille Vidan, his girlfriend Fa Yuiri, the austere former White Base Federal Forces Captain Bright Noah, the motherly former Titans Lieutenant Emma Sheen, and the rest of the crew of the Agama...and especially the enigmatic Quattro Bajina, whom he had thought at first to be Char Aznable of the fallen Duchy of Zeon, but later dismissed the idea. He had always thought the AEUG were some kind of terrorists--or at least that was the thought that those visiting Titans officers back in his colony were trying to insinuate into his and his best friend Asuka's mind.
Asuka...I wonder what she's doing right now? he thought. For once, he had missed her wisecracks and insults at him. It was almost as if like she...naah, it would be too much of a far-fetched idea.
So he was finally going to see his father who had abandoned him...that's just fine, he thought. It's not as if I'm very excited to see him or anything, he just dumped me off at my uncle's place in Side 7. But then...after fourteen years, what could he want from him now?
As he got off the monorail station, he walked a long distance from it and finally sat down at a park. Shinji wondered greatly as he had expected Tokyo to be a very busy city; it had apparently become like a ghost town. No matter, he thought as he lay his baggage down for a while and reached into his back pocket to look at a little postcard he had gotten as an "official summons" for him to go to Tokyo. It pictured a beautiful Japanese young woman with long black hair, probably in her late twenties, and most definitely in skimpy denim short shorts and a sexy yellow sleeveless shirt. The postcard read, "To Shinji, I'm going to pick you up, so please wait for me! P.S.: Note the cleavage!"
Shinji squirmed at the thought. A lady *her* age wearing *that* outfit? And she's his father's *what*? He just shook his head and stretched out, then went on his way. It's useless going to other monorail stations anyway, maybe that's what the air raid siren that had gone off earlier meant as to why Tokyo's virtually empty right now, so he thought he had rather walk.
---
At a location somewhere a bit distant from where Shinji was, a small horde of old-fashioned howitzer-type tanks and three or four GM Sniper Custom mobile suits were standing off the coast of Tokyo. It seemed that this little Kalaba regiment was taking aim at something coming at their direction...quite speedily at that, from the Sea of Japan.
The leader of the group, a familiar former Federal Forces Lieutenant Commander in his middle twenties with short dark red curly hair, piloting his viridian-green AEUG-issue Rick Dias wanted to wipe the sweat off his brow but couldn't, if it wasn't for the fiberglass filter that his helmet had. He radioed his trusty wingman in her own customized deep cerulean AEUG-issue Rick Dias, a pretty young redheaded former Federal Forces 1st Class Chief Petty Officer also in her middle twenties about the situation on her end of the coast.
Amuro: /Officer Christina MacKenzie, how's things going on there?/
Chris: /Pretty fine, Amuro-sempai. Although I would have wondered why they would want me in the service *now*...I mean, I've taken my leave and all so I could spend more time with Bernie and our wedding plans.../
Amuro: /Well, we're needed right now, so we're not really entitled to complain. Bernie will be fine, don't worry. Besides, this will be good training for you, Chris. The Federation needs a few good men right now and I'd think, from our current situation with the Titans, the Federation is running out of good men.../
Chris: (giggling) /Indeed, Amuro-sempai! Oh, shit, here it comes...it's an ugly sonofabitch, all right.../
The small fleet prepared to take aim at the approximately 40-meter-tall black ugly humanoid thing with a small disc-like structure with two black dots that would probably count as its "face" that has just risen out of the sea. Amuro Ray just couldn't believe his eyes at the monstrosity he, Chris, and the rest of his Kalaba junkies were about to face.
Amuro: /That's odd...I don't recall *anybody* making such a mobile suit...if it could be called a mobile suit at all...do you, Chris?/
Chris: /Me neither...should we open fire, Commander?/
Amuro: /Yes, immediately. All men, fire at will!/
---
A few minutes pass. Or more appropriately, more than twenty minutes pass, but the target still hasn't gone down. Somewhere in a large dark underground room that looked like more like a bridge or a sortie room of a Federation battleship near where Amuro and Chris were, a number of Federation officers were very angry at this turn of events; the thing didn't even seem to budge, moreover, this "monster" was terrorizing almost half of the small Federal Forces fleet as they were speaking. It was also sighted to have been advancing through Tokyo.
Federation officer A: It's a tough bastard! Even Officers Amuro and MacKenzie weren't able to place even a single dent on this fucker!
Federation officer B: What the hell do we do now?!
Across this room that was being filled with control room operators' shouts of current developments on the situation, two people, one standing beside the seated other, were just calmly watching the events that have been happening as if they were expecting this kind of thing to happen. The seated one was a Japanese man in his forties who had short hair and donned a pair of darkly colored eyeglasses. The other one who stood was also a thin Japanese man in his early sixties.
Standing man: It has been almost seven years, hasn't it, Ikari-kun?
Gendo: Yes, Fuyutsuki, there's no mistake...the Angels have finally come. The day has finally arrived...the time of trials that humanity cannot avoid...
---
Amuro just couldn't believe his luck...or the lack of it, as his ammunition was down way too low for his own good and he might have to risk doing a melee attack on the monster. He just couldn't believe how intense their attack had been on the monster and not one single scratch had been done to it.
Amuro: /Shit...Christina, do you still have some ammo?/
Chris: /I'm on my worst day myself, sempai. What the hell should we do now?/
Amuro: /Chris, do you remember that Zeon-patented "jet-stream attack" I've taught you a few days earlier? Well, it's a long shot, but I'd think we would have a chance if we do it on this big piece of chicken shit./
Chris: /But Commander, we've only two mobile suits! That jet-stream attack requires three people to execute just like those three Zeon dudes called the Black Trinary did when you last fought them! It's just impossible!/
Amuro: /Nothing's too impossible, Chris. We can do it even with only two mobile suits. Now let's go and kick some ass!/
As if they had prepared for this situation, Amuro had extra apogee motors installed in his and Chris' respective emerald and azure Rick Diases a few weeks ago. Chris had gotten behind the target with incredible speed and attempted to shoot at it from behind, but she knew it would turn around and counterattack. That's when Amuro would come in from behind the target and attempt to make a treacherous assault on it with the last of charges on his beam rifle.
It seemed as if they had made the connection, but to Chris' surprise the monster--otherwise known as an "Angel" by Gendo Ikari--grabbed the blue Rick Dias' head with an outstretched arm and hurled it towards the nearest building. And as Amuro shot at the Angel with the last of his beam rifle shots, was done the same, unfortunately, and was forced to radio Chris to retreat, which Chris thought was very unusual for a soldier such as Amuro Ray to do...unusual, but right indeed, as they were outgunned and outmanned by this towering epitome of ugliness which was now advancing towards its own target.
Nearby, however, Shinji had taken cover from where the Gundam had taken fall and was almost hit by some flying shrapnel if it were not for the U.C. 0087 Nissan Sentra that suddenly screeched in front of him, serving as his cover. The woman driver, who had called Shinji by name as if she knew him, offered him a getaway ride out of here.
Woman: C'mon, get in the car!!
Shinji: I...Is that you, Miss Misato Katsuragi?
Misato: Yeah, yeah, just HURRY up and GET IN!!
Just as soon as Shinji had gotten into the car, Misato had stepped on the gas and hightailed it out of the wreckage that had been a large building. He looked at the monster who had just hurled the Gundam like it was a rag doll and wondered what in the world was it.
Misato: Sorry I was late, kiddo...
Shinji: N...no, that's all right, I was the one who's late...
Misato: Fuck it, don't those Feddies ever learn? No matter what the hell they do, they simply just can't do any significant damage to that thing over there.
Shinji: Umm...so what exactly is that thing over there? Some kind of a new mobile suit model or something?
Misato: You seem pretty calm about it, given the circumstances. No, that couldn't even begin to be a mobile suit...that thing, my friend, is an "Angel".
Shinji: An..."Angel"...?
Misato: No time to explain. We have to get out of here as soon as possible--oh, SHIT!!!
The 29-year-old Japanese woman almost never noticed that air-to-ground missile that had gone their way and the two had just braced for impact. The next thing they knew, the car was turned upside down and Misato helped Shinji to get out of the car.
Misato: Aww geez, are they shooting blind?! You okay, Shinji?
Shinji: Yeah, thanks...I guess so...
Misato just suddenly shrieked in terror at the demise of her Nissan Sentra and her black one-piece sleeveless-and-miniskirt outfit. She was yelling about how she still has a lot of payments on the car, about how her dress was so ruined now, about how her sunglasses were pulverized...she just didn't notice Shinji staring at her weirdly, who was thinking how weird Misato looked like making a fool of herself.
Shinji was just suddenly tackled by Misato as the latter had seen the Angel coming down upon them but had apparently been shoved away by another Angel-like thing. Shinji stared at the new purple giant in terror and panted.
Shinji: There's another one?!
Misato: No, this one's on our side. See, it even turned over our car. Now come on, let's scram out of here, on the double! We just can't run out of time just standing around here doing nothing!
Shinji: R...right...Miss Katsuragi, is that other thing...a new kind of mobile suit?
---
The Federation officials just looked on in worry as they saw the large purple robot being trashed around by the Angel, and soon enough Gendo ordered its evacuation from the premises through an entry point that had just opened under it. In a fit of desperation, the Federation officials ordered an N2 mine deployment operation against the Angel in three minutes...
And in three minutes, a nuclear explosion had happened kilometers away from where Shinji and Misato were, toppling over their car once again and making them feel the impact of the blast. The Federation officials were shouting for joy as they had seen the aftermath of the Angel; they wouldn't need the "Eva's" help after all, recognizing the power of the Federation's hidden nuclear force.
It wasn't too long before a certain control room operator had reports of energy readings from ground zero and these Federation officials had exclaimed that the Angel was some kind of an immortal monster or a devil of some sort.
Federation officer A: We had just received word from the Committee. (sighs) Effective immediately, command authority for this operation has been transferred to you, the Supreme Commander of Nerv! Let's just see what you and Nerv are capable of!
Federation officer B: Even our mobile suit aces Lieutenant Commander Amuro Ray and Chief Petty Officer 1st Class Christina MacKenzie don't stand a chance against the target. But...do you really think you'd do the job more effectively?
Gendo Ikari just calmly shifted his glasses back from the bridge of his nose into its place in reply and kept a stern face as he looked at the panel of Earth Federation officers before him.
Gendo: Do not be concerned. After all, this is the purpose of Nerv.
---
Misato's car had soon finally entered into a transport portal of sorts leading to what seemed to be a very large underground facility. Shinji thought he had seen a symbol or logo of half a red maple leaf with large red letters beside it that read like "N-E-R-V" with the phrase around the logo, "God's in His Heaven, all's right with the world".
As they were being transported to their destination, Shinji opened a folder and skimmed the contents of it.
Shinji: So...Miss Katsuragi, you're with this agency called "Nerv"?
Misato: Oh, just call me Misato. Yeah, I'm with Nerv, it's an unpublicized organization under the direct control of the Federated Union of Nations, or what we would call the Earth Federation. I work at Nerv as an international civil servant, just like your father...
Shinji: Just like my father, huh... (sighs as he looks out the car window) Miss Katsuragi, why do you think Dad summoned me here? I had always thought he had forgotten about me or something...
Misato: Why do you ask? You're not really comfy with him, are you?
Shinji: No...it's just that I think it's inconvenient. And what's more, we could probably just be fighting anyway...
Shinji couldn't help but watch in awe as Misato's car was being transported to their point of destination; although he was kind of depressed at the moment, the scenery of a very, very large underground hollow with these structures he could have mistaken for upside-down buildings at the "ceiling" of the hollow and a pyramid-like structure below them with certain spires beside it amidst a vast, lush, green forest. He couldn't even begin to imagine such enormous underground hollows had existed.
Shinji: What's...this...? Is it a real...umm, what do you call it again? A "geofront"...?
Misato: Oh yeah, this is what your grade school teachers might have taught you; yes, it is a geofront, more specifically, Nerv Headquarters. This, Shinji...this is the keystone for the resurrection of the world, and the stronghold of humanity.
---
The whole room was silent as three figures saw through a monitor a near-severely injured 14-year old girl with short ice-blue hair being applied life support and being wheeled away in a recliner. Nerv Supreme Commander Gendo Ikari was seated watching all of this as the two other figures, the elderly Nerv Supreme Vice-Commander Kouzou Fuyutsuki and a thirty year-old Japanese woman with short hair dyed blonde named Professor Ritsuko Akagi who was clad in a lab coat and a blue shirt and a short black skirt underneath, watched on.
Fuyutsuki: Even these people from Kalaba are giving up...
Ritsuko: Commander Ikari...what will we do now?
Gendo: ...we will have to reinitialize Unit-01.
Fuyutsuki: But that's impossible, we have no more pilots for it!
Ritsuko: Yes, and Rei's no longer able to...
Gendo just looked at the little TV monitor marked "Camera 1" and faced his two colleagues. He was watching his son being accompanied by Misato going down a certain hall somewhere in Nerv HQ.
Gendo: There is no more need for concern...the reserve pilot has just arrived.
---
The two walked down the halls of Nerv Headquarters, with Shinji just innocently following by. But Shinji was no fool; he had noticed that Misato had just been leading the both of them in circles. He finally had the courage to tell this to Misato and the latter just snapped at him like she knew what she was doing.
Misato: Shut up, okay? I know *exactly* where we're going, I happen to know this place better than you do! Eh heh heh heh heh!
Shinji: (thinking) Oh great...now I'm stuck with a grown woman who has no sense of direction whatsoever...what could be worse...?
A few moments later, an automatic sliding door had opened somewhere behind them and a ticked-off Ritsuko Akagi beamed at them, more specifically at Misato.
Ritsuko: Captain Misato Katsuragi! You're LATE!
Misato: (slowly turning behind her in surprise) Err...Ritsuko, what a pleasant surprise, you found us! Tee-hee-hee-hee!
Ritsuko: Hmph! I'll have you know that we neither have the personnel nor the time for such nonsense. (sounding bored) Just admit that you're lost in your own HQ, won't you?
Misato: (giggling) Uhh...heh heh. Umm, I guess I really *am* lost, Ritsuko! I'm sorry, really--I haven't been given the full run-down of this place yet! (scratches her head and tries to look real silly)
The blonde woman in lab coat then turned her gaze at the boy who accompanied her old college friend and rubbed her chin in observing him.
Ritsuko: Hmm...so *this* is the Third Child, huh? Very interesting.
Shinji: Umm...I'm Shinji Ikari. Nice to meet you, ma'am. (thinking) *Now* what is this "Third Child" stuff...?
Ritsuko: And it is a pleasure to meet you too, Shinji. I'm Professor Ritsuko Akagi from the Nerv first engineering division and the supervisor of "Project E". Come along, Shinji. I have...*something* to show you before you see your father.
Ritsuko just led the way for the boy into a large dark room somewhere in the Nerv headquarters with Misato tailing nearby. Shinji knew this fateful reunion with his father was going to take a violent turn on his life...he just didn't know if it would take a turn for the better or for the worse.
Shinji: (murmuring) Something to show me, huh...
---
The Nerv control room seemed less than calm as control room operators were shouting damage reports caused by the Angel; the large 40 meter-tall monstrosity had apparently made its rampage once again through Tokyo. Gendo seemed quiet in all this ruckus and had finally made his decision.
Gendo: I leave it all to you, Fuyutsuki.
Fuyutsuki: Right...
The old man just watched as Gendo had himself transported into another part of Nerv Headquarters through some sort of a transport mechanism that the latter had been pushing some buttons with. Fuyutsuki shook his head as he thought of what might come for his Commander and his son whom he had neglected for most of his life.
Fuyutsuki: (sighs) ...his first meeting with his son in years...
---
The moment Ritsuko had turned on the lights to this very dark room that she had led Shinji and Misato into, Shinji was just so awed at the sight of what seemed to be an enormous robot's head a number of times larger than Shinji's body. It definitely looked like the mobile suit...or whatever it was...that saved them earlier.
Shinji: Is it...is it some kind of a new kind of mobile suit...?
Ritsuko: Strictly speaking, she's not a mobile suit....she's not even a robot. She is a man-made, all-purpose weapon--artificial human Evangelion!
Shinji: So this is the thing that saved us earlier...
Misato: Yes, it is, Shinji...she's the best-kept secret of Nerv, and she's just part of your father's work...
Shinji: My father's...work?
Gendo: That is correct.
All three looked up to see Gendo looking down upon them from an exit to a hall way just above the Evangelion's head. Shinji and Gendo almost instantly met gazes with the former looking quite surprised. The latter, however, didn't seem that way.
Shinji: D...Dad...!
Gendo: It has been a while. Shinji, listen carefully to what I'm about to tell you. You are going to ride in her and battle and hope to exterminate the Angel.
Shinji: ...!!
Misato: (looking very surprised) But Commander... you should remember that it took Rei a long time to synchronize with the Eva! It's just *impossible* for a boy who just arrived today to pilot--
Gendo: He only needs to sit in her. I'm not expecting more at this point.
Misato: B, but--!
Ritsuko: Captain Katsuragi, our overriding priority is to halt and repel the Angel! We cannot even hope to accomplish that unless we let someone, no matter who, who may be able to synchronize with the Eva to some extent...or would you like to share some other alternatives of your own?
Misato: .....
Shinji: (trembling in anger and fear) ...th...this is a joke, right? You're not serious about letting me die out there fighting that thing...are you...Dad...?
Gendo: You're the only one we have at the moment. You don't need any details, just get inside.
Shinji: (breathing hard) N...No!! I will NOT ride in her, no matter what! You've neglected me, abandoned me for God knows how long....and NOW you ask for favors?! I am not going to let myself be ordered to my death!
Gendo: If you don't do as I say, all of humanity will perish. The very fate of mankind is placed in your hands now.
Shinji: (loudly) *NO!!*
Gendo: ...I see. I have no further need of you here. Go home to Side 7 for all I care...cowards are useless in a battle where man's future is at stake.
The Ikari patriarch then turned around to contact his second commander through a small audio-visual communications link on what to do, since things have turned out this way.
Gendo: /Fuyutsuki...I am afraid we shall have to use Rei again./
Fuyutsuki: /Are you sure about this, Ikari-kun? She's terribly injured.../
Gendo: /She's not dead. Have her brought here immediately./
After Ritsuko had ordered the Nerv engineers on-hand to "reinitialize Eva Unit-01's systems for Rei", Shinji couldn't help but fall on his knees over what he had done. True, he was needed right now...but to fight the Angel was something very different of what he had expected. He just didn't want to die out there. Misato just watched in pity and felt very sorry for the poor boy.
Moments later, the very same red-eyed albino girl of about the same age as Shinji with short, ice-blue hair was wheeled out carefully in a hospital bed, dextrose still attached to her arm and bandage still wrapped around most of her body. She was also wearing some sort of a white skin-tight pilot's suit that would almost show her slim figure, for a 14-year-old. Shinji and Misato saw this girl being wheeled out and the former kept his gaze fixed on her.
The girl was truly a very pitiful sight for anyone to see.
Gendo: Rei...our only replacement is useless. You must pilot the Eva again.
Rei: (faintly, weakly) ...yes...sir...
Rei tried desperately to even rise up from her sick bed. It suddenly dawned on Shinji as he watched on; they're gonna send *her* into battle in that condition...? What is his father thinking?
There was a sudden blasting sound from outside of the room, which trembled as a result of the sound. All except Rei were taken by surprise by the noise and almost looked up to the ceiling in unison.
Gendo: The Angel has discovered our location!
Misato: The city blocks on the Geofront's ceiling dome are starting to fall!
And indeed the city blocks from the Geofront's ceiling dome were starting to fall. People on-hand were staring to go to and fro across the room and took cover for their lives. Some of the room's ceiling lights fell near Rei's sick bed and caused Rei to fall down to the floor. By instinct, Shinji came to her side and tried desperately to help the poor girl up.
He still couldn't believe his father would want to send this injured girl into battle with that...that Angel, that devil...
Misato: Shinji, you must now realize that we really do need you. You told me earlier that even you knew you weren't going to celebrate some joyous reunion with your dad, right? You knew there was just some other reason why we reached out as far as your home in Side 7 just to get you, didn't you?
Shinji: .....
Misato: If you don't pilot the Eva now, that child in your arms would have to get inside the Eva again! Don't you have any shame, Shinji...?
Gendo: Don't waste any more time on him, Captain Katsuragi. Shinji...if you're going to go home, don't dawdle...GET OUT OF HERE!
The boy could do nothing more than clutch the girl in his arms and accept defeat. This is going to be the biggest day of his so-called life...he slowly lay the unconscious girl down on the floor and sighed.
Shinji: ...all right...*Dad*...I'll do it. I just have to get in her, right...?
Misato: (looking very concerned) Shinji...
Ritsuko walked towards the boy and helped him to stand up. Shinji slowly looked up at his father and leered at him with much anger in his eyes as Gendo looked back at his son with a smirk on his face.
Ritsuko: Well said, Shinji. Now let's come this way...I may have to give you a simple lecture on the controls and the Evangelion's operating systems...
---
As he sat on the Eva's entry plug cockpit, Shinji had nothing on his mind but hate for his father. He had thought that while his dad had never needed him for almost all fourteen years of his life, he had scorned on the idea that his dad made a mobile suit...a robot...that needed him.
Shinji: (thinking) Tch...what a joke this is! Well, I'm up for the challenge...I am not afraid to die and I will definitely NOT let Dad call *me* a coward!
Shinji waited as he felt his entry plug being inserted onto the back of the Eva while back in the Nerv control room, a female control room operator receives reports of confirmation of Shinji's entry into the Eva.
Ritsuko: How's Shinji going, Lieutenant Ibuki?
Maya: Plug lock-in procedure completed, ma'am. Initiating first level interface and flooding entry plug!
Shinji's brow curled in wonder. "Flooding...?" What did she mean by...
His eyes almost bugged out as a clear yellowish-orange liquid started to flood the confines of his cockpit and he was soon engulfed in the liquid up to his knees.
Shinji: W...what the hell is THIS?!
Ritsuko: /Do not be alarmed! Once your lungs are saturated with the LCL, you will be able to undergo direct oxygen exchange!/
Misato: /You'll get used to it in a minute, Shinji! Don't worry about it!/
Shinji had gulped deep as the yellow liquid had finally consumed him and filled the whole cockpit with it. He really did thought he was going to die in there...a few seconds later, after he had realized that he was able to "breathe" the liquid, a flurry of fancy lights had suddenly come in his sight. He didn't really know what was going to happen next now...
Ritsuko: (watching Maya's monitor) This is incredible...synchronization errors are within 0.3%...Captain Katsuragi, this is going to work!
Misato: Right. Evangelion Unit-01, prepare to launch!
The primary and secondary locks and restraints binding the 40 meter-tall, thin, purple Evangelion Unit-01 had finally been released and was now being prepared to be transported above ground through an "elevator" of some sort. Misato turned towards her Commander after confirming reports of this. Gendo, seated and hunched on a heightened platform a bit above Misato and Ritsuko with his clasped fingers in front of his face, looked back calmly through his dark orange-colored eyeglasses.
Misato: Commander Ikari, do we proceed?
Gendo: Of course, Captain Katsuragi. If we fail to defeat the Angels, all of humanity will perish.
Misato: (nods) Evangelion Unit-01, LAUNCH!!
Shinji felt a sudden rush as his Eva was launched upwards to sea level. Much to his surprise, the sudden stop that he felt made him look face-to-face with the monstrosity that had been terrorizing Tokyo since that early afternoon. He breathed hard and deep and told himself, "This is it, Shinji..."
Maya: /Releasing final safety locks!/
Misato: LIFT OFF! (thinking) Good luck, Shinji...
Shinji: R...right...
Misato: /Try walking, Shinji!/
Shinji: /Y...yeah, b-but how do I walk?/
Misato: /Just concentrate and focus your thoughts on the concept of walking!/
And Shinji did as he was told, "feeling" his Eva lift up a leg and stamp it on the ground as his first step. Realizing he couldn't stop "himself" from walking, he decided to charge wildly towards the Angel with a mighty yell. Misato and the others were watching as Shinji would be making a very terrible mistake.
Misato: /Oh, no! Shinji, wait...!!/
It was too late as Shinji had totally missed the Angel and tripped, landing face-first into a building. He tried to get up, only to see the Angel now standing behind him. Shinji could only gasp in terror as the Angel picked the Eva by its head and seemed to look back at him with what seemed to be its four "eyes" and in two faceless discs.
Misato: /Shinji, get the hell out of there!! PLEASE!!/
The Angel reached out for the Eva's right arm with its free hand and crushed and pulled it with unbelievable ease. Shinji just screamed in terror and pain as he "felt" his arm experiencing the same treatment as the Angel did his Eva.
Misato: /Shinji, listen to me! What was trapped and dislocated wasn't *your* arm, okay?!/
Maya: Arm has sustained damage! Disconnecting all circuits and rerouting connections!
Misato: /Can't you do something, Ritsuko?! At this rate, he won't have a chance in combat!/
Ritsuko: (thinking) This can't be happening...unless...unless the synchro frequencies have gone into hyper-fluctuation?!
Ritsuko: Lt. Ibuki, can you lower the neural circuit feedback regulators a notch--or even two?!
Maya: I'll give it a try!
Shinji could now only gasp as he saw something flashing within the Angel's "hand", or claw, or whatever that's holding him up by the head. A powerful surge of energy suddenly blasted through the Eva's eyes and through its head. Shinji instantly experienced excruciating pain in his left eye, like it was the one blasted through with the sudden burst of energy and could only scream in terror. The impact of the blast sent the Eva hurling to a nearby building and crashed into it, the Eva slumping to the ground. Suddenly, the Eva's left eye seemed to explode in a fountain of blood; Misato, Ritsuko, Maya, and two other control room operators looking on in shock.
Makoto: Degree of cranial damage unknown!
Shigeru: Cutting power to control neurons! Reversing synchrographs!
Makoto: P-pulse is...surging back!
Misato: Pull the circuit manually! Just stop that flow!
Maya: Negative! Signal's been rejected! It's refusing all input!
Misato: What about Shinji?!
Makoto: Monitors not responding--we can't tell if he's alive or dead! Unit-01 has gone completely silent!
Misato: (sighing) All right, I'm suspending original orders! Pilot safety is now our only priority! Force ejection of the entry plug!
Maya: ...th-there's no manual override! We've lost all contact with the Eva!
---
Shinji felt like he was floating in an endless pool of nothingness. It felt so warm and so free in here, he thought as he wondered where he was. It felt so much like...like his mother's arms cradling him as a baby.
Shinji: Heh...I guess death isn't such a big deal after all...
Shinji had suddenly felt like someone was grabbing him by the wrists. He looked around and saw...handcuffs?! What the hell were handcuffs doing here?! He gasped all of a sudden and thought...was he being arrested? No, it couldn't be! He's just a juvenile!
Shinji: AAAAARGGGHHH!!! I swear to God, I'm not allied with the Zeon! Honest! Please don't arrest meeeeeee!!!!!!! I'M INNOCENT!!!!!!! MOMMY, DADDY, PLEASE HELP MEEEE!!!
Shinji gulped as the darkness seemed to move, feeling an unknown force spreading his legs and arms wide. In the twinkling of an eye, there she was, wearing an utterly seductive, gorgeous, and sexy black dominatrix outfit and holding a cat-o'nine-tails whip. He couldn't really hide the bulge in front of his pants now as he saw the face of his redheaded tormentor grinning hugely and evilly...
Shinji: A...ASUKA?! W-what the hell do you think you're DOING?!
Asuka: O-HOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!! Hello, slave! Like my new threads? They're made with 100% knitted leather, you know. So tell me, slave...do you want me to give you a lot of lustful pleasure...or a whole world of excruciating pain, hmmmmmmmmmm? I'm feeling *REALLY* hot under these... (grinning evilly and teasingly rubbing her...)
Shinji: Asuka, this isn't funny! Lemme go, dammit!
Asuka: DON'T CALL ME ASUKA, SLAVE! Call me "Mistress", you disgusting little worm! Nnnrgh! (starts whipping Shinji's butt with her cat-o'nine-tails quite forcefully)
Shinji: AAAAAAAAACKKKK, NOOOOOO!!!!! HELP ME, SOMEBODY!! MOMMY, DADDY, ANYBODY!!!!! AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
Asuka: Shut up, slave! O--HOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!!!
---
As if it was some kind of a weird miracle, the Eva Unit-01's head suddenly looked up into heaven. It forced its jaw open and let out a horrendous roar that would want one of a weak heart to faint if he could ever hear it.
Makoto: ...Unit-01 has reactivated! She's ripped off her own frontal shut-off joint!
Ritsuko: But the synchrograph is still in the negative zone! She can't be moving...unless...oh my God...she's out of control?!
The Eva rushed itself towards the Angel in all its rage. It jumped high above it, tumbling and turning like an acrobat, dodging every energy burst attack from the Angel and landed feet first at its face quite forcibly. The Angel was shooting wildly while the Eva just simply dodged it with incredible ease.
Misato: What the hell's happening?! Is Shinji controlling the Eva?!
Ritsuko: It is totally impossible! Just...just look at the way he's fighting...Shinji can't be at *this* level yet...!
There was one person, however, who was not as panicky as everyone else in the Nerv control room who were watching the Evangelion make a killing of the Angel. Gendo Ikari's lip curled just a bit upward as he let out a faint chuckle and watched on.
---
Amuro: ...!!
Even though he was quite a distance away from the fight between the Eva and the Angel, it all came to Amuro like a sudden flash of light that just went through his head. It was a feeling like...someone...or some*THING*...was getting very, very worked up in a fight somewhere near him. He denied the possibility that it could be Char once more...but then, Char might show up in the most unexpected of situations.
But no, not like this.
Chris: Sempai...? You doing okay there?
Amuro: Uh...? Oh, Christina. It's okay, it just that...I think I need some more rest from that fight earlier...
Chris sipped at her cup of coffee and gave Amuro a friendly little pat. She shook her head as she walked away from him, walking towards her blue Rick Dias gave Amuro a wave. She thought, so Amuro-sempai has another one of his Newtype "visions", huh. Who could it be now...?
Who could it be now, indeed? Amuro asked himself. It couldn't possibly be Char, no way. Nor was it Lalah, he happens to know she's gone in a better place than this world already. In that brief flash of Newtype clairvoyance, he had resolved that the feeling he felt...was something even more powerful, something even more intense...
Former Federal Forces and now Kalaba Lieutenant Senior Grade Amuro Ray just looked at his green Rick Dias and sighed. His thoughts had slowly drifted off into what had happened these past years that he's been away from action...
---
As its defense, the Angel generated for itself a "shield" of its own; it looked almost like a flat hexagonal board of light that suddenly appeared in front of the Angel and had stopped the Evangelion as it advanced towards it with its mighty and terrible howl and unstoppable ferocity.
Misato: An A.T. field?!
Ritsuko: So the Angels can generate A.T. fields of their own, too! The Eva can't possibly approach it as long as the Angel has that A.T. field up!
To almost everyone's surprise, the Eva restored its right wrist as if it were rubber and started to resume its charge against the Angel, deploying its own A.T. field, thus neutralizing the Angel's A.T. field and forcing it open, leaving Misato gagged for the rest of the moment.
The Angel fired a pair of beam energy bursts from its hollow eyes, but the Eva simply crossed its forearms and successfully deflected the attack, sending the Angel flying to a nearby building and crashed into it. Using other buildings as its pedestal, the Eva jumped up quite high and landed upon the Angel with full force.
The Eva started to pound on the red sphere located somewhere in the Angel's "abdomen", and seeing this was a viable threat to its life, the Angel wrapped itself around the Eva, and a few seconds later, sacrificed itself by exploding. Misato, Ritsuko, and the other people at the Nerv HQ control room were just awed at what had just happened; they could not believe it all transpired in just a matter of minutes.
The battle-hardened Evangelion Unit-01 walked through the flames that the Angel's explosion had caused. It was such a sight to see that the Eva was still standing after all that had happened.
Maya: Life signs confirmed for both Unit-01 and pilot! Dispatching retrieval units! Contacting emergency crews--!!
---
Shinji found himself in a hospital bed. As the gentle wind from an open window blew at his face, he rose up, wondering what in the world had happened to him...whether it was all a dream or not.
---
The pitch-black room was only lit with the faint lamps that shone under their faces. This committee of five German elders and one middle-aged Japanese man were seated in a long, rectangular table and were discussing things that are not most likely to be publicly disclosed. Kiel Lorenz, the most elderly of the six and most probably this committee's leader, seated adjacently to the Japanese person on the other end of the table, looked up from his laptop computer and looked at him through some kind of weird, narrow eyeglasses.
Kiel: Herr Ikari...this committee would like to point out to you that if you might use the Evangelions more...efficiently, if you will.
Man 1: We've seen that you have almost destroyed Unit-01 on her maiden campaign. The repair bills will be so much of concern for us as it will definitely cost us more than what we have bargained for!
Man 2: Herr Ikari, you must remember your primary obligations so as not to bankrupt this Committee so easily just as you have done!
Man 3: Nerv and the Eva's are not your only concerns!
Kiel: You must understand, Herr Ikari, that our goal of accomplishing the Human Instrumentality Project is, above anything else, representative of our greatest hopes in these desperate times! Where are your priorities?
Gendo: I understand...
Kiel: In any case, anything that will force a delay in the I.P. schedule that is attributable to the second coming of the Angels cannot and WILL not be allowed. Your budget requests will be considered, Herr Ikari.
Man 4: Now, how is the Intel Op progressing?
Gendo: No need for concern...that matter has already been dealt with.
---
Gendo's son wandered around the hospital. His mind was doing a little wandering around as well; he thought deep and hard if he just imagined what happened to him or not. He shook his head as images of his best friend clad in black leather whipping him real bad started coming back to him; he would never ever want to see Asuka like that. It was just too horrible a thought for him altogether.
His thoughts wandered over to that TV report that he saw earlier as he was walking around in that hospital...it told nothing of the Eva's or the Angel whatsoever. He wondered if it was all a bad dream, whether he had piloted the Eva or not.
Then he saw that girl--her name was Rei, wasn't it?--being wheeled away yet again in a hospital bed. Their gazes meet for just a fleeting moment, then as if from out of nowhere, his father came to her. It seemed to him as if Gendo was asking Rei something...and then Gendo's eyes rolled over to Shinji's. They stared at each other for a minute or so, then Gendo turned around and walked away, with Rei's doctors wheeling her bed away with her. Shinji could do nothing but just stand there watching his dad walk away just like that.
Misato: (shaking her head) Tsk, tsk...he couldn't even say "thank you" to his son...makes me wonder sometimes why he summoned you here to Tokyo in the first place, Shinji...
Shinji: (turning around) Misato...?
Misato: (smiling) Hi there! Just came over to pick you up, you know. You should know I'm glad you're feeling good right now. Nerv HQ gave me instructions to inform you that you will be, from now on, living there with your father. Is that okay with you?
Shinji: (sighs) Sure...but still...I don't know if it's okay with him. I don't think he wants me around anyway...I'll just be living alone. Now if you will excuse me, Misato...
Misato: Oh, come on, don't be silly! Parents and children naturally live together--well, unless you're married now, that is, but I have doubts that you are, but still--
Shinji: (louder tone) Didn't I tell you to please leave me alone, Misato? It's none of your business anyway!
Misato: H...hey!! What's with THAT tone of voice? I'm just concerned for you, that's all--
Shinji: (shouting) Don't you have enough to worry about?!
The 29-year-old Nerv tactician raised her eyebrow and was sure that last comment from the boy was quite the last straw for her. She trembled as she reached over to her cellphone and leered at Shinji, which was making him quite a bit nervous now.
Misato: ...you got a problem with me, boy? I'll fix that problem for you, if you don't mind...
Shinji: Uh...you wouldn't dare...
Misato: /Oh, hello, Ritsuko? Yeah, it's me. Shinji told me he's gonna live with me in my condo for a while soooo--/
Shinji: WHAT THE HELL ARE Y--?!
Misato: /Oh, don't worry too much about that, I'm not so desperate that I'd jump a child, you know. Just get me the proper approval from upstairs and everything will be fine. Shinji also said he'll be expecting his stuff immediately at my place, so just hurry it up, okay? Bye-bye Ri-chan!/ (turns off her cellphone)
Ritsuko: /Hey, wait up! Captain Katsuragi--!!/
Misato: There, that should do it! Let's get going, shall we?
Shinji: Y...you have GOT to be kidding! Who are you to decide what I'm to do?! And why the hell do I have to live with you in the first place?!
Misato: Will you SHUT UP ALREADY?!! (leers at Shinji) What part of "commanding officer" don't you understand?
Shinji was just so helpless at the moment. He's seen those eyes before...he could not ever forget that moment when Asuka...no, this can't be! Aaaargh!! He just screamed for help inwardly as Misato started to drag Shinji, who was just so paralyzed at Misato leering at him.
A few minutes later, Misato's car could be seen speeding off from the underground Nerv geofront into the surface. Misato was mentioning something about her and Shinji having a welcoming party for the boy as he was going to be her new roommate. Shinji didn't seem so enthusiastic as Misato was at the time and just looked out the window, depressed as he was. Misato just looked at him with much concern for him as she drove on...and had all of a sudden that they should take a little detour somewhere in the Tokyo highlands.
Misato parked her Sentra somewhere beside the road and invited Shinji to go see something, but the boy was still unexcited about it all.
Shinji: This doesn't look like a good site for a picnic...
Misato: Damn it, Shinji! You aren't a very cute kid, you know that?! I just wanna show you something! (looks at her watch) It's almost time...
And there truly was a sight to see as Shinji viewed the place where the Angel had attacked; there were buildings rising from the ground. In his whole life of living in Side 7, he had never seen something like this.
Shinji: Whoa...nobody ever told me Japan had this kind of technology...I mean, do you see that? Those buildings are just coming out of the ground like plants!
Misato: Well, Japan does have this kind of technology...at least it's just true for Tokyo. And they're not just any buildings...this is our patented "anti-Angel siege fortress"...*our* city! No, it's more than that...it's the city *you* defended!
That made Shinji gasp in surprise as Misato's comment struck him through the heart.
Shinji: B...b-but...I...I didn't really...I didn't really do it because it was for mankind or for that girl's sake or anything...it wasn't anything selfless like that...
Misato: I know...but no matter what your motives were, you did quite well. You should have more confidence in yourself.
Tears started to stream down Shinji's face. It wasn't until Shinji started sobbing that Misato turned around and tried to console with him.
Misato: Shinji? Oh, dear--hey...d-did I say something wrong?
Shinji: (sobbing and wiping his tears off) N...no...it's just that...Misato, I...I just wanted to hear those words...from him...
The sunset made a silhouette of the pair as they looked on at Tokyo's magnificence. Soon enough, Misato drove Shinji back to her condo as darkness started to set in and totally swallowed the sky.
To be continued
---
Hi again, kids. Well, as of this typing, it's 11:00 AM of April 23, 2001 and I'm feeling just a bit okay (I guess). I'm also thinking of a lot of other things at the moment, mostly if I will ever finish college in time and if I'll ever get out of this daily cycle of life called "unemployment". Not that you or anyone who's care to do an MST'ing of this fanfic would care anyway, I just thought that I'd tell you.
Well, what of Chapters 5 and 6? I'm thinking of finally having to mix in the two series, Neon Genesis Evangelion and Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam and just get on with the story. Some people in the Gundam Mailing List (gundam@aeug.org) are suggesting a lot of things for this fanfic and frankly I'm VERY MUCH THANKFUL FOR ALL OF YOU WHO HELPED ME. And for all of you who didn't, well...I'd have to thank you too as well. It's okay, really. ;)
Again, C&C's are welcome, NO FLAMES PLEASE.
Till next episode, "you'll see the tears of time."....
P.S. I would just like to take this time to thank the few humble people
who were responsible in the help of making this fic in its most presentable
form:
- Mrs. Cindy Genato (cindygenato@cheerful.com) for volunteering to beta-read
this piece of trash for me. Thanks be to you, old friend! Regards to your
husband, by the way! :p
- Jean Pierre Domingo (kaiser_reinhardt@yahoo.com), my college schoolmate and
the bestest friend anyone could ever have. He's the one responsible for
getting me into Gundam in the first place (and learning that Gundam Wing
ISN'T the only Gundam series out there worth watching...if ever Gundam Wing
*is* worth watching at all...UH-UH, no flames, please!
- Rachel Grey (elfbard@iprimus.com.au), my one and only sweet and loving
(and lovely!) girlfriend, who's also an Evangelion otaku like I am and
who has been more than an inspiration for me to make this fic. She's
also helped in some parts of the fic. Honey, I love you more than you
will ever know and I just hope someday that we'll finally meet. :)
- Those people from the Gundam Mailing List (gundam@aeug.org) who helped me
through their wonderful suggestions to me. More power to all of you in your
dealings with mankind and such. I bid thee and thine good tidings.
- Gainax and Bandai for producing such spectacular anime mecha series such
as Neon Genesis Evangelion and Mobile Suit Gundam. Thanks be to you, folks.
And last, but not the least:
- I would like to thank you, dear reader, for taking the time to read my
work. I really appreciate it and hope by your reading of this, it will give
me more inspiration to write some more.
(Author's note: The Zeon's MS-06 Zaku II and the Titans'/Federation's RMS-106 Zaku II [actually the RMS-106's model name should be "Hizack" instead of "Zaku II" but I intended it to be named that way for personal reasons] are both of essentially the same design but the latter was further customized for Federation use and was therefore the most commonly mass-produced Federation mobile suit by U.C. 0087.)