Shadow of the Angels
Ch.5
To Courage, To Strength, and To Iron Will
Standard Disclaimer
Battlefield
Launched into the maelstrom of destruction Shinji was not totally unprepared. Covering the target with sprays of gunfire he narrowly dodged twirling blades of decimation. Shinji Ikari was not fighting for humanity, nor was he fighting for himself. He was fighting for something stronger then he could ever feel. A concrete reason stowed in his heart, the very reason he slew the colossi. In a time of desperation it is not the reason to fight, just that there is a reason; that pulls you through.
Unknowing of why he was firing round after round at Shamshel in a futile attempt at scathing it. Unquestioning his faith in his motive, he pushed his sync ratio to the limit. Functioning at only 42 percent points meant that not only did he have to take in information faster. But put his moves 58 percent faster then normal. Pulling the trigger again he trailed the swift Shamshel as it swayed to and fro. Easily avoiding most of the damaging bullet heads, and the ones that connected easily tossed aside by the AT field. Getting into a crouch he willed the Evangelion to move as an onslaught of slashes whipped past his left shoulder.
Turning around he fired bursts back at the enclosing enemy. Taking cover behind the support tower he retrieved a new clip for his super sized FAMAS assault rifle. Crouching low he popped it into place, but before he could chamber the next round the top half of the building crashed to the side. Pushing from what was left of the support tower the Evangelion twirled on its rear and cocked the bullet into place and let the lead fly. As the bullets riddled the A-T field several found other targets, and one was a NERV power plant. Unlike action movies the power plant did not explode in a glorified firestorm; it just stopped putting forth the lifeblood of the modern world.
Nerv Bridge
"We've lost power in sectors 3 through 5. Rerouting currents through grids 2 and 8, but we still have problems in sector 4." Shigeru continued to maintain the massive amounts of power flowing through the Evangelion, and monitoring the power throughout the system.
"Lost support tower F-2. Several other towers aren't responding to hails." Hyouga called to the commanding officer.
Misato took in all the information flowing to her. Shinji needed ammo, despite his careful use of munitions he was still not punching through to Shamshel. So far everything was fine, the Evangelion and Shamshel had not decimated the city and it seemed that Shinji was holding his own. Unable to issue any real orders under these circumstances she watched. They needed to know more about the enemy they were facing, and in reality Shinji was doing recon. Taking a steady breath she steadied her nerves as a twirl of the glowing blades nearly decapitated the Evangelion. However, Misato did not know of the live news coverage taking place all over the city. Planning her strategy, she received news she did not want to hear.
"Launching crew has reported problems. Some of their electronic equipment has been damaged and they can't keep up their connections." Maya quickly spun around to inform the Captain of this horrendous occurrence.
"Without the bays he won't stand a chance. Tell those guys to get off their asses and get moving. We've got a world on the line!" Misato yelled.
"The A-T field needs to be depleted. Tell Shinji to get in closer and nullify that shield." Ritsuko suggested while watching the live feed of the battle. Said feed displayed the pilot of Unit 01 using hit and run tactics. Not quite familiar with battlefield tactics she saw the current tactic as useless. The A-T field would repel anything else close to the Shamshel. There was only one known way to avoid the A-T field, and that was nullifying it with another. With this distance fighting Shinji was not close enough to nullify the field and let the bullets do the damage that they could. In truth it was just a waste of bullets, and lots of tax payer money. Or so she thought.
Launching Bay
Douglas Holiday was shouting at the launching crew. Some idiot pushed a cache of ammunition to hard with a bulldozer and set off a round. Damaging the computers and radio equipment, no one was injured but the bulldozer was destroyed and the idiot would be promptly fired if they survived. Everyone was running around with purpose and in dead sprints. Reloading ammunition clips with hydraulic lifts and claws, moving giant firearms into place, and prepping the launch pads and securing the launching routes. Field engineers were running around and Douglas watched from the Engineering main office.
Unlike the Nerv Bridge, the engineering office only had a single white table littered with inventory papers and a small T.V which showed the live coverage of the fight, all the electronic equipment had been mounted to the north wall of the office. But thanks to the recent remodeling of a giant bullet, was now gone. Looking at the screen Douglas saw the hit and run tactics of the fleeing Evangelion. Unable to receive full commands from the bridge he had to improvise.
"GET ME A MAP OF THE CITY NOW!" Douglas yelled and was rewarded with a sparse map off the city by a running assistant. Scanning it over he spotted the notes on the support towers and added a few missing ones. Watching the television he had to find out the route the Evangelion was taking, if there was one at all.
"SOMEBODY START FIXING THE RADIOS WE NEED TO GET A LINE TO THE BRIDGE NOW! WE'RE WORKING BLIND DOWN HERE!" Douglas ordered as he watched the television for any signs of where the battle was. Just as the Evangelion twirled on its rear and open fired, Douglas got an idea. Previous experiences in the military with firearms and live fire situations gave him an incredible idea.
"The Kids too close, assault fire will be sporadic and if he fires he has a good chance of missing." Douglas spoke to himself. Pulling out an inventory sheet he looked for one weapon that would aid the fighting pilot. Recognition flashed in his eyes and he looked up the storage number.
"GET ARMORY CACHE 12 ONTO LAUNCHING DOCK 6 AND GET IT READY TO LAUNCH IN 3 MINUTES!" Douglas screamed at his subordinates who quickly obeyed orders. Nothing gets people into motion like the prospect of imminent death. Now all he needed was to find where the Evangelion was heading.
Outskirts of Tokyo-3
A figure looked out through his telescope at the battle wrought through the city. Skyscrapers collapsed shaking the earth around the city as they impacted the ground. Smoke billowed out from the ruins of destroyed homes. On his second floor patio he scanned the hulking fighting machine as it retreated to the mountains, being chased by the giant monstrosity. Previous experience and tactical knowledge was well known to the spectator as he watched.
"He's retreating to less inhabited area. Smart and safe, but I bet he doesn't count on his cord not having the length to go as far as he does." The man said as he took his eye off the telescope. Suddenly the neighing from below and heavy footfalls told him of his now trotting guest.
Battlefield
As the spinning lasers of demise lashed out at him, he vaulted over a short sky scraper. Luring the Shamshel to the hills had succeeded. Visions of a speedy decent down the hill sprayed into his mind. Unconsciously his mind attempted to reconstruct the scenario he had won with previously. Still, erratic memories stalled his further preparations as his power cable stretched to its limit. Scanning his small map on the Evangelion HUD he saw that a power depot was close by. In a small enclave of 10 story buildings were a power tower and a supply depot.
"Misato I'm going for another power cord." Shinji spoke out loud to the visual of Misato, only for adequate time to inform her of his plans before he jettisoned his cable and began sprinting to his new location. Extending the Evangelion's arm he held down the trigger in his cockpit. He fired the FAMAS rifle seeking to stall the Colossal Shamshel from closing in. The timer quickly clocked down from 5 minutes.
"You've got to get closer to it Shinji. Deplete its AT Field with yours and fire on it. Wait a second Shinji are you heading to the supply cache due east?" Misato asked as she was talking to Shigeru.
"Yes." Looking at the onboard compass, his attention still focused on running and shooting the evasive enemy. Abruptly he heard a click from his weapon and the final casing hit the ground.
"Shinji there's no power flowing into those support towers. We won't be able to launch anything to you." As the words registered in his mind, he realized that this was not what he wanted to hear.
"What about the power cable?" Pulling back the Evangelion's arm he gained speed as the floating Shamshel started to accelerate. Realizing that no retaliation was coming back from the fleeing Evangelion, it took its opportunity and fully extended its body over the landscape. Accelerating to its maximum speed it slowly shrunk the distance between itself and the Evangelion.
"Dead, you've got to go somewhere else. Shinji I told you, you need to get closer to it." Misato repeated.
"I've got no bullets left." Calmly Shinji stated.
"DAMNIT! GET THOSE COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE BAY UP NOW! SHINJI WE CAN'T GET A SIGNAL THROUGH! YOU'VE GOT TO WAI…….!" Static filled the com box and the signal died.
"MISATO!" Shinji screamed as terror shred into his heart. How could he let someone so close to him harmed so soon? Was he still useless and unable to do anything? Pondering these thoughts his heart started to break. That is until the confusion at what was appearing in his com box came into his mind.
"Hello…. Hello." A static covered voice spoke from the voice only box.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH….!" Shinji nearly screamed before he was abruptly cut off.
"THIS IS DOUGLAS HOLIDAY OF ENGINEERING! THERES NO TIME YOU'VE GOT TO GET TO SECTOR C AND SUPPLY DEPOT C-1 IN 72 SECONDS! WE'VE LAUNCHED YOU ANOTHER WEAPON! IT'S SET TO SEMI AUTOMATIC AND IT HAS 8 RO……." Just as quickly as the signal had appeared it vanished. Looking at his map, he realized that C-1 was a complete 180 from the direction he was heading, and several city blocks away. Not only would it be tough in a dead sprint, but Shamshel was directly in his way. Turning on his heels he skidded to slow himself down, then began sprinting again. Getting past Shamshel to another weapon was the prime goal at the moment. Apposing such a giant with just a progressive knife was not a welcome solution. Even if it was vulnerable in its current state it wouldn't be wise to risk.
Launching Bay
Douglas had done everything he could. Electrical Engineers had been able to temporarily take some power from a stored Evangelion Battery to start the hastily repaired system. But it had only lasted for a few short seconds before the machine itself gave out. At least he had been able to get a stray signal through the wireless to the person who mattered and gave a forewarning of their little gift. Even having the top of C-1 jettisoned so that the firearm will be shot into the air at high speed; in a room full of Engineers who at the very least got a bachelors in Physics, they knew what would happen.
The weight of the object would allow it to be in the sky for a few short seconds. Making it so that the new Evangelion pilot could know where it is if he didn't know where C-1 was. All his cards already on the table, Douglas watched as the news teams covered the action. Emotions ran rampant amongst their faces as they realized that if the pilot didn't succeed. Such a gigantic monster would be left unhindered in its atrocious rampage. And everyone would perish. What they didn't know was that they wouldn't die to the sting of laser tentacles, but another terrible impact if the pilot failed. Either way, they pictured death as death, and the one forestalling it was to be considered a savior.
This new pilot was pretty good, actually spectacular. Douglas watched as the Evangelion sprinted head on at the oncoming Shamshel. Still fully extended it tried to slow down and attack, but before it could curl its body out of a straight line and back closer to the ground. The Evangelion had slide tackled and passed cleanly under Shamshel, pushing off with its left arm it got back to its feet and began sprinting again. An uncanny talent was evident in the child piloting, of course few actually knew it was children piloting the Evangelion. But, the display of ability would further their belief it was some older hero archetype. Standing tall and in defiance of the monstrosities that befell his people.
Nerv Bridge
"We've got a manual launch from bay 6. It's been routed through channel 2, 6, and 9. Captain what do we do?" Hyouga spun in his chair to look at this crush.
"Nothing, just work on getting those communications up. We've got to patch through to Shinji again." Misato was concerned, not only had her feed to the plug been forcibly broken. But Shinji was fighting without any orders or information that they had. He was as good as dead, even though he had a gigantic biomechanical weapon at his disposal he had only been piloting for a few weeks. Looking back at the Commander and his assistant Misato pondered what was going through that man's head. Sitting in the same position for hours and having that same hardened gaze. How could he act like he does?
His son was in mortal danger, not only that but the world was at stake. And this single man stood cold and rigid undaunted by the events occurring before him. Not only had he cast aside his son, but his ambition was unknown to her and almost all the staff. What did this man gain by being the commander of an organization that protects mankind? Not fame, not fortune, the only thing that was evident was power. But for one to seek power they must desire the power for a reason. Before Misato's brilliant mind in a dangerously beautiful shell could further her thoughts a large object was shot into the sky. Shining in the sun its metal heat guard let out a shimmering glow.
Battlefield
Looking at the clock it passed the 2 minute mark. Needing energy he pushed his synch ratio further. Emotions blurred, his psyche shifted perspectives, and his senses changed. An Evangelion pilot; when becoming further connected with their shackled monster; becomes immersed in a set of new senses. Instead of constantly watching through monitors the pilot's vision becomes more natural as if they were staring through the Evangelion's own eyes instead of the camera's around it, or instead of consciously willing the machine to walk their leg muscles contract and relax as if invisible running. A new set of taste's and smell flood the pilots senses at it feels what the Evangelion feels. The pilots themselves have almost no conscious recollection of these events, mostly because to become so in tune they must be focused on a goal with pinpoint concentration. So as Shinji increased his speed and his ratio slowly rose he didn't notice as his vision took on those of the giant.
What he did notice was the object being ejected into the sky above him. If the hydraulic pumps and lifts could eject an Evangelion above the height of a 40 story building, it could launch a firearm many times lighter even further into the air. Closing in Shinji saw he had time to spare as the gun flew into the air, skidding to a halt he opened a new power cable, swiftly putting it into his back he watched as the numbers quickly rose on his timer. Watching as his enemy turned around and began closing in he hoped that the object would fall a little faster. Turning his eyes towards the sky he slightly gawked at the incoming firearm while dropping his rifle. Its long body and large barrel glistened in the sun. Looking back at his foe he realized he didn't have time to wait, crouching low he willed the Evangelion to jump high. Stretching his arm into the sky he floated in air as he looked at the gun.
The Franchi SPAS-12; a combat adapted assault shotgun, many know of this assault shotgun, and its rather intimidating construction and large body. What many would think is a pump action shotgun, has a more combat effective setting. A semi automatic setting is incorporated into the gun itself. After discharging a previous round the gas built up in the chamber will feed itself into an internal magazine system and put another round into the chamber. Aptly making this gun much more devastating in a "just pull the trigger" mind set.
Holding the shotgun he realized that it would be far more effective in a close combat fight then his FAMAS rifle. Shifting his weight he decided he would stop running, and this time take the fight to the Angel that dared tread back into his world. An intimidating click resonated across the city as all beheld the figure standing tall holding the large shotgun. Impossibly it seemed as if the eyes of the human's enormous creation narrowed.
Shelter 41
"Kensuke are you sure this is a good idea?" Touji asked, not usually being the less adventurous of the duo.
"Come on it's the fate of our world in that guy's hands." Kensuke pushed forth as they walked up the stairs of their shelter.
"Help me unlock the door will ya? Don't space out on me like you did in your fight with mister pilot." Kensuke motioned the turning lock and hoped the muscle in the jocks baggy jogging suit would be able to move it. But before he could make any more remarks he received a hard bonk to the head. And so same as before these two would be back on the battlefield.
Outside Shelter 41
"It seems that Nerv's robot is going to make a counter attack. This is Kaede Tanaka with Tokyo-3 emergency news." Short black hair topped her head as she watched the action herself.
"Armed with a shotgun of sorts the pilot is doing all he can to prevent Tokyo-3's demise by the hands of such a creature." As she spoke the camera man saw the Evangelion dash towards its target. As Shasmsel decelerated; it was caught in a hail of buck shot, the sound from the shotgun popping the ears of the beautiful reporter. Closing in the Evangelion fired again, this time Shamshel retaliated with a long arcing slice that sliced the side of a skyscraper. Ducking under the flailing appendage the Evangelion tried to advance with a roll. But it's cable got in the way causing it to stumble in its progress. Whatever sentient life controlled the Angel, it advanced on its opportunity. Creeping forward it was going to capitalize on its close combat capabilities, using its tentacles as a whip it lashed out at the tumbling form. By sheer luck it narrowly missed the Evangelion as it rolled back onto its feet, however the cord did not go unscathed. As the useless life line fell to the ground Unit 01 was merely a 100 yards away from the Angel. Firing the shotgun again the packed together bundle of projectiles smashed into the orange octagonal shield.
Stumbling back from the force the Angel's snake like lower body coiled back again and prepared to tackle its assailant. Sailing through the sky came another onslaught of buckshot shattering what was left of the weakened shield. Piercing through; it tore several holes through the coiled tail. LCL poured out through the open wounds and the Angel fell backwards. Twitching unnaturally on the ground Unit 01 closed in quickly for the finish. As a large shell fell to the ground the pilot closed the distance to merely 25 yards, aiming for the kill he was surprised by the flailing lower body twisting as if made of liquid and upper cutting him into the sky. In a mere second the monster was back onto its feet and slashing away at the now airborne enemy.
A dark shadow fell over the crew. A pregnant pause filled the air as the crew looked skyward. Kaede turned around then shouted.
"It seems that Nerv's robot has gone airborne, and it's HEADING THIS WAY!"
Battlefield
Shamshel was far from pleased. This abomination wrought an obstacle in its holy quest. Awaking from a near eternal slumber to only be forestalled from its task was bemoaning to the Angel. Such puny attempts at divinity, it understood why these creatures should be destroyed. Wreaking destruction on their homes and lives filled the creature with a purpose and an alien satisfaction. These exercises while tedious were slowly bringing Shamshel back to full capability. Such unhindered slumber would weaken any organism. As each Angel stayed awake longer and fought harder, they would grow in strength and prowess. Remembering how to move and adjusting to their giant bodies; bringing forth their fierce might upon the surface of the earth.
Slightly pained by the contraption it used and its fiery projectiles fueled the rage inside the creature. Sending the creature flying for its action set well with Shamshel, even better that it had sliced through half of whatever was in its hands. Closing in it would resume its attack and slice this abomination to ribbons.
Evangelion Unit 01
Shinji's back smacked against the pilot chair and his head rearing forward and hitting the restraint that held him in place. His body ached and the adrenaline had stopped pumping through his veins. The onslaught of pain coursed through his aching body as he saw blood seep into the LCL from his forehead. Replacing his disorientation with forced clarity he looked to his timer. He had 2 minutes and 43 seconds before total system shut down. As images passed his eyes he smacked into a mountain side. Pain etched itself across his back. Impacting the side of a mountain with a several ton piece of machinery linked into his brain he coughed up more blood into the LCL mixture. Looking at his right hand he saw the front half of his shotgun gone. Quickly formulating a plan he looked at the oncoming angel and tried to sit up.
"Shinji do you read me you have to fall back. We can't risk losing you to the Angel. Fall back to this point and wait further orders." Misato finally patched into his com system only to give him a feeling of déjà vu. Looking at the oncoming Angel he turned his head to his left hand out of mild curiosity. As if no surprise there were several people near his left hand. Two of which he had seen before, the other 4 he had no recognition of.
A stalwart resolve burned in his heart. No he would not run away, not from this thing that left devastation in its wake. He needed to protect her and Ayanami, at all costs he would protect all that he held dear. No matter how hard or impossible it would seem he would no longer cower in the face of a challenge. Since the Colossi he could overcome this obstacle that was in his path. Overcoming all his physical hindrances, paining no heed to the darkening liquid in his vision he willed his Evangelion to sit up.
Another sense of foreboding flooded over him. Twirling to he saw the incoming tentacle of heat lash out at him. Muscles tensed as he was about to dodge before he remembered that there were civilians under him. Using his free left hand he pushed through the searing pain as he held the flailing limb in the Evangelion's hand. Turning the speakers on he could only form one world through the blazing pain in his mind.
"RUN!" his voice nearly cracked as he screamed the word. Flicking his eyes briefly to the people below he saw them quickly sprint slightly away. They weren't far enough away to be out of harms way. As the other tentacle closed in he had one chance. Risking his cut in half shotgun he hoped it would work. Twisting the Evangelions left wrist around the burning appendage he yanked the Evangelion and pushed the half of the SPAS straight into the Angel's core. Before the other tentacle could get any closer he pulled the trigger.
Now despite what might happen to a firearm as long as a whole round is in the chamber and the trigger mechanism is operation, it will continue to work despite the loss of most of the barrel. Most rounds only need a spark on the spark cap to ignite the grained powder to overheat and discharge the round in all its explosive glory. So as the trigger banged against the cartridge it exploded and let its payload fly.
Not having enough time to spread the projectiles slammed into Shamshel's body with devastating force. Sending it flying back down the mountain, freeing the Evangelion and letting the nearby civilians live. The pain of his scorched hand bit into his nerves as he looked at his useless weapon. Casting it aside he pulled out the progressive knife and looked down at the downhill sprint he had.
Tokyo-3 News Broadcast-LIVE
The screen shook as the Angel was sent flying across the landscape. Comments on the smell of scorched flesh rang out around the camera. Zooming in on the damaged left hand of the unit it revealed a near flesh like substance blackened and boiled. It dropped its beaten Spas-12, only to have its shoulder compartment open up. Kaede had not appeared on screen or spoken in some time, others focused on their own near death experiences, even the two young lads they had ran into. But the cameraman watched, enraptured in the battle for humanity. Breathing became ragged as the video feed showed the Evangelion jump and run down the side of the hill gaining speed. Blade glowing an ominous pink. Shifting over to the enemy it showed the crippled form of a stumbling giant. Slowly it slithered to its full height, its blood red core chipped in several places; its twirling tentacles cascading around it in an obvious sign of defense. The cameraman began running towards the fight impossibly keeping at least in visible range of the battling monstrosities.
Thunder claps echoed throughout the audio feed as the purple Evangelion closed in. Gaining even more speed and readying its blade for a devastating strike. The angel knew of its attacker and backed up allowing its blades to surge in front of it. In an instant the Evangelion pushed off the side of the hill and leapt into the air. Blade aimed downward for a single debilitating strike. Distraught and seeking its own preservation the Angel whipped its tentacles onto the waist of the Evangelion seeking to halt it. Coming at the Evangelion from both sides the tentacles wrapped around its waste burning its abdomen and melting metal. But that did not halt the persevering hero inside. Still flying through the air it jammed its knife into the red core that was staring into the sky. With all its weight it jammed the knife deeper and deeper once the Evangelion got its feet back onto the ground. And the Angel made its grip tighter and tighter on the Evangelion's waist, steam billowing out from its sides and rising into the sky as the smell of charred flesh filled the air. A battle of wills played out in the middle of the city. A sound like a distant battlecry echoed from the Evangelion's speakers as its pilot pushed himself past the pain. Sparks flew from both opponents as the climax neared; tentacles visibly tightening around the waist of its attacker and the knife sinking deeper into the glowing red eye of the beast. Impossibly it seemed like the mouth of the robot opened up in a silent scream as it drove the knife deep into the red eye causing the Angel to become limp. Reality sped up again as the Angel's body collapsed onto the ground, tentacles disappearing. Unable to sustain its own weight the Evangelion took a step forward, stepping onto the fallen Angel. Standing at the bottom of the hill with his camera arched upwards the video feed fed the image of Man prevailing over this unholy creature. As if it were completely exhausted the shoulders of the Evangelion unhurriedly stood taller and its head looked toward the setting sun. It's battle over its figure turned silent as its battery died and its final image displayed its foot resting on the Angel's head and its eyes turned towards the forever setting sun.
The cameraman's breath slowed as he approached the huge beasts. Roaming the robots body with his camera showing everything he and was able to get. Then suddenly the back of the purple beast opened and a large white cylinder slowly ejected from its casing. Falling to the ground with a loud bang, it released steam and an orange liquid onto the ground and the area around it. Bathing its surroundings in a heavy mist and shimmering liquid. Everyone held their breaths as the camera zoomed onto the NERV logo on the door as it hissed open. Spewing more steam into the air. All eyes turned to the gloved hand that reached out of the cylinder and pulled its form out into open view. Glistening in shining light from the setting sun on his wet form the hero of humanity stood up and set his foot on the entry plug's open hatch. Skin tight suit revealed his build and displayed him as the pinnacle of human fitness, proud shoulders straight and pointing towards the sky. The front of his face having a small trickle of blood from his forehead, his face only captured for a few seconds as it looked around the heavy mist. Turning upwards the pilot stared at his handy work. One leg propped up on the hatch the other holding him tall he stared high, giving him the same exact form of his silenced robot. His figure exuding courage, strength, and iron will; his actions showing his stalwart determination for humanities defense. This was the hero that saved everyone from certain doom. Everyone breathed as he finally lifted his head for a clearer view of his face. The cameraman sprinted to the side. Showing more and more, revealing his identity but as he did so the battery sign on his camera flashed. Live video feeds all around Tokyo-3 displayed its disappointing announcement as the cameraman desperately tried to get closer to the hero in time. But before the feed died everyone would have the picture of their hero standing tall and in defiance. Glistening in the sunlight as if he were a god, his weapon casting a silhouette over him. Everyone watching would remember that face, and that image for the rest of their lives.
Outskirts of Tokyo-3
The figure watched the television with amusement, recognizing the face. Smiling he petted the horse that was next to him. Two of its legs completely metal, and part of its head shimmering in the light. The man spoke to the horse, while he watched the live feed from the news.
"I see that staying in the city is going to be more interesting then before. I guess I'll stay for now…" the man said patting the top of the horses head as it neighed in appreciation.
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