/The Last Exodus/
- Lawless Priest -
- surviving the storm -
Shinji Ikari woke up to the sound of tears. Strange things, tears. Able to signal happiness and yet also deep sadness. He had no idea which of the two the current circumstances called for. But then again, he really had no idea about much of anything at the moment.
Hazy images of battle scenes, bodies of fallen foe and friend alike swam through his vision. Some, more recent than others screamed of importance, trying urgently to get his attention. Their meaning seemed just at the edge of his understanding, like the proverbial mirage in the desert.
As much as he wanted to know just what was so significant about those images, Shinji really didn't feel like racking his brain for the answer. Said brain seemed to be working on back up at the moment and strenuous thought was getting to become a bother.
There was again, the crying, like the steady drip of a faucet along with the added emotional backdrop. Where was it coming from. He couldn't tell. The fact that he had his eyes closed didn't seem to be helping either, but that could be dealt with.
He cracked them open slowly, the filtered light burning its way into his mind, further impeding his sight. Finally when his tortured eyes had adjusted enough, Shinji took a cautious look around, his eyes searching for the cries he had heard.
Just when his eyes locked on the a near by shape, his mind exploded with memories. Toji, Kensuke, the battle, the Ranfar, getting pushed to a wall, him blacking out, it all came back in a rush that promptly took his breath away. His next saw him up, sword out and ready for death, yet nothing stirred.
Shinji checked his surroundings again, trying to spot the coming assault. Before he was able to finish his search he was forced to take an unconscious step back. for what he found took him immediately by surprise. All round him lay bodies or what had been bodies. What had been left behind was not enough to classify them as such. The scene looked as if a devil had be unleashed in the room, either that or a miniature tornado. Blood was every where, covering ever object standing or not in the dilapidated building that their fight had been forced into, even himself, leaving him nearly nauseous mentally as well as physically.
Closing his eyes he tried to force the images out. The young Ikari took a few calming breaths and strove to steady himself.
'Impossible! This is purely impossible! How could this have happen?" He glanced around nervously.
"No weapon in hell could even have caused this much carnage?" he said, his voice a whisper in the little room drenched in death, almost as if he was afraid to bringing its wrath once again, yet standing in that room who could blame him.
A rock skittered, Shinji jumped in surprise and his confused mind took another dive. Trying to clam his shot nerves, the young Ikari decided to meet his fate and his would be killer. Taking care quiet steps, he made his way toward the sound. Only one more turn separated him from the source, so with another calming breath...
-
/TLE/
-
The briefing had been... interesting, but boring non-the-less. So, the two friends found themselves on the cities streets, trying to pacify their boredom. "Hey you want to go shopping, we can get something to eat afterwards?" Hikari asked her fiery friend. The young knight knew that if she didn't do anything Asuka would take her frustration out on some poor soul who happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.
"Yeah, sure. You know any good shops?" was her reply.
"Of course, there's one right over here."
The talked and joked along the way, entering the store and began their spree. All the while, the pig tailed knight keep her eyes on her friend. 'She doesn't seem to have changed much since we last saw each other. I don't see what HQ's so worried about, this is Asuka here? She's completely dedicated to Project E, so why would they want me to watch her?'
As the two shopped Hikari kept her thoughts to her self. Just a few weeks before, she had gotten an order to report to The Project E lead Dr. Akagi for a special mission. Hikari had been chosen as a possible EVA pilot for one of the Production models, all based off Asuka's Unit 02, which was a Production model test type, whatever that meant. Her red headed friend was the best choice for the primary pilot and was going to head up the force when the other pilots and their Armor's were ready, but HQ wanted to know if the German girl could handle the position. So, they decided that they would send her, Hikari, Asuka's best friend and potential EVA pilot herself to keep an eye on her. Hikari who had gone through training with the Section 2 knights some time ago when she had enlisted as a Special Agent, as much as she hated to admit it, was a prime choice for the mission.
Hikari, being Hikari, did her duty and accepted the mission, and was given an indefinite timetable and free rein over the particulars and execution of the operation. Loyalty was deeply embedded in her, but she had her own objectives as well. This wasn't just about HQ looking into a up and coming officer taking over a important project. No, there was something else going down and her friend was in the middle of it, whether she knew it or not.
So she would spy, but on her own terms. Her friends had priority over shady moves made by the higher ups in the Geofont.
They had long since left the shopping area's and had gone in search of some place to grab a meal. The young Horaki was more comfortable cooking her own food, but every once in a while she would set out for one prepared by another. It still didn't feel right, she had gotten used to it.
They were currently walking down the busy street passing by restaurants, trying to decided which one would have the pleasure of being graced with the presence of the two most beautiful and prominent knights the City of Tokyo 3 had to offer, or so Asuka proclaimed, when some stray person bumped into the red headed women as she gave her proclamation.
To say that Asuka was pissed would have been a sore understatement. Asuka was if anything, very protective of her person, so Hikari was not taken aback when her friend grabbed the offenders arm and went into one of her legendary demoralizing verbal beat downs, but she was surprised when the recipent of said beat down, merly took the brow beating as if weathering a storm and gave the fiery German an icy stare that could have but the King himself to shame. Ok, maybe not. No one could best King Ikari in that area, but the stranger would have come close.
The fact that her attack had now withered her oppenet only gave Asuka pause for a moment before she gave a contemptuous star of her own, expecting the heavily scorned look to put the stranger in their place. It didn't. This was not boding well for their health, that much was obvious, but before Hikari could do anything to settle the matter the stranger's companion, who she had not even noticed took matters into his own hands.
"Excuse me miss, but my friend here is notorious for misplacing her manners. Please except my humble apology on her behath. We did not intend to interrupt you two ladies wonderful evening." The man, who was not much older than they said all this with a smile and bow. His white hair swayed in the late afternoon wind unrestrained as he brought himself up from his bow. The say that he was strange would be another understatement, but his easy going manner and the sincerity in his deep red eyes overshadowed that fact.
"Humpt!" Asuka haughtily said, turning her head and tossing her hair. "If you really want to make it up, you'll treat us to dinner. It's the only way you can rectfy your offense."
The platinum haired young man agreed hearty, much to his companion's displeasure.
"Come now, Ayanami. It is only right. You were in the wrong."
"We do not have time, Nagisa." was her cool reply.
While they conversed Hikari took the time to observe the two. A not so tall yong man with nearly white hair, reds eyes and easy smile stood beside a small young women of about the age, probable 17, maybe 16, with light blue, almost azure like hair with an even deeper set of crimson orbs framed with a face that would have seemed insanely cute if it wasn't for the stern like expression that she adopted.
"Well then, it's agreed, have you any place in mind?" Apparently the two had come to some conclusion while see mused.
"Of course I do, now lets go." And with that they were off. Asuka chose one of the places that we had took at earlier and had us seated and ordered within only 15 minutes. Asuka and the white hair man, Kaoru chatted animatedly as we wait for our orders, while the enigmatic girl Rei sat quietly and gazed out the window near her seat.
"Well it nice to see that at least one man in this city has some manners and can hold a decent conversation." Asuka was saying. Kaoru mearly took it a gave a warm smirk.
'I can already tell this is going to be one slow night.' knight Horaki thought to herself as she tried to patch up the mood as Asuka threw another barb at the silent blue haired figure whose cold retort only heated the Germans fire. 'Yep, a really slow night.'
-
/TLE/
-
There before him was a girl, curled up in a ball, sobbing her eyes out with a look of pure terror etched on her face. This girl was the one who was crying. The cries! How could he have forgotten, it was the reason he had gotten up. But then again, how could he not have, seriously, with the scene in the other room.
'Mental note, don't take the girl out that way.'
With a sigh and a deep breath to calm his nerves, Shinji lowered his gun and leaned against the wall. "It's ok, it's ok. I'm not going to hurt you. My name is Shinji, what's yours?" he said soothingly, trying to calm her down as well.
She looked up at him with tears in her eyes, one hand covering her face just in case. "I'm ...K-Kira."the young girl sobbed.
Shinji gave her a smile "Nice to meet you Kira. That's a beautiful name by the way." She smiled a little at the compliment. "Are there any others with, do you know?" Obviously that was the wrong question to ask because she immediately started to cry again, making Shinji fell like an ass.
Sitting next to her and holding her to him, the young girl's tears began to leave trails down his plug suit. After a few soothing words and promises to keep her safe Shinji finally gets Kira to rise. Sticking very close to him the two go in search of survivors.
-
/TLE/
-
"Sorry about that, Asuka can really get out of hand some time."
"It's quite all right, Rei is the same way sometimes. But I must say I did have a nice time Ms. Horaki. Who knows maybe we'll be able to do it again some time.
"Sure I would love that."
"Alright then. I another day, another time. Goodnight, Ms. Horaki."
"Goodnight Ms. Nagisa."
"Kaoru Nagisa" What an interesting character. It had been sometime since they had parted, yet his name was still floating around in her head. "Who are you Kaoru? And why won't you let me sleep."
Lying in her bed back at headquarters, staring at the ceiling, Hikari was still going over their impromptu dinner engagement.
'Those two are very bizarre, especially that girl Rei. She was so, serious, and those eyes. I could have sworn they were related, yet they had said no. No, Rei had said no and with such finality, like it was almost blasphemy to even think it. It was the most show of emotion that I think she showed during the whole thing. Obviously a touchy subject.'
But Kaoru, Horaki couldn't really get a good bead on the white haired man and that fustrated her. Even will all of the training she had gone through and one red eyed guy comes along and it all becomes useless.
"Aghh, I need sleep."
-
/TLE/
-
"We've been thinking about some new upgrades for Unit 02, do you think Dr. Akagi will approve?"
"Not likely, we just got finished testing and upgrading the Production Models, but with out pilots Unit 02 is still the only combat ready EVA we have and it only works for that Sohryu girl."
"Yeah, what a real bitch, if only she wasn't so good?"
"Yeah, like we need some one like her on the team."
Waiting patiently, eight pairs of red eyes watched the technicians leave hanger that housed the new EVA models. Now was their chance. The signal was given and the small group moved with purpose, each heading to a different EVA Armor. Most of the newer Units were similar in form and face, but each had different capiblities to give them variety so they wouldn't be easily taken out be the enemy in battle. Only two were left unoccupied, but it was of no consequence. Two against four were not very good odds.
One pair of red eyes had just activated the bizarre orange Cyclops like EVA's hatch, allowing the entry plug to come out and open. The own of said eyes was preparing to get in when a gun shot interrupted their progress.
"Never trust a girl with red eyes. People like that are never up to any good." Red eyes regarded blue for a second before both were in action. Blue eyes shot a few rounds that red dodged coming close enough for a hit. Red eyes threw a punch, but was blocked by blue who tried a roundhouse that was ducked by red.
With her legs swept out form under her blue hit the ground hard, causing her to lose her gun. She didn't have time to contemplate this or her next attack, for red was trying to end it by smashing her face with her palm only to be kicked back as the blue eyed red head flipped herself back up.
Both stood in position, ready for the others next attack, trying to gauge their opponent. It was about this time that alarms started going off, the klaxons sounding the alert as the three commandeered EVA's began to exit the hanger.
"I won't let you get away. Nobody comes into my base and steals my stuff and gets away with it."
"It does not matter what you want or don't. We will take these Armors and defeat the Angels. Until then everything else is irrelevant."
"Defeat the Angels? What makes someone as weak as you think you can even stand up to one? The Angels are mine, they owe me their souls and I intend to collect them with interest, so back off blue."
"No."
And with that the fight began anew.
-
/TLE/
-
"Aghh!"
"It's alright Kira, just stay down!" Shinji told the girl as he dodged hellfire from his place by the door. He stood the left of the front door of the building they had ran into, in a hallway that lead to the other side of the room. On the right side of the door, looking at him over the small entry way that they had just ran through, that would lead to their deaths or their freedom was a group of survivors who Kira and he had come across during their search.
They were efficiently trapped. With Shinji the only one with a weapon and an unknown amount of demons out side guarding the door they were definitely in trouble. As it stood, he was going to have to come up with something fast or face the consequences.
'Can't just run out, even with the AT Field, their could be a deamon about.'
"Hmm." he paused to think. 'Maybe go out with the Field, find another spot and take them out as they come. No. What if they go for Kira and the rest while I'm out going all commando on them.
"Damn."
"Shinji, what are we going to do?"
The plug suit wearing soldier turn to the scared girl holding his arm. He gave her a reassuring smile, but it was as much for him and the rest of the survivors as it was for her. "Don't worry Kira, It's going to be ..."
"BOOM!"
An explosion seized the words from his mouth. Hurriedly he took a quick peek out the door, praying that it wasn't a deamon or worse a devil. What he saw nearly gave him a heart attack... of joy.
"Haha, look at them burn, man!" One Toji Suzuhara stood hosing enemies down from one end of the street while Kensuka Aida did the same from the opposite side. The demons were trapped in their own trap and now they had nowhere to go but hell.
"I never knew hellspawn could move that fast, haha." The blond haired soldier laughed as he mopped up the resistance.
"Toji, Kensuke, you asses." Shinji cried in joy. A genuine smile beaming on his face.
"That's all you have to say after we just saved yours, ah you hurt my feelings Shin-man."
"Whatever Suzuhara. Hey Aida, call in HQ and tell them we're having company over for dinner."
"Alright, I'll be sure to get the Major to set the table." Ken said as he activated his armor plug suit's com unit.
"Are you crazy, yeah sure she's hot, but she can't cook worth a..."
"You do know that's your superior you're talking about, Suzuhara."
"Yeah, yeah, but she still can't cook, Ikari."
-
/TLE/
-
At the sound of the first alarm, Hikari was already out the door, heading for the EVA cages. The only thing on her mind was 'please oh god don't let it be an Angel'. Every person she passed by was just as panicked as her, but they all moved with purpose, hurrying to their post, get prepared for whatever assault was coming.
/Knight Officer Horaki please report to the EVA Cages immediately. I repeat Knight Officer Horaki please report to the EVA Cages immediately./ A voice blared over the PA system.
"This can not be good."
"Why won't you stay down!" Asuka screamed as she kick at the blue haired twit who thought she could take out the best Knight in Tokyo 3. Their fight had been going on for away while and really, it was taking too long.
Asuka would admit, secretly to herself that she had issues with her pride, but she did know that she was good, really good. Hand to hand combat came easy to her and she excelled at it as she did in most things. It was just her way. So, for this girl to be able to not only last this long, but to give as well as she took was saying a lot. If it wasn't for the situation itself, Asuka might actually have enjoyed the fight. It had been some time since she actually had someone who could keep up with her, but there were bigger things at stake.
Before she could make another attack a huge hand came down from above. It took all of her skill just to dodge the blow before in left her a pasty smear on the EVA's hand.
The blue haired girl took this time hop in the EVA that she had previously opened.
"I'm sorry Ms. Sohryu, but we are in a hurry." A voice spoke through the EVA that had stopped her's external speakers.
"Kaoru! You traitorous bastard!" Asuka screamed ready to take on the monstrous form with or with her own Armor.
"Ah, but Ms. Sohryu, I have betrayed no one. You are alive and well, and soon the Angels will be dead as well. All will be as it should be."
"Damn you red eyed freak! And here I thought you were cute. Aghh!" She sounded almost as if she was throwing a tantrum.
"Really, you thought I was cute?" He sounded bewildered and a bit bemused. The scene would have seemed comical if it wasn't for its seriousness.
"Nagisa, we have no time for this." Rei's EVA had risen and was moving toward the exit.
"Yes, you are right Rei. Another time I guess Ms. Sohryu. Another time."
Looking back at the EVA's that were left behind. Asuka smiled 'Not if I can help it.' She wasted no time, running back to her own Unit 02.
-
/TLE/
-
'Why does he always play these games.' Rei thought to herself as she exited through the base. 'Nagisa treats life as if it were a joke to him.' They did not have time fore games. Nerv would no doubt send their remaining EVA's to stop them. It would be best if they could get as far away as possible.
She activated her Unit's com system and used a private line to speak to the others. "Kato, Kojima, we will split up in twos and head for the ocean. These Armors are equipped for under water use. The N2 power cores will do for now, until we can have them refitted with the new S2 engines. back at HQ."
"Hai, Ayanami. Tai, your with me. Joy boy and the Ice queen can have each other." Rin Kato spoke.
"Ha, you know Rin, she would've put us together so she could be with Nagisa anyway." his companion, Tai Kojima acknowledged.
Rei was slowly getting pissed off. She was doing this because they worked well together and it would be safer this way, yet here they were twisting her meaning. 'Irrelevant. I have a mission to accomplish.' Getting her focus back she gave her orders. "Get going Kato and Kojima or I'll count your inactivity as insubordination and take you out here myself."
"Ohh, touchy. You must really want some time alone with..." Kato was cut off as a missile exploded in his face. "Those bastards, I'll kill them." he said while trying to turn his Armor around."
"I gave you an order Kato, get to it." Wasting no more time on the others she headed for the offender. Nerv's defense systems had come online. As they were they would not be able to use the EVA's AT Field until they had had more time to practice and raise their sync ratio's. Which meant that she was going to have to do this the hard way.
Running forward she dodged the attacks aimed at her and smashed the Armor's fist into the nearest missile launcher. Picking it up and hiding behind a nearby building, she sighted her next target and tossed the destroyed weapon, being rewarded with another explosion.
She was about to move to another spot when the ground in front of her opened up and a set of three missile launchers greeted her with their payloads. Rei began to scream before she even had a clue what happened, only for it to end abruptly.
Moving her aching body she caught sight of another EVA holding a pair of impossible huge riffles. Kaoru's face popped up on her view screen a second later. "Hey, Ayanami, catch."
Even before the riffle was safely in her hands did the area around her began to burn as missiles and depleted uranium bullet shells impacted her surroundings.
"Die you red eyed freaks. I'm taking back those EVA's you stole and non of you weaklings are going to stop me." The furious red head from before's face screamed at her from the box on her screen.
"I told you, we will not back down. You can not be trusted with the EVA's." Rei retorted while firing from her riffle. "Nerv is not prepared for the Angel's assault."
"Oh, and you are? You had to steel our Units and you're telling me that we're not prepared? Aren't you the proper hypocrite?" Asuka's bullets tore into the building that Rei was hiding behind. She didn't seem to be concerned with Nagisa's returning fire. Every bullet bounced harmlessly about a orange hexagonal force field that surrounded her unit.
'The AT Field.' This was getting them no where. Only close combat has any chance of defeating their foe.
Once again, the blue haired girl wasted no time as she ran for the four eyed red EVA Unit, using the buildings around her as shields. Eventually there was nothing to protect her, but that did not slow her. Bullets struck her Unit and explosions rocked her body, but still she came.
'I will not fail. I can not fail. For you brother, I will succeed.'
There was no warning. One moment there was empty space separating the two gargantuan demonized mecha, and the next there was the brightest light Rei had ever seen. Then, the pain came.
AN: Ha, ha. my first fight scene! Sigh... Focus, man. Anyway...hopefully I converyed the picture well. I think I need to go watch EOE again a few more times and more read 'Evangelion Genocide. By: Rommel' and do this over, but until then. Oh and if you have read that story, you should. It's great stuff and has the best EVA fight scenes I've ever read. Anyway, I know this is a little... long, but I really wanted to get all of this chapters stuff out of the way. It wouldn't have look right if I had split in two. At least now, I'll be have time to spend working on 'In Pain's Wake'. The story is too seriou and emotional, so I'll need all the time I can get to get to protray Shinji and the cast the way I want them to. ... Well, that's all for the notes. /AN
/preist/