Disclaimer: See the Prologue


Chapter 8 – NERV Falls


They knew their mission, they thought they would win. They should have listened to the NERV Guards, but they didn't. And now Major Takeru was paying the price.

The first wave of zombies were the slow, lumbering ones. They were cut down easier, but they didn't expect their controlling headcrabs to leap off the corpses and attack them. Then they came, the fast monkey-like zombies. His men were cut into pieces.

He didn't blame himself for his men's death. He blamed it on the fact that JSSDF Command didn't equip them with Powered Combat Vests, and that NERV is responsible for bringing these abominations to Earth.

But now, a zombie was dragging him through engineering and he had a gash across his chest. He regained his focus and tried to get out of his grip.

"F#$# NO!" he screamed, pulling his leg from the zombies grasp. It turned to him and moved in on him. He reached for combat knife and swung, aiming for it's 'head.' He pierced the crab, killing it. The corpse it was controlling fell.

He then collapsed, gritting his teeth against the pain in his chest. He reached for the 9mm in the zombie's holster, and begun firing at the crabs approaching him.

"GET BACK!" he screamed, almost in insanity.

He picked his shots, killing as many as he can, but they just kept coming. Lying against the wall, tears clouded his eyes and he put the gun to his head, not wanting to join his men as mindless zombies.

'Mizuho,' he thought about his wife, 'Please forgive me.'

He pulled the trigger.

Meanwhile on the surface, the JSSDF had set up their base. The black coloured Ospreys hovered above as the JSSDF coordinated with the teams already within NERV. Plans were made to detonate a N2 mine to breach the Geo-Front. The Commander sat in his outpost, listening in on the radio transmissions.

This is 3rd Platoon; we've breached the western entrance. No activity…godd#$#! We've got massive civilian casualties. What the hell did this?

5th Squad here, we've encountered no resistance…so far.

The Commander yawned with boredom.

'Someone's done our job for us,' he thought, 'Those UN pricks won't hound after us for attacking civilians.'

"SIR!" a technician cried.

"What it is, soldier!" the Commander asked.

"We've just lost Fire-team Gasaraki," he cried.

"What?"

It was true, Major Takeru's signal just failed, meaning he's dead. Suddenly, the transmissions flooded in.

This is 8th Platoon, we're picking up unidentified activity in engineering. OH CRAP!


WHAT THE HELL? FIRE! FIRE!

Suddenly, gunfire, men yelling, monstrous growls and screams accompanied those transmissions.

"What the hell's going on?" the Commander demanded.

Suddenly, they heard gunshots outside the mobile outpost. The Commander grabbed his .50 and opened the door.

Xenian Mantis Ships were hovering above the encampment. They begun to rain down beams of energy, destroying everything in sight.

JSSDF Tanks begun to fire upon the ships. And as quickly as they arrived, they disappeared in flashes of green teleportation. The Commander turned to his technicians.

"WHERE IS THAT DAMN N2 MINE?" he cried.

"It's on it's way," an officer replied.

In NERV, Gordon and Misato prepared to repel the Grunts.

"We gotta move," Gordon said to Misato.

"Let's head for Shinji's last position," Misato said.

Grunts begun to run down the hallways towards them.

"WE GOT FREEMAN!" an officer cried, "FIRE!"

The Grunts fired. Gordon and Misato disappeared down another hallway, barely missing bullets. Gordon got hit in the shoulder, but his suit absorbed the bullet.

"Shit!" Misato cried, "There must be hundreds of them!"

Gordon loaded a grenade in his launcher as he turned behind him.

"You go ahead," Gordon said, "I'll hold em' off!"

Misato nodded and ran.

Gordon didn't realise what he was doing. Him against an entire hoard of JSSDF…

'This is crazy,' he thought, 'But then again…'

He raised his M4 and launched a grenade. It sailed across the air and hit, just as an entire squad of JSSDF were about to step into the corridor.

"Engage Fre…ARGH!" a Grunt cried, he and 5 others being blow away by the grenade. The others took cover.

"KILL THE BASTARD!" the officer leading them cried.

Gordon begun to fire at the Grunts, charging at him from all sides. They begun to fall like leaves as the hallways were packed with JSSDF. Bullets deflected off his HEV Suit as he took off.

'There's so many of them,' Gordon thought, 'They must have sent the whole army.'

Throughout all this, Shinji sat underneath the stairs, almost cowardly as he was scrunched up. He heard the gunshots echo throughout the base, the screams of both JSSDF and NERV Personnel and the growls of the invading aliens.

A squad of 4 JSSDF were running for their lives, clutching their H&Ks.

"The service elevator," the Sergeant leading them cried, "It's our only chance!"

They then noticed the staircase…and Shinji.

"Hey, it's one of the pilots," he cried. The squad stopped and walked up to him. Shinji remained motionless, holding his legs to himself.

The Sergeant reached for his radio, "Control, this is what's left of 3rd Platoon. We've located the Third Child. Orders?"

Roger, the radio cackled, Terminate immediately.

The Sergeant pointed his rifle at Shinji's head.

"Terminating pilot," he said, then at Shinji, "Don't blame me, kid!"

Misato was running up behind the squad, she had his pistol drawn and prepared to strike, when suddenly…

"SARGE!" one of the Grunts cried, "LOOK OUT!"

A zombie tore out of a vent above and grabbed the Sergeant.

"OH GOD!" he screamed, "HELP ME!"

The zombie hoisted him into the vent. They all then heard his terrified scream, then his head rolling out of the vent.

"LET'S GET OUT OF HERE!" another cried.

Suddenly, behind them Vortigaunts emerged. They charged up and fired, frying the JSSDF. Misato dove behind a corner.

'Run Shinji,' she cried in her mind, 'Get away!'

But Shinji just sat there as the Vortigaunt approached him, settling down their lightning. Shinji looked up at them as one of them stood right before him. It then reached out a hand and touched Shinji's head.

"Ikariiiii," Shinji heard the Vortigaunt whisper.

Shinji looked at the Vortigaunt studying him. He looked into it's eyes and saw warmth and caring. Like someone else's eyes.

Misato took this moment to jump out of cover. She stood her ground against them

"Get away from Shinji, you bastards!" she cried, pointing her gun at them.

The Vortigaunts spun around to state at her. They contemplated attacking, but they knew Katsuragi was close to Shinji.

They should know. She told them about Shinji's guardian.

The Vortigaunts stepped back from Shinji…and disappeared.

Misato had noticed something about them: They weren't wearing green collars or shackles. She ran up to Shinji.

"Shinji," she cried, bending down to hug him, "Are you ok?"

Shinji could only smile lightly, and reply, "I saw her."

Misato pulled back from him, "Huh?"

Shinji looked up at her and repeated, "I saw her."

Misato had no time to decipher Shinji's cryptic mind.

"We've got to get moving," Misato said, helping him to his feet, "It's not safe here."

Her point was proven when a Grunt landed behind her, a smoking hole in his chest. Gordon had caught up to them, and holding his Tau Cannon. He put it away and took out his pistol.

"Dr. Freeman," Shinji greeted him.

"Shinji," Gordon replied, smiling.

They ran up the staircase.

In control, Makato, Maya and the other technicians all this time had bravely stayed at their posts. All this time they attempted to direct other survivors to escape by opening doors and working whatever internal defences were still operational.

But now that the JSSDF have arrived…

"Makato," Maya said, "We have to get out of here. We've done all we can."

Makato nodded, grabbing his 9mm and a grenade, "We'll catch up with Misato, Shinji and Freeman. They're heading towards the service lift."

"What about Asuka?" Maya asked, concerned for the Second Child.

Makato bit his lip. Asuka was crawling through the ducts towards the EVA Cages. He was surprised that she was still alive.

"OH F#$#!"

He quickly turned around to see something breaking through the blast door.

'Here goes,' he thought.

The door was kicked down by an Alien Grunt. All guns pointed at it and fired. It fired back and everyone dove for cover, especially Maya, who ducked under her desk.

She wished she spent more time at the target range.

Makato aimed at its chest and soon it was brought down. Then more arrived.

"DIE YOU MOTHERF#$#ERS!" Makato cried.

The Alien Grunts begun to cut up the techs to pieces. One of them smashed through a terminal and grabbed Makato by the throat. He reached for the grenade and pulled the pin.

Maya dove out of cover. She was closest the door and saw Makato being held by the Alien Grunt, who was slowly crushing his skull.

'Run!' Makato mouthed the words to her.

Maya ran for the exit and before the Alien Grunts turned to her, the grenade went off, completely destroying control and everything in it. Maya was thrown from the explosion and landed outside control.

Where she lost consciousness.