Tokyo-3 Arcana
Chapter 24
Unstoppable Force
Please Read and Review.
I'd like to know what I'm doing right (to keep doing it), and what I'm I doing wrong (to correct it).
Author Notes:
The game mechanics stuff is taken from the Pathfinder Core Rulebook.
Tokyo-3, NERV Hospital; Room 107
03:17 P.M.
"Ow!"
Hikari Horaki smiled widely, tears shining in her eyes as Toji Suzuhara sat up, as if propelled by a rocket, on the hospital bed. Discreetly, she rubbed the ring around the index finger of her right hand. It had done its work, just as Shinji had anticipated.
"What the he-e-e-e-ck?" He restrained himself at seeing her. "Hikari? Wha… what happened?" He looked around, somewhat alarmed. "The last thing I remember… a horrible scream and lots of light…"
"That's a long story, but I guess you'll have to be debriefed first. I'm so glad to have you b…, to see you're awake." A pink tinge covered her cheeks. She smiled warmly at him, while she pressed the button to call for medical assistance. A voice answered immediately, "Nurse Station, how can I help you?"
Hikari spoke towards the intercom. "Uh, hi. I'm Hikari Horaki, visiting at room 107. The patient has just awoken!"
"I'll send a nurse immediately!" there was some relief in the voice.
A few seconds later a nurse entered the room. "Young Suzuhara! Glad to see you're conscious! The doctors are on their way. I'll just do some preliminary examination. Okay? Miss Horaki, could you please wait outside?"
"Yeah, sure." Awkwardly, she waived at Toji, "I'll come back later, I'll look for your Father in the meanwhile, to tell him the good news."
She had barely arrived to the waiting room, when the alarms began to sound. Mr. Suzuhara was not there, probably he was with his daughter Sakura.
'Oh, no… so soon?, she thought. A moment later, she felt the building descend into the ground. Less than a minute later, the internal structure of the titanic sliding mechanisms was visible from every window.
An automatic recording began, Hikari wouldn't expect a living person to keep their cool in these circumstances. "Your attention, please. This is not a drill. This building is now in lockdown. Visitors and non-essential personnel, please proceed to the Emergency Bunker in Sub-level 15. ICU staff and essential personnel, proceed to your stations. This is not a drill. Keep Calm and allow free pass to the emergency personnel. Please follow the instructions of the emergency personnel."
Hikari obeyed the staff, and soon she was sitting on the floor of a reinforced bunker, surrounded by other people, who had been visiting their friends or relatives. She knew the Tokyo-3 civilian hospitals had been built away from NERV's base, and therefore, the building would be surrounded by solid rock.
The recording repeated itself until Hikari heard the steel doors close. She bit her lip, thinking of Toji. Remembering that second time she had been in a bunker, back when Toji and Kensuke had decided to risk their lives for the chance to see an Evangelion fight against an Angel. She laced her fingers together, just as Limiry had taught her, and began to pray to Desna.
"Lady of the Stars, Keeper of Dreams, please, shine a light for my friends.
Guide them back home, safe and sound; so they can go on with their journey."
Next to her, a small blue butterfly landed on the floor. No one noticed the peculiar pattern on its wings.
GeoFront; Wilderness Section 22; Subsection 15-A
Ryoji Kaji's Watermelon Patch
Same Time
As Kaji finished reassembling his gun, the alarms blared their insistent message, shrill enough to be heard all over the Geo-Front. Immediately, the group gathered the weapons, and put everything in Kaji's luggage compartment.
"It's a little early for another attack, don't you think?" Kaji asked, worried.
"What I think is that the Old Men must be getting impatient. I would bet they used their beacon." Shinji answered. "Could you get Rusilka to a bunker? After leaving us at the lift?"
"Sure. Miss Burningforge? No slight to your prowess; but as exciting as it is, an Angel fight is not a place one would want to stay close to."
"I'll trust you in that. I have not seen one of those Angels, but we had a saying about not putting yourself in an angry dragon's path."
Everybody got inside the car, arranging themselves so Rusilka wouldn't have to leave the car to let them do the same. Misato checked her ID card was at hand, she turned to the back seat, where the pilots and the dwarven fighter were. "The closest bunker has an emergency lift connected directly to Dogma Three. It is the one the staff would come down to in case of having to evacuate Central Dogma. I can commandeer it and leave you near the cages, I'll go to Central Dogma. Kaji, you come with me, you have clearance to stay at the Bridge, as an observer."
Kaji nodded. "Put your seatbelts on."
A moment later, Shinji realized who had been the one to teach Misato to drive.
GeoFront; NERV HQ; Central Dogma
Same Time
Frantic activity reigned in Central Dogma. Reports from all places had to be filtered and organized. It fell on the Bridge Bunnies' shoulders to do so, and present clear facts to their superiors.
The PA System began to issue basic instructions, according to all their drills. "All personnel go to first stage battle stations. Prepare for ground-to-air intercept."
While Commander Ikari focused on the information of the holo-display, Vice-Commander Fujutsuki took the situation in stride. "Target status?" he asked.
Lt. Aoba answered, his voice stressed. "It's moving into our perimeter. The Komagatake Defense Line has been breached!"
Above ground, colossal amounts of ammo, worth millions of dollars, were being thrown at a strange apparition.
The thing simply didn't notice the pinpricks on its shell. And it continued its advance. Floating silently over the ground. Without apparent effort, it moved. The thing was slow, but unstoppable.
It had an almost cylindrical shape. With short protrusions in place of legs, wide torso, a head that looked like a ridiculously small skull, instead of arms, two flat sheets that looked like polished metal hung from wide shoulder pads. Most of its body was white, with irregular areas of black, that looked like they had been drawn with a ruler. Over its 'hips' two red oval shaped gems rested, big even compared to the rest of the thing. Two other gems set where its arms should have been. On the center of the 'chest' there was a smaller red gem, perfectly round; over the point a human solar plexus would have been.
Zeruel had come to Tokyo-3
Streets Near the Horaki Household
Same Time
Stronger than she looked, Limiry carried a crying Nozomi, following Kodama and Mr. Horaki to the nearest bunker. The two adult humans walked at their sides, protecting the pair.
"Shh, child, no need to cry. Your friends will protect us, and the Lady of Stars will protect them in turn. I know this with all my heart."
Nozomi nodded, "May Desna guide their steps." She prayed, and then buried her head in Limiry´s shoulder. Although the younger Horaki sister was not training for Desna's service, she had learned a couple of things watching the gnome and her sister.
Limiry smiled at the child on her arms, and adjusted the weight. "She will, I have no doubt of it, and soon, they will return."
GeoFront.
Outside Emergency Bunker 15
While the Angel of Might advanced inexorably towards the GeoFront, Kaji stepped on the car's brakes, making it spin sharply. He had aimed at stopping as close as possible to the bunker door, without getting right in front of it. The doors opened before the car had stopped completely, and the occupants ran out the vehicle.
Misato swiped her card on the slot reader, and the door opened down like a drawbridge. "Hurry, get in!"
The group ran inside. The bunker was empty. The door closed again, for a moment, there was only darkness inside. The group waited for the emergency lights to kick in.
"Good," Misato nodded. "Rusilka, stay here and wait until me or Kaji come for you. Don't let anybody see you."
Shinji gave her a ring, the dwarf nodded, closing her fist around the simple metal band.
Shinji said, "Enhanced Glamour ring. It has a preset Illusory Disguise. You'll look and sound like a janitor. No one will realize you're not human. Most probably, they won't look at you twice."
"Got it." The dwarf put the ring on, and a perfect likeness of one of the janitors replaced the stocky female. Her voice also changed, she now sounded like the man she looked like. "Anyway, I used to do the cleaning back at home. So I am no stranger to such chores."
Asuka whistled her disbelief while Misato herded the group towards the lift. "Shinji, that's the least glamorous glamour I've ever seen."
He shrugged, "A glamour is simply a lie to cover the truth of something. Usually, to make something worthless, look like something important. This time, it is the reverse."
The doors of the lift opened, the group managed to fit inside. Shinji, Asuka and Kaji remembered the uncomfortable trip in the lift of the Over the Rainbow, months before. Years for Shinji, but his memories were still very clear.
He whispered, "Asuka, try to keep your Magic Missile in reserve. Or for a coup-de-grace." The redheaded pilot nodded.
"Wish I had more spells memorized." She hissed back.
"We will work on that later. I made the mistake of assuming the next attack would be in a few weeks. In the meanwhile, I do have some spells available." He raised his hand, and tightened his fist, the sudden muscular tension revealed a pale crisscrossing set of fine scars over his knuckles and the back of his hand.
Tokyo-3
GeoFront, Evangelion Cage 3
"Rei, your siblings are coming here."
"It is very soon…"
"Yes, I fear something bad is about to happen. We will be separated for a while, your brother and I will be fighting outside. I don't think they will send you to fight without an arm."
Rei whimpered, "I wanna fight too…" she pouted.
Yui sighed. "I know, honey. But if you have to fight, it's because things are going really bad, and then I will need you to help your sister move the EVA."
"I will!"
Central Dogma.
Commander Ikari's Perch
Commander Gendo Ikari watched impassible as the new Angel hovered over the horizon, destroying the defense line as if it was made of paper. It hadn't even needed to do anything. The ammo simply exploded inside the cannons and launchers.
By the time a damage report could be compiled, it would be too late to do anything but count the casualties.
The Komagatake Defense Line was the last defense before the city itself.
Zeruel had arrived to Tokyo-3.
The skyscarpper complex at the center of the city was actually a complex mechanism to channer sunlight into the Geofront, and the center as a set of energy collectors.
Zeruel exerted a minimal part of its will, and an energy cross erupted right in the middle of the light collector.
A frantic voice reported, "The first eighteen layers of armor have been shattered!"
Lt. Hyuga relayed the data to the commanding officers.
Commander Ikari winded behind his orange tinted sunglasses. This Angel would be extremely difficult to kill, no doubt. "Location of the pilots?"
At that moment, the lift doors opened, Special Inspector Ryoji Kaji and Major Misato Katsuragi entered Central Dogma. She still had her arm in a cast, to keep appearances. Silently, she thanked Shinji for the healing potion. At least her head didn't hurt. "Pilots on their way to the cages, Sir."
"Good." Commander Ikari didn't deign to look at her, his eyes focused on the holodisplay.
Major Katsuragi began to bark orders immediately, in the few seconds since her arrival to the bridge, she had evaluated the situation. "The EVAs wont make it to the surface in time to intercept the Angel above ground. In the time the pilots put their plugsuits on and activate the Evangelions, the Angel will have breached the armor. Position Unit-02 for combat inside the GeoFront, right outside HQ! Clear the Bakelite from EVA-01's cage! We are going to need it."
A little calmer, she continued, this time to Unit-02 "Asuka, you will engage the target as soon as it breaches the GeoFront. Deploy your AT Field and cover HQ."
"Got it, Misato. It shall not pass." The redheaded pilot answered.
Kaji asked softly, "What about Unit-00? It was very damaged in the last sortie, wasn't it?"
Maya hesitated a moment before answering. Inspector Kaji was out of the regular chain of command, but it was a very pertinent question, "It has been placed in the AT Field Neutralization Zone."
Dr. Akagi added to the info. "The left arm hasn't been regenerated yet."
Misato exhaled a frustrated breath. "Then, it's not ready for combat. What about Unit-03? Was it salvaged?"
"Still haven't had time to check it has been cleared of contamination. The damage is minimal, but it has no core and both arms are broken. It can't fight either."
Commander Ikari interrupted them. "Sortie Rei in Unit-01, as soon as the Bakelite is clear, she will have a Dummy Plug as back up. The Third Child will sortie in Unit-00."
Evangelion Cages
"What? This is not the time for experiments!" Shinji groaned. He had just received word about the change of plans. "Message" he whispered, taking care to not be seen by anybody, especially the CCTV system. "Rei." The bluenette's head shot up, she blinked twice, and nodded minutely. Shinji continued. "When you're in Unit-01's plug, relax your mind and call for Yui Ikari. She is there and I hope she will listen to you. Tell her that Gendo is still playing games, and ask for her help."
She nodded again. Pressing the button on the right wrist of her suit, it hissed, and adjusted itself to her body. Without turning back, she hurried towards Unit-01.
Inside the purple EVA's core, Yui Ikari waited, doing her best to calm her new found daughter. She felt as both plug rigs slid out of Unit-01's body, and a plug was inserted in each. "Oh, Gendo," she thought, "That trick again?".
Rei waited patiently as the plug filled up with LCL, and the liquid Nitrogen spigots covered Unit-01, liquifying the Bakelite that encased it. As soon as the LCL inside the plug was ionized, she sent a thought, "Yui Ikari. I need your help. Gendo plays his game still."
A very surprised thought answered. "Rei? How? What happened? Where's Shinji? Is he okay?"
Again, Rei blinked twice, she had not really expected to receive an intelligible answer. She sent another thought "He will sortie in Unit-00. Commander Ikari changed our order of battle."
"I see. Well… I think Unit-00 will cooperate with Shinji. In the meanwhile, I will help you. Third Impact must be stopped."
These last words, more than anything else, convinced Rei that things would go well.
Central Dogma
Bridge, Lt Ibuki's Station
"Rei has stablished synch. Her synch rate is climbing fast! Unit-01 is accepting neural connection! Evan faster than in Shinji's best try!"
Dr. Akagi leaned over Maya's shoulder, "Is that possible?"
"Look for yourself, sensei. Rei is already over the 40% mark, and climbing fast!"
Central Dogma
Commander Ikari's Perch
Above them, Fujutsuki leaned towards the man who had been his student. "Ikari?"
Gendo answered, a bit of surprise in his voice. "Why is she accepting Rei now? What has changed?" he mumbled. With his normal voice, he ordered, "Continue activation. Increase the liquid Nitrogen flow and remove all the Bakelite from the cage. Sortie the Third Child in Unit-00, as ordered."
Misato wanted to bite her lip, "But Unit-00 is not ready!"
Shinji interjected, his voice sounded hesitant in the Comms. "I-I will do as said. I am about to enter the plug."
Gendo smirked behind his laced fingers, the Third Child was under his control again. He would fulfil his part in his plans, after all.
Tokyo-3
Zeruel detonated four energy crosses, in strategic points of the city. The time it had spent analysing the place had been worth the delay.
Central Dogma
"One more hit and the armor will be completely destroyed!" Lt Aoba reported, while Misato observed the screens, thinking, evaluating, planning. She whispered in her comm, "I'm counting on you, Asuka."
A colossal explosion rocked the whole GeoFront.
For the first time in years, natural sunlight entered directly into the cyclopean cave that housed NERV HQ.
A lonely defender stood its ground. Unit-02, surrounded by almost a dozen pallet rifles. Asuka had put the muzzles of all the rifles but one, in the ground. Leaving them standing, and at easy reach to change weapon once she had exhausted the ammo available.
Unit-02 hefted the rifle in its hands.
And waited.
"Here it comes," Asuka said to herself. "Even without Invincible Shinji-Sama, I will beat you." She waited until the head of the Angel was visible, and pressed the trigger, sending a hailstorm of gigantic bullets towards its target. But not the Magic Missile, not yet. First she had to gauge the enemy's capabilities.
Zeruel floated serenely to the GeoFront ground. The bullets impacted its skin, barely doing any damage. The Angel of Might looked at Unit-02 with his hollow, inexpressive eyes.
A chill ran down Asuka's back when she realized something.
The Angel had not deployed its AT Field.
It was no-selling her attacks by itself!
The click of the weapon brought her out of her stupor. She grabbed two rifles, and shot with both.
Useless!
She was about to use her only spell with the bazooka ammo, when Zeruel did something strange.
The two metal sheets that hung from its shoulder pads unfolded, snapped straight; and somehow, so fast Asuka had no time to see it, attacked like a snake.
Asuka watched how the impossibly thin ribbons passed at Unit-02´s sides. And a moment later, the Evangelion's arms, still holding their weapons, fell down to the ground.
A moment later, Asuka screamed in agony.
Author Notes
I know, I know. But I felt this was a good point for a cliffhanger!
And yes, Asuka has read The Lord of the Rings. It was part of the Literature Class in college.
Now, I think there is a point I must make clear. In canon, at this point of the story, Kaji had been found out, and his privileges revoked. Here, Shinji´s warning interfered with Kaji being found out. So, our favorite triple agent is still in the roster of authorized personnel.
