I don't own anything.

While You Were Sleeping.

Chapter Eighteen: Apocalypse Now Pt. 2

Gambit ducked behind a row of crates as the Saviors across the storage space opened fire. "We have to retreat sir!"

"No retreat!" Gambit roared. He straightened and fired his weapon's grenade launcher again before ducking down. He grabbed the man who had suggested retreat by the front of his vest and dragged him closer. "Did you think this was a fucking probe? We're in this till the end!"

"We won't be around to see the end!" the man snapped.

"Then fight harder!" Gambit roared.

(:ii:)

"Frag out!" Shinji tore the anti-personnel grenade from his vest and pulled the pin. He hurled it through the hole in the door and ducked away from the entrance. He heard the whistle of air as it was forced violently from the hole by the force of the explosion. "Get that door open!" Genesis rushed forward, dead set on tearing the door open by shear strength. Shinji turned away. "What's our count?"

"Thirty dead so far sir," Fieldy answered quietly. Shinji frowned. That was worse then even he had imagined.

"What about the General and the people he took with him?" he asked.

"They're out of contact, probably because they're underground sir," Fieldy said. "Judging by the fact that we've yet to be flanked I doubt they're all dead."

"Good to know," Shinji said. He heard the groan of metal and turned back to the door. He quickly rushed to the side as the massive metallic gateway opened. He was moving inside before the door was even halfway open. The sight inside almost stopped him in his tracks. He moved forward, trying to avoid stepping on the bodies, or what was left of them. "Clear!"

"Very clear," Shinji glanced over his shoulder and saw Richey staring at the results of his actions. "I am impressed."

"I think we all are," Shinji said as he moved the slide of his rifle's grenade launcher forward and let the high explosive grenade fall free. He wasn't quite suicidal enough to use explosives in a confined space. "Grab Yohko and set the charges on the elevator."

"Yes sir!" Richey snapped. "Yohko!"

"Ready to go sir!" the young woman said as they jogged past Shinji towards the elevator doors.

"Is there any part of your plan that doesn't involved explosives?" Norman asked. Shinji grin and slipped a 40mm buckshot shell into the grenade launcher and shut it with an audible click.

"That's Skipper-talk for no," Maria added helpfully.

"I guessed as much," Norman said.

"Are you coming with us?" Shinji asked. "This isn't your thing of course. No one would think any less of you."

"Well you're right there," Norman growled sarcastically, "they'd just think I'm a bigger pussy."

"No arguing there," Gordy rasped as he loaded a new belt into his machinegun.

"I'll stick around thank you very much."

(:ii:)

"They're all gone." Durst stared at the screen on the wall of the command center.

"Correct," the Crusader adjutant standing beside Durst said. "All forces above ground have been destroyed. Cameras show that that Genesis are currently trying to infiltrate the elevators."

"Do we have anything up there?"

"The elevator car is rigged to blow," the adjutant said.

"Good," Durst said. "What about the second Genesis force."

"It might as well be trench warfare sir," the adjutant growled. "They aren't moving, but neither are our men."

"So no flank attack?" Durst asked.

"No sir." Durst carefully stepped over the body of the Crusader CO and drew his pistol again. "Well. . .make your peace with God then."

"Done."

"Good," Durst said, grinning broadly. "Tell all available forces to enforce the areas in front of the elevators. I don't want a single Genesis to step into this base."

"Yes sir!"

(:ii:)

Richey stared at the explosives set across the top of the elevator car and slowly crawled back inside through the maintenance hatch. "All rigged sir."

"Good," Shinji said. "Get out of there and cut it loose." Richey quickly ducked out of the elevator car and pulled the detonator from his vest. He pushed the button on top and heard the crackle of the explosives on the car's roof, severing the cable. He pressed the second button on the detonator and car disappeared from view as the brakes were destroyed.

"Done sir."

"Good job," Shinji complimented simply. A deep rumble ran through the base. "What the fuck was that?"

(:ii:)

Private William Jameson stared at the elevator doors in front of him and shifted his M16 on the barricade in front of him. "When the hell are these bastards going to show up?"

"Stay focused," the man beside Will growled. Will glanced at the Savior and sneered. 'Think they're so superior,' he sneered silently. A loud screeching sound filled the air.

"What the hell is that sound?"

"Get down!" the Savior shrieked. Suddenly Will was flying through the air, the Savior beside him. Will hit hard and stared at the blood coating the walls. What had just happened? Why was everything so cold? He stared at the Savior lying across from him. There was something funny about his eyes, they were all cloudy. Will glanced down and stared at the pool of blood where the man's lower torso should be.

"What?"

(:ii:)

"What the fuck just happened?" Shinji demanded. He glanced around the hall. No one was hurt, but the scent of burnt hair lingered in the air.

"A big fucking fireball just shot out of the door," Asuka answered. "What the fuck did you two do?"

"It must have been booby trapped," Richey said. "Well that killed two birds with one stone."

"I'm hoping it killed a lot more then two," Shinji said as he shrugged off his pack and pulled out his repelling gear. "Lets get ready to go!" He stepped up to the void of the elevator shaft and looked down. 'Hope you're okay General.'

(:ii:)

"We're taking casualties on the left flank!"

"Tell them to cowboy the fuck up!" Gambit snapped. "We can't afford to send backup right now."

"Yes sir!" the Lieutenant bellowed over the steady drone of gunfire. Gambit frowned. The left flank was being defended by eighteenth and nineteenth squads. Both had already suffered heavy casualties.

"Hold it!"

"Sir?"

"Get a heavy weapons from seventeen, thirteen, and twelve," Gambit ordered.

"Yes sir!" Gambit turned back to the front and fired twice at one of the enemy soldiers, he couldn't tell if it was a Crusader or a Savior. The soldier took the two .30-caliber rounds in the torso and dropped out of sight again. This was good. The Genesis weren't moving, but then again, neither were the Saviors and Crusaders.

"Hold this fucking position!" Gambit roared as he emptied what remained in his rifle's magazine.

(:ii:)

Shinji stared at the ground rushing up at him. He could see the remains of the elevator car at the very bottom of the shaft. Realistically there were no way he could move what was left of squads one through ten through the shaft together. Hence they were stuck fast roping one squad at a time. Shinji saw the edge of the floor they wanted and managed to swing his legs out.

The second floor from the last was their target. That housed the command and control center. Shinji balanced on the lip running around the inside of the shaft and unsung his Type-3. Across from him Gordy and Richey were standing as well. He brought up his hand and flashed a few quick gestures. They both nodded and started cautiously for the gaping doorway where the elevator doors to the level had once been. The climbed out of the shaft carefully and Shinji followed.

The hallway beyond had been utterly decimated by the elevator. Crude barricades had been thrown by the blast and the soldiers behind them had been ripped to shreds. "I guess it's a good thing that Richey blew the shit out of the elevator," Gordy commented.

"That wasn't my fault," Richey growled. Shinji ignored them and squeezed his throat mic.

"No sign of the enemy," he whispered. "Descend by squad number." He released his throat mic and jumped slightly as a loud pop echoed out. He glanced back at Gordy and frowned. The older man was holding his suppressed pistol out.

"He was alive," Gordy explained with a shrug. Shinji glanced at the man on the floor. There was a large piece of metal in his chest and he was lying next to a man who had been sliced in half.

"A warning would have been nice," Shinji said. "Get ready for an attack at any time. These guys haven't been dead long so reinforcements should be on the way." Shinji glanced back at Asuka and noticed that she looked a little pale behind her goggles. She probably had never seen carnage on this scale. "We're waiting here until all of our forces arrive."

"This is disgusting." Shinji turned and saw that Asuka had moved to stand beside him.

"I like them better this way," Shinji replied.

"This is no time to joke," Asuka spat.

"It's a perfect time," Shinji corrected. "You'll get an ulcer if you take everything too seriously."

"I'm really starting to think you're not afraid of anything," Asuka said quietly. Shinji smirked behind the bandana he was wearing.

"I'm afraid of a couple of things," he said. "I'm afraid that we'll be forgotten here. I know no one will care about this war, but I hate the idea that all my men and everyone else who dies here won't even be a footnote in some history book."

"I see."

"I really don't think anyone would think of us positively," Shinji continued, "but I do think that we're worth remembering."

(:ii:)

"Are the forces ready for the counter attack?" Durst demanded as he glanced at the information being displayed on the commander center's many screens.

"Yes sir," the adjutant answered. "We were only able to gather half the number of men you wanted."

"What?"

"We are fighting a two front war sir," the adjutant explained. "The Genesis who attacked when we attempted a flanking maneuver are still engaging our troops. Its only a matter of time until they are wiped out, but at the moment they are drawing many soldiers away from the counter attack."

"We're spread to thin," Durst summarized. The adjutant nodded.

"Another problem is that most of the soldiers left are Crusaders who have only a base knowledge of CQB techniques and little to no field experience."

"Most of the Saviors were wiped out topside, right?" Durst asked. The adjutant nodded. "Where are the remaining ones?"

"They have spread themselves out as best they can and are acting as supervisors sir."

"That's the most they can do," Durst said. How had it ever come to this. The Saviors previously had at least a hundred more soldier then the Genesis and the Crusaders numbered over a thousand. "You're good Nagisa. I only have myself to blame." Nagisa had always been one of his best students and a true heartless, ruthless tactician to boot. His only failing was that he cared for his troops, but Durst wouldn't have accepted him into OCS any other way.

"Pardon sir?"

"Nothing," Durst said. "Grab everyone you can. Get the maintenance people, the janitors, anyone not fighting. Give them a rifle and tell them to go find an enemy to shoot."

"Yes sir."

(:ii:)

Shinji rounded the corner carefully and stared down the next hallway. It was empty. He continued moving. The invading force had broken up into several groups to search the entire level. First squad was heading for the command center on the other side of the structure. "There's something wrong here sir," Gordy whispered. "We should have seen signs of the enemy by now."

"It's possible that they're having trouble organizing a counter attack because of the General," Shinji answered as he switched his Type-3 to his right shoulder. He peeked around the next corner and jerked his head back.

"Found them?"

"Yeah," Shinji said.

"They see you?"

"No."

"How do you want to attack?" Gordy whispered.

"Give me one of those claymores," Shinji hissed. Gordy tugged the small anti-personnel weapon from his vest. Shinji took it carefully and set it on its scissor legs. He prepped it and carefully pushed it into the hallway. It was a risk, but so was engaging the men he had just seen. He picked up the remote and waved his over arm behind him. He heard them press up against the wall and kneel. He quickly kneeled and hoped he wouldn't blow out his eardrums as he squeezed the trigger.

(:ii:)

Asuka winced as the air pressure changed suddenly and made her ears ache. She stood with the rest of the squad and moved around the corner. Shinji raised a fist and Asuka lowered her rifle. She could hear him talking. "This is first squad," he reported. "We've encountered enemy resistance. It looks like they're using squads and barricades. We have maybe twenty men here."

"Had," Asuka said as she looked around the hallway. The ball bearings from the claymore had ricocheted off the walls and torn them apart.

"This is squad four! We're under attack!"

"Get behind cover and use grenades!" Shinji barked.

"We're caught from both sides!" the man snapped. "Fall back! Fuck!"

"Levant?" Shinji asked. "Answer me Levant."

"Now!" A burst of static came through and made Asuka rip her headset off.

"What the fuck was that?" Ryan asked.

"That was an explosion," Fieldy said. "They're all dead."

"Yeah," Shinji said. "Keep moving."

(:ii:)

Levant looked around, his squad was lying in pieces. "Levant?" Levant didn't trust that he had enough strength to answer the Captain and carry out his new plan.

He tugged one of the grenades from his vest and pulled the pin. He glanced around and saw that one of his heavy weapons, a man named Carmichael, was holding a claymore in his hands. Levant met the man's eyes and nodded. He lowered his arm and closed his eyes. He could hear footsteps as the enemy moved closer.

"Now!"

(:ii:)

Shinji stared at the heavy metal doors and glanced over at Gordy. The other man nodded. Shinji glanced down at Kitsuragi. "Got it?"

"Say the word Skipper," the younger man whispered.

"Now." The doors slid open and Shinji moved into the commander center. Not a single shot was fire. Shinji help up his hand and swept it forward. The rest of first squad started forward. Shinji really hated this room. All the desks and computers provided plenty of places to hide. Almost on cue a gunshot broke the silence. "Down!" Shinji slammed into the ground and felt his shoulder burn in protest as it hit the ground.

"Richey's down!"

"Grab him Ryan!" Shinji roared. "Cover fire!" He rolled to his feet and opened fire on their hidden assailants. His fingers hit the trigger on the side of his grenade launcher and at least three men were caught in the ring of buckshot before he ducked back down.

"We have to pull back!" Shinji turned and saw that Asuka had managed to crawl over next to him.

"To where?" Shinji demanded. He went prone and stared at the crevice between the floor and the desk he was hiding behind. He forced the muzzle of his rifle into the small space and pulled the trigger. Somewhere in front of him he heard a scream of pain. "Fire your weapon Sohryu!"

"I got a better idea!" the red-haired lieutenant shrieked as she pulled a grenade from her vest. "Frag out!" The blast from the tiny anti-personnel weapon in the confined space left Shinji's ears ringing.

"Good idea," he complimented. "Gordy!"

"Still here!" Gordy bellowed.

"You got APs?"

"Yeah sir!"

"Use 'em!" Shinji barked. The desks were only wood. Shinji was rather surprise that they hadn't already been completely destroyed. Of course the standard sidearm for a Savior or a Crusader was only a 5.56mm rifle. "Give him cover!" Shinji ejected the empty clip from his rifle and tugged another from one of the pouches on his belt. "Ready?"

"Of course!" Asuka yelled over the bursts of gunfire. Shinji straightened up and immediately saw a dark silhouette. He fired twice and moved onto the next target.

"Got it!" Gordy roared. Shinji ducked down immediately and saw the older man burst to his feet. He opened fire and swept the massive, kicking machinegun across the room. In seconds he had gone through the entire one hundred and fifty round belt of armor piercing bullets. Shinji peeked over his desk and whistled.

"You got a future as a tooth pick maker."

"Nice to know someone thinks I have a future that doesn't involve a machinegun," Gordy commented. Shinji straightened up and grunted as pain roared through his torso.

"Shinji!" Shinji waved off the young woman.

"Hit the ground a little to hard," he explained. "What's the count?"

"Richey was hit in throat when he first came in, Ryan took one in the head trying to get him out, and Fieldy took one in the leg," Maria explained, his voice empty and calm. "His leg's bleeding a lot, I think the bullet her the femoral artery." A gunshot rang out and Shinji felt his hand clench sharply. "He took care of it."

"Roger," Shinji said, dropping the tone of his voice to try and mask the effects of the lump in his throat. He ejected the magazine and loaded another one. "Flyboy, you know how to use a Type-3?"

"Yeah," Norman answered.

"Give him your weapon Maria and take Richey's."

"Yes sir." Shinji wasn't sure if that was a good idea. He knew about the relationship between Richey and Maria, but she had the experience behind a machinegun that he needed.

(:ii:)

Gambit ducked down behind another crate and took a few quick potshots at the soldiers in front of him. "Looks like they're running out of troops," Carmichael said.

"Well that's nice," Gambit said. "Look's like we'll be able to hook up with your brother."

"Yes sir!" Carmichael said. He leaned around their makeshift barricade and fired a long, sustained burst from his machinegun.

"What did your mama get hit with to spawn two pig men?" Gambit asked lightly as he stood and steadied his rifle on the top of the crate. He fired several times and ducked down.

"I'd be lying I said I didn't think the culprit was a machinegun," Carmichael answered. Gambit had to laugh as he tugged a claymore from the man's vest and began to prep it.

(:ii:)

Durst frowned as he stared at the screen showing what was left of the primary command center. Ten soldiers had entered and now seven were leaving. One had shot himself, probably because he was too prideful to become deadweight. "Are the claymores in place?"

"Yes sir," the adjutant said. "You should get an assault rifle sir." Durst turned and bit his lip to keep from laughing. The Crusader adjutant, a full bird colonel, was wearing full combat gear and carrying an Savior assault rifle as easily as he had carried a clipboard. "Do you find something amusing sir?" he asked, adjusting his glasses.

"Nope," Durst said, "and thanks for the suggestion, but my Colt will do just fine. I've used this thing for probably longer then you've been alive."

"Very well sir," the adjutant said. "Our repelling forces have been highly successful at ambushing the invading forces, but booby traps and suicidal attacks have almost decimated our forces."

"What about the flanking force?"

"They have been reinforced by mechanics from the motor pool, but they are loosing ground steadily," the adjutant said. "We should be grateful that they're standing their ground instead of running."

"Never underestimate a non-combatant," Durst said proudly. "You can have a low opinion of them, but never underestimate them."

"At least when they are being pressured to perform by front line troops among them," the adjutant said.

"Yeah, that too."

(:ii:)

Norman could barely breathe. The pain in his chest was intense. The only thing keeping him from collapsing was the man in front of him. Gordy had been shot twice. One had been caught by his vest, but probably still broke a few ribs and the other had blown a hole bigger then a nickel in his left forearm. "Hold here." Norman almost fell to his knees.

"Okay flyboy?"

"Fine," Norman grunted. Gordy nodded. "What's the problem?"

"I don't like how the hallway up ahead looks," Shinji said. "Got a bad feeling in my gut."

"You rely on gut feelings?" Norman asked incredulously.

"Don't you."

"Sure," Norman agreed. "It's called radar."

"Whatever," Shinji replied. "Get up there and lob a few thermates, dig?"

"Yes sir," Gordy said. Norman frowned.

"What's a thermate?"

"It's an incendiary grenade," Shinji explained. "It'll either detonate or render harmless any explosives up there."

"Oh."

"How's your chest?"

"How's your chest?" Norman shot back. He saw Shinji's eyes widen slightly behind his goggles. "I'm not blind, as a matter of fact pilots are known for their eyesight."

"Congratulations," Shinji said sarcastically, "you're the only one who's noticed." He reached under his blouse and his hand came out bloody.

"Are you okay?" Norman asked.

"I'm not walking out of here if that's what you mean," Shinji replied. "What about you."

"I think I'll be okay."

(:ii:)

Durst winced as another tremor ran throughout the base. "Think they hit the claymores sir?" the adjutant said.

"Maybe," Durst allowed. They shared the base's auxiliary command center with twelve technicians and twenty Saviors. It was really a last stand situation. "What's the progress?"

"The flanking force is almost gone," the adjutant replied. "We have no men to send as reinforcements. The counter invasion forces are engaged in numerous firefights all over the place. We can't reinforce anybody and they're loosing soldiers."

"And the enemy?"

"They seem to be everywhere," the adjutant explained.

"They're can be many left. . ."

"Makarov," the adjutant supplied.

". . .Makarov," Durst finished. He stood up and looked at the other soldiers hiding behind their barricades. "Do you have any idea where the squad that came through the command center is?"

"If they're alive then they should be here any minute," Makarov answered. Durst nodded.

"Soldiers!" he barked. "Prepare to defend yourselves!"

(:ii:)

Shinji glanced down the devastated hallway and whistled appreciatively. "Looks like they went a little overboard with the bombs." Gordy mumbled something, well it sounded mumbled to Shinji. "What was that?"

"I said my ears are ringing," Gordy said louder. "You deaf Skip?"

"It's a distinct possibility," Shinji admitted. Far too many years of using high powered weapons without hearing protection could do that.

"Well that's not good," Gordy commented. He pressed his headset closer to his ear. "Message for you sir. Speak up. He's gone deaf."

"Bite me," Shinji said.

"Can you hear me skipper?"

"Yes I hear you," Shinji said wincing. "Who is this? Where the hell are you?"

"This is Master Gunnery Sergeant Parks," the man said. "I have what's left of squads eleven through twenty and we're heading for the command center."

"How many do you have?" Shinji demanded.

"Twenty-three men," Parks answered. "After we fought our way out of the prepping area we haven't run into a single enemy sir. What about the other squads?"

"We don't have contact," Shinji replied. "In all likelihood they're dead. We'll wait for you hear. Hustle."

"Yes sir."

(:ii:)

Shinji stared at the small group of men walking towards him. "I thought you said you had twenty-three."

"We ran into a few enemy squads after out contact," one of the men explained. "We lost seventeen and everyone here is badly wounded."

"I see," Shinji grumbled. He guessed that the enemy squads were what was left of the defense forces that had gotten the other squads. "Anyone have any more of those breaching charges?"

"They were a limited number sir," Gordy replied. "Only a few people got them."

"How many?" Shinji asked.

"Maybe ten," Gordy answered, "at most."

"Is the General gone?"

"Yes sir," one of the soldiers answered. Shinji thought his name was Horace. "He took a round in the gut and jumped on a grenade."

"Mm," Shinji hummed as he considered his options. Seven people in his squad, six in those that had just joined them, three machineguns, one shotgun, and nine Type-3s.

"We going in guns blazing?" Maria asked, shifting the machinegun she had taken from Richey.

"No," Shinji said. "Hack the door Kitsuragi."

"Yes sir." Shinji glanced around the hallway. They would have to enter in a file formation of some kind. Those were the last coherent thoughts before the world exploded around him.

(:ii:)

Asuka sat up and tried to fight down the scream of pain that had worked its way up her body. "Is everyone okay?"

"Fucking booby trap." Asuka turned and saw Maria rising to her feet. "Shit. Gordy. Kitsuragi." Asuka turned and saw the two men lying in pieces. They had been the closest when the bomb in the door's locking mechanism exploded.

"On your feet!" a voice barked harshly. Asuka stood and turned to see Shinji already on his feet. His gray and white BDUs were covered in blood. "Who's dead?"

"Gordy and Kitsuragi," Maria voiced.

"Johnson too," Norman commented. For a moment Asuka felt a wave of grief. Kitsuragi and Johnson had been Genesis graduates with her. Even though they were a part of her squad she had never made any attempt to get to know them.

"Fuck," Shinji grumbled. "Inventory everything that goes boom. I didn't want to use explosives for our own safety, but no ones making it out of here. Any disagree?" Asuka's mouth moved on its own to disagree, but no sound came out. "We're all in the same boat then."

"Yeah," Asuka growled, keeping her voice low and rough to hide the fear she didn't want to show.

"Good," Shinji said. "Start counting your bombs people."

(:ii:)

"You think the trap got them?" Makarov asked. Durst frowned and kept his pistol aimed at the door.

"I don't think so."

"Are all Saviors pessimists?"

"We're famous for it," Durst replied.

(:ii:)

Shinji stared at the explosives mounted to the doors frame and glanced back at Carmichael. "You're sure this will bring the door down?"

"It'll either do that or destroy the base," Carmichael answered. "I'd like to remind you that is a very real threat. This complex is underground and throughout the fight there have been numerous explosions that could have affected the structural. . ."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Shinji said dismissively. "Get ready to light is up."

"Yes sir."

(:ii:)

Durst stared at the blast door. He could hear them working outside and he kicked himself for not setting more traps. In all honesty there was only one thing the Genesis could be attempting. Tearing down the door was possible, but it would take a lot of high explosives. There would be a lull between the door falling and the actual attack. "They're tearing the door down."

"Yeah," Durst agreed. The technician next to him looked ready to piss himself. It seemed to be a popular course of actions for them. A strange grinding filtered through the door. Durst released the safety on his rifle and waited. It didn't take long.

(:ii:)

"Hit it!" Shinji hurled his grenade into the room and ducked out of the way to give his others soldiers the chance to do the same. The rush of moving air slammed hard into Shinji's shoulder and he sprinted to the door. "Forward!" Shinji moved around the corner, firing his rifle from the hip. Once he hit cover he could aim. Until then spray and prey was fine.

"Die!" Shinji pivoted and shoved the muzzle of his rifle forward into the target that had stepped in front of him. The bayonet slicing Kevlar and flesh. Shinji trigged a five round burst into the man and knocked him off the end of his rifle.

"Move!" Someone slammed into Shinji's back and they both tumbled to the floor. Shinji rolled to his feet and found that he had landed behind his desk. He turned and glanced at whoever had shoved him. It had been Carmichael, the man behind Shinji in the charge. When Shinji had faltered Carmichael had shoved him in an attempt to get them both to cover.

"Shit!" Shinji snatched up the man's machinegun and slammed the muzzle down on the desk he was hiding behind. He pulled the trigger and swept the weapon across the barricaded enemy. The fire cut out and Shinji ducked back door. He tossed the machinegun aside and snatched up his Type-3.

"Shinji!" He turned and saw Asuka. She slammed into the ground beside him and glanced up at him.

"You okay?"

"I got hit," Asuka growled as she clutched her leg. Shinji cursed and ripped the sling off his rifle, bending the metal around the attachment points. He quickly tied it around her leg and tightened it.

"How's that feel."

"It hurts like a bitch," Asuka spat. "We lost six on the way in. The first people came in when they were still dazed by the grenades. The last ones weren't as lucky."

"Yeah," Shinji murmured. He had expected that. In this situation the tail was just as dangerous as point. Of course he could only have taken one of those positions. "You know how many of them are still alive?"

"Not many," Asuka answered. Shinji nodded and fired the Type-3 over the edge of the desk. He brought it down and stared at his hand. A bullet had passed clean through. He flexed it carefully and the pain he hadn't felt filled him.

"Fuck!"

"What's wrong?" Asuka demanded.

"Load this," Shinji said as he shoved his Type-3 into her hands and drew his pistol. He looked around and saw that most of the Genesis had made it to cover. Norman hadn't been as lucky. The pilot was lying on the ground in front of the open door with a growing puddle of blood under his helmeted head. Shinji frowned and tugged off his goggles, they were too smeared with dust and blood to do anything but obscure his vision. Everything was strangely quiet again, but then again, he was rather deaf.

"Is anyone shooting?"

"No," Asuka answered as she handed him his rifle. Shinji peeked over the desk and looked around. He ducked back down and snatched at the thermate grenade strapped to Carmichael's vest. He pulled the pin and tossed the grenade in a lazy arch that carried it over the enemy barricades. "Duck and cover!" He kneeled down and covered his eyes again the impending brilliant flash. In seconds the room's temperature jumped from cool to almost unbearable. "Did you get them?"

"One way to check," Shinji answered as he set down his rifle and un-slung the shotgun he had taken from Kitsuragi. Shinji slid out from behind the desk that had become his refuge in the brief, intense firefight. He stepped cautiously forward and glanced over the first of the barricades. The grenade hadn't landed far from this one and the soldiers behind it were fused to the metal floor below them. He checked the others. "Clear."

"Not quite." Shinji turned and saw Asuka aiming at something. "This one's alive." Shinji moved to stand next to her and stared down at the man.

"Colonel."

"Nagisa," the man managed weakly. "You win."

"This is closer to a tie," Shinji said as he set the shotgun on one of the barricades and drew his pistol.

"Not like this," Durst whispered. "Please, not like this." Shinji frowned. He owed the man more then he could ever repay. He kneeled and pressed the pistol into the man's hand. He helped Durst swing the muzzle to his own head and drew the hammer back for him.

(:ii:)

Asuka looked away and winced as a gunshot tore through the eerie stillness. Shinji straightened up and looked around. "Who's injured?"

"Who isn't?" someone asked. Shinji snorted and sat down, uncaring of the blood and gore on the ground. Asuka looked around. Thirteen people had entered. Six had died in the mad rush to get inside. Five more lay dying on the ground.

"How's your leg?" Asuka turned and saw Maria sitting on one of the barricades.

"It's fine," Asuka replied. "What about you?"

"Not bad," Maria said, she sounded disappointed. Asuka watched in horror as Maria drew her pistol and pulled the hammer back.

"What are you doing?" Asuka demanded.

"Ah chill out El Tee," Maria replied as she pressed the muzzle of her weapon against her head. "I wasn't planning on living through this, but I wasn't dumb enough to get killed here."

"You don't have to do this." Asuka tried desperately to reason with her friend.

"Yeah," Maria murmured, "I really do. See you soon Skip?"

"Yeah." Asuka turned to look at Shinji. "A couple of minutes at most."

"Alright."

"Don't!" Asuka winced as another gunshot tore through the still air. She couldn't stand to turn looking at her friend. "Why didn't you stop her Shinji?"

"I told you," Shinji answered. "We were dead long before this. We're just too stupid to figure it out."

"Don't spout that shit!" Asuka screamed. "You could have stopped her."

"Yeah," Shinji agreed. "Can't say the same for myself." Asuka froze. She turned and stared at the man who had been her commanding officer for almost a year. He tugged down his bloodied bandana and Asuka watched in horror as he coughed up more blood. Asuka collapsed like a marionette whose strings had been cut.

"Oh god."

"Don't be so melodramatic," Shinji growled. "I'm the one with the holes in my gut." He leaned back against the barricade and pulled off his helmet. "You want to know something?"

"What?" Asuka managed.

"You're really not cut out for this line of work."

"Fuck you." Shinji laughed.

"Have a good life," he managed. "You're the only one out of all of us who could."

"I'm the only one who can," Asuka corrected.

"You know what?" Shinji didn't actually sound like he was talking to her anymore. She glanced up at him. His eyes were far away, maybe remembering something long ago. "I really am scared that no one will remember my people." He lurched forward suddenly as blood splattered across the floor in front of him. "Stupid, right?"

"No," Asuka said. She saw Shinji smirk and then his eyes slid shut. A sob escaped Asuka's lips, but she stomped it out quickly. Shinji wouldn't want her to mourn. "I'll live a good life, I promise."

(:ii:)

Misato looked around the scarred and scorched hallways. She could only imagine what kind of fighting had gone on in these halls. "We found a survivor."

"Only one?" Misato asked.

"Yes ma'am," Makoto replied. "Looks like the others who lived just couldn't go on."

"I see," Misato said as she turned down one of the halls that would lead her to the operations prep room for the enemy base. Hundreds of bodies lie side by side, regardless of age, gender, race, and alliance. "War really is a ridiculous thing, isn't it?"

"Well humans are a ridiculous species," Makoto answered. "They knew it better then anybody."

"Too bad we couldn't have learned what they knew so well."

"If soldiers ran the world then there wouldn't be war," Makoto said. "Couldn't have that now, could we?"

"I guess we really can't," Misato murmured. "Do you think the Angels were right when they tried to destroy us?"

"I think it doesn't matter," Makoto explained. "It sounds silly to say 'rest in peace' of a mercenary, doesn't it?"

"Yeah." Misato turned and saw a woman dressed in a white and gray camouflage uniform. "Not all mercenaries, but it certainly would be ridiculous for these dogs of war."

-End

(:ii:)

-Author's notes. Almost fifty fucking pages without being prepped for the web. I hope you see why I split this ending into two sections. Even with two chapters I had to cut some scenes and corners. This is still far more then a single sittings worth of reading. Oh well. I still have an epilogue to do. I'll blather on more there.

This just goes to show you that I can't do profound endings. Gunfights are fine, but don't expect anything deep from me.