Wow! 10 chapters and rolling, everything snowballing downhill non-stop, I feel so cool now (^-^)
AN: I am writing a battle fic because it is the first time I wrote Mecha battles since the days of Gundam Wing and Battle-Tech. So I like to see if I still can do it. So please send me your opinion on should I include every EVA battle from now on or just skip it (like I did for the seventh).
The lack of reply will result in your house being "accidentally" destroyed by EVA-02 during the next angel attack J .
Disclaimer: (cleaning the sword off the clothes of various dead bible thumpers) You know who made NGE, you know I don't own anything, and you should know why I am writing this. {Flash the sword so it reflect the moonlight} Any questions??
"I am Doji Trume, in the light of my grandfather's friendship with the Hidas, I will allow you to withdraw."
"I am Hida Trsuaka, Give your grandfather my greetings."
-Legend of Five Rings
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Chapter ten: Lava storm mountains II
2014, Munich city Morgue
One of the fundamental rules of spying is that one should never draw attention while moving. So Kaji did exactly that as he lurched drunkenly toward the city morgue with a long bottle of liquor in hand, singing off-keyed German drinking songs in the process. By the time he arrived, it was nearly midnight. Looking up, he saw the gothic arches of the City Morgue. It is twisted architecture would have one mistake it for a church, if not for the bright letters that spell out "City Morgue" in bold red.
Looking around to see that no one is watching, Kaji turned around and dump the dirty trench coat and liquor into a near by trash bin.
"Stupid Germans can't make their beer right." Kaji murmured under his breath as turn around and dashed into one of the building's side doors.
{The author actually believe in reverse of the statement above, in fact, majority of this fic is written when the writer is heavily intoxicated drinking either German whiskey or Russian Vodka, strange enough, if I drink but not writing, I get violently sick or begin to giggle uncontrollably, as demonstrated in last year's frat party -_-;;}
As he enter the cold storage, he heard a couple late night morticians joking about their work, one of them being Ms. Kayona's:
"NERV security team leader: 'We cannot let the suspect get away, cover all the exits.'
NERV soldier: 'sir, he got away.'
NERV STL: "I thought I told you to cover ALL the exits.
NERV soldier: 'yes sir! But he left in one of the entrances."
{If you do not find that quite funny, then Sub your country's military Intelligence agency into that equation, e.g. CIA, M-15, CISF…etc-author}
The joke drew laughter from the two other men in the room, just as Kaji open the door and shouted: "Attention!"
Within under a fraction of a second, Ms. Kayona sprang around and ducked under the desk and pulled out a pair of D-Eagle aiming at the offending source, then can only grin sheepishly as she find the unauthorized intruder to be her boss. Looking around, she found her companions all grinning like loons, which only made her a shade redder than usual.
Getting the reaction he wanted, Kaji smiled and said: "At ease. So did we have our quarry?"
"Yes sir, our prize is safe and sound." Kayona replied. Without another word, the brunette unzips the body bag that was on top of the coroner's table, inside contained a unconscious Shinji Ikari.
"Would you like to examine our work SIR?" Kayona motioned her hands like a game show host.
"I saw the results up and close, AND I had to hid the dart you hit him with, I swear, you Americans are getting sloppier everyday."
Blushing furiously, the brunette bow her head in shame…for about five seconds. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a syringe from her pocket. Unzipping the plastic cap off, it made a hissing sound and squirt a small amount of bluish liquid into the air. With a nod from Kaji, Kayona administered the anti-drug.
With in seconds, Shinji groaned and raise his hands to rub his eyes…then he realized he was not alone. Looking around, he saw an Oriental man in his 20s, surrounded by three other people he did not recognize.
"What the? Is this NERV?" Shinji sputtered, then he realize the Asian looked quite familiar, but he could not place him. Then suddenly his right eye flared in red and data start scrolling through as the computer trace the image and give it a "10 years of change" scan.
"Greetings, my name is Cyc…"
"Your name is Kaji." Shinji replied without even looking. When he finally looks up, he found Kaji's face ashen, Kayona whistle in appreciation while the other two men just looked stunned.
Recovering his momentum, Kaji said: "Impressive, I knew saving you from Gendo and his attack squad was worth it." Well, technically Keel wanted you alive, but by implying Gendo, a mid-to-high ranking leader of NERV, tried to kill and not Keel, it would give me an easy focus, my job is in Japan, not Germany. Kaji thought.
Blinking twice, Shinji replied: " So he finally did it huh?"
Raising an eyebrow and hoping to elicit more information, Kaji pushed in his bluff: "Yes, I am afraid he have been pinning for this for months, I tried to distract him from making a kill count on a 14 years old, but…"
"What would I know that would bring the most criminal organization on the planet on my neck?" Shinji replied and cut him off.
After a long pause, Kaji said: "Yes."
It is obvious that Kaji seeks the truth about NERV, he care very little about who I am or what my interests are, but for now, our roads and goals are the same. Shinji thought, taking a deep breath, he said: "I know…I know…"There is no turning back, it is the time to cross the Ruburion…should I take the risk and march on Rome?
{Cross the Ruburion is an old term, it dated when the Roman General Julius Caesar matched up Rome, and the senate orders him to disarm and disband his army-if he cross the Ruburion he is deemed a traitor, so the term CTR means "the point of no return"-author)
Indeed.
Smiling wolfishly, Shinji continued :"I know everything about NERV, how it is planning to start the impact, and lay waste to humanity in the process, I will offer you everything I know, including every code inside NERV and SEELE that would allow you gain blanket access to their networks, but in exchange, I want two things."
With eyes glowing with diabolic glints, Kaji replied and asks: "and they are?"
"First, IF what I show you proves everything, you would work with me to dismantle and destroy this…institution."
"It would be difficult even If what you are saying is true, because NERV is too strong to attack politically alone by one nation."
"Then WE will do it covertly, as long as the Japanese Government provide us with some material support."
Kaji and his team's eyes raise in alarm: "How did…never mind."
"The second is, judging by the fact you guys were just ahead of my…Commander Gendo Ikari's goons, I do say a good chance my second adopted mother is now on her way to heaven."
When Kaji nodded in acknowledgement, Shinji replied: " My stepsister just lost her mother, and since she is in NERV's clutches, it would be hard for me to get to her. Since you can go near her as part of your work, I need you to watch over her, she need someone, anyone to cling onto at this point. I want you to take care of her."
"You have my words on it, do you want me to tell her you are alive?"
"No, it is better I remain dead…it would simply confuse her now and blow my cover." Shinji replied.
"That is it?" Kaji asks.
"That is it."
"Very well, hemm…Simon isn't it?" Kaji extend his hand to the 15 years old boy.
"Simon is dead, my name is…Gerald Ion Rush now." Raising his hand to shake Kaji's, "I believe this is the beginning of an beautiful friendship."
Smiling broadly, Kaji replied: "Indeed, welcome to the alliance."
------------
The Volcano where Sandalphon was found last time.
Time: 11:45AM , 7 Hours since the Reis were rescued
[For those who did not read last chapter, Tsuka is the name Asuka from the future has taken. The real Asuka of this is age is currently on the school trip due to something happened in the last chapter-Author]
From the speakers, Tsuka can hear the radio exchange between Major Katsuragi and doctor Akagi, the blonde woman had a bandage over her head last time when she saw her and was blabbering about some cross-dressing-lesbian broke into the NERV HQ, but she was not being specific about it and Misato is having a field day over the situation. Several Techs in the background was warning her about danger zones and heat limitations, but Tsuka simply sighed as she continue to descent into a bowel of the Earth with a big capturing cage in hand.
I know what is going to happen, Sandalphon is going to pop out his egg and attack me, and I dose him with coolant so he explodes. Simple. If only I was in Okinawa right now diving instead. If only...
"545 feet, hold on, I am getting a reading, it is blue! And it is moving up fast" One of the Techs screamed out from the radio.
"What? That is not what is suppose to happen!" Tsuka shouts despite herself, thankfully, amidst the chaos no one in the command center noticed.
"Asuka! Pull out of there right now! You don't know what that thing is capable of! Fighting an angel in a volcano is no joke!"
Before she can say another word, an impossibly large maw swam upwards toward Eva-02. Without a second thought, Tsuka dump the cage over it and draw her Progressive blade for battle.
It took the angel less than ten seconds to rip the cage into shreds. Using the opportunity, Tsuka override the manual safety controls and order the EVA to dump its coolant just as the angel open its mouth.
Fatal Error. Command not accepted.
The word "fatal" would been comical under other circumstances, but in this situation it spell almost certain death. Knowing it would do nothing, Tsuka swing the blade against the beast's molten hide, but like water, the lava-beast's flesh give away, but quickly reform itself as fast as she was chipping away.
Like a fencer who knows his opponent is helpless, the angel accepted the glaring blow that would have fell any of his lesser siblings. Then suddenly, it raise its left paw and swipe at the umbilical cords that power the EVA, shredding half of them in the process and left the remaining one slowly breaking apart.
But Tsuka was not someone do give up, after she went so far as to survive the third-impact to come back, she would not give up, especially to a second-rated angel like Sandalphon. Raising her blade one more time, She swing her blade toward the beast one last time, hoping to breach the Angel's core, just as the monster's jaw tore apart the EVA-00's heating shied and swing it against the wall of the volcano…
-------
Near the Makeshift NERV command center.
One of the many dangers to a soldier is not the danger of death, but the mind-devouring boredom between death and well, more death. After more than three hours sitting inside a EVA being transported from the NERV base to the drop site, then compounded being alternatingly whipped then kissed and bandaged by two mood-swinging red-heads the for the last three nights, the third child is in a near-exhausted state. So it was no surprise when there was nothing going on, Shinji de-sync with the EVA (so the EVA would not fall flat on its face or something) and took a minor nap.
Tsuka's frantic shout through the speaker convinced him not to do that again. Turning his Eva around, he saw cranes that was suppose to lower Tsuka into the Volcano is busy cranking backwards. Running his Eva at full speed, the third child grab hold to the massive cables and begin to pull, ignoring Misato's plea from the Radio, he kept on pulling.
Then when a burnt stump came up as what remained of EVA-02, without a second thought and before Misato can say a word, Shinji leap into the volcano with his EVA, with the remaining of the cables dangled in his hand.
The Eva feed back her pains from the burns back to the boy a thousand fold as the armor around the EVA begin to melt under the duress, but it did not deter Shinji. Misato and the Techs were shouting through the Com, but a greater force prevented him from listening as he focus on searching for his errant co-worker.
107 feet
221 feet
250 feet
THERE!
In front of Shinji's sensors, he saw the remains of Asuka's Unit-02. The heat-shield was completely torn off, so was more than half of the armor. Angry boils rose from the unarmored part as the lava begin to dissolve the flesh. The EVA itself was not moving, and was being wiggled around by the giant maw- Angel like a dog with a chew toy.
Seeing a new foe have entering the game, Sandalphon released the wounded EVA and fell backwards.
"Asuka, can you hear me?" The purple EVA grab on to the wounded red with its other hand.
No response. Tapping into the Tac-Com, the device shows the pilot onboard is unconscious. Before Shinji can react, the 8th Angel open its mouth again and a beam of glowing light, brighter even than the lava around them, begin to form in its mouth.
And like all anime physics, when it glows, it explodes…or it launches a BIG fireball.
The shockwave send both EVAs flying out the volcano, but even as shockwave threaten to rent the giant bio-war-machines into scrap, Shinji' Eva did not let go Unit 03. For the first time in a long time, Shinji felt the horror of free fall inside a 40 tons war machine.
Shinji thought his was heart being wretched out of by the vertigo, at the same time the blood in his head roared as it rush away from his brain, threatening to him to black out as the safely straps ripe and broke away by the centrifugal force, digging deeply into the Third Child's flesh before releasing him and send him slamming against the walls of his 10' X 10' prison. Then suddenly for one second, everything stopped, as the EVA reach the apex of its impromptu flight…then gravity claim him again and send the EVA slamming back into Earth, delivering another concussive blow to the pilot in the process.
Both EVAs crash into the ground with Shinji's 01 on top of Asuka's 02. Fighting pain all over his body and the blackout, the purple Eva pushes itself off its fallen comrade and struggle to get back onto its feet.
-------------
NERV makeshift Command Center
Franticly looking over the shoulders of the Techs, the Major was becoming frantic as more and more bad news poured through the command center:
"EVA-02 is offline."
"EVA-01 is heavily damaged."
"Chest armor at 22%, leg armor at 34%, head at 19%…"
"02-pilot is unconscious."
"The angel is climbing out!"
"OK EVERYBODY SHUT UP!" Misato screamed, and everyone instantly did so. Breathing hard, she begin to issue orders:
"How long it would take for us for the angel to climb out?"
One of the Techs replied: "About five and half a minutes."
"Shit, ok, signal all capture-related crew to pull out."
"Yes sir, understood." The Tech in charge begin to issue orders, and the mobile-command center begin to move.
Reaching for Mic, Misato call out to EVA-01
"Shinji! Are you there?"
Looking out the monitors, Misato saw EVA-01 getting back onto its feet, like a boxer been beaten to the ropes, it lurched as it got up, then quickly collapsed back on to its knees.
Tasting the blood that is now freely flowing from his nose and lips, Shinji blinked twice: "Yes Misato, I am still here." Reaching forward, the EVA-01 grab the discarded Progressive Knife, then looked up just to see a molten arm free itself from the volcano's mouth.
"Shinji, get out of there!" Misato commanded. Of course the third child would obey, after all, this is Shinji we are talking about.
"No."
"NO???" Misato shouted in surprise.
"Get the recovery crew to get Asuka's EVA out of here first."
"We can't risk two downed EVAs, with god knows where Rei is…"
Behind her, Ritsuko typed a command and brought up 01's wire frame schematic. Looking around to see everyone pre-occupied with the battle, she type a new command, namely the LCL flow control and order the machine to mix a new chemical into the entry-plug…
"…You have to get out of there." Misato finish it.
"Alright, but let me help get EVA-02…."
Then suddenly there was a burst of static, and some sort noise that sound like someone thrashing in liquid, then Shinji replied again, in an almost alien voice:
"NO! I am not going to abandon her like my father abandoned me, here is MY plan, MISATO!" The level of familiarity shocked the older woman, forced her to swallow her well-prepared retort. "I AM going to hold the monster off while you get a recovery crew up here, get HER out of here, I will buy you the time to do it."
"Shinji! This is not a time for heroics!"
"There was never a time for heroics, I DINT NOT COME HERE TO PILOT THE EVA FOR HEROICS! If you cut my power, the EVA is doomed, if you knock me out, The EVA is doomed, so unless you are prepared to lose two EVAs, you WILL get the recovery crew up here and save her."
Suddenly, Misato heard another voice behind her. It is Lt. Colonel Dies. K. Irae, the JSDDF military attaché to NERV operation. The man came from a long line of military officers dated back the days of the Macarthur occupation, and his blue eyes and long nose reflect the only hint of a western ancestry.
"Major, you realize what I must now do."
"Colonel, be reasonable, this operation is not over yet."
Without the slightly hint of smile, Irae replied: "The orders from above is to launch the N^2 Mines should the situation became…fluid."
Ritsuko cut in response: " THE angel is sitting on a major volcanic fault, if you nuke the place, we can start a HUGE eruption and with secondary Earthquakes in who know how many places. This is not greasing the Suburbs or the harbors of Tokyo-3, we can start an Earthquake wipe out half of Japan if N^2 the place."
"That is unfortunate, as I recall, MAJOR" putting extra emphasis on the word to show his contempt for Misato's rank "You are the one that assured us that Angel would be captured intact."
Silence reign in the air for several seconds, just enough for everything in the room to cease breathing in fear, then Irae continued:
" However, I am aware of how limited and clumsy a N^2 solution can be, so I am going to allow you to continue to deal with the matter, but if that monster get within two miles radius of any thing bigger than a hamlet, the N2 goes off."
The two women and the assorted Techs stared at him as if he just declared himself the reincarnation of Christ. Snorting once, Irae replied: "What? Oh people watch two much B -rated animes, not ALL soldiers are bloodthirsty and brainless trigger-happy idiots you know. SOME of us actually study the Battle ROM and remember nuking may not be the most effective ways to deal with an Angel. Only an idiot of commander would not learn from his mistakes…" pausing a second to take a breath: "Now, don't you have an operation to do?"
Misato was already back at her consoles directing commands.
Battered and bruised with one eye swollen shut, Shinji struggle to bring his EVA back online. It seem almost an eternity passed until Misato's voice finally bleed through the static filling communication unit: "I will get the crew up here, you need to buy us a full 10 minutes for Unit-02's extraction, the Army will try to provide you with some fire support while we think up a plan to stop that monster, we left three portable generator around the Launch zone to give you recharge. Good luck, PILOT."
Smiling grimly, Shinji reached into his plug suit and pulled out his SDAT. Inside it included a single song Kensuke recorded for him.
[Flashback]
Standing on the roof of the school, the two boys were watching the sunset, then Kensuke got up and handed Shinji a small song disc.
"What is it?"
"It is song I found online, it is called 'war of the last wolves' play it when you are piloting your EVA, It will give you the energy to fight on when all seem to be hopeless."
[End flashback]
As the Angel cleared its upper torso out of the volcano, the first thing it realize it could no longer support its own mass properly. The claws, jaws and fins were workable in a WARM aquatic environment, but in the cold world outside of the volcano the huge lava body would be clumsy and difficult to control.
Then it saw was one of its attackers kneeling at the bottom of the mountain, struggling back onto its feet while plugging a cable into its back. Some smaller metal boxes move to tow his other fallen foe away while some other small metal objects (in its prospective) hover over it. Then with roar, the sea-beast melted away like wax and transformed into a new body, one that resemble an EVA, but instead it had flaming claws instead of hands, and a molten ever-changing skin instead of titanium-reinforced armor.
From Shinji's point of view, the Angel stood on the lips of the mountain, and despite it is EVA like appearance, Sandalphon still stood at least 15-20 meters taller than it is foe. Like an ancient war god, it screamed an inhuman threat that promise death and destruction to anyone that stood in its way.
With another Roar, the 8th Angel charged downhill, spraying molten destruction every with every step. But instead of meeting the charge, Shinji waited as a dozen JSSDF gun-ships begin to spray missiles and LBX-Auto-cannon shells at the fire elemental.
While the shots score no critical damages, the shrapnel begins to chip away bits of the Sandalphon's lava flesh, screaming in rage, the angel raise its arms-then a ring fire explode over its head toward the flyers. Three of them could not dodge fast enough and they exploded, but the rest manage to break away, then regroup behind the monster for a second strafing run.
Looking through the side monitor, Shinji saw Misato and the Japanese army officer giving him a thumb-up.
"Like my grandmother use to say: Kill them all, the devil with recognize its own, go for it boy, give him hell."
In response, Shinji command Unit-01 to raise its right arm in salute, brought its left to protect its face, then the EVA leaned forward and lowered its profile. Inside its entry-plug, Shinji pressed his SDAT to "Play" and charged.
The two met at the midway of the mountain with the angel busy swiping away ineffectively at the Fighters. Using the opening, Shinji draw his blade and plunge it into the monster's chest, missing the core by merely two meters. Realizing how close it coming to become a NERV lab sample, The Angel swing an hard right with its claw, burning away armor and flesh from the EVA's left arm, But Shinji guide the EVA out the worst of the way. With a speed that defied the laws of physics, the purple EVA swing the blade and gorge deeply into the Sandalphon's left arm.
The Angel's was distracted by the pain, and its next attack missed EVA-01's head by a fraction of a meter, not wasting the opportunity, the EVA deliver a nasty kick to the elemental's torso, damaging the Angel core in the process.
Howling in pain, Sandalphon reach out with its left arm and grab its' foe's, with a strength beyond measure of human instruments, it tore the limb off. THEN use it as a club and swing directly into EVA 01's face, sending the massive bio-terror tumbling down hill, crushing the umbilical power cord in the process.
Reaching for his left arm and thinking it is broken, Shinji screamed in pain as the LCL feedback the EVA's loss of arm to its pilot. Another section of the capsule crumble in as the EVA land on its back, and the shockwave bounce the boy back and forward inside the capsule, he cried out in pain again as shocks erupt all over his body. The sheer punishment should had made Shinji pass out, the pain alone should have made ANYONE pass out…
But to everyone, including the Angel's surprise, the purple EVA stopped its own decent only meters away from the terrified recovery crew and UNIT-02 by digging into the rocks with its Progressive Knife. Using its remaining arm to stabilize itself, the EVA is slowly rolled back to its knees and reached for one of the reserve generators, just in time as the angel begin to march downhill.
------
Inside Unit-02
Tsuka is awakened by the sound of EVA-01 crashing downhill. Blinking twice, she find herself trapped in a powerless EVA with only her life-support and radio communications, luckily, someone attach a power cable to the EVA, and power is slowly flowing back into Unit-02. Looking up, she see Shinji's EVA collapsed only meters away from her. Behind him the 8th Angel march down the hill, molten lava sliding out its wounds. And above it, dozens of JSSDF Gunships pounded ineffectively at the beast.
Like a scene right out of the biblical battle between David and Goliath, the wounded EVA got back up on its feet. The Angel bellows another roar, as if commanding his foe to surrender to this hopeless battle.
In response, EVA-01 flip its Progressive Knife so the flat side faced the angel and send a beam of reflective sunlight at the giant monster, the meaning was clear even from Tsuka's angle: I give you my surrender, when you pry it from my burning, smothering hand.
-----
Inside Unit-01
The Song of the wolves drummed into the high pitch and allowed him to draw upon his strength from places he did not even know existed.
And Sandalphon is getting closer and closer.
Sandalphon speed up its pace then charged, raising its left arm and took a hard swing into EVA-01's face plate, nearly shattering it completely. Howling in pain, Unit-01 counterattack attacked by digging its blade into its tormentor's arm, looping the entire thing off within seconds.
The Angel in response summon a bolt of lava with its right hand and hurled it at the EVA, gorging a deep hole in its left shoulder, but it barely slowed down the raging monster as it bend-down and did a knee-capping technique on the 8th Angel. Then it let go the Progressive blade and grab Sandalphon's discarded limb just as Sandalphon went down…hard.
Without even thinking, Shinji order the EVA to attach the arm. Most of it dissolved away within seconds after been shred off by the Prog Knife, but there was a metal-wire like line that remained. Within seconds, the wire fused with the EVA, forming a new arm and claw with flames wreathed around it.
----
Command center
Misato stood there in shock, the Techs stare in shock, and somewhere among the banks after banks of electronics, a grainy camera showed Tsuka in shock.
One of the Techs tear his eyes from the monitor, then looked down on the banks of electronics and said: "Major, you are not going to believe this."
Without looking away from the battle, Misato looked down and said: "Huh?"
"The EVA is not berserking."
"What? But…"
"I am comparing the level of sync and life-support between the first battle and this one, and the reading are way off. The life-support system is suffering catastrophic failures, the LCL Temp is 20 degrees off boiling temp, the sync rate is lower than the first battle…AND the pilot is still, alive and conscious."
"But how…"
Behind them, Ritsuko smirked sadly.
------
Remains of Antarctica,
Aboard the NERV super carrier
Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki put the phone down, pausing a second, then turned to look at the NERV supreme commander. Gendo is staring out the window, looking at the blood red sea thinking about the uncertain future ahead.
"They are ruining me, old friend." Gendo finally said without turning around.
"Who?"
"Whoever has been deviling us for years, sabotaging our bases, stealing our secrets, leaving dead or befuddled Section 2 agents in the process."
"Yes, I know, but I have some good news, and bad ones."
Without taking his eyes off the crimson beyond, Gendo asked: "Oh?"
"Dr. Akagi report the Aggression Formula is working properly, your son is fighting admirably against the 8th angel, however, she warned the formula would not work properly if the subject is not immersed in LCL."
"The bad news?"
"Rei has escaped, we don't know where or how, and Section 2 is in a uproar about the situation, the last time she got back to her apartment was three days ago, but NERV lost her trail again shortly afterwards. What is worse, Someone raided the clone-cache and stole all seven…"
"Fuyutsuki! Do you know what this means!" Gendo broke all pretense of calm and roared in fury: "THOSE CLONES ARE THE HEART OF THE DUMMY PLUG PROJECT AND THE HCP PROJECT! TELL SECTION 2 TO DROP WHATEVER THEY ARE DOING AND FIND THOSE ALBINO DOLLS! IS! THAT! UNDER! STAND! ABLE!???"
Taking aback by Gendo's outburst, Sub-commander Fuyutsuki replied: "Yes sir, I will get right on to it." Then quickly backed out the bridge.
--------
Main while
It has been literally three days since Ayanami moved into Kensuke's house (Kensuke still not sure how did Rei manage evade NERV's security police). Being one of those new "post-2nd Impact" parents without a wife, Kensuke's father simply smirked when he saw his son with a real girl. Without even taking his coat off as he got home, the man inform his otaku of a son he would be working late for the next few days so the boy can "get to know his girlfriend better". Just as the boy was shrieking cowardice at his father for abandoning him.
With the school trip long forgotten (Since Rei can't go anywhere public without attraction attention), Kensuke now has to get use to living with the strange albino girl, who moved the few items she own from her own apartment and settled in one of the guest rooms.
After lunch, the children break out a game called "Nightmare chess." It is played on a standard chessboard, but each player has a deck of cards that can generate effects that can "shake up the table". The game is one of Kensuke's favorites, but now he find it increasingly difficult to concentrate with the albino wearing such revealing…uniform and staring at him with an almost ghost of smile.
Kensuke now seriously wish the Prozac would finally wear off and the blue-haired girl would go away. Being rejected by a member of the opposite sex is normal and acceptable even expected fact for the Otaku, but having a girl you barely know days earlier in your room with only a bathrobe and slippers on is quite something else, and the word Vampire, succubus and murderess begin to flash through his mind in alarming frequencies.
[Before you rail me for OOCs…do not forget lessons in social etiquettes/opposite sex is unlikely to be one of the subjected taught to her by Gendo, so with a personality change, something like this is quite like to happen -author]
"Kensuke-kun?"
"Yes Ayanami?"
"Did you just cast Smite on your own Bishop?"
"Ah…"
---------
Unit-02
Fear begin to claw at Tsuka as she watch Sandalphon regain its own footing and regenerated an new arm at the expense of some shrinkage in size, for one reason or another, a fear for the third-child bloom from the bottom of her heart. Then she heard the sound of his voice leaking though the radio:
"Can't stop now, people's lives are depending on me…"
"Asuka is depending her life on me…"
And her thoughts were punctured by the sight of 01 collapsed after another wave of fire, desperately trying to hold on as Sandalphon grab the EVA's neck in a choke-hold. Over the radio, Tsuka can hear the techs screaming:
"The temperature in the Entry plug has risen another ten degrees!"
"The LCL's temperature has went past optimum and it's rapidly losing oxygen concentration!"
"Eject the Entry-Plug!"
"Control system not responding, the angel is forming some kind of wall over the entry/exit tube…"
Well mother, if you are in here right now, help your daughter! I follow this boy through the end of the world, and I will be damned if I am going let him die like this!
Without alerting the angel, EVA-02 reaches for the discarded Progressive Knife on the ground…
----------
Inside 01
If there are empty spaces inside the capsule and one look into it, he or she would realize the pool of red liquid is bubbling. Breathing another lungful of scaling LCL, Shinji's eye went glossy as the entire world seems to become a column of flame. Skins begin to flake off his face as the heat level reach to a point that is not meant for the human body…
Looking up, he saw his vision fade away as the red is replace by a tunnel of darkness, standing in the end of the tunnel he saw a beautiful woman that eerily resemble Rei (but taller) watching him…
Mother?
The woman smiles at him kindly, as if to acknowledge their relationship.
Mother! Shinji thought in joy, we can be together again.
She continued to smile at him, and then shake her head and points behind him.
Turning around, Shinji saw Asuka in her plug-suit, franticly shouting for his name as she dash left and right through a maze looking for him.
Mother…what should I do?
But she vanished, so did Asuka, so did the dark tunnel as everything turned white…
------
Sandalphon howled in triumph as the 01 EVA ceased its struggle and both of its arms and legs became limp. Then the Angel bark out an inhuman laugh as it reach out to deliver the coup'de grace, then suddenly, it realize something is wrong as the entire world seem to slow…
Looking down, it finds the sharp end of a Progressive Knife protruding from its own torso, neatly cutting the Angel Core in half…
Without even a whimper, the entity that was once known as Sandalphon, 8th angel, dissolved into a puddle of ooze. With two halves of a red gemstone and some wire cables falling on top of it. No glorious explosions, no screams of fury, no final promise of revenge…
------
Inside 02
Tsuka command her EVA to stop 01 from crashing onto the ground. Like a scene out of a romance movie, unit-02 cradle 01 in its arms, then reach out to 01's behind and gently remove the entry plug.
Holding the white tube as if it is the most precious thing in the world, the red EVA place it outside the lava-flow zone, just as paramedics rush toward it.
Tsuka tried to cry inside her own confined prison, but the LCL stole her tears.
-------
Inside the Mobile HQ
Lt. Colonel Irae turned around and shook Major Misato's hand: "Well, it look I was wrong about you secret forces folks after all," Smiling at Misato's discomfort and darting eyes, Irae continued: "Ah, I know you must be worried about your pilots, I will not delay you then."
Without another word, Irae step out the armored Mobile HQ, with a frantic Misato behind him, running toward the battle-zone as soon as she clear out the door. Irae smiled once, then got into one of the cars that parked by the HQ.
Once he got into the interior, Irae begin to strip off his uniform and trench coat until he had nothing but a light shirt and a pair of pants on. The other occupant in the backseat smiled patiently as Irae complains about how idiotic military uniforms are.
Motioning the driver to drive, the man turn around to face the colonel.
"How did it go? Did you twitch Misato's rank as I told you to?"
Grabbing the soda from a nearby ice box, Irae broke the cap and took a deep swig before answering: " I really didn't see the purpose of it, I mean the lady was a through going professional."
Smiling tolerantly, Gerald/Simon/Shinji replied: "Not everything need a purpose you know."
"With you? I doubt it, you are the sort of the guy who do think up a plan to take over the world while getting piss drunk in biker's bar."
A long pause followed, as both men stare out to the countryside and pretend to admire the scenery.
"So um, how did Ms. Kayona go on her commando raid?"
Pushing the red-tinted glasses a inch more up his nose, Gerald answered: "Rather too well, I do say, the last time I saw her before she boarded the plane I chartered her."
"All seven clones accounted for?"
"Sort of, although giving them Prozac may have been a mistake."
Raising an eyebrow, Irae inquired patiently.
"The seven girls are now quite happy…and reverted to normal teenage girl tendencies at this age." And has an insane tendency to gossip about me and my mother, but that is best left unsaid.
"Oh Joy."
"The first thing they did was to distinguish themselves from each other, but they refused to change their hairstyle, so instead they change the colors of their hair instead."
"Oh good." Irae answered sarcastically.
"So the whole gang now look like a bad episode of Sailor Moon or an advisement for the Rainbow Alliance, with seven different colored hair, AND they actually picked up a black cat in the process too."
"You are joking."
"That is not the only problem of course…"
"It is not?"
"You remember Ms. Kayona's parents when we were in United States two years ago? For that CovertOP mission?"
"Oh yes, very nice folks, if you um…discount the episode with Kaji and her dad's shotgun."
"Conservative enough to consider it heresy to have children without the father, so when her mom confront her about the situation, Ms. Kayona panicked and told her the father will be here soon, so therefore…" Gerald pulls a plane ticket and an address to Virginia, USA.
"You are kidding me, no, no, no way." Irae franticly wave his hands in refusal. "Get Kaji, or Nikito, or Peroth for this job or ANYONE, please not me."
"Nikito, well, you know Peroth would have a fit if she find out he is…well on the same Continent as Ms. Kayona, Kaji is not exactly the kind of person I do present as a good example of an model parent…"
"Hey!" The driver protests from the front.
"…And Peroth is simply not the right sex for fatherhood."
"OMG, can't she say the children were adopted, or clones?"
"In Virginia? Be serious, you know how the conservatives would react if they ever found out cloning technology do exist…"
Eyes blinking like a pair of bad traffic lights, the Lt. Colonel said: "Me, father…of seven no less."
Shinji/Gerald/Simon flash an evil smile at him.
Groaning, Irae pull the ticket from his boss's hand: " I knew I shouldn't got out of the bed this morning."
[Well that took care of all my ACC obligations from the "who is Simon illyan" contest-Author]
-------------
NERV HQ HOSPITAL
Time: 22:21 local time
Standing next to a frantic Tsuka, Major Misato Katsuragi waited outside of the emergency ward, waited for any news of the third child. It seemed to be eternity until the doctor came out.
"How bad is it?" Misato asks.
"Misato," The doctor, a man in his late sixties, said: "We simply know each other for too long for me to lie to you. Well…For whatever it is worth, he is going to live, but," raising a hand to forestall the impeding celebration by the two women: " it is not going to be easy. The plug suit saved the majority of his body, there are burns on his face, but we manage to graft a fresh layer skin, no problem. But his lungs were nearly destroyed by the LCL, and as of right now and possibility until the end of his life, he will need a re-breather to super-cool his air intake."
Bowing formally to the two stunned women, the doctor left the two of them standing in front of the door. A full minutes passes before the younger redhead open her mouth: "Well? Aren't you going to see him?"
"I saw him, when they took him out the tube. It was horrible sight, with his face charred and his left hand twitching and…I just cannot face him right now, to know I was the one that put him in there the first place."
Actually, Commander Gendo and SLEELE start the whole thing, Tsuka correctly silently, but I cannot tell you that, not yet anyway.
"Well in that case," Tsuka throw up her best 'I am the queen of the world' look "It is up to me to kick the third child-baka back onto his feet, you can go home now, Misato." With a bow, the German redhead open the door, step in, and close behind her.
And her superiority instantly deflate itself at the sight of the third child on the bed, his face covered with bandages and a small metal device now appear on his nose. Choking back a sob, Tsuka walk up to her wounded co-worker.
Hearing the sound of someone approaching his bed, Shinji turned around from staring at the ceiling, to his surprise, he found Tsuka staring at him with…tears in her eyes. Without saying a word, Tsuka sat on to the bed and give Shinji a kiss on lips. It was not the abortive kiss they shared (later share, she correct herself), it was the sweetest kiss of love and passion. After a full minute, Shinji broke up and asked:
"Asuka….why?" Shinji uttered.
"I am Tsuka actually, but yes, I am Asuka too. You resemble my beloved too much, no, you are my beloved, I KNOW you are after you pulled me out the Volcano the second time…"
With unusual calmness, Shinji asks: "Tsuka, you are not making sense…"
His words were again interrupted by the red-haired girl's index fingers over his lips, with its tip touching the silver re-breather piece: "Just shush, I will explain everything in the morning…please…just hold me tonight."
Taking off her shoes, Asuka climb on to the bed and pull the cover over the two of them…
[Tsuka leap out the screen with a marker and blackout the next page and half] sorry author-san, but I like to keep my romance life private if you don't mind. And you can't write a decent love scene if your life depend on it anyway, you simply don't have any experience.
Author: Ouch…
[Tsuka disappears]
Now…idiotic she-devils aside.
So folks, what do you think of a fic, especially this EVA battle part? Send me your review. After all, I am very busy (and lazy) person, and there are so many other things I can do instead of writing this. Just as professional writers get paid money for their writing, FF writers get paid with reviews. No pays, no writing.
