Chapter 15
Marine has returned?
It moved quickly through the water. It had a mission to accomplish and nothing would prevent it from getting to its destination. Fish and other marine life moved quickly to get out of its way as it swam by. Suddenly it found its progress impeded. It thrashed about trying to free itself from object that it had become entangled in.
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A loud screech echoed across the deck as deck winch struggled to pull in the fish net. Crewmen stood near the back of the ship, waiting to move the fish into the hold.
"STOP!"
A man ran across the deck, waving his hands over his head. "Stop reeling in the net!"
"What's wrong?" asked one of the crew.
"The net must be caught on some rocks." replied the man, "We're not moving."
The ship then lurched to the side, tossing everyone to the deck.
"What the hell?!" the man tried to stand up but was sent to his knees as the ship lurched to the opposite side.
"Something's caught in the net!" shouted one of the crew, "Something big!"
"Cut it lose! Cut the net lose!"
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Suddenly it was free. It immediately looked around for whatever had dare attempted to capture it. Looking up, it spotted the ship immediately.
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"Dammit! The nets were nearly full!" shouted the man, "Now we haven't got anything. Set course back to Japoness." The man started to walk away when one of the crew shouted.
"What the hell is that?!?"
The man turned and gasped. Moving towards him was on of the largest sea creatures he had ever seen. It had to be well over 700 feet long and at least 100 feet wide.
And it was heading straight towards his boat.
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Asuka sat on a chair on the balcony of Castle Japoness, looking out over the city. It had been quiet for the past day. The view from the castle was beautiful, except for one eyesore. The remains of the 5th Angel still sat on the edge of the city. Touji and Shinji had been talking all morning about the best way to get rid of it.
The sound of the balcony door opening alerted Asuka that she was no longer alone. She turned to see Lorelei walking up to her.
"Mind if I join you?"
Asuka waved her hand, "Pull up a chair."
Lorelei sat down in the chair she had placed next to Asuka. Both enjoyed the view for a few moments longer before Lorelei spoke.
"What's going on Asuka? You seem to have gotten quieter then I remember. Even Rei has been acting weird."
"Rei acting weird," Asuka chuckled, "Boy that brings back memories." Asuka looked over at Lorelei, "Both of us found out something that took us by surprise.".
"What?"
"The Angels." said Asuka, "Specifically, the identities of those two remaining Angels that are helping us."
Lorelei looked at Asuka confused, "But I thought you knew all about the Angels. After all, you faced them before."
"When we faced them before, " began Asuka, "We only knew their numbers, 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc. Until we faced them, we never even knew what they looked like."
"But how could you see them now and not know who they were?"
"Because they were in human form." replied Asuka, "The only Angel we saw in human form was Tabris." Asuka shook her head, "Actually, I never saw him in person. Shinji, Rei, and Sayoko did. He was also the only one we knew the name of."
"You never tried to look up information on them after you went to heaven?"
"No. None of us did." Asuka sighed and closed her eyes. "The Angel Wars were tough on all of us. When it was all over, we pretty much wanted to forget about Angels and Evas." Asuka let out a small chuckle, "Only the Evas came back to haunt us 8 years after the War had ended. Now the Angels have returned. And with them come painful memories."
"You want to talk about it?"
Asuka opened her eyes and looked at Lorelei, "Armisael tried to fuse with Rei, to become one with her. Rei self-destructed her Eva in order to prevent it from getting Sayoko. She survived thanks to help from one of Sayoko's Aunts, but she was hurt pretty bad."
"That explains why she knocked Armisael flat on his back." said Lorelei, "Now, what's with you and Arael?"
Asuka sighed, "Remember back on Mesopotamia when I said I had a really bad childhood." Lorelei nodded. "The 15th used an attack that caused everything I wanted to forget to come back with vengeance. I ended up in a coma for 3 months, reliving the worst moments of my childhood. Same thing happened to Sayoko, only she wasn't in the coma as long."
"And now that Angel has returned."
Asuka nodded, "I only actually met her just yesterday. Until then I hadn't seen her any sign of her since her arrival." Asuka turned back towards the city. "She was nervous and seemed scared to take my hand." Asuka shook her head. "Of all the Angel I had to shake hands with, I had to shake hands with that Angel."
Lorelei turned towards the city. "Are you still mad at her?"
Asuka was quiet for several moments. "At first I was angry...... no beyond angry. The one Angel that hurt me the most was alive and well. What angered me even more is that several people knew who she was and didn't tell us." Asuka went quiet again. "Actually, maybe that was a good idea. At first I didn't want to work with Tabris, but he ended up being rather pleasant."
"So was Leliel." said Lorelei, "So what changed your mind about Arael?"
"Tabris. Before he died he told me to talk to her before I did acted on what I had learned." Asuka looked up at the sky, "I've changed a lot in the past 500 years since I last fought the Angels, at least I'd like to think I have. Living among Gods and Goddesses will do that to you, especially Sayoko's mother, Belldandy."
Lorelei smiled at the mention of the Elder Goddess, "She seemed to be a very nice and pleasant person."
"Oh she is," said Asuka, "Just don't mess with her family. If you do, she can become a real..."
"Asuka!"
Lorelei and Asuka turned to see Rei at the door.
"What?" asked Asuka.
"You'd better get in here." said Rei, "We have a problem."
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"You see it yet?"
"....."
"Well?"
"It's a giant fish! How can I miss it?!"
"..."
"..."
"Be careful."
"Of course."
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"S.O.S.....This is....We are being....giant sea monster...ip is taking on wate...lease respond....OH GOD Noooooooooo....."
"This message was transmitted almost an hour ago." said Luchs, "Based on the information we have, the ship was ....here." she pointed to a spot on the map of the ocean.
Asuka, Rei, Lorelei, Faust, Shinji, and Touji all stood around the map.
"What took so long for the message to get here?" asked Asuka.
"Japoness Coast Guard went out to investigate and rescue." said Luchs, "They reached this point." Luchs pointed at another spot between the ship location and Japoness. "..and then they too vanished."
"What could sink those ships?" asked Lorelei.
Shinji glanced over at Asuka, who nodded. "An Angel. Most likely the 6th."
Faust frowned, "It's heading this way."
Luchs nodded, "It would seem so."
"How long till it arrives here?"
"I estimate we have 40 minutes at its rate of speed."
"40 minutes." repeated Asuka, "That not much time." She turned and looked at the others. "Shinji and I will go to the shore and confront the Angel. You two and the Angel will be our back up."
Touji nodded. Rei frowned but didn't say anything.
Asuka looked back at Faust and Lorelei. "Put the remaining Sabers on Alert. If that thing gets ashore, we'll need everything we have to stop it from reaching the castle."
"How is a giant fish going to reach the castle?" asked Luchs.
"When it comes to Angels, they always do the last thing you'd expect."
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It moved quickly towards its destination. Nothing would stand between it and its goal.
Just ahead of it, another lay in waiting for the creature's arrival.
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50 minutes later.
Shinji and Asuka were now openly pacing along the shore. The Angel was late.
"Where the hell is it?!" shouted Asuka, "It should have been here by now!"
"Maybe it ran into something that's slowing it down?"
"Baka! What on this planet is going to slow down an Angel?!?!"
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It was losing. It didn't know where it foe had appeared from, but it knew it could last against it. In desperation it opened its mouth to try and bite its tormentor.
That was exactly what its foe had been waiting for.
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A bright flash was out over the sea. Asuka and Shinji covered their eyes for a moment. When they could see again, they saw a massive mushroom cloud in the distance. After several more seconds, the rumble of the explosion reached them. They both looked at each other, but nothing needed to be said.
Something else had killed the Angel.
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Rei was sitting on the roof of castle Japoness, waiting for word of the Angel. While she waited, she enjoyed the view of the city. She was distracted from the view when a shadow moved over her. Rei let out a resigned sigh as she released who it was.
"What do you want?"
Armisael stopped where he was. He hadn't expected her to notice him this quickly.
"I just wish to talk." He said.
"About what?"
Armisael walked over and sat down on the roof, sitting a respectful distance from Rei.
"I am just curious..about why you chose to die rather then becoming one with me?"
"Up until that day, I had believed I was replaceable." said Rei, "When you fused with the Eva and forced your way into me, I felt more pain then I had ever felt before. When I saw Sayoko's Eva appear.....she did not need to feel what I was going through. So I chose to end it there, knowing I could be replaced."
"But if you had joined with me you would have been able to return to Father with me."
"And all of the 'Lilim' would have died." replied Rei, "As would eventually those in the Heavens and Hell."
"But they would all have become one."
"And they would lose their individuality." Rei turned and stared at Armisael. "Everything that makes a person unique would be lost."
Armisael was quiet for several moments. "You said you believed you were replaceable. What changed your mind?"
"Seconds before the Eva exploded, Sayoko's Aunts rescued me. That they would risk themselves for me, it made me realize that maybe I wasn't replaceable." Rei looked back over the city. "I had all of my clones destroyed later that week."
"So now you are no longer replaceable." replied Armisael, "Would you still sacrifice yourself for your friends?"
Rei glanced at the Angel, "In a heartbeat."
"Why?"
"It is difficult to explain." replied Rei, "But mainly they are my family, and I would do anything to make sure they survive."
A bright flash then appeared from out over the Ocean. Both Rei and Armisael turned and watched the mushroom cloud drift upwards from the source of the explosion.
"I must go." said Rei. She quickly vanished.
Armisael remained on the roof a bit longer. He was about to leave when he felt it. The use of the Light of the Soul, what the Lilim called an AT- Field. He turned and looked off into the city.
"Bardiel." He said softly. "So you too have come."
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Tamasaburo moved quickly from rooftop to rooftop. She watched as the men of Japoness continued to move away from the shore in preparation for the Angel's arrival. Everything seemed to be moving smoothly, when something caught her eye. Something was moving along a darkened alley towards the shore. Tamasaburo began to move towards it.
"I am moving to investigate an alley along the evacuation route." reported Tamasaburo.
"Understood." came Baiko's response.
Tamasaburo dropped into the alley and moved quickly to the area she saw movement. She arrived quickly and looked about. Because of the location of the sun and the height of the buildings, the much of the alley was dark. It became even darker the further she moved in. Her eyes flickered slightly as she engaged her low light vision. She moved in deeper, but still was unable to see any sign of movement.
"Tamasaburo. Report." came Baiko's voice.
Tamasaburo was about to reply when the shadows came alive. Blackness swarmed over Tamasaburo, and began seep into her seems. Within seconds the blackness was gone, leaving Tamasaburo standing motionless in the alley.
"Tamasaburo! Report!" came Baiko's voice more forcefully.
"I have nothing to report." Tamasaburo replied, "The Alley is clear."
"Understood. Return to the castle for new orders."
"Affirmative." Tamasaburo turned and walked from the alley.
Her eyes glowed red.
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Asuka paced back and forth along the docks. Shinji and Rei stood nearby watching.
"What could have destroyed that Angel?" Asuka asked, "There's nothing on this Planet that could even hurt them!"
"There is still much about this planet that even we don't know." replied Rei, "Perhaps it was Plasma."
"There hasn't been Plasma activity on this planet in several months." said Asuka.
"What else could it be?" asked Shinji, "Like you said, there's nothing else that could hurt the Angels."
With a flash, Armisael appeared.
"We have a problem." He said, "One of my brothers is here."
Asuka waved her hand at him. "Yeah yeah we know. Don't worry. He just got nailed somewhere out at sea."
"Not Gaghiel. Bardiel. I just sensed him inside Japoness."
"Alright, I give. Which one was Bardiel?"
"The 13th."
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Tamasaburo moved quickly to the castle and entered. She moved purposefully into the room where she and Baiko underwent repairs and maintenance. Baiko looked up from her computer terminal.
"The Angel that was heading here has been...."
That was as far as she got before Tamasaburo pulled out her energy blade and slashed Baiko in half. Tamasaburo quickly moved Baiko out of the way and then sat down at the computer terminal. After several minutes she got up and headed towards another area of the castle.
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"So you're saying the Angel that took over my Eva is here?" asked Asuka.
"I fairly sure that is what I just said."
Asuka's eyes narrowed, "Stop that. You sound like Wondergirl."
Both Rei and Shinji frowned at that.
"I'm sorry Rei I didn't mean it like that." Asuka turned back to Armisael. "So where is he?"
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"I got it."
"I noticed."
"How?"
".... I did alright."
"Should we tell them?"
"No. They are.. Occupied. This is one they should be able to handle. I'm waiting for something bigger."
"What about her?"
"What about her?"
"Well is she just gonna sit there with you?"
"For now..yes. She'll join up with you before I launch."
"Alright. Just be careful when you fire that thing up..It has one hell of a backfire."
"Funny...really funny."
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Tamasaburo moved through the hallways of the castle. She passed many of the castle workers, who took no notice of her. She was about to reach her destination when....
"Tama-chan!"
Tamasaburo stopped and turned just in time to be wrapped up in a hug from a marionette. Information quickly flashed before her eyes.
'Saber Marionette JSM-01L (Lime) Maiden Circuit present'
"Hello Lime." Tamasaburo said, "How can I help you?"
Lime smiled, "Didn't need anything. Just saying Hi."
Tamasaburo frowned, "Do not bother me unless you need something." She turned and started walking away.
Lime looked at Tamasaburo confused. "Um. Tama-chan? Where's Baiko-chan?"
"She is currently receiving maintenance." replied Tamasaburo angrily, "And don't call me Tama-chan! Now leave me alone I have work to do." She turned a corner and vanished.
Lime stared at the spot where Tamasaburo had stood.
'That wasn't like Tama-chan. She never gets mad.' thought Lime, 'I'd better tell Lorelei. She needs to fix Tama-chan.'
Lime quickly left in search of Lorelei.
Meantime, Tamasaburo arrived at her destination. She stood before the massive door. She then turned and moved to the keypad on the wall. She quickly entered several code combinations, all ended with an error. Tamasaburo snarled and punched the wall. She then took several steps back away from the door. Black ooze poured forth from her, pooling on the floor. Tamasaburo's body wavered slightly, before finally dropping to the floor. The ooze immediately began to move, sliding into the door slide and into the room beyond.
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Lorelei looked up at Lime.
"Tamasaburo's broken?"
"Yeah." replied Lime, "she wasn't acting like herself at all. She even got mad at me."
That got Lorelei's attention. "She got mad? Are you sure?"
"Yeah."
Lorelei quickly got up and headed towards the door. "Come with me Lime."
Lime followed Lorelei into the meeting room. Otaru, Faust, and Touji were sitting there, watching the display.
"We may have a problem." Lorelei said as she entered.
"What do you mean?" asked Otaru.
"Lime says Tamasaburo got mad at her."
Faust and Otaru stared at her.
Touji shrugged. "So she got mad. So what?"
"You don't understand," said Faust, "Tamasaburo can't get mad. The Imperial Guard don't have Maiden Circuits."
Touji frowned, "So how could she get mad?"
"That is a good question." replied Lorelei. She walked over to the table and flipped up the computer. The main display changed to show a diagram of the castle. "The Imperial Guard were designed primarily to defend the Shogun and the castle, with a secondary purpose of policing the city. In order to find them in an emergency, they both have tracers embedded in them."
Two dots appeared on the display, each in a separate location.
"Baiko appears to be in the repair bay." said Lorelei, "But Tamasaburo is...." Lorelei's eyes widened. "What is she doing there?"
"What?" asked Otaru, "Where is she?"
Lorelei turned around and looked at Lime, "She's in front of Marine's door."
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Three figures stood quietly on a hill overlooking Japoness.
"Sachiel? Gaghiel is gone." said one.
Sachiel barely acknowledged him.
"What shall we do?" asked the other.
Sachiel turned and looked at his remaining brothers. "Bardiel has reached his objective. He is doing his part, as will we."
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Lorelei, Otaru, Faust, Lime, and Touji raced down the hallways to the room where Marine was kept. Faust was speaking into a radio.
"Understood." Faust glanced at Lorelei, "Tiger and Panther say Baiko has been disabled."
"How?"
"Apparently, she was sliced in half."
"Tamasaburo?"
"She does have an energy sword."
They rounded the corner and then stopped. Laying on the floor in front of them was Tamasaburo.
Faust raised a small device. "She's deactivated."
He and Lorelei then went to Tamasaburo's side. The marionette stared at them with blank eyes.
"I don't see any signs of external damage." said Lorelei, looking the marionette over. "Maybe a programming error?"
Faust shook his head, "The maintenance computers would have noticed it. This is something else."
"But why would she come here?"
"Um..Lorelei?"
Lorelei looked up at Otaru. He was pointing towards the keypad, and the fist shaped hole right above it. "You think she was trying to get in?"
"Why would she want to get in there?" asked Touji, "Is there anything important behind that door?"
"Marine is in there." said Lorelei.
"Who is Marine?"
"She's my friend." said Lime. Her face dropped. "She was my best friend."
"She was also a prototype for a New Texas Marionette program using Plasma." said Faust, "She also had a prototype of a Maiden Circuit. She was disabled several months ago."
WHAM!
Everyone looked up.
"What the hell was that?" asked Touji.
WHAM!
The door next to them had developed a fist shaped dent.
"It can't be!" said Faust, "She's deactivated."
Lime raced up to the door. "Marine?!"
WHAM!
"It's Marine! She's awake!" said Lime happily.
"She can't be Lime." said Lorelei, "She was too badly damaged."
"Whoever it is," said Touji, "It wants out."
WHAM!
"What should we do?" asked Otaru.
"Let Marine out!" shouted Lime.
"Do you have anything to .." Touji's voice trailed off. His eyes then widened.
"MOVE!!" he shouted, grabbing Lorelei and Lime and pushing them down the hall away from the door.
The door glowed and seemed to twist outward. It blew with explosive force, but instead of fire and smoke, the crackle of an orange hexagonal field appeared.
"It's an Angel!" shouted Touji, "RUN!"
Lime continued to stare at the doorway as a figure exited. Standing just in the corridor, exactly as she remembered, was Marine.
"Marine!" Lime shouted happily.
It was then she saw something she did not remember. Marine turned to face her and opened her eyes.
They glowed red.
It moved quickly through the water. It had a mission to accomplish and nothing would prevent it from getting to its destination. Fish and other marine life moved quickly to get out of its way as it swam by. Suddenly it found its progress impeded. It thrashed about trying to free itself from object that it had become entangled in.
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A loud screech echoed across the deck as deck winch struggled to pull in the fish net. Crewmen stood near the back of the ship, waiting to move the fish into the hold.
"STOP!"
A man ran across the deck, waving his hands over his head. "Stop reeling in the net!"
"What's wrong?" asked one of the crew.
"The net must be caught on some rocks." replied the man, "We're not moving."
The ship then lurched to the side, tossing everyone to the deck.
"What the hell?!" the man tried to stand up but was sent to his knees as the ship lurched to the opposite side.
"Something's caught in the net!" shouted one of the crew, "Something big!"
"Cut it lose! Cut the net lose!"
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Suddenly it was free. It immediately looked around for whatever had dare attempted to capture it. Looking up, it spotted the ship immediately.
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"Dammit! The nets were nearly full!" shouted the man, "Now we haven't got anything. Set course back to Japoness." The man started to walk away when one of the crew shouted.
"What the hell is that?!?"
The man turned and gasped. Moving towards him was on of the largest sea creatures he had ever seen. It had to be well over 700 feet long and at least 100 feet wide.
And it was heading straight towards his boat.
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Asuka sat on a chair on the balcony of Castle Japoness, looking out over the city. It had been quiet for the past day. The view from the castle was beautiful, except for one eyesore. The remains of the 5th Angel still sat on the edge of the city. Touji and Shinji had been talking all morning about the best way to get rid of it.
The sound of the balcony door opening alerted Asuka that she was no longer alone. She turned to see Lorelei walking up to her.
"Mind if I join you?"
Asuka waved her hand, "Pull up a chair."
Lorelei sat down in the chair she had placed next to Asuka. Both enjoyed the view for a few moments longer before Lorelei spoke.
"What's going on Asuka? You seem to have gotten quieter then I remember. Even Rei has been acting weird."
"Rei acting weird," Asuka chuckled, "Boy that brings back memories." Asuka looked over at Lorelei, "Both of us found out something that took us by surprise.".
"What?"
"The Angels." said Asuka, "Specifically, the identities of those two remaining Angels that are helping us."
Lorelei looked at Asuka confused, "But I thought you knew all about the Angels. After all, you faced them before."
"When we faced them before, " began Asuka, "We only knew their numbers, 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc. Until we faced them, we never even knew what they looked like."
"But how could you see them now and not know who they were?"
"Because they were in human form." replied Asuka, "The only Angel we saw in human form was Tabris." Asuka shook her head, "Actually, I never saw him in person. Shinji, Rei, and Sayoko did. He was also the only one we knew the name of."
"You never tried to look up information on them after you went to heaven?"
"No. None of us did." Asuka sighed and closed her eyes. "The Angel Wars were tough on all of us. When it was all over, we pretty much wanted to forget about Angels and Evas." Asuka let out a small chuckle, "Only the Evas came back to haunt us 8 years after the War had ended. Now the Angels have returned. And with them come painful memories."
"You want to talk about it?"
Asuka opened her eyes and looked at Lorelei, "Armisael tried to fuse with Rei, to become one with her. Rei self-destructed her Eva in order to prevent it from getting Sayoko. She survived thanks to help from one of Sayoko's Aunts, but she was hurt pretty bad."
"That explains why she knocked Armisael flat on his back." said Lorelei, "Now, what's with you and Arael?"
Asuka sighed, "Remember back on Mesopotamia when I said I had a really bad childhood." Lorelei nodded. "The 15th used an attack that caused everything I wanted to forget to come back with vengeance. I ended up in a coma for 3 months, reliving the worst moments of my childhood. Same thing happened to Sayoko, only she wasn't in the coma as long."
"And now that Angel has returned."
Asuka nodded, "I only actually met her just yesterday. Until then I hadn't seen her any sign of her since her arrival." Asuka turned back towards the city. "She was nervous and seemed scared to take my hand." Asuka shook her head. "Of all the Angel I had to shake hands with, I had to shake hands with that Angel."
Lorelei turned towards the city. "Are you still mad at her?"
Asuka was quiet for several moments. "At first I was angry...... no beyond angry. The one Angel that hurt me the most was alive and well. What angered me even more is that several people knew who she was and didn't tell us." Asuka went quiet again. "Actually, maybe that was a good idea. At first I didn't want to work with Tabris, but he ended up being rather pleasant."
"So was Leliel." said Lorelei, "So what changed your mind about Arael?"
"Tabris. Before he died he told me to talk to her before I did acted on what I had learned." Asuka looked up at the sky, "I've changed a lot in the past 500 years since I last fought the Angels, at least I'd like to think I have. Living among Gods and Goddesses will do that to you, especially Sayoko's mother, Belldandy."
Lorelei smiled at the mention of the Elder Goddess, "She seemed to be a very nice and pleasant person."
"Oh she is," said Asuka, "Just don't mess with her family. If you do, she can become a real..."
"Asuka!"
Lorelei and Asuka turned to see Rei at the door.
"What?" asked Asuka.
"You'd better get in here." said Rei, "We have a problem."
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"You see it yet?"
"....."
"Well?"
"It's a giant fish! How can I miss it?!"
"..."
"..."
"Be careful."
"Of course."
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"S.O.S.....This is....We are being....giant sea monster...ip is taking on wate...lease respond....OH GOD Noooooooooo....."
"This message was transmitted almost an hour ago." said Luchs, "Based on the information we have, the ship was ....here." she pointed to a spot on the map of the ocean.
Asuka, Rei, Lorelei, Faust, Shinji, and Touji all stood around the map.
"What took so long for the message to get here?" asked Asuka.
"Japoness Coast Guard went out to investigate and rescue." said Luchs, "They reached this point." Luchs pointed at another spot between the ship location and Japoness. "..and then they too vanished."
"What could sink those ships?" asked Lorelei.
Shinji glanced over at Asuka, who nodded. "An Angel. Most likely the 6th."
Faust frowned, "It's heading this way."
Luchs nodded, "It would seem so."
"How long till it arrives here?"
"I estimate we have 40 minutes at its rate of speed."
"40 minutes." repeated Asuka, "That not much time." She turned and looked at the others. "Shinji and I will go to the shore and confront the Angel. You two and the Angel will be our back up."
Touji nodded. Rei frowned but didn't say anything.
Asuka looked back at Faust and Lorelei. "Put the remaining Sabers on Alert. If that thing gets ashore, we'll need everything we have to stop it from reaching the castle."
"How is a giant fish going to reach the castle?" asked Luchs.
"When it comes to Angels, they always do the last thing you'd expect."
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It moved quickly towards its destination. Nothing would stand between it and its goal.
Just ahead of it, another lay in waiting for the creature's arrival.
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50 minutes later.
Shinji and Asuka were now openly pacing along the shore. The Angel was late.
"Where the hell is it?!" shouted Asuka, "It should have been here by now!"
"Maybe it ran into something that's slowing it down?"
"Baka! What on this planet is going to slow down an Angel?!?!"
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It was losing. It didn't know where it foe had appeared from, but it knew it could last against it. In desperation it opened its mouth to try and bite its tormentor.
That was exactly what its foe had been waiting for.
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A bright flash was out over the sea. Asuka and Shinji covered their eyes for a moment. When they could see again, they saw a massive mushroom cloud in the distance. After several more seconds, the rumble of the explosion reached them. They both looked at each other, but nothing needed to be said.
Something else had killed the Angel.
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Rei was sitting on the roof of castle Japoness, waiting for word of the Angel. While she waited, she enjoyed the view of the city. She was distracted from the view when a shadow moved over her. Rei let out a resigned sigh as she released who it was.
"What do you want?"
Armisael stopped where he was. He hadn't expected her to notice him this quickly.
"I just wish to talk." He said.
"About what?"
Armisael walked over and sat down on the roof, sitting a respectful distance from Rei.
"I am just curious..about why you chose to die rather then becoming one with me?"
"Up until that day, I had believed I was replaceable." said Rei, "When you fused with the Eva and forced your way into me, I felt more pain then I had ever felt before. When I saw Sayoko's Eva appear.....she did not need to feel what I was going through. So I chose to end it there, knowing I could be replaced."
"But if you had joined with me you would have been able to return to Father with me."
"And all of the 'Lilim' would have died." replied Rei, "As would eventually those in the Heavens and Hell."
"But they would all have become one."
"And they would lose their individuality." Rei turned and stared at Armisael. "Everything that makes a person unique would be lost."
Armisael was quiet for several moments. "You said you believed you were replaceable. What changed your mind?"
"Seconds before the Eva exploded, Sayoko's Aunts rescued me. That they would risk themselves for me, it made me realize that maybe I wasn't replaceable." Rei looked back over the city. "I had all of my clones destroyed later that week."
"So now you are no longer replaceable." replied Armisael, "Would you still sacrifice yourself for your friends?"
Rei glanced at the Angel, "In a heartbeat."
"Why?"
"It is difficult to explain." replied Rei, "But mainly they are my family, and I would do anything to make sure they survive."
A bright flash then appeared from out over the Ocean. Both Rei and Armisael turned and watched the mushroom cloud drift upwards from the source of the explosion.
"I must go." said Rei. She quickly vanished.
Armisael remained on the roof a bit longer. He was about to leave when he felt it. The use of the Light of the Soul, what the Lilim called an AT- Field. He turned and looked off into the city.
"Bardiel." He said softly. "So you too have come."
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Tamasaburo moved quickly from rooftop to rooftop. She watched as the men of Japoness continued to move away from the shore in preparation for the Angel's arrival. Everything seemed to be moving smoothly, when something caught her eye. Something was moving along a darkened alley towards the shore. Tamasaburo began to move towards it.
"I am moving to investigate an alley along the evacuation route." reported Tamasaburo.
"Understood." came Baiko's response.
Tamasaburo dropped into the alley and moved quickly to the area she saw movement. She arrived quickly and looked about. Because of the location of the sun and the height of the buildings, the much of the alley was dark. It became even darker the further she moved in. Her eyes flickered slightly as she engaged her low light vision. She moved in deeper, but still was unable to see any sign of movement.
"Tamasaburo. Report." came Baiko's voice.
Tamasaburo was about to reply when the shadows came alive. Blackness swarmed over Tamasaburo, and began seep into her seems. Within seconds the blackness was gone, leaving Tamasaburo standing motionless in the alley.
"Tamasaburo! Report!" came Baiko's voice more forcefully.
"I have nothing to report." Tamasaburo replied, "The Alley is clear."
"Understood. Return to the castle for new orders."
"Affirmative." Tamasaburo turned and walked from the alley.
Her eyes glowed red.
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Asuka paced back and forth along the docks. Shinji and Rei stood nearby watching.
"What could have destroyed that Angel?" Asuka asked, "There's nothing on this Planet that could even hurt them!"
"There is still much about this planet that even we don't know." replied Rei, "Perhaps it was Plasma."
"There hasn't been Plasma activity on this planet in several months." said Asuka.
"What else could it be?" asked Shinji, "Like you said, there's nothing else that could hurt the Angels."
With a flash, Armisael appeared.
"We have a problem." He said, "One of my brothers is here."
Asuka waved her hand at him. "Yeah yeah we know. Don't worry. He just got nailed somewhere out at sea."
"Not Gaghiel. Bardiel. I just sensed him inside Japoness."
"Alright, I give. Which one was Bardiel?"
"The 13th."
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Tamasaburo moved quickly to the castle and entered. She moved purposefully into the room where she and Baiko underwent repairs and maintenance. Baiko looked up from her computer terminal.
"The Angel that was heading here has been...."
That was as far as she got before Tamasaburo pulled out her energy blade and slashed Baiko in half. Tamasaburo quickly moved Baiko out of the way and then sat down at the computer terminal. After several minutes she got up and headed towards another area of the castle.
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"So you're saying the Angel that took over my Eva is here?" asked Asuka.
"I fairly sure that is what I just said."
Asuka's eyes narrowed, "Stop that. You sound like Wondergirl."
Both Rei and Shinji frowned at that.
"I'm sorry Rei I didn't mean it like that." Asuka turned back to Armisael. "So where is he?"
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"I got it."
"I noticed."
"How?"
".... I did alright."
"Should we tell them?"
"No. They are.. Occupied. This is one they should be able to handle. I'm waiting for something bigger."
"What about her?"
"What about her?"
"Well is she just gonna sit there with you?"
"For now..yes. She'll join up with you before I launch."
"Alright. Just be careful when you fire that thing up..It has one hell of a backfire."
"Funny...really funny."
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Tamasaburo moved through the hallways of the castle. She passed many of the castle workers, who took no notice of her. She was about to reach her destination when....
"Tama-chan!"
Tamasaburo stopped and turned just in time to be wrapped up in a hug from a marionette. Information quickly flashed before her eyes.
'Saber Marionette JSM-01L (Lime) Maiden Circuit present'
"Hello Lime." Tamasaburo said, "How can I help you?"
Lime smiled, "Didn't need anything. Just saying Hi."
Tamasaburo frowned, "Do not bother me unless you need something." She turned and started walking away.
Lime looked at Tamasaburo confused. "Um. Tama-chan? Where's Baiko-chan?"
"She is currently receiving maintenance." replied Tamasaburo angrily, "And don't call me Tama-chan! Now leave me alone I have work to do." She turned a corner and vanished.
Lime stared at the spot where Tamasaburo had stood.
'That wasn't like Tama-chan. She never gets mad.' thought Lime, 'I'd better tell Lorelei. She needs to fix Tama-chan.'
Lime quickly left in search of Lorelei.
Meantime, Tamasaburo arrived at her destination. She stood before the massive door. She then turned and moved to the keypad on the wall. She quickly entered several code combinations, all ended with an error. Tamasaburo snarled and punched the wall. She then took several steps back away from the door. Black ooze poured forth from her, pooling on the floor. Tamasaburo's body wavered slightly, before finally dropping to the floor. The ooze immediately began to move, sliding into the door slide and into the room beyond.
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Lorelei looked up at Lime.
"Tamasaburo's broken?"
"Yeah." replied Lime, "she wasn't acting like herself at all. She even got mad at me."
That got Lorelei's attention. "She got mad? Are you sure?"
"Yeah."
Lorelei quickly got up and headed towards the door. "Come with me Lime."
Lime followed Lorelei into the meeting room. Otaru, Faust, and Touji were sitting there, watching the display.
"We may have a problem." Lorelei said as she entered.
"What do you mean?" asked Otaru.
"Lime says Tamasaburo got mad at her."
Faust and Otaru stared at her.
Touji shrugged. "So she got mad. So what?"
"You don't understand," said Faust, "Tamasaburo can't get mad. The Imperial Guard don't have Maiden Circuits."
Touji frowned, "So how could she get mad?"
"That is a good question." replied Lorelei. She walked over to the table and flipped up the computer. The main display changed to show a diagram of the castle. "The Imperial Guard were designed primarily to defend the Shogun and the castle, with a secondary purpose of policing the city. In order to find them in an emergency, they both have tracers embedded in them."
Two dots appeared on the display, each in a separate location.
"Baiko appears to be in the repair bay." said Lorelei, "But Tamasaburo is...." Lorelei's eyes widened. "What is she doing there?"
"What?" asked Otaru, "Where is she?"
Lorelei turned around and looked at Lime, "She's in front of Marine's door."
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Three figures stood quietly on a hill overlooking Japoness.
"Sachiel? Gaghiel is gone." said one.
Sachiel barely acknowledged him.
"What shall we do?" asked the other.
Sachiel turned and looked at his remaining brothers. "Bardiel has reached his objective. He is doing his part, as will we."
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Lorelei, Otaru, Faust, Lime, and Touji raced down the hallways to the room where Marine was kept. Faust was speaking into a radio.
"Understood." Faust glanced at Lorelei, "Tiger and Panther say Baiko has been disabled."
"How?"
"Apparently, she was sliced in half."
"Tamasaburo?"
"She does have an energy sword."
They rounded the corner and then stopped. Laying on the floor in front of them was Tamasaburo.
Faust raised a small device. "She's deactivated."
He and Lorelei then went to Tamasaburo's side. The marionette stared at them with blank eyes.
"I don't see any signs of external damage." said Lorelei, looking the marionette over. "Maybe a programming error?"
Faust shook his head, "The maintenance computers would have noticed it. This is something else."
"But why would she come here?"
"Um..Lorelei?"
Lorelei looked up at Otaru. He was pointing towards the keypad, and the fist shaped hole right above it. "You think she was trying to get in?"
"Why would she want to get in there?" asked Touji, "Is there anything important behind that door?"
"Marine is in there." said Lorelei.
"Who is Marine?"
"She's my friend." said Lime. Her face dropped. "She was my best friend."
"She was also a prototype for a New Texas Marionette program using Plasma." said Faust, "She also had a prototype of a Maiden Circuit. She was disabled several months ago."
WHAM!
Everyone looked up.
"What the hell was that?" asked Touji.
WHAM!
The door next to them had developed a fist shaped dent.
"It can't be!" said Faust, "She's deactivated."
Lime raced up to the door. "Marine?!"
WHAM!
"It's Marine! She's awake!" said Lime happily.
"She can't be Lime." said Lorelei, "She was too badly damaged."
"Whoever it is," said Touji, "It wants out."
WHAM!
"What should we do?" asked Otaru.
"Let Marine out!" shouted Lime.
"Do you have anything to .." Touji's voice trailed off. His eyes then widened.
"MOVE!!" he shouted, grabbing Lorelei and Lime and pushing them down the hall away from the door.
The door glowed and seemed to twist outward. It blew with explosive force, but instead of fire and smoke, the crackle of an orange hexagonal field appeared.
"It's an Angel!" shouted Touji, "RUN!"
Lime continued to stare at the doorway as a figure exited. Standing just in the corridor, exactly as she remembered, was Marine.
"Marine!" Lime shouted happily.
It was then she saw something she did not remember. Marine turned to face her and opened her eyes.
They glowed red.