Chapter 43

The EVA unit was taking blow after blow from Angel 20. The screams of Hope filled the cabin as the EVA kept falling back as the white-hot entity engaged her and did not allow her time to fight back.

A few minutes later, there was a flicker on the screen. Sawyer's face appeared in front of her.

Hope looked shaken and disturbed but her face was full of determination as sweat poured off of her forehead.

Sawyer's mouth dropped open as he saw her..

Hope looked like she had been through a lot. That was Sawyer's thought as he looked at the image on the relay.

Her face had a cut above her eye and it was bleeding down the side of her face. Yet, a steely look in her eye remained and she was more then ready to fight.

"Commander Dell to Major Ikari." He took another breath as he felt his fist clench at his side and then he said. "Major…this is NERV Command, respond?" Sawyer asked nervously.

"Sawyer!" Hope called out happily. "Sawyer, oh my God, you're okay! Are you okay?" She asked.

"Yes, Hope. I'm fine." He said to her as he looked at her with pain in his eyes. "Not a scratch." He told her.

Asuka's eyes equally widened. Oh dear God. She thought to herself as she saw her daughter. My baby. She's hurt.

"Sawyer?" Hope asked as she looked ahead at the monitor with a wide smile. "Sawyer, I was so worried about you! Sawyer, I was so afraid…"

"Major, you need to get out of there." Sawyer told her as his voice shook. "Get…. out of there, Hope.".

"Commander?" Hope asked, then taking a deep breath. "I've got a job to do. I'm not leaving it unfinished."

Then he watched her eyes widen and then squeeze shut as the screen shook violently.

Asuka breathed in and tried to hold back her emotions but blurted out. "Oh my God." Protect her, Shinji. Please, protect her.

"Hope, get out of there!" Sawyer yelled through the relay.

"NO!" She said firmly.

"Hope, you're going to get killed!" Sawyer yelled. "Fall back!"

"NO!" Hope said with a determined look.

Looking back at Angel 20, Hope said firmly. "I'll kill you, you son of a bitch!"

She charged the Eva unit forward with every bit of strength that she had. Then with a loud yell, The EVA unit fired its AT field at the Angel and sent it reeling.

She stared the Angel down, breathing heavily then she gasped as she screamed out.

"SAWYER………………."

The inside of the bioplug shook violently and Hope screamed in terror as the EVA unit was hit with a discharge and then thrown high into the air and landing onto the ground with a large thud as sand flew up into the air.

She felt something crush her against her shoulder and she bellowed out loudly as she shook from the pain she felt.

The EVA unit was thrown yet again to the side. Hope felt something hard strike her against her abdomen and looked down as she saw blood coming through her plug suit.

The screen flickered and Hope looked back to Sawyer. She could see his expression on the screen.

His eyes were wide as he saw her and his face was etched with pain.

She was hurt. Bleeding. He looked at the vitals displayed and his eyes widened.

"Sawyer………." She said through a raspy voice.

"HOPE!"

Then her screen went to static as she lost his image. She reached up to touch it and felt a tear come out of her eye as she said. "Sawyer?"