-Chapter 10-
The angel was standing atop one of the surrounding mountains by the time our Evas surfaced. I quickly reached my designated armory building and equipped my unit with a positron rifle. I put the gun to full charge and checked on Asuka and Shinji-kun. Asuka was slapping her Eva's left palm with the flat edge of a giant battle axe. Shinji-kun was checking the ammunition for his pistol. Seemingly satisfied, he slipped the clip back into the pistol, locking it into place. He turned towards us.
"Ready?"
"Ready," replied Asuka. "I'll take point."
"Unit Zero will back Unit Two."
"I'll try to distract it," Shinji-kun said as Unit One moved off to the side, flanking the angel and firing its pistol.
I sprinted in the opposite direction, firing the rifle. The angel swiveled its head from my direction to Shinji, seeming confused by our actions.
"Asuka!" Shinji shouted. "Now!"
"Way ahead of you," she replied.
Unit Two rushed the angel, keeping the axe close to its chest. As soon as the angel was in her attack range, Asuka swung the axe in a wide arc, aiming for the angel's ribcage. The heavy axe bit into the angel's side. With a roar, the angel swung its head towards Unit Two and opened its jaws, the axe still embedded in its thick hide. Unit Two brought its arms up on each side of its head as the antler-like mandibles closed upon them.
The arms of Unit Two shook violently as it struggled to keep the jaws from closing on its head.
"A little help here!" Asuka yelled.
Shinji's Eva was atop of the angel immediately, with its legs wrapped around its back as it pried the angel's jaw open. Asuka, freed from the prison of the angel's mouth, drew back her fist. The angel twisted its body and ducked, bringing Unit One between it and Unit Two's attack. Asuka's punch connected to the front of Shinji's Eva, and Unit One's head snapped backward. A sickening crack was heard as Unit One crashed down on the pavement.
"Shinji!" Asuka cried out.
The angel took advantage of Asuka's distraction and backhanded Unit Two into a building. It then grabbed Unit Two by the back of the neck and threw it down upon the asphalt. As Asuka tried to raise herself, the Angel raised its foot and kicked Unit Two's head, whipping it sideways. Unit Two rolled over on its shoulder from the force, and laid still looking up at the sky.
Unit One slowly picked itself and once again tried to tackle the massive Angel. The Angel easily ducked under Shinji's frantic attack and clamped its jaws around his unit's chest and began to crush it. Unit One struggled, pounding the Angel's armored head with its fists. The chest plate snapped and Unit One was still. I saw the entry plug eject out from the base of the neck.
I brought my Eva to a stop behind an armored building and raised up the rifle. I saw the general shape of the angel shift and turn its attention to the still Unit Two. It pulled the long handled axe from its side. I sighted along the barrel, and my finger was poised over the trigger. I could feel my finger twitching as I battled to squeeze the trigger. Something froze my hand, prevented my attack. Make sure you don't stand in my way. A picture of Commander appeared in my mind, hands folded to conceal his mouth. The axe was raised high into the air.
I saw the image of Commander smile. I clenched my teeth and pulled back the trigger. A moment after Asuka's scream was cut short, my shots hit the angel.
I sat silently in the waiting room of the infirmary. I stared down at my pale hands, clasped in my lap. I remembered them shaking after I had tackled the angel and thrust my progressive knife into its core. I remembered the dead silence that echoed out from the city as I looked at our battleground and saw the still figures of Units One and Two. The recovery teams seemed much too slow in getting to the pilots.
Shinji's Eva had crashed through some buildings that had been evacuated during the angel attack. It laid face up, vacantly staring at the bright sun. The twisted metal of the building coiled around its massive limbs, making it appear as though it had somehow been fastened to the ground. The front of its face was nearly crushed in and flakes of red paint dotted the area. Asuka's Eva laid very still, its cheek bone area shattered. A long handle extended from the chest cavity of Unit Two. The pavement around it was broken from the impact of the Angel's slam and the buildings around it were completely leveled.
If only I had not held back. Commander was right. Emotions weaken humanity. My duty was to destroy angels. I should have done my duty. But I hadn't, and now Shinji and Asuka have paid for my negligence. It should have been me that paid. I am replaceable.
In the infirmary, doctors and nurses hurried by as they took upon themselves the burden of my mistake.
The angel was standing atop one of the surrounding mountains by the time our Evas surfaced. I quickly reached my designated armory building and equipped my unit with a positron rifle. I put the gun to full charge and checked on Asuka and Shinji-kun. Asuka was slapping her Eva's left palm with the flat edge of a giant battle axe. Shinji-kun was checking the ammunition for his pistol. Seemingly satisfied, he slipped the clip back into the pistol, locking it into place. He turned towards us.
"Ready?"
"Ready," replied Asuka. "I'll take point."
"Unit Zero will back Unit Two."
"I'll try to distract it," Shinji-kun said as Unit One moved off to the side, flanking the angel and firing its pistol.
I sprinted in the opposite direction, firing the rifle. The angel swiveled its head from my direction to Shinji, seeming confused by our actions.
"Asuka!" Shinji shouted. "Now!"
"Way ahead of you," she replied.
Unit Two rushed the angel, keeping the axe close to its chest. As soon as the angel was in her attack range, Asuka swung the axe in a wide arc, aiming for the angel's ribcage. The heavy axe bit into the angel's side. With a roar, the angel swung its head towards Unit Two and opened its jaws, the axe still embedded in its thick hide. Unit Two brought its arms up on each side of its head as the antler-like mandibles closed upon them.
The arms of Unit Two shook violently as it struggled to keep the jaws from closing on its head.
"A little help here!" Asuka yelled.
Shinji's Eva was atop of the angel immediately, with its legs wrapped around its back as it pried the angel's jaw open. Asuka, freed from the prison of the angel's mouth, drew back her fist. The angel twisted its body and ducked, bringing Unit One between it and Unit Two's attack. Asuka's punch connected to the front of Shinji's Eva, and Unit One's head snapped backward. A sickening crack was heard as Unit One crashed down on the pavement.
"Shinji!" Asuka cried out.
The angel took advantage of Asuka's distraction and backhanded Unit Two into a building. It then grabbed Unit Two by the back of the neck and threw it down upon the asphalt. As Asuka tried to raise herself, the Angel raised its foot and kicked Unit Two's head, whipping it sideways. Unit Two rolled over on its shoulder from the force, and laid still looking up at the sky.
Unit One slowly picked itself and once again tried to tackle the massive Angel. The Angel easily ducked under Shinji's frantic attack and clamped its jaws around his unit's chest and began to crush it. Unit One struggled, pounding the Angel's armored head with its fists. The chest plate snapped and Unit One was still. I saw the entry plug eject out from the base of the neck.
I brought my Eva to a stop behind an armored building and raised up the rifle. I saw the general shape of the angel shift and turn its attention to the still Unit Two. It pulled the long handled axe from its side. I sighted along the barrel, and my finger was poised over the trigger. I could feel my finger twitching as I battled to squeeze the trigger. Something froze my hand, prevented my attack. Make sure you don't stand in my way. A picture of Commander appeared in my mind, hands folded to conceal his mouth. The axe was raised high into the air.
I saw the image of Commander smile. I clenched my teeth and pulled back the trigger. A moment after Asuka's scream was cut short, my shots hit the angel.
I sat silently in the waiting room of the infirmary. I stared down at my pale hands, clasped in my lap. I remembered them shaking after I had tackled the angel and thrust my progressive knife into its core. I remembered the dead silence that echoed out from the city as I looked at our battleground and saw the still figures of Units One and Two. The recovery teams seemed much too slow in getting to the pilots.
Shinji's Eva had crashed through some buildings that had been evacuated during the angel attack. It laid face up, vacantly staring at the bright sun. The twisted metal of the building coiled around its massive limbs, making it appear as though it had somehow been fastened to the ground. The front of its face was nearly crushed in and flakes of red paint dotted the area. Asuka's Eva laid very still, its cheek bone area shattered. A long handle extended from the chest cavity of Unit Two. The pavement around it was broken from the impact of the Angel's slam and the buildings around it were completely leveled.
If only I had not held back. Commander was right. Emotions weaken humanity. My duty was to destroy angels. I should have done my duty. But I hadn't, and now Shinji and Asuka have paid for my negligence. It should have been me that paid. I am replaceable.
In the infirmary, doctors and nurses hurried by as they took upon themselves the burden of my mistake.