(Hey, Chapter Nine! I apologize for the verrrry long delay. Damn college and real life anyway! Anyway, hope you're not too cheesed off. I won't take so long next time. Promise. Really. No need to unleash the Army of Reis...)
The hangar bay was deserted. Using the schematics of Metroplex downloaded by Rei and Maya, the two Evas walked towards the launch bays for the Zakus. Shinji looked around him. "It's like the Eva launch bays in the Geofront," he whispered. "This is just like that..." He saw familiar catwalks, tunnels, and ceilings. Over there, that's where I saw Rei for the first time...that's where I broke through when I was trying to kill that Angel...what was his name again? He shook his head. How do I know all of this? Who am I?
"You okay over there?" Asuka said.
"Yeah," Shinji answered. "Sorry."
Asuka did not reply. Both of them came to a launch platform. "This is...familiar..." Asuka said aloud.
"Yeah," Shinji said again. "Come on. We're running out of time."
"Right." Asuka reached down and tore apart the huge plastic backpack. Inside was a N2 mine, a cyndrilical object about the size of a car. Carefully manipulating her Eva's fingers, she made three quarter-turns to arm and set the timer for delayed. A red light came on and began to blink.
Without saying a word, Shinji and Asuka ran for the launch platforms. As Rei had predicted, there was a Zaku-sized manual override set into the side. They locked themselves in place, and Shinji glanced at the N2 mine. "There is no wall," he whispered, and hit the override switch. G-forces tried to crush him into the floor of the cockpit, but the LCL fluid that surrounded him and his plugsuit prevented more than the normal feeling like someone was standing on his chest.
Behind them, the N2 mine began to blink steadily, then faster. When the red light shone steadily, the power of several nuclear bombs blasted through the lower levels of Metroplex, ripping meter-thick concrete doors off their hinges, melting wiring, and destroying any chance of help coming from the lower levels. Any troops, Zakus, or Scouts on the upper levels were on their own.
The automatic firefighting systems cut in, spraying everything with water and smelly foam. "Eeeek!" Minako screamed. "This is going to just ruin my hair!"
"That does it," Serena snarled. "Now I'm pissed."
A tinny voice in their earpieces screamed, "We're under attack!"
Mars said nothing. She merely disappeared.
Stationed on the roof was an AD Police V-wing that had brought Gendo to Metroplex. Defending it were four Zakus, who were faring no better than the ones in the courtyard had.
Shinji grabbed one in a headlock and twisted, slowly tearing the head module off. He noticed a Zaku heading for him, readying its missile launcher; without conscious thought, he twisted EVA-01 around, still holding onto the first Zaku, and kicked the other. It flew backwards and slid towards the V-Wing.
Asuka's attack on the third Zaku guarding the launch shafts had been simple. She somersaulted over the top of it, and before it could turn to face her, she kicked it from behind. The Zaku sailed off the roof to detonate far below. Asuka laughed as it fell, not seeing the fourth Zaku running towards her.
Shinji did. He grabbed the decapitated Zaku's arm, which still held a machine gun. He raised it and pressed the trigger. A hail of rounds blasted the Zaku, which twisted and followed its comrade off the roof. He saw Asuka's Eva turn towards him, reaching up and pulling a progressive knife from its shoulder contained. She tossed the knife at him. Shinji yelped and dodged, hearing the knife hit something solid behind him. He turned and saw a Zaku, the pilot compartment impaled with the knife. Asuka threw him a thumbs-up, then he noticed the Eva take a step backwards. There was something behind him, and Shinji knew what–or who–it was.
Shinji spun on one heel, drawing the two fifty-millimeter Desert Eagles. He emptied them at the Scout that stood there, so much smaller than the Eva. Any one of the gigantic slugs could have simply vaporized Scout Mars. None even came close. Shinji wasn't sure if he was missing, if she was dodging, or the bullets were simply curving around the Agent. They tore apart the roof and sailed into the distance to explode somewhere inside Tokyo-3. When the smoke cleared, Scout Mars stood there untouched, with a small smile.
Shinji heard the pistols click on empty. "Uh...Asuka?" he called out. "Help!" EVA-02 was motionless.
He had no time to wonder about Asuka, for Mars screamed, "Burning Mandala!" A torrent of fireballs flew from her fingertips as she spun. Shinji dodged, the fireballs sailing past, each so fast he saw ribbons of fire behind them as they ignited the air. He was not sure if he had put up an AT field, but two of the flaming balls struck EVA-01 anyway, in the left leg and right arm. Shinji instinctively jerked his arm and leg back, as he would from boiling water, and the Eva crashed to the rooftop. He felt as if he was truly on fire, and even had to look to make sure. The fire melted through four layers of armor, and Shinji frantically beat at the flames, rolling to put them out. When he had succeeded, he got the Eva up on its elbows, to see Mars at EVA-01's feet, flames flickering around her, her hands pointed directly at Shinji's head. "Only a Gainax character," Mars snorted derisively, and prepared to launch a fireball with the temperature of an exploding sun.
Then she sensed someone behind her. Mars had made a quarter-turn around when Asuka, smiling, said simply, "Dodge this."
Asuka pulled back on the handle, and a blast of liquid nitrogen from EVA-02's fire extinguisher blasted Scout Mars. Her fire guttered out and her body crystallized instantly. Asuka resisted the urge to utter a corny Governor Schwarznegger line, and instead simply reached out and flicked Scout Mars' forehead. The frozen Scout toppled over and shattered, but when it struck the ground, it was no longer the black fuku-and-sunglasses Scout, but a man dressed in AD Police riot gear. Shinji looked at EVA-02 again, and realized that Asuka, knowing she could never be sneaky in something the size of an apartment building, had ejected the plug and climbed down. "How did you do that?" she asked.
"Oh, that? It was easy, I just braced the Eva's elbows against the roof and–"
"No, stupid. I meant when you dodged the fireballs." She motioned at the shattered remains of what had been Scout Mars. "You move like they do. I've never seen anyone move that fast, not even Rei. Heck, not even me."
Shinji still felt like his limbs had been flash-burned. "I wasn't fast enough." He pointed at the AD Police V-Wing. "Can you fly that?"
She smiled and pulled a cellphone from her plugsuit. "Not yet." She hit the speed-dial button.
"Operator," chirped Maya's voice.
"Maya, I need a pilot program for a V-wing."
"You got it." In reality, Maya flipped through her case of DVDs. She held up one and plugged it in. "Bubblegum Crisis ought to do it."
In the Eva Matrix, Asuka's eyes fluttered briefly as her brain downloaded the images. She looked at EVA-01. "Let's go, Kei–I mean, Shinji. Knight Sabers sanju!"
Below them, a somewhat bemused Scout Mars, having reformed into her real body, came back into the sopping wet interrogation room. "Goddess of War my ass," Minako smirked.
"Oh, shut up," Mars shot back.
Suddenly, the windows began to vibrate. A roar grew louder. The Scouts turned as one and saw the sight of the giant V-Wing descend until it was less than ten feet away from the windows. Underneath, they could see the back of EVA-01, recessed into the V-Wing's belly, but what was more attention grabbing was the large nose turret, containing a rather evil-looking thirty millimeter gatling cannon.
"Oh, damn," Serena said, and the cannon opened fire.
Asuka turned the turret from side to side, blasting through the armored glass like it was paper, ripping out support beams, and causing the water to fountain up. The Scouts dodged as best they could, but there was so much lead flying around that even their incredible speed could do little against it. Before any had a chance to get off a magic bolt or even to pose, the shells cut them down. Asuka, to make sure, then began to go to work on the furniture and the Scouts' bodies–or those they had possessed. Asuka was cackling like a psychotic hyena. "AH HAHAHAHAHA! KILL! KILL!"
"Asuka, calm down! We don't want to hit my father!" Shinji yelled. Asuka continued to spray bullets.
Rei took out the DVD that Maya had plugged in. "I thought you put in Bubblegum Crisis," she said.
"I did," Maya replied. Rei held the disk in front of her. "Crap!" Maya exclaimed. "Dirty Pair." She turned back to the screen. "Well, she's about to run out of bullets...I hope."
The gatling cannon spun to a halt as its ammunition drum was finally exhausted. Asuka let out a string of German curses and kicked the instrument panel. "Verdammt! I was just starting to enjoy myself."
Shinji was looking at his father, still more or less crucified. "Come on, Dad. Get up. Get up."
Shinji would never know if Gendo heard him, but the former Commander of NERV and Certified Evil Bastard looked up. He strained against the ropes, and with a mighty yell, tore one arm free. I knew all those sessions in the gym would finally pay off, he thought, and got the other ropes off. Serena was a Sailor Scout, not a Boy Scout, and her knots were not all that effective. He was still groggy from the drugs, but now he had the adrenalin of escape running through him, and the fear that Asuka would begin opening fire again. A few shells had gotten uncomfortably close. He gingerly dropped to the floor, had to take a few breaths to get his wind back, and shakily stood.
The door opened, sending a wave across the still-flooded floor. The three Scouts had reformed and were now visibly upset. Gendo saw them and started sprinting for the only escape route left–the shattered window. Serena bared her teeth in hate, drew off her tiara, and threw it. "Moon Tiara Action!"
The tiara sliced through the walls and struck Gendo in the heels as he was jumping. He shouted in pain, and stumbled.
"He's not going to make it!" Shinji yelled. He pulled a lever halfway, causing EVA-01's torso to fall out partway from beneath the V-Wing. As Gendo leapt into open air, Shinji reached out and caught Gendo in the Eva's right hand. "Gotcha, Dad! Asuka, get us out of here!"
Asuka really wanted to use the missile batteries next, but the Scouts looked to be powering up, so she hauled back on the control column, then slammed it to the right, turning away from the Metroplex for the central district of Tokyo-3. Gendo, held securely in EVA-01's hand, was happy to be rescued, but being gripped by the Eva was unsettling. He remembered what had happened the last time EVA-01 had grabbed him.
Serena caught her tiara, took aim, then tossed it again. This time, the tiara smashed through the right bank of the V-Wing's engines. Flame immediately shot out of them, and the wing pitched over on its side. "Oh, scheisse!" screamed Asuka. "We're hit and going down!" She aimed for the roof of one of the taller buildings in Tokyo-3. "Shinji! I'm going to drop you off on the building!"
Shinji, upside down and watching Tokyo-3 whirl past beneath the Eva's head, was trying not to throw up, but struggled out, "Okay!" He hoped he wouldn't squish his father, so he cradled Gendo against the chest of the Eva, creating a very disturbing mental image.
Asuka skimmed over the roof, bracing herself against the instrument panel to hold the V-Wing steady. Shinji braced himself and pulled the ejection lever out to its full length. The Eva dropped out, Shinji got its feet under the giant mecha, and EVA-01 skidded across the building, tearing two huge trenches in the roof. He put down his free hand and that helped slow him to a stop. The shadow of the burning V-Wing passed over his head as the right tail assembly burned through and came off. The giant aircraft began to enter a flat spin, and Shinji knew Asuka would not have time to get out. He had to do something, or watch her die. Again.
Shinji quickly but carefully dropped his father off and sprinted for the edge of the roof. Since this is anime, one of the cardinal rules is that the bigger it is, the faster it is, so Shinji was just able to keep pace with the flying wing. He jumped the Eva, grabbed the burning right wing, and pulled back with all his might. The wing's velocity dragged the Eva towards the roof's edge, but it gave Asuka the second she needed. She made sure her straps were tight, reached between her legs, and pulled back on the ejection handle, pushing her head back into the headrest. Explosives blew off the hatch above her, the rocket motor fired a millisecond later, and Asuka blacked out as she was catapulted from the doomed plane. It came not a moment too soon, for the right wing tore free in EVA-01's hands. As Asuka's seat flew high and clear, the V-Wing spun into the side of a building, where it exploded with incredible force, enough to send the Eva reeling back. "Oops," Shinji said. "I hope there weren't too many people in that building..."
Asuka had recovered consciousness as three parachutes blossomed from the back of her seat. She drifted down like a pop fly to deep center. Shinji caught her in the cupped palms of EVA-01 as easy as a Cubs fan at Soldier Field.
On the Bebop, Maya's hands shot into the air. "Yes!"
"I knew it," Rei smiled. "He is the Third Child." She gently pushed Maya back into the seat, as the young woman had started in on the Kaolla Su Victory Jig.
Shinji set Asuka down and then ejected his entry plug, climbing down to the rooftop, trying to wring the LCL out of his hair.
"Do you believe it now, Asuka?" Gendo smiled.
"Yeah, yeah," Asuka sighed, but it was a happy sigh. "Shinji's king of the world."
Gendo and Shinji shared a hug, something neither had ever thought they would. Shinji drew back. "Dad. The Oracle...Belldandy...she told me I'm–"
"She told you exactly what you needed to hear, that's all. Shinji, sooner or later you're going to realize, just as I did, that there's a difference between knowing the path...and walking it."
Shinji, as confused as ever, hugged his dad anyway.
Maya's earpiece buzzed. "Operator."
"Ibuki."
Maya grinned despite the pain. "Wow, it's so kewl to hear your voice, sir."
"The pleasure is all mine. We need an exit."
"Got one ready, Commander. Kiki's Bakery, Ghibli and Tezuka. You can make it in five minutes."
"On our way."
Serena saw the distant explosion, but knew that her targets were still alive, still moving. "Dammit."
"The trace was completed," Minako said.
"Luna has their position," Mars added.
"The Inus are standing by," Minako added to that.
"Order the strike," Mars added to that.
"Knock off the Tomax and Xamot routine," Serena snapped. "Send in the Inus. I'll deal with Mr. Ikari. I can't trust you two not to screw it up."
"Go for it," Minako said.
"Knock yourself out," Mars added.
"Whatever blows your skirt up," Minako added to that.
"If he kicks your ass, we'll laugh at you," Mars added to that. She backed off as Serena made sounds of rupture.
(Ahh...you know what's coming next...Shinji versus Serena! The fight you never thought you'd see! See you in a few...)