AUTHOR'S NOTE: Back to school really really sucks. Especially because my school starts two weeks before everyone else (including the vast majority of my friends) so I have to endure two weeks of taunting. On the good side, I've discovered that target shooting counts as CAS hours (IB students know what those are), so I have another excuse to blow off steam at the range... There's nothing like blowing holes in a target a hundred meters away to lighten your mood. Especially with a pistol. But to the point.
As I've been receiving fewer and fewer reviews with each chapter, NGE: Second Genesis is now officially on the lower production track. Now, remember - this can change if reviews pick up. Like the story? Review it, you'll get more chapters. As it is, my homework is superseding all of my fanfiction - and my teachers give a lot. But NGE: Limits and my other projects (like making money) now have priority over Second Genesis. Sorry, that's the way it goes.
Anyways, far be it from me to have a longer Author's Note than is necessary. Enjoy chapter 8!
Your loving author,
Sithanas
DISCLAIMER: Yes, I do own Evangelion. Every last bit. You see, I'm the one who wrote it. IT WAS ALL ME!!! HAHAHA!!
If you believe that, you're dumber than I thought. Oh, and I have some great real estate to sell you...
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Neon Genesis Evangelion: Second Genesis
Chapter 8: Escalation
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It was a dark morning in rural Texas. At 4:00 AM, the sun was still about an hour and a half off. Yet some people were already awake.
About a mile off from a large factory, a group of nondescript cars and trucks occupied a parking lot, looking like carbon copies of one another. Men and women piled out, congregating in the center for one brief last meeting. They all had three things in common. One, a radio headset; two, all-black padded clothing; and three - the gold-embroidered bar of the TCTF. Yes, the newest United States paramilitary unit was out in force that fine morning... and they weren't there to see the sights.
Major Dephanie Stevens leaned in, addressing all the unit commanders at once.
"Okay, here's the drill one last time. We will approach the base, sirens off, no headlights for the last quarter mile, infrared only approach. Squad one will ram the factory gate and proceed straight ahead for the main fabrication system. Squad two will take the left-hand route and proceed to cut off employee exits. Squad three will go right and cut off the shipping exits. On my signal, all squads are to converge on and breach the building. We go in weapons hot, but try to stick to the Van de Graff pistols unless you encounter any type of resistance. Return fire immediately if fired upon. Remember, this is a capture raid, not a combat op. Got it?" A chorus of "Yessir!"s echoed around her. She nodded.
"Alright then. Let's get this show on the road." The agents entered their cars. They started and began to roll out, heading towards the factory. 3/4ths of a mile later, their headlights died. Now the only clue that there was a caravan there would be the engine noise. Suddenly, the front cars made a turn and had the gates in sight. Slamming their accelerators, they rocketed forward, smashing the through the rerod gate and into the factory complex. Immediately alarms began to wail into the night sky. Dephanie's voice crackled over the vehicle radios.
"All teams, assigned positions! Go!" The cars split into three and rocketed off. Seconds later, another call came through.
"Take the building, repeat, take her down." Doors slammed open and black-suited agents boiled from the cars and towards doors. Gunfire rattled in the early dawn hours as doors were blown open and run through. They met token resistance in each of the three entrances, but it was over in seconds. VDG pistols stunned the enemy personnel and they were then quickly disabled (non-lethally, I might add) by black-suited agents. Dephanie swept her portable spotlight around the walls of the bare complex.
"Shit! Someone must have tipped them off. They got away. God dammit!" She kicked a wall, her combat boot leaving a nasty dent in the aluminum. Pulling out her phone uplink, she established a line to TCTF Regional HQ.
"Commander Miner? Someone tipped them off. They got away."
The day's first rays broke over the Texas branch of Japan Heavy Chemical Industrial, causing the silver letters on the side of the white building to glow ethereally. The machinery was gone, the JAs had escaped. And Dephanie was forced to ask herself, "How could this have happened?"
But she had no answers, save one - Some one had tipped them off. And that meant someone in her unit was a spy. Now all she had to do is find out *who*.
~~~~~~~~~~~
The Glock's slide shot back as its report echoed throughout the room, a brass shell flying through the air even as the bullet left a thumbnail-sized hole in the paper 25 meters downrange. Jack Kramer, the Sixth Child, let the gun move his hands up and back slightly as the muzzle break comped most of the recoil out of the shot. It was a nice firearm - very refined, well taken care of, and with custom loads, fearsomely accurate. Even on a bad day like this one, Jack had still achieved a very impressive group of only an inch and a half. And on a good day, he could practically put the round in the same hole as the last. Of course, he had been practicing since he was ten, so it wasn't as if he had never touched that firearm before. Behind him, Misato Katsuragi let out a low whistle.
"Very nice... six rounds at twenty-five meters... hard-point ammo, even - and still a group of less than two inches? *Very* nice. I feel quite sorry for anyone at the other end of that barrel." Setting the firearm down carefully, he turned to look at her.
"So does this mean I qualify for a NERV concealed carry permit? It's not like I don't trust the Section Two agents, like I said... I'd just rather be able to respond instead of hide and wait to be rescued, you know?"
"Yes, I'd have to say your chances of hitting a civilian are at a definite minium... very well, I'll have Intelligence issue you a permit. He smiled, stood, and bowed.
"Domo arigato Katsuragi-san. I'll avoid using it, I promise."
"You had better, else I may have to come after you myself. Firearms are not-"
"To be taken lightly, yes. I've heard that speech every day since I was five. Worry not, the populace is safe with me." Misato frowned.
"That's exactly what I'm afraid of..."
~~~~~~~~~~~
"Familiar ceiling..." The first words out of Shinji's mouth upon his ascent into consciousness had been repeated during every stay in NERV's hospital since his first. The drab white tiles held a reassuring familiarity for him, even as they signaled that yet another disaster had befallen him. Shaking his head slightly, he cleared his head of thoughts on ceilings and tried to remember what had brought him there this time. He could remember an angel, following it with his wings, and then a brilliant light... nothing more. Leaning slightly, he tried to sit up, only to collapse backwards after only managing an inch of incline. 'Why am I so weak...?' The opening of the door to his room cut short any other thoughts as a doctor he'd never seen entered. 'Oh yeah... Dr. Akagi is probably still in prison...'
"Good evening Shinji. How are you feeling? A little weak, I'd imagine."
"Yes... how long have I been here?"
"Your EVA was nearly totaled in combat with the 18th... you've been here for a little longer than a month."
"Oh..." He collapsed into a quiet silence.
"We'd like to keep you here overnight for observation, and if all checks out, you'll be released tomorrow afternoon. Do you have any questions?"
"No... thank you. Oh... if it's not too much trouble, may I have a glass of water?"
"I'll have one brought right away. It's good to have you back, Shinji." Smiling, the doctor stood and left. Shinji just lay there, waiting. 'I let her down again... I hope she's not too mad...'
~~~~~~~~~~~
It was a normal day in Tokyo-3 High School... well, at least as normal as you can get in a world with gigantic biomechanical humanoids. Students relaxed in their desks, stretching, talking, and generally not paying attention to the elderly teacher's ramblings on the Second Impact... much to the Class Rep's consternation. Hikari Horaki struggled to force order in the face of chaos, each day bringing less success.
"SUZUHARA-KUN! JUST WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!" Grabbing a furiously blushing Touji by the ear, she hauled him to his feet.
"But class rep, I-"
"HALLWAY! BUCKETS! NOW!!!" Head bowed, Touji shuffled off towards the classroom door. Jack, safely in his seat two rows away, couldn't restrain a chuckle.
"Do you want to join him, Kramer-KUN?" The emphasis on the "kun" was completely obvious, and he sputtered in his attempts to escape bucket duty.
"No ma'am, of course not ma'am."
"Good. Now all of you, SIT DOWN and SHUT UP!" The class snapped into a terrified silence, no one wanting to become Hikari's next victim. Leaning over his laptop to shield the screen from her eyes, Jack tapped out a quick message to Kensuke.
[Is Hikari PMSing or something?]
[I dunno... Touji says she's been pissy for the last week or so... probably is.]
[Aw, shit. Looks like class just got a whole lot harder]
{Yeah, it certainly did-]
"THAT HAD BETTER DAMN WELL BE NOTES!" Both Kensuke and Jack brought up their notepad windows just seconds before Hikari managed to glimpse their screens. They breathed synchronized sighs of relief, unfortunately tipping her off. The PA system for the classroom stopped Hikari seconds before she had Kensuke by the ear.
"Hikari Horaki to the office... Hikari Horaki to the main office please." Looking up at the speaker, her face gained a puzzled expression.
"I wonder what they want..." She strode quickly out the door, pausing briefly to glare at Touji, who scrambled to pick up his bucket. "Baka!"
When she reached the office, she was ushered into the inner conference room. A pretty lady with brown hair awaited her there. She stood, shaking Hikari's hand.
"You must be Hikari Horaki. My name is Maya Ibuki, I'm the head of NERV's Engineering Section One. Pleased to meet you." A business card made its way into Hikari's hand without her noticing. "Please have a seat." She sat rigidly, her entire posture posing a question.
"To cut a long story short, my division is in charge of Project E, which has as one of its most significant achievements something you're most likely quite familiar with."
"You build the Evas, don't you..."
"Yes. And now we've built one for you."
"What do you mean?"
"The Marduk Institute has named you as the Seventh Children. That makes you a potential Evangelion pilot. I think you know what I'm asking."
"You want me... to pilot an Evangelion?"
"Yes. Yes we do."
~~~~~~~~~~~
"You want me to go *where*?" Dephanie's jaw dropped at the Commander's orders.
"Compose yourself, Major." Commander Miner tossed a pointed glare her way. She drew herself back up to parade rest, her mouth closing. "Now, I was saying you're going to be temporarily reassigned to Japan, along with a set of technicians and a Navy unit."
"Why, sir?"
"Because the Evangelion falls under TCTF jurisdiction."
"The what, sir?"
"Evangelion. Here, catch." She tossed Dephanie a booklet, stamped with NERV-Top Secret. "This is the manual for the Evangelion Production Type biomechanoids. DARPA has been working on the next model for about three years, and they're built nine, all destined for the Japanese UN/NERV special base. They're an improved version of the original Evangelion, with more weapons and more speed. And as they're US-produced, they fall under TCTF export controls, which means we get to send a lucky agent along with them."
"But why me?"
"Same reasons we picked you for the JHCI raid. You speak Japanese, have good instincts, and are a high enough rank. Plus, your tracking of JHCI will help your assignment."
"How does an industrial company fit into the transportation of military equipment?"
"JHCI was targeted because they produce the Jet Alone, several of which were used to attack the Evangelions already on-site in Japan. You're going to shut them down, and this time we're not taking no for an answer. You leave in forty-eight hours. Be ready."
"Yes sir."
~~~~~~~~~~~
A darkened room, a shadowy figure. Glancing around, he insured no one was there before pulling out a small radio.
"Commander Keel. They're bringing the cargo to Japan." There was no question by either party as to what the cargo was, or who they were.
"Yes sir. Yes sir. Understood, sir. Over and out." The shadow flicked a switch on the side of the radio and dropped it. A small fire sprang out, melting the plastic case and the circuts within. The shadow slipped out of the room.
~~~~~~~~~~~
"X1-Alpha, this is the U.S.S. Equinox. You are cleared to land. Please convey our welcome to the Major."
"Equinox, X1-Alpha, roger code fifteen, clear to land. See you in a bit." The United States Navy's newest heavy aircraft carrier was a hotbed of activity as it made ready to become the flagship of Dephanie's task group. It, plus the two heavy freighters (each holding four Evangelion) would be the main offensive strike power in the group. Clad in a fresh blast of battleship grey paint, its six catapults reflected the midday sunlight off of their magrails. Sprint SA/SSM launchers were fixed on either side of the top deck, and anti-aircraft particle guns were present in clusters on the four deck corners. The conning tower had a trio of rapid-fire gatling AAM launchers and heavy, 70mm cannon. It was a fortress, nuclear powered with no maximum range. Dephanie watched it intently. It was the first time she had ever been close to one of the big ships - they were a new class, with only 5 years since the first one rolled off the lines at Newport News, Virginia. There were three in the entire Navy, and this one would be assigned to serve as a base for US/NERV joint operations, backing up the ailing Tokyo-3 air defense system.
X1-Alpha, a VTOL transport, swept in towards the carrier, angling towards a platform on the second deck, off of the side of the carrier. It centered itself above the pad, locked in its position, and then dropped like a stone, hurtling towards the deck. At the last second, the pilot hit the thrust reversers and the exhaust ports glowed blue-white as the ship slowed down in the space of a hundred feet. It's magnetic generators locked in with the landing pad's and it touched down, light as a feather. The door slid open, stairs dropping, and Dephanie dropped the three feet to the deck, heading for a ladder that lead to the conning tower. She was stopped before she hit the door to the pad, however.
"Major Stevens?" She looked up to see a captain with the gold bar of the TCTF on his uniform. He wore a turban. "I'm Captain Pritpaul Samir. I'm the lead technician." They shook hands. Dephanie smiled.
"Pleased to meet you."
"Likewise. If you'd follow me ma'am I'd like to introduce you to the pilots?"
"Lead on, captain." He turned and walked into the ship, and she followed. After about five minutes of walking in silence, they came upon an auxiliary conference room and entered.
"Major Stevens, meet the Children." She looked around the room, trying to match their faces with their files. They were all around fifteen or sixteen, and they all looked equally bored, kept cooped up in the conference room. Each one was dressed in a standard patrol uniform, dust blue, with a black belt, metal buckle. On their belts hung two things - a standard issue phone and a Glock 36, holstered for standard draw. However, individually, they were as different as possible.
"Pleased to meet you all. I'm sure we'll be able to work together successfully in the future to accomplish our goals." One of the pilots, darker skinned with brown hair, spoke up.
"In other words, we do what you say and no one gets hurt."
"What's your name, pilot?"
"John Sata. I'm the Ninth Child."
"I should have guessed. You're absolutely right. My way or the highway. Understood?" A chorus of "Yes, ma'am" issued from the pilots and she smiled.
"Good. It looks like we'll all get along then."
~~~~~~~~~~~
"WHAT?! More pilots?!" Everyone in the briefing room grabbed their ears in a futile attempt to protect themselves from Asuka's explosive shout. Jack gave her a dirty look.
"Jesus Sorhyu, any louder and you'll set off an Angel alarm!"
"Kramer, let me tell you about a little thing called 'shut the fuck up'!"
"Pilots!" Misato's voice caused them to shut up and focus again on the matter at hand. "If we're all finished, I'd like to continue. Done? Good. Now, I was saying that we're going to receive seven new pilots from the United States. They should be here in a few days. Now, naturally, we will meet them in Okinawa with two Evangelion to serve as an escort for the nine they're bringing-" Jack looked up at this.
"Seven pilots, but nine Eva. Why?"
"Two of the Evangelion are for pilots that are already here." Asuka gave a start.
"What?! Who?"
"You'll find out soon. Now, for pilot assignments. Rei, Touji, you'll remain here to protect the Geofront. Jack, Asuka, you'll deploy as escorts." Shinji raised his hand.
"Misato-san, what about me?"
"Your Eva is still undergoing final repairs, so you'll have to sit this one out. Any questions? No? Then consider yourselves dismissed." The pilots filed out of the room.
~~~~~~~~~~~
The SEELE conference was completely filled with all twelve monoliths. Chairman Keel's voice rang out, his visage covered by the red sound-only pylon so often seen.
"NERV is bringing more Evangelion to assist Tokyo-3. Ikari is moving against us. This cannot be allowed. We must send a message that will inform the Commander who he is dealing with."
"We have twenty-three mass production Evangelion functional and ready for combat."
"We shall send thirteen. A complete series should be more than sufficient."
"They will only possess two experienced pilots. We will prevail." Keel returned to the discussion.
"Very well then. Prepare to move thirteen Evangelion. We will eliminate NERV's resistance."
~~~~~~~~~~
The naval docks at Okinawa were currently undergoing the highest level of lockdown in their history. Troops wearing the trademark NERV triangle blanketed the area in a sea of khaki, broken only by the black metallic of their machine guns. Tanks, VTOLs, and various support craft littered the area. And standing tall were two of humanity's most powerful combat weapons - the Evangelion. EVA-02 was tied into the power grid via umbilical, and carried a pallet rifle under one arm, plus a halberd strapped to its back. EVA-04 ran off of its S2 engine, so no umbilical needed. It carried its now-signature railgun and a progsword (also signature) on its back. Inside, both pilots were alert but relaxed. This was a coordinated military operation, after all. There was almost no chance for error.
Later, they would come to realize a basic tenet of life - God hates simple.
The Equinox, along with the rest of its carrier group, were about one mile off of the Okinawa coast. They had begun docking maneuvers, and were only minutes away from pulling into port and delivering the nine Evangelion. It was not to be that easy.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Jack was relaxing in his plug, leaning back, feet up, completely without worries - for all of five minutes. A sudden alarm caused him to snap forward nearly fast enough to give himself whiplash. His hands settled on his control grips only moments before a communication window popped up, filled with the purple-haired visage of Major Katsuragi.
"We have thirteen incoming targets, eighty thousand feet and dropping rapidly. They appear to be Mass Production Evangelion units under SEELE control. These units are tough. We're going to try to mobilize the Evas on board the carrier frames, but until then you're on your own." The window closed as Asuka and Jack took up combat positions, crouching behind buildings and propping up their weapons. Jack popped a window to the command vehicle.
"Permission for long-range rail fire?"
"Granted." Jack took aim carefully on the body-wing junction of one of the thirteen MP Evangelion. The range counter ticked slowly down, until it turned green at 13000 feet. Jack didn't wait, but pulled the trigger immediately. Lightning crackled around the barrel of the railgun, magnetic charges taking a steel slug injected into the barrel from the speed of sound to three quarters of the speed of light in the blink of an eye. The slug slammed into the MP Eva, and it erupted in a spray of deep red blood and synthetic feathers. It plummeted into the ocean at better than six hundred miles an hour, creating a huge cannonball dive when it hit. Jack grinned.
"Hey, it's duck hunt! You know, the old video game!" Asuka's only reply was an exasperated groan. He cycled another round into the railgun and again took aim.
CRACKLE CRACKLE SCHWOOMP BOOM SPLASH
Another MP Evangelion hit the water with a huge wake. And then a third.
CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK
Jack looked at his screen and swore.
"God dammit! I can't believe this piece of shit is out of ammo already!" He tossed it aside and drew his progsword. Meanwhile, the MPs had finally drawn within Asuka's range, and she opened up with the pallet rifle. Orange streaks of fire roared towards the enemy, some missing and others ripping their way through pliable armor and soft flesh to rain deep red blood upon the defenders. Another MP Eva plummeted from the sky as a burst of pallet fire tore one of its two wings from its body. It smashed into a piece of dock equipment, managing to skewer itself. Nine Evas remained, taking minor damage until Asuka's pallet rifle finally clicked empty. She chucked it at them, a touching albeit useless gesture. Pulling her halberd from her back, she readied herself for hand-to-hand engagement.
The MP Evas dropped the last five hundred feet in free-fall, folding their wings even as they landed with earth-shattering crashes. They surrounded the two defending Evangelion, menacing through sheer presence. And then, in what seemed to be a rictus of agony, they grinned.
Five seconds later, they charged.
Both pilots reacted without thinking, Asuka using her halberd to pole-vault herself over the MP heads while Jack simply ran at an oncoming unit and bunny-hopped it, catching its face with his toe on the way over. It fell backwards as it tripped him up, causing him to roll when he hit the ground. It didn't, instead landing with a heavy slam, stunning it. Jack took the opportunity to extend his Eva's arm staff and used it as a specimen pin, fixing the MP Eva firmly into the ground before crushing its head with his foot. It exploded into a bloody mess. Brandishing his sword, he turned to another MP Eva and charged.
Asuka landed on both feet, crouching to take the impact out of her jump. She immediately stood and swiveled on the balls of her Eva feet, slicing an enemy clean in half with the halberd. Blood spurted from both ends as the top half fell off. She snarled as she turned to its partner, giving a war cry before slamming into it with the halberd, pointy end first. It deflected her thrust with a large sword-type thing it had pulled off its back, rendering her halberd useless for defense as it swung the blade towards her in a deadly arc. Asuka dropped the halberd and rolled out of the way, narrowly avoiding loosing an arm to the MP Eva. She snatched the halberd and faced off against it.
Jack parried a thrust from an MP Eva before sending the point of his progsword deep into its chest. Reaching down towards one of his butterfly controls, he pushed a button and the blade exploded into shrapnel, shredding the upper body of the Eva. It ceased to move, its weapon falling to the side. Dodging a thrust from another unit, Jack grabbed the Eva's dropped blade and charged the enemy unit.
Major Stevens stood in the Combat Information Center on the Equinox, watching the fight on displays around the room. She grabbed a lieutenant by the shoulder and queried him frantically.
"What's the status on launching the Evangelion?"
"Ma'am, the pilots have been notified and are en route to their entry plugs. We should have the first frame launched in under two minutes." She let him go and he returned to his station. She turned back to the screens, aghast. She had no idea these robots could be so violent... or bleed so much. They were almost like real people in combat.
An alarm sounded in Asuka's ears as she drove her halberd through the MP Eva's head. Its final slash had severed her umbilical cable, leaving her with only five minutes of battery. She winced as the halberd snapped in her hands, the stress of prolonged combat too much for it's titanium alloy frame. Dropping the remains, she extended her progressive knife and threw, dropping another MP Eva in its tracks. She scooped up her opponent's discarded weapon and brandished it, parrying a strike from yet another enemy. Jack's cry of victory echoed over the comms as a blow from his blade destroyed the head of another Eva.
"Smile, motherfucker! You be dead!" He glanced at Asuka's image in his cockpit. "Four left. How are you doing?"
"Four minutes of active time and two Evas each. Let's finish this!" Jack grinned and nodded, rolling neatly to dodge a dismemberment slash. Dropping the halberd, he stuck out a hand and turned his roll into a devastating tornado kick - devastating for the target at least. His foot connected with the Eva's knee and snapped it, sending it toppling backwards. Progressive knife in hand, Jack swung his fist in a wild haymaker, catching the MP Eva under the chin before it could finish falling. The knife broke, the blade embedded in its head. It hit the ground and didn't get back up. Jack jumped high into the air, landing a two-handed slam on the back of one of Asuka's attackers. It staggered, and he took the opportunity to grab its neck and swing his weight around, breaking it. It dropped like a stone. Meanwhile, Asuka slammed her blade through the head and neck of one Eva, not bothering to remove it as it dropped. The second one was ten feet away and closing. Asuka didn't even blink as she turned and dropped it with a full spread from her spike launcher. The two Evas stood, surveying the carnage around them. Ten MP Evas lay destroyed, their blood staining the earth.
Dephanie let herself relax slightly as the last MP Eva fell. The lieutenant she stopped earlier turned to her.
"Ma'am? Should we cancel the scramble?" She began to reply with a yes when an alarm interrupted her. There were three Evas within their defense perimeter. She snapped around to stare at a screen that displayed three grotesque images. The MP Evas that had been shot out of the sky, that had been killed, were moving again. The Equinox's captain took one look and stole command from Dephanie in an instant.
"Do not cancel scramble! Launch all Evangelion! All turrets, open fire! Scramble VTOL and short-range dogfighters!" The bridge crew stepped up their activity another level as the orders hit home. Deep booms echoed throughout the carrier as the heavy cannon snapped into motion, followed moments later by the particle cannon studding the flight deck. A flight of missiles leapt from their tubes and smashed into the MP Evangelion, detonating into clouds of death and destruction.
Onboard one of the Eva carriers, entry plugs were loaded into combat model Evangelion. With a click, the first of four Evas was loaded into a launch frame. Inside, the tenth child prepared to activate her Eva in combat for the first time. A fiery-tempered girl with coppery-red hair, Sarah Stevenson had shown proficiency in the combat simulator, but that didn't equate to real-life experience... She took a deep breath of the LCL and grabbed the butterfly handles of the plug. Colors swirled around her as her Eva synchronized. She activated her comm system.
"Evangelion Unit 7 online and ready for launch."
"Roger that, prepare for immediate launch. Good luck." She leaned back in her chair as the rocket motors of the launcher frame propelled her up and out of the carrier bay. She was in flight for a few seconds more - then the motors cut off and the frame's explosive bolts blew, shattering the metal lattice and freeing her for movement. She spread her wings and maintained altitude, hovering a hundred feet above the battlefield.
Jack turned as one of the disabled Evas rumbled into life behind him. This battle was turning very bad very quickly. Picking up a blade at random, he faced it and on a whim, activated his AT Field. What happened next was completely unexpected. The blade in his hands twisted, its shape transforming into a two-pronged lance that he had never seen before. Behind him, Asuka's jaw dropped in shock.
"The Lance of Longinus..." Jack looked at it in astonishment.
"The Lance of Longinus, huh... I'll be the rest of these have copies of it. We can have some fun with these..." Aiming it at an oncoming MP Eva, he concentrated and threw. It tried to raise its AT Field, but to no avail. The Lance slammed straight through, slicing deep into its chest. Jack stared as the Eva began to scream, its flesh bubbling away from the Lance's contact points. AT Fields crackled and wavered, rending the air with horrific blasts. Suddenly, both the screaming and the fields ceased and the Eva fell silent for its second time, this time propped up by the lance jutting out of its midriff. Misato's voice crackled over the comm system.
"Good job! The Lance of Longinus inhibits AT Fields. The copies aren't nearly as powerful as the original would be, but they should still be enough to impair or completely retard the function of the MP Evas. Get them before they get you. We're going to try to make this a fighting retreat. Asuka, draw back towards the far end of the coastline, we have another umbilical for you there. Jack, try to capture and use the Lance copies before the MP Evas can. Go!" Both pilots nodded and sprang into action.
Above the Equinox, battle was raging fiercely. It was three versus three, untested pilots versus dummy plugs. Both launcher frames scrambled to boost more Evas into the air to reinforce the three already fighting, but their speed was hampered by the slow firing of the rocket motors. Both sides hung suspended in air thanks to their wings, the MP Evas looking like giant seagulls while the Combat-type Evas looked more like strange human additions to the sky. The sharp clangs of metal on metal rang out as the MP Evangelion brought their lance copies into play, their blade forms slashing downwards.
The ninth child was the first to tire of this aerial game of tag. Stepping left to avoid being cut in half, he pressed a switch on his butterfly control. One of his two progressive knives flipped into his right hand, extending automatically. He threw it at one of the MP Evas, hitting it in the wrist and slicing it off. Its lance copy fell, hand included, and John dived to grab it. With a thought, he willed his AT Field to life and the Lance revealed its true form. He threw.
Jack turned as a tremendous explosion echoed through the area. One of the Combat-type units had thrown a lance directly into the core of an MP Eva and it had exploded, knocking the entire group out of the sky. Pieces of Eva landed in the water, splashing and turning the waves red. One chunk, what looked like a foot, slammed into the carrier and appeared to have disabled a launch rail, destroying the dogfighter that had been launching at the time. As he watched, one of the Combat units managed to recover seconds before hitting the water and flipped upright, appearing to be standing upon the waves. He whistled. Whoever that pilot was, he was good. He squinted, his view automatically magnifying so he could pick out the 7 on its shoulder. He made a mental note to look that pilot up, then turned back to the task at hand. There was a Lance in his hand, and without another thought, he rammed it home, and the bloody parts of another MP Eva decorated the landscape.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Sarah was pissed. The MP Eva she was fighting had just punched her in the jaw and it hurt! She wasn't expecting the Eva's pain to be hers as well. She leaped forward and kicked it hard in the chest, knocking it backwards, a move made eerie because they were all floating on a midair plane. As it tried to right itself, she squeezed her butterfly controls. The shoulders of her Eva popped up, revealing the particle cannon hidden in each shoulder blade. She fired. Streaks of orange flame came forth, and she smote the enemy unit like an angry god, leaving gaping holes in its fleshlike armor. It stared blankly at her, and she ripped its lance away and activated her AT Field in one smooth motion. Her arm stabbed forward, the lance slipping into the flesh of the target, and it screamed, even as she twisted at the waist and split it open like a ripe melon. The core shattered and the entry plug collapsed on itself, spilling both Eva blood and LCL into the waves. She withdrew the Lance, and the broken Eva fell. Turning, she shook it threateningly at the third MP Eva remaining in the Equinox's defense sphere. Gore dripped off of the prongs and shone in the sunlight. It wisely turned and ran at the shore, preferring to take its chances with the slightly less dangerous Unit 04.
This turned out to be a rather unfortunate mistake.
Warned in advance by the bridge of the Equinox, Jack paid it little attention until the last moment. At point blank range, he turned and slammed a Lance into its head and forced it savagely downwards through flesh, bone, core, and entry plug. Deep red blood poured onto the sand as it collapsed, utterly destroyed. Scanning the area, he took a quick headcount. Nine MP Evas remained. Asuka was unfortunately out of the picture, the short range of her umbilical rendering her useless. That made it nine versus eight, now that seven of the nine Combat series Evas were in the air. He opened a broadband comm signal.
"All right, here's the plan. It's nine versus eight, so each one of you will take one MP Eva. As the only one here with any real combat experience, I take two. Any problems?" John Sata's voice crackled back at him.
"Yeah, who gave you the right to give us orders?"
"Pilot, identify yourself."
"John Sata, ninth children. And you?"
"Jack Kramer, sixth. To answer your question, I did. Feel free to get in my way - I'll take you down myself and fill out the paperwork later. Got it? Good." Jack cut him off before he could deliver another acidic remark and moved forward. The other units followed.
"On five, we charge. One... two... FIVE." As one they surged forward, even before noticing a few numbers were missing from the countdown. Oh well, too late now. It was a very quick fight. Progressive knives flipped forward from forearm sheaths, humming into life only to take that of another. Deep red blood stained the sands as MP Evas were torn asunder, first by knives, and then, one by one, by the Lance. It seemed like forever, but it was only five minutes when Jack held his Lance above the core of the last surviving MP Eva. It almost seemed to beg as it looked at him. Jack leaned on the end of his Lance, and another explosion decorated the landscape with Eva parts. Misato's voice sounded over their comm systems.
"That's it. All thirteen MP Evangelion have been accounted for. Good job." But Jack's eyes were hollow underneath the glory of success, as he surveyed the gory plain that had been a beautiful beach hours before.
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Next time, on Neon Genesis Evangelion: Second Genesis:
New developments rock NERV to its very core even as celebrations are hold for our new Major-turned-Colonel Katsuragi. Murder, espionage, and intrigue abound in the next action-packed chapter! And who's the last pilot? Find out next time, only on Neon Genesis Evangelion: Second Genesis!
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End Note: Okay, that took way too fucking long. I started this chapter in the first week of my return to school. Then I got homework. Big homework. Like a 2000-word IB History internal assessment, a IB Math Methods internal assessment, and an IB English oral. And that's not including the normal workload. Yes, my life sucks.
I'm beyond sorry for taking so long to update my fanfiction, and I hope to hell it won't happen again. Please, please review! This is my longest chapter yet and I want to see if I managed to stick it together well. Pretty please?
Oh yeah, target shooting really does count for IB CAS hours. Ain't it great?
Please read and review!
Your loving author, Sithanas
As I've been receiving fewer and fewer reviews with each chapter, NGE: Second Genesis is now officially on the lower production track. Now, remember - this can change if reviews pick up. Like the story? Review it, you'll get more chapters. As it is, my homework is superseding all of my fanfiction - and my teachers give a lot. But NGE: Limits and my other projects (like making money) now have priority over Second Genesis. Sorry, that's the way it goes.
Anyways, far be it from me to have a longer Author's Note than is necessary. Enjoy chapter 8!
Your loving author,
Sithanas
DISCLAIMER: Yes, I do own Evangelion. Every last bit. You see, I'm the one who wrote it. IT WAS ALL ME!!! HAHAHA!!
If you believe that, you're dumber than I thought. Oh, and I have some great real estate to sell you...
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Neon Genesis Evangelion: Second Genesis
Chapter 8: Escalation
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It was a dark morning in rural Texas. At 4:00 AM, the sun was still about an hour and a half off. Yet some people were already awake.
About a mile off from a large factory, a group of nondescript cars and trucks occupied a parking lot, looking like carbon copies of one another. Men and women piled out, congregating in the center for one brief last meeting. They all had three things in common. One, a radio headset; two, all-black padded clothing; and three - the gold-embroidered bar of the TCTF. Yes, the newest United States paramilitary unit was out in force that fine morning... and they weren't there to see the sights.
Major Dephanie Stevens leaned in, addressing all the unit commanders at once.
"Okay, here's the drill one last time. We will approach the base, sirens off, no headlights for the last quarter mile, infrared only approach. Squad one will ram the factory gate and proceed straight ahead for the main fabrication system. Squad two will take the left-hand route and proceed to cut off employee exits. Squad three will go right and cut off the shipping exits. On my signal, all squads are to converge on and breach the building. We go in weapons hot, but try to stick to the Van de Graff pistols unless you encounter any type of resistance. Return fire immediately if fired upon. Remember, this is a capture raid, not a combat op. Got it?" A chorus of "Yessir!"s echoed around her. She nodded.
"Alright then. Let's get this show on the road." The agents entered their cars. They started and began to roll out, heading towards the factory. 3/4ths of a mile later, their headlights died. Now the only clue that there was a caravan there would be the engine noise. Suddenly, the front cars made a turn and had the gates in sight. Slamming their accelerators, they rocketed forward, smashing the through the rerod gate and into the factory complex. Immediately alarms began to wail into the night sky. Dephanie's voice crackled over the vehicle radios.
"All teams, assigned positions! Go!" The cars split into three and rocketed off. Seconds later, another call came through.
"Take the building, repeat, take her down." Doors slammed open and black-suited agents boiled from the cars and towards doors. Gunfire rattled in the early dawn hours as doors were blown open and run through. They met token resistance in each of the three entrances, but it was over in seconds. VDG pistols stunned the enemy personnel and they were then quickly disabled (non-lethally, I might add) by black-suited agents. Dephanie swept her portable spotlight around the walls of the bare complex.
"Shit! Someone must have tipped them off. They got away. God dammit!" She kicked a wall, her combat boot leaving a nasty dent in the aluminum. Pulling out her phone uplink, she established a line to TCTF Regional HQ.
"Commander Miner? Someone tipped them off. They got away."
The day's first rays broke over the Texas branch of Japan Heavy Chemical Industrial, causing the silver letters on the side of the white building to glow ethereally. The machinery was gone, the JAs had escaped. And Dephanie was forced to ask herself, "How could this have happened?"
But she had no answers, save one - Some one had tipped them off. And that meant someone in her unit was a spy. Now all she had to do is find out *who*.
~~~~~~~~~~~
The Glock's slide shot back as its report echoed throughout the room, a brass shell flying through the air even as the bullet left a thumbnail-sized hole in the paper 25 meters downrange. Jack Kramer, the Sixth Child, let the gun move his hands up and back slightly as the muzzle break comped most of the recoil out of the shot. It was a nice firearm - very refined, well taken care of, and with custom loads, fearsomely accurate. Even on a bad day like this one, Jack had still achieved a very impressive group of only an inch and a half. And on a good day, he could practically put the round in the same hole as the last. Of course, he had been practicing since he was ten, so it wasn't as if he had never touched that firearm before. Behind him, Misato Katsuragi let out a low whistle.
"Very nice... six rounds at twenty-five meters... hard-point ammo, even - and still a group of less than two inches? *Very* nice. I feel quite sorry for anyone at the other end of that barrel." Setting the firearm down carefully, he turned to look at her.
"So does this mean I qualify for a NERV concealed carry permit? It's not like I don't trust the Section Two agents, like I said... I'd just rather be able to respond instead of hide and wait to be rescued, you know?"
"Yes, I'd have to say your chances of hitting a civilian are at a definite minium... very well, I'll have Intelligence issue you a permit. He smiled, stood, and bowed.
"Domo arigato Katsuragi-san. I'll avoid using it, I promise."
"You had better, else I may have to come after you myself. Firearms are not-"
"To be taken lightly, yes. I've heard that speech every day since I was five. Worry not, the populace is safe with me." Misato frowned.
"That's exactly what I'm afraid of..."
~~~~~~~~~~~
"Familiar ceiling..." The first words out of Shinji's mouth upon his ascent into consciousness had been repeated during every stay in NERV's hospital since his first. The drab white tiles held a reassuring familiarity for him, even as they signaled that yet another disaster had befallen him. Shaking his head slightly, he cleared his head of thoughts on ceilings and tried to remember what had brought him there this time. He could remember an angel, following it with his wings, and then a brilliant light... nothing more. Leaning slightly, he tried to sit up, only to collapse backwards after only managing an inch of incline. 'Why am I so weak...?' The opening of the door to his room cut short any other thoughts as a doctor he'd never seen entered. 'Oh yeah... Dr. Akagi is probably still in prison...'
"Good evening Shinji. How are you feeling? A little weak, I'd imagine."
"Yes... how long have I been here?"
"Your EVA was nearly totaled in combat with the 18th... you've been here for a little longer than a month."
"Oh..." He collapsed into a quiet silence.
"We'd like to keep you here overnight for observation, and if all checks out, you'll be released tomorrow afternoon. Do you have any questions?"
"No... thank you. Oh... if it's not too much trouble, may I have a glass of water?"
"I'll have one brought right away. It's good to have you back, Shinji." Smiling, the doctor stood and left. Shinji just lay there, waiting. 'I let her down again... I hope she's not too mad...'
~~~~~~~~~~~
It was a normal day in Tokyo-3 High School... well, at least as normal as you can get in a world with gigantic biomechanical humanoids. Students relaxed in their desks, stretching, talking, and generally not paying attention to the elderly teacher's ramblings on the Second Impact... much to the Class Rep's consternation. Hikari Horaki struggled to force order in the face of chaos, each day bringing less success.
"SUZUHARA-KUN! JUST WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!" Grabbing a furiously blushing Touji by the ear, she hauled him to his feet.
"But class rep, I-"
"HALLWAY! BUCKETS! NOW!!!" Head bowed, Touji shuffled off towards the classroom door. Jack, safely in his seat two rows away, couldn't restrain a chuckle.
"Do you want to join him, Kramer-KUN?" The emphasis on the "kun" was completely obvious, and he sputtered in his attempts to escape bucket duty.
"No ma'am, of course not ma'am."
"Good. Now all of you, SIT DOWN and SHUT UP!" The class snapped into a terrified silence, no one wanting to become Hikari's next victim. Leaning over his laptop to shield the screen from her eyes, Jack tapped out a quick message to Kensuke.
[Is Hikari PMSing or something?]
[I dunno... Touji says she's been pissy for the last week or so... probably is.]
[Aw, shit. Looks like class just got a whole lot harder]
{Yeah, it certainly did-]
"THAT HAD BETTER DAMN WELL BE NOTES!" Both Kensuke and Jack brought up their notepad windows just seconds before Hikari managed to glimpse their screens. They breathed synchronized sighs of relief, unfortunately tipping her off. The PA system for the classroom stopped Hikari seconds before she had Kensuke by the ear.
"Hikari Horaki to the office... Hikari Horaki to the main office please." Looking up at the speaker, her face gained a puzzled expression.
"I wonder what they want..." She strode quickly out the door, pausing briefly to glare at Touji, who scrambled to pick up his bucket. "Baka!"
When she reached the office, she was ushered into the inner conference room. A pretty lady with brown hair awaited her there. She stood, shaking Hikari's hand.
"You must be Hikari Horaki. My name is Maya Ibuki, I'm the head of NERV's Engineering Section One. Pleased to meet you." A business card made its way into Hikari's hand without her noticing. "Please have a seat." She sat rigidly, her entire posture posing a question.
"To cut a long story short, my division is in charge of Project E, which has as one of its most significant achievements something you're most likely quite familiar with."
"You build the Evas, don't you..."
"Yes. And now we've built one for you."
"What do you mean?"
"The Marduk Institute has named you as the Seventh Children. That makes you a potential Evangelion pilot. I think you know what I'm asking."
"You want me... to pilot an Evangelion?"
"Yes. Yes we do."
~~~~~~~~~~~
"You want me to go *where*?" Dephanie's jaw dropped at the Commander's orders.
"Compose yourself, Major." Commander Miner tossed a pointed glare her way. She drew herself back up to parade rest, her mouth closing. "Now, I was saying you're going to be temporarily reassigned to Japan, along with a set of technicians and a Navy unit."
"Why, sir?"
"Because the Evangelion falls under TCTF jurisdiction."
"The what, sir?"
"Evangelion. Here, catch." She tossed Dephanie a booklet, stamped with NERV-Top Secret. "This is the manual for the Evangelion Production Type biomechanoids. DARPA has been working on the next model for about three years, and they're built nine, all destined for the Japanese UN/NERV special base. They're an improved version of the original Evangelion, with more weapons and more speed. And as they're US-produced, they fall under TCTF export controls, which means we get to send a lucky agent along with them."
"But why me?"
"Same reasons we picked you for the JHCI raid. You speak Japanese, have good instincts, and are a high enough rank. Plus, your tracking of JHCI will help your assignment."
"How does an industrial company fit into the transportation of military equipment?"
"JHCI was targeted because they produce the Jet Alone, several of which were used to attack the Evangelions already on-site in Japan. You're going to shut them down, and this time we're not taking no for an answer. You leave in forty-eight hours. Be ready."
"Yes sir."
~~~~~~~~~~~
A darkened room, a shadowy figure. Glancing around, he insured no one was there before pulling out a small radio.
"Commander Keel. They're bringing the cargo to Japan." There was no question by either party as to what the cargo was, or who they were.
"Yes sir. Yes sir. Understood, sir. Over and out." The shadow flicked a switch on the side of the radio and dropped it. A small fire sprang out, melting the plastic case and the circuts within. The shadow slipped out of the room.
~~~~~~~~~~~
"X1-Alpha, this is the U.S.S. Equinox. You are cleared to land. Please convey our welcome to the Major."
"Equinox, X1-Alpha, roger code fifteen, clear to land. See you in a bit." The United States Navy's newest heavy aircraft carrier was a hotbed of activity as it made ready to become the flagship of Dephanie's task group. It, plus the two heavy freighters (each holding four Evangelion) would be the main offensive strike power in the group. Clad in a fresh blast of battleship grey paint, its six catapults reflected the midday sunlight off of their magrails. Sprint SA/SSM launchers were fixed on either side of the top deck, and anti-aircraft particle guns were present in clusters on the four deck corners. The conning tower had a trio of rapid-fire gatling AAM launchers and heavy, 70mm cannon. It was a fortress, nuclear powered with no maximum range. Dephanie watched it intently. It was the first time she had ever been close to one of the big ships - they were a new class, with only 5 years since the first one rolled off the lines at Newport News, Virginia. There were three in the entire Navy, and this one would be assigned to serve as a base for US/NERV joint operations, backing up the ailing Tokyo-3 air defense system.
X1-Alpha, a VTOL transport, swept in towards the carrier, angling towards a platform on the second deck, off of the side of the carrier. It centered itself above the pad, locked in its position, and then dropped like a stone, hurtling towards the deck. At the last second, the pilot hit the thrust reversers and the exhaust ports glowed blue-white as the ship slowed down in the space of a hundred feet. It's magnetic generators locked in with the landing pad's and it touched down, light as a feather. The door slid open, stairs dropping, and Dephanie dropped the three feet to the deck, heading for a ladder that lead to the conning tower. She was stopped before she hit the door to the pad, however.
"Major Stevens?" She looked up to see a captain with the gold bar of the TCTF on his uniform. He wore a turban. "I'm Captain Pritpaul Samir. I'm the lead technician." They shook hands. Dephanie smiled.
"Pleased to meet you."
"Likewise. If you'd follow me ma'am I'd like to introduce you to the pilots?"
"Lead on, captain." He turned and walked into the ship, and she followed. After about five minutes of walking in silence, they came upon an auxiliary conference room and entered.
"Major Stevens, meet the Children." She looked around the room, trying to match their faces with their files. They were all around fifteen or sixteen, and they all looked equally bored, kept cooped up in the conference room. Each one was dressed in a standard patrol uniform, dust blue, with a black belt, metal buckle. On their belts hung two things - a standard issue phone and a Glock 36, holstered for standard draw. However, individually, they were as different as possible.
"Pleased to meet you all. I'm sure we'll be able to work together successfully in the future to accomplish our goals." One of the pilots, darker skinned with brown hair, spoke up.
"In other words, we do what you say and no one gets hurt."
"What's your name, pilot?"
"John Sata. I'm the Ninth Child."
"I should have guessed. You're absolutely right. My way or the highway. Understood?" A chorus of "Yes, ma'am" issued from the pilots and she smiled.
"Good. It looks like we'll all get along then."
~~~~~~~~~~~
"WHAT?! More pilots?!" Everyone in the briefing room grabbed their ears in a futile attempt to protect themselves from Asuka's explosive shout. Jack gave her a dirty look.
"Jesus Sorhyu, any louder and you'll set off an Angel alarm!"
"Kramer, let me tell you about a little thing called 'shut the fuck up'!"
"Pilots!" Misato's voice caused them to shut up and focus again on the matter at hand. "If we're all finished, I'd like to continue. Done? Good. Now, I was saying that we're going to receive seven new pilots from the United States. They should be here in a few days. Now, naturally, we will meet them in Okinawa with two Evangelion to serve as an escort for the nine they're bringing-" Jack looked up at this.
"Seven pilots, but nine Eva. Why?"
"Two of the Evangelion are for pilots that are already here." Asuka gave a start.
"What?! Who?"
"You'll find out soon. Now, for pilot assignments. Rei, Touji, you'll remain here to protect the Geofront. Jack, Asuka, you'll deploy as escorts." Shinji raised his hand.
"Misato-san, what about me?"
"Your Eva is still undergoing final repairs, so you'll have to sit this one out. Any questions? No? Then consider yourselves dismissed." The pilots filed out of the room.
~~~~~~~~~~~
The SEELE conference was completely filled with all twelve monoliths. Chairman Keel's voice rang out, his visage covered by the red sound-only pylon so often seen.
"NERV is bringing more Evangelion to assist Tokyo-3. Ikari is moving against us. This cannot be allowed. We must send a message that will inform the Commander who he is dealing with."
"We have twenty-three mass production Evangelion functional and ready for combat."
"We shall send thirteen. A complete series should be more than sufficient."
"They will only possess two experienced pilots. We will prevail." Keel returned to the discussion.
"Very well then. Prepare to move thirteen Evangelion. We will eliminate NERV's resistance."
~~~~~~~~~~
The naval docks at Okinawa were currently undergoing the highest level of lockdown in their history. Troops wearing the trademark NERV triangle blanketed the area in a sea of khaki, broken only by the black metallic of their machine guns. Tanks, VTOLs, and various support craft littered the area. And standing tall were two of humanity's most powerful combat weapons - the Evangelion. EVA-02 was tied into the power grid via umbilical, and carried a pallet rifle under one arm, plus a halberd strapped to its back. EVA-04 ran off of its S2 engine, so no umbilical needed. It carried its now-signature railgun and a progsword (also signature) on its back. Inside, both pilots were alert but relaxed. This was a coordinated military operation, after all. There was almost no chance for error.
Later, they would come to realize a basic tenet of life - God hates simple.
The Equinox, along with the rest of its carrier group, were about one mile off of the Okinawa coast. They had begun docking maneuvers, and were only minutes away from pulling into port and delivering the nine Evangelion. It was not to be that easy.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Jack was relaxing in his plug, leaning back, feet up, completely without worries - for all of five minutes. A sudden alarm caused him to snap forward nearly fast enough to give himself whiplash. His hands settled on his control grips only moments before a communication window popped up, filled with the purple-haired visage of Major Katsuragi.
"We have thirteen incoming targets, eighty thousand feet and dropping rapidly. They appear to be Mass Production Evangelion units under SEELE control. These units are tough. We're going to try to mobilize the Evas on board the carrier frames, but until then you're on your own." The window closed as Asuka and Jack took up combat positions, crouching behind buildings and propping up their weapons. Jack popped a window to the command vehicle.
"Permission for long-range rail fire?"
"Granted." Jack took aim carefully on the body-wing junction of one of the thirteen MP Evangelion. The range counter ticked slowly down, until it turned green at 13000 feet. Jack didn't wait, but pulled the trigger immediately. Lightning crackled around the barrel of the railgun, magnetic charges taking a steel slug injected into the barrel from the speed of sound to three quarters of the speed of light in the blink of an eye. The slug slammed into the MP Eva, and it erupted in a spray of deep red blood and synthetic feathers. It plummeted into the ocean at better than six hundred miles an hour, creating a huge cannonball dive when it hit. Jack grinned.
"Hey, it's duck hunt! You know, the old video game!" Asuka's only reply was an exasperated groan. He cycled another round into the railgun and again took aim.
CRACKLE CRACKLE SCHWOOMP BOOM SPLASH
Another MP Evangelion hit the water with a huge wake. And then a third.
CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK
Jack looked at his screen and swore.
"God dammit! I can't believe this piece of shit is out of ammo already!" He tossed it aside and drew his progsword. Meanwhile, the MPs had finally drawn within Asuka's range, and she opened up with the pallet rifle. Orange streaks of fire roared towards the enemy, some missing and others ripping their way through pliable armor and soft flesh to rain deep red blood upon the defenders. Another MP Eva plummeted from the sky as a burst of pallet fire tore one of its two wings from its body. It smashed into a piece of dock equipment, managing to skewer itself. Nine Evas remained, taking minor damage until Asuka's pallet rifle finally clicked empty. She chucked it at them, a touching albeit useless gesture. Pulling her halberd from her back, she readied herself for hand-to-hand engagement.
The MP Evas dropped the last five hundred feet in free-fall, folding their wings even as they landed with earth-shattering crashes. They surrounded the two defending Evangelion, menacing through sheer presence. And then, in what seemed to be a rictus of agony, they grinned.
Five seconds later, they charged.
Both pilots reacted without thinking, Asuka using her halberd to pole-vault herself over the MP heads while Jack simply ran at an oncoming unit and bunny-hopped it, catching its face with his toe on the way over. It fell backwards as it tripped him up, causing him to roll when he hit the ground. It didn't, instead landing with a heavy slam, stunning it. Jack took the opportunity to extend his Eva's arm staff and used it as a specimen pin, fixing the MP Eva firmly into the ground before crushing its head with his foot. It exploded into a bloody mess. Brandishing his sword, he turned to another MP Eva and charged.
Asuka landed on both feet, crouching to take the impact out of her jump. She immediately stood and swiveled on the balls of her Eva feet, slicing an enemy clean in half with the halberd. Blood spurted from both ends as the top half fell off. She snarled as she turned to its partner, giving a war cry before slamming into it with the halberd, pointy end first. It deflected her thrust with a large sword-type thing it had pulled off its back, rendering her halberd useless for defense as it swung the blade towards her in a deadly arc. Asuka dropped the halberd and rolled out of the way, narrowly avoiding loosing an arm to the MP Eva. She snatched the halberd and faced off against it.
Jack parried a thrust from an MP Eva before sending the point of his progsword deep into its chest. Reaching down towards one of his butterfly controls, he pushed a button and the blade exploded into shrapnel, shredding the upper body of the Eva. It ceased to move, its weapon falling to the side. Dodging a thrust from another unit, Jack grabbed the Eva's dropped blade and charged the enemy unit.
Major Stevens stood in the Combat Information Center on the Equinox, watching the fight on displays around the room. She grabbed a lieutenant by the shoulder and queried him frantically.
"What's the status on launching the Evangelion?"
"Ma'am, the pilots have been notified and are en route to their entry plugs. We should have the first frame launched in under two minutes." She let him go and he returned to his station. She turned back to the screens, aghast. She had no idea these robots could be so violent... or bleed so much. They were almost like real people in combat.
An alarm sounded in Asuka's ears as she drove her halberd through the MP Eva's head. Its final slash had severed her umbilical cable, leaving her with only five minutes of battery. She winced as the halberd snapped in her hands, the stress of prolonged combat too much for it's titanium alloy frame. Dropping the remains, she extended her progressive knife and threw, dropping another MP Eva in its tracks. She scooped up her opponent's discarded weapon and brandished it, parrying a strike from yet another enemy. Jack's cry of victory echoed over the comms as a blow from his blade destroyed the head of another Eva.
"Smile, motherfucker! You be dead!" He glanced at Asuka's image in his cockpit. "Four left. How are you doing?"
"Four minutes of active time and two Evas each. Let's finish this!" Jack grinned and nodded, rolling neatly to dodge a dismemberment slash. Dropping the halberd, he stuck out a hand and turned his roll into a devastating tornado kick - devastating for the target at least. His foot connected with the Eva's knee and snapped it, sending it toppling backwards. Progressive knife in hand, Jack swung his fist in a wild haymaker, catching the MP Eva under the chin before it could finish falling. The knife broke, the blade embedded in its head. It hit the ground and didn't get back up. Jack jumped high into the air, landing a two-handed slam on the back of one of Asuka's attackers. It staggered, and he took the opportunity to grab its neck and swing his weight around, breaking it. It dropped like a stone. Meanwhile, Asuka slammed her blade through the head and neck of one Eva, not bothering to remove it as it dropped. The second one was ten feet away and closing. Asuka didn't even blink as she turned and dropped it with a full spread from her spike launcher. The two Evas stood, surveying the carnage around them. Ten MP Evas lay destroyed, their blood staining the earth.
Dephanie let herself relax slightly as the last MP Eva fell. The lieutenant she stopped earlier turned to her.
"Ma'am? Should we cancel the scramble?" She began to reply with a yes when an alarm interrupted her. There were three Evas within their defense perimeter. She snapped around to stare at a screen that displayed three grotesque images. The MP Evas that had been shot out of the sky, that had been killed, were moving again. The Equinox's captain took one look and stole command from Dephanie in an instant.
"Do not cancel scramble! Launch all Evangelion! All turrets, open fire! Scramble VTOL and short-range dogfighters!" The bridge crew stepped up their activity another level as the orders hit home. Deep booms echoed throughout the carrier as the heavy cannon snapped into motion, followed moments later by the particle cannon studding the flight deck. A flight of missiles leapt from their tubes and smashed into the MP Evangelion, detonating into clouds of death and destruction.
Onboard one of the Eva carriers, entry plugs were loaded into combat model Evangelion. With a click, the first of four Evas was loaded into a launch frame. Inside, the tenth child prepared to activate her Eva in combat for the first time. A fiery-tempered girl with coppery-red hair, Sarah Stevenson had shown proficiency in the combat simulator, but that didn't equate to real-life experience... She took a deep breath of the LCL and grabbed the butterfly handles of the plug. Colors swirled around her as her Eva synchronized. She activated her comm system.
"Evangelion Unit 7 online and ready for launch."
"Roger that, prepare for immediate launch. Good luck." She leaned back in her chair as the rocket motors of the launcher frame propelled her up and out of the carrier bay. She was in flight for a few seconds more - then the motors cut off and the frame's explosive bolts blew, shattering the metal lattice and freeing her for movement. She spread her wings and maintained altitude, hovering a hundred feet above the battlefield.
Jack turned as one of the disabled Evas rumbled into life behind him. This battle was turning very bad very quickly. Picking up a blade at random, he faced it and on a whim, activated his AT Field. What happened next was completely unexpected. The blade in his hands twisted, its shape transforming into a two-pronged lance that he had never seen before. Behind him, Asuka's jaw dropped in shock.
"The Lance of Longinus..." Jack looked at it in astonishment.
"The Lance of Longinus, huh... I'll be the rest of these have copies of it. We can have some fun with these..." Aiming it at an oncoming MP Eva, he concentrated and threw. It tried to raise its AT Field, but to no avail. The Lance slammed straight through, slicing deep into its chest. Jack stared as the Eva began to scream, its flesh bubbling away from the Lance's contact points. AT Fields crackled and wavered, rending the air with horrific blasts. Suddenly, both the screaming and the fields ceased and the Eva fell silent for its second time, this time propped up by the lance jutting out of its midriff. Misato's voice crackled over the comm system.
"Good job! The Lance of Longinus inhibits AT Fields. The copies aren't nearly as powerful as the original would be, but they should still be enough to impair or completely retard the function of the MP Evas. Get them before they get you. We're going to try to make this a fighting retreat. Asuka, draw back towards the far end of the coastline, we have another umbilical for you there. Jack, try to capture and use the Lance copies before the MP Evas can. Go!" Both pilots nodded and sprang into action.
Above the Equinox, battle was raging fiercely. It was three versus three, untested pilots versus dummy plugs. Both launcher frames scrambled to boost more Evas into the air to reinforce the three already fighting, but their speed was hampered by the slow firing of the rocket motors. Both sides hung suspended in air thanks to their wings, the MP Evas looking like giant seagulls while the Combat-type Evas looked more like strange human additions to the sky. The sharp clangs of metal on metal rang out as the MP Evangelion brought their lance copies into play, their blade forms slashing downwards.
The ninth child was the first to tire of this aerial game of tag. Stepping left to avoid being cut in half, he pressed a switch on his butterfly control. One of his two progressive knives flipped into his right hand, extending automatically. He threw it at one of the MP Evas, hitting it in the wrist and slicing it off. Its lance copy fell, hand included, and John dived to grab it. With a thought, he willed his AT Field to life and the Lance revealed its true form. He threw.
Jack turned as a tremendous explosion echoed through the area. One of the Combat-type units had thrown a lance directly into the core of an MP Eva and it had exploded, knocking the entire group out of the sky. Pieces of Eva landed in the water, splashing and turning the waves red. One chunk, what looked like a foot, slammed into the carrier and appeared to have disabled a launch rail, destroying the dogfighter that had been launching at the time. As he watched, one of the Combat units managed to recover seconds before hitting the water and flipped upright, appearing to be standing upon the waves. He whistled. Whoever that pilot was, he was good. He squinted, his view automatically magnifying so he could pick out the 7 on its shoulder. He made a mental note to look that pilot up, then turned back to the task at hand. There was a Lance in his hand, and without another thought, he rammed it home, and the bloody parts of another MP Eva decorated the landscape.
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Sarah was pissed. The MP Eva she was fighting had just punched her in the jaw and it hurt! She wasn't expecting the Eva's pain to be hers as well. She leaped forward and kicked it hard in the chest, knocking it backwards, a move made eerie because they were all floating on a midair plane. As it tried to right itself, she squeezed her butterfly controls. The shoulders of her Eva popped up, revealing the particle cannon hidden in each shoulder blade. She fired. Streaks of orange flame came forth, and she smote the enemy unit like an angry god, leaving gaping holes in its fleshlike armor. It stared blankly at her, and she ripped its lance away and activated her AT Field in one smooth motion. Her arm stabbed forward, the lance slipping into the flesh of the target, and it screamed, even as she twisted at the waist and split it open like a ripe melon. The core shattered and the entry plug collapsed on itself, spilling both Eva blood and LCL into the waves. She withdrew the Lance, and the broken Eva fell. Turning, she shook it threateningly at the third MP Eva remaining in the Equinox's defense sphere. Gore dripped off of the prongs and shone in the sunlight. It wisely turned and ran at the shore, preferring to take its chances with the slightly less dangerous Unit 04.
This turned out to be a rather unfortunate mistake.
Warned in advance by the bridge of the Equinox, Jack paid it little attention until the last moment. At point blank range, he turned and slammed a Lance into its head and forced it savagely downwards through flesh, bone, core, and entry plug. Deep red blood poured onto the sand as it collapsed, utterly destroyed. Scanning the area, he took a quick headcount. Nine MP Evas remained. Asuka was unfortunately out of the picture, the short range of her umbilical rendering her useless. That made it nine versus eight, now that seven of the nine Combat series Evas were in the air. He opened a broadband comm signal.
"All right, here's the plan. It's nine versus eight, so each one of you will take one MP Eva. As the only one here with any real combat experience, I take two. Any problems?" John Sata's voice crackled back at him.
"Yeah, who gave you the right to give us orders?"
"Pilot, identify yourself."
"John Sata, ninth children. And you?"
"Jack Kramer, sixth. To answer your question, I did. Feel free to get in my way - I'll take you down myself and fill out the paperwork later. Got it? Good." Jack cut him off before he could deliver another acidic remark and moved forward. The other units followed.
"On five, we charge. One... two... FIVE." As one they surged forward, even before noticing a few numbers were missing from the countdown. Oh well, too late now. It was a very quick fight. Progressive knives flipped forward from forearm sheaths, humming into life only to take that of another. Deep red blood stained the sands as MP Evas were torn asunder, first by knives, and then, one by one, by the Lance. It seemed like forever, but it was only five minutes when Jack held his Lance above the core of the last surviving MP Eva. It almost seemed to beg as it looked at him. Jack leaned on the end of his Lance, and another explosion decorated the landscape with Eva parts. Misato's voice sounded over their comm systems.
"That's it. All thirteen MP Evangelion have been accounted for. Good job." But Jack's eyes were hollow underneath the glory of success, as he surveyed the gory plain that had been a beautiful beach hours before.
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Next time, on Neon Genesis Evangelion: Second Genesis:
New developments rock NERV to its very core even as celebrations are hold for our new Major-turned-Colonel Katsuragi. Murder, espionage, and intrigue abound in the next action-packed chapter! And who's the last pilot? Find out next time, only on Neon Genesis Evangelion: Second Genesis!
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End Note: Okay, that took way too fucking long. I started this chapter in the first week of my return to school. Then I got homework. Big homework. Like a 2000-word IB History internal assessment, a IB Math Methods internal assessment, and an IB English oral. And that's not including the normal workload. Yes, my life sucks.
I'm beyond sorry for taking so long to update my fanfiction, and I hope to hell it won't happen again. Please, please review! This is my longest chapter yet and I want to see if I managed to stick it together well. Pretty please?
Oh yeah, target shooting really does count for IB CAS hours. Ain't it great?
Please read and review!
Your loving author, Sithanas