Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion. All characters, names and related materials are owned by Gainax.
Shinji Ikari stood shoulder to shoulder with Damon Robinson and unit X. He surveyed the expanse of Tokyo 3 from the towering stature of Unit 01. Everything was peaceful now, but that was about to change very soon. Shinji had spoken with the American boy only briefly before sirens began alerting the arrival of the second Wraith. Shinji turned in his cockpit to glance at the classified Eva next to him. Structurally it seemed to be built in much the same way that unit 01 and the other Eva's were, but it was its paint job that really set it apart. Unit X was painted jet black from head to toe, with white stripes running up its legs and across its arms. Its chess too was striped with white, and the stripes were accompanied with smaller red tinges and outlines. The spinal column on its back protruded some as well, much like how the spikes on some dinosaurs appeared. All in all it looked like a massive skeleton. The only part of its body that wasn't colored in black, white and red, was the palms of its hands, which were orange. Shinji was unsure of the reason for this, and speculated that it had something to do with the special abilities unit X was supposed to possess.
Shinji was nervous. In fact he was more nervous than he usually was. He had not yet been able to receive any of the special physical training that he and Fuyutski had discussed, and was worried that he would be too weak to survive this battle. He cradled his rife and sighed aloud.
"You okay Shinji?"
Shinji could see the American boy on his monitor.
"Just a little nervous I guess. I almost didn't make it back last time, and i'm wondering if my luck might have run out."
"Ahh. I see. Maybe you did get lucky. And maybe you got lucky killin' all those other Angels that you fought too. But I doubt it. Some of that, if not most of that, has gotta be skill and heart," he said with a serious, reassuring town.
"I guess well have to see," Shinji said less than confident.
"I wouldn't worry. Last time you were alone. Now ya got me. I've been specifically trained to fight these things. Look, I have played through VR sims of every single encounter that you have had with the Angels hundreds of times, and have a sync ratio of 89.7%. Coupled with the most powerful Eva available to the modern world, along with you, Shinji Ikari, the most efficient Eva pilot ever…" he trailed off, "Lets just say I think we can deal."
Shinji smiled at this. The vote of confidence was nice, as was Damon's positive attitude, but he knew that the American boy was as green as they come. He chuckled, "this guy's a daisy fresh rookie."
"VR huh? Things get a little different during the real thing. You never know what these things are gonna do, no two ever fight the same way. All I'm saying is stay on your toes, and don't get cocky. If we live through this maybe you'll know why I get so nervous," Shinji finished, now with a confident grin.
"Duly noted, Shinji, Duly noted. Just know that I got your back. And I don't mean to freak you out, but I have also been prepared for, and trained too, take a bullet for you in a life or death situation. Think of me as a sort of personnel secret service, as long as were up here, I'm ready to fight these things to the grave, even if it means my own life."
Shinji was shocked to hear these words from the young man next to him. "How can you be so willing to die?" The thought pounded in Shinji's mind. "He said he was willing to die to protect me?" Before Shinji had the chance to dwell more on this topic unit 01's censors picked up on the second wraiths approach.
"Shinji, Damon!" Misato's voice boomed over the intercom. "Get ready, here it comes."
The second Wraith stood tall, armored in black and silver. It was rather plain really, almost human in body structure, but Shinji supposed that was to be expected considering that it was made up of human AT fields. Its face was shaped like an oval, with three glowing circular red eyes. Two smaller ones on the top, a large one lower down on its face. Instead of hands it boasted twin cannon-like apparatures on the end of its wrists.
Shinji hoisted up his assault rifle, centering the beasts head in his sights. "Here we go again," he thought to himself.
Unit X however was doing something completely different. It held one of its arms horizontally across its waist, the other hand vertical in front of its face, with only the middle and pointer finger extended. It then brought its hands together as its orange palms began to glow. Soon It had extended its AT field in front of it, but that was not the remarkable thing. The remarkable things was that unit X had formed its AT field into a long, evil looking katana blade. Damon held the weapon menacingly in front of him.
"Ready Shinji?"
"Yah."
"Alright, let's do this!"
The wraith pointed its arm cannons forward, sending an explosive arc of glowing bullets strait at the two Evangelions. Shinji rolled left, while Damon rolled right, and the battle was finally under way. Both pilots continued running in the opposite directions, the creature now following each of them with an arcing barrage from each outstretched hand.
"Alright Shinji, get ready to take a shot," Damon yelled, halting his run. The Wraiths barrage finally caught up to Unit X.
"Are you crazy?!" Shinji yelled.
The bullets headed straight for Damon, who, in an incredible show of skill, began deflecting the bullets with his AT sword. Angered, the Wraith took its other sight off of Shinji to focus both cannons on the sword wielding pilot.
"I can't do this forever man, if your open take the shot!" Damon said, strain now in his voice.
"Right!" Shinji centered on the creatures face and pulled the trigger, leading the bullet stream to the eyes. The bullets seemed to bounce off of the large red orb, but Shinji quickly punctured the right eye. Liquid spewed from the damaged cornea, as the beast let loose an ear shattering scream, as it re-focused its aim on Unit 01.
"Oh Shit!" Shinji knew he could not deflect the creature's rounds like Damon could.
"Shinji, hit the deck!" Damon shouted over the com as he began to circle behind the Wraith.
The bullet streams both arced horizontally, as Shinji dove for the pavement below, rolling forward behind a nearby building.
"Damon I'm pinned!"
"Hold on I'm coming!"
Shinji could see that his partner was not going to make it in time. "Damn it, Damn it…"
The bullet streams now dropped vertically down towards the earth, focusing on decimating Shinji's cover and the Eva behind it. "Okay, decision time Ikari" Shinji told himself. He reached for his knife as the bullets hit the top of the building. Acting quickly Shinji threw his knife to the left, the sun catching the blade, as Shinji dove the opposite direction a split second later. The trick had worked. The Wraith shot the knife out of the sky, giving Shinji the split second he needed to get up and moving again. Moments later Unit X sunk its blade into the back of the Wraith.
"Take that, you ugly bastard!" Damon crowed victoriously. However the young American spoke too soon as the creature swung its elbows around, catching him in the side of the face.
"Damon move!" Shinji yelled frantically as the Wraith turned fully around, its guns now centered on the bladeless unit X.
"O god, o god, o god, o god…" Damon was worried now.
Shinji emptied the rest of his clip into the back of the creatures head, but his bullets did little but distract it for a brief moment. Damon saw his opportunity, diving through the Wraith's legs while at the same time retrieving his blade. Shinji ran in a circle, trying to catch an open shot at the beasts face. What he did get however was an arm cannon pointed in his direction as the other swiveled to get another lock on Unit X. The bullets were catching up to Unit 1, and again Shinji dove, this time for one of Tokyo 3's new lakes, while loading a new clip mid air. The Evangelion entered the water, loading, and exited assault rifle blazing as Shinji struggled to keep himself moving. Soon afterward, however, Shinji saw his shot as he and Damon rotated past each other in opposite directions. The Wraith was forced to untangle its arms to keep its shots on target, while Shinji seized the moment of confusion to empty the rest of his clip into the monsters other small eye. The Wraith let out another screech, this time clutching its hands to its bleeding face.
"Here we go," Damon mumbled. Unit X was now behind the second Wraith, and Damon raised his blade. Moments later he jammed it through the back of the creature's skull, exploding through the remaining large red jewel on the front of its face.
"Yes!" Damon yelled triumphantly.
"Move quick, that things about to go nuclear!" Shinji shouted in response.
"Gotcha!" Damon yelled back as he ran clear, leaping into a nearby lake.
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Back at NERV, Shinji quickly escaped his cockpit and stepped free of his towering combat unit. He felt excited, like he could take on the whole world, the depression that he usually felt after a battle gone. He could see Damon leap clear of his cockpit as well.
"Man what a rush!" He said, his expression widening to a grin, "You, Shinji are the man."
Shinji smiled.
"Your not bad yourself for a rookie."
"Ouch, man, that hurts," Damon said clutching his heart, his smile still widening.
The doors to the eva launching bay soon slid open as Asuka ran in with the Russian pilot trailing behind her. She immediately ran up and hugged Shinji.
"Glad to see your okay," She said looking as if she had worried a great deal.
"Me too," he said smiling.
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Shinji Ikari finished changing out of his plug suit and headed for the exit of the locker room.
"Hey, Shinji, wait up a second."
Shinji stopped walking as Damon ran to catch up with him.
"Hey man, we did it!"
Shinji nodded back. Damon extended his hand and Shinji shook it. But when Damon didn't let go, he looked him in the eyes.
"Shinji, this is us man, right here," he motioned to their hands, "partners, soldiers, friends."
"Partners, soldiers, friends," Shinji said confidently back.
"That's right man, you and me are gonna kill every damn one of those Wraith bastards, we aint gonna give up until this world is safe again for all those people that are counting on us," Damon said, now with a serious tone.
"Yah, agreed," Shinji said in return.
"Oh come on man say it like ya mean it."
"Hell yes we are!" Shinji said smiling again.
"Damn strait!" Damon said, breaking the hand shake.
The two boys continued walking down the hallway, until Damon again broke the silence.
"Is it just me or is every girl here gorgeous."
Shinji laughed at this.
"Especially that red head," Damon said, whistling after he said this.
"Yah well that red head happens to be my girlfriend," Shinji said somewhat agitated.
"For real?"
Shinji nodded.
"Dang man, nice work."
Shinji laughed again.
"Thank you," he said.
"Hey man," Damon said putting on his sunglasses, "You're welcome."