Tokyo-3 Arcana


Chapter 27
War Footing


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).


Tokyo-3
GeoFront

The fourth time Unit-00 impacted against Unit-02's AT Field, Shinji was prepared. At the very end of the trajectory, after the impact, but before the Angel could reel him back for another pass, he and Rei directed Unit-00 to strike with the Smash Hawk.

The pilot infused the weapon with raw magic, exactly at the moment the blade impacted the strip of exotic matter, managing to cut it, freeing the cyborg from the Angel's control. It was merely a flash, covering the edge, but it did the job. Unit-01, soaked in magic after five years in a Demi plane, would have been able to sustain the magic for a long time.

The Angel recoiled, its painful howl almost shattered the armored glass that covered NERV HQ. Both arm strips retracted; one of them, noticeably shorter than the other. While the giant mechanoid rolled away, untangling its legs from the strip as it moved. Unit-00 kicked the inert strip away, and ended the roll on a crouch, axe in hand, ready to attack or defend.

In Unit-02's plug, Asuka punched the LCL around her. "Yes! That's how you do it, Baka!"

The mutilated part of the Angel fell to the ground in front of the red EVA, laying inert; its color, a few seconds before shining like silver, began to dull immediately, until it was like iron just cooled at the forge.

As an alarm began to sound in the plug, Asuka turned around to her holo-display.

"Nein!" She hissed through clenched teeth. The energy counter dropped quickly, a moment later, she found the cause, Unit-02's own AT Field had corroded the umbilical cable until it short circuited. She was too far from a charging station, and in any case, there was no way she could manage to direct the armless biomech into putting a new cable.

Suddenly, she felt a strange sensation, like a very delicate pressure in the back of her brain.

'What's going on, kid?' Vester's voice rang into her mind, 'Can't a sentient weapon take a nap in this world?'

'Shut up, don't distract me!' She sent back, thinking hard on her words for a split second, before returning to maintaining the AT Field.

'Fine, fine, you're working; just let me see your surface thoughts, partner... ah, I see; you keep on with what you're doing, I'll see what can I do in the meanwhile.'

She felt a gradual release of the slight pressure in her mind.'Was?' She almost blurted the word. Asuka gripped harder at the control yoke. She lowered the level of her AT Field, just a bit, to save energy; she would have to be very alert to raise it again if there was another attack.


Tokyo-3
GeoFront, NERV HQ
Evangelion Cages

Unit-01 ripped another chunk of Bakelite, it would be free soon. 'Resist, You two. Help is on the way.' Rei and Yui thought at the same time.

With a might roar, the purple biomechanoid stabbed at the hard crystalline block that immobilized its legs. A big piece broke of the right leg. "Major, please ensure my way to the launching platforms is clear, Unit-01 is almost free."

"The way is already cleared, Rei. Take Platform 5, it will take you close to where the Angel is. Ibuki! Be ready to raise the charging station and weapons depot next to Exit 17-B! Aoba, can we increase the flow of liquid nitrogen into the cage?"

"It's already at the maximum, Major, but I can increase the outflow of the melted Bakelite. If you don't mind contaminating a recycling tank."

Misato opened her mouth to consult her superior officer, but there was no need for it. Commander Ikari's voice sounded clearly from the perch, "Permission granted, Lieutenant, I want Unit-01 in the field as soon as possible."

"Yes, sir. Rerouting exit flow." Aoba reported, as he issued commands in his computer station. He noted that the recycling tank number 28 would be out of service permanently, including the plumbing in and out of it. Water contaminated with Bakelite could cause big ecological problems later.

Misato nodded brusquely, "Rei, be ready to break free, the outflow is now faster."

"Acknowledged, Major."


GeoFront

Zeruel's deep set eyes flashed white, before twin beams of light exploded from the sockets.

With a thought, Shinji activated the ATF, stopping the beams before they could impact against the energy barrier Asuka maintained. A rainbow made of iridescent octagons flared in front of Unit-00.

For a few seconds, the beams clashed against the barrier of their souls, before Zeruel stopped. Had the Angel been able to show emotions in its face, it would have been clear surprise. Its energy beams had never been stopped. Much less by a second rate copy of a true Angel.

Zeruel roared in outrage.


'That hurt, big brother!' Rei complained from Unit-00's core. 'I don't like being thrown!"

'Sorry about that, sister. It surprised me before and you got hurt. Let's make sure it can't do that again.'

Unit-00 crouched low to the ground, ready to move left or right at a moment's notice, its only hand holding the gigantic axe in position to either strike or parry. Carefully, the Eva began to walk sideways, to its left; looking for a better position. Right now, an attack that missed would impact Unit-02, its shield, or NERV HQ.


Inside Unit-02's core.

"Attack!"

"Defend!"

"Live!"

"Die!"

"Help!"

"Hinder!"

"Oi, You two; agree on something already!"

"INTRUDER!"

"Not what I meant, but I'll take it."


A chill ran down Asuka's back, '(...what was that..?)' Quickly, she glanced at the status readings.


Tokyo-3
GeoFront, NERV HQ
Central Dogma

"Dr. Akagi! Asuka's synch dropped 4.3%!" Maya reported.

"Must be the sympathetic pain. Her brain can't handle the feedback and instinctively will lower the synch rate to relieve the pain." Akagi paused to think on the best response. "Monitor her vitals and be ready to administer a mild shock if she loses consciousness."

"Yes, Dr. Akagi." With a glance, she checked the other two pilots readings. "Shinji and Rei are still within the same margins, no significant deviations so far."


Tokyo-3
GeoFront

Zeruel turned slowly over itself, the enemy abomination was proving to be a very annoying opponent. Diverting part of its mass toward the shoulder, the mutilated strip began to regenerate.


Shinji kept on moving EVA-00 away from NERV HQ. He wanted to have the platforms in front of him, as reinforcement would come from there, and catching the Angel in a pincer movement with a teammate whose fighting style was well known would be advantageous. The tactic was one of the favorites of the Justicar, along with the surprise attack on the back, and the simple surprise attack. Unfortunately, preparing the terrain was not always possible when fighting Angels.


GeoFront
NERV HQ
Commander Ikari's Perch

What is he doing, why doesn't he attack already?" Fujutsuki asked in a whisper.

"The Third has never been known for his courage, he fights when cornered, when he is desperate." Commander Ikari answered in a low growl. "He is delaying, hoping for Rei to save him."

Conveniently, Ikari failed to note the fluidity of their movements as EVA-00 had freed itself from the Angel's arm. Fujutsuki did notice, but chose not to comment.


"Obstacle removed." Rei observed, as EVA-01 kicked the last fragments of solidified Bakelite impeding its movements. With a swift movement, the biomech stored the progressive knife back into the compartment in the left pylon as it began to run towards the launchpad.

It's feet shook the ground with each step.


Down in the bunker, Rusilka looked up. Her feet and hands feeling the shockwaves. Decades of underground living in a mining community had taught her to locate the origin of a shockwave by touch. Much like any person can locate a source of noise by instinctively comparing intensity and timing differences in the sound, Rusilka did the same, not with her sense of hearing, but with her sense of touch. She looked exactly in the direction EVA-00 was, and she was even able to make a rough guess about the size of the EVA.

Gendo Ikari would have been outraged had he known of this peculiar talent. Not because it would be a danger to his Scenario, but simply because it was a source of information he did not have.


Tokyo-3

Even far from the Geo-Front, the hits against Unit-02's AT Field could be felt, as the distant should of an impossibly large gong.

Kneeling on the floor of one bunker under Tokyo-3 Hospital, Hikari Horaki prayed fervently to Desna. Begging for the safety of her friends, who surely were facing an impossible enemy, risking their lifes to protect the world.

In another bunker, Toji Suzuhara and his father waited for the battle to end. Neither spoke, a nurse had brought them news of the third member of their little family, Sakura. The girl had been safely evacuated at the beginning of the emergency, and the pediatric nurse in charge had contacted the families of the patients under her and her team's charge.

An ork and his goblin slaves hid in the ample drains under the streets. The goblins trembled and whimpered with each tremor, while the orc's hands constantly squeezed and released a metal pipe.

At the collecting tank of the main water recycling plant, two giant amoebae industriously consumed any organic matter coming their way. They didn't even notice the shockwaves agitating the water. It did not affect them in any way, so it didn't matter.

At yet another bunker, the Horaki family and their guest waited for the emergency to end. Kodoma, the eldest sister, barely raised her eyes as her father hugged her. "I'm sure Hikari must be at the Hospital bunker, Kodama. She was there when the alarm started."

Limiry had taken upon herself to entertain the small children around, using simple sleight of hand tricks to make toys and coins disappear and reappear at unexpected places. Nozomi was her little helper, handing the gnome the stuff she asked for.


Matsuhiro Secondary NERV HQ Site Road

Laveth stopped her descent, sniffing the stinking fresh air. Her delicately tapered ears twitched a fraction of a centimeter. The noise was very far away, but for it to even be noticeable to her acute senses... whatever it was, it was very big.


Tokyo-3
GeoFront

"Shinji, reinforcements incoming. Exit 17-B. Hold on."

"Got it, Control. Holding position." He switched to the general channel. "Rei, this thing is immune to projectiles. Don't bother with firearms. Use only CQC weapons."

Her voice answered immediately. "Understood."

Asuka added, "Try the Sonic Glaive (1), First. It split the Seventh open in a single strike."

"Are you trained in its use, Rei?" Misato asked.

"Basic combat drills with Naginata. Similar to the Glaive in shape, though the weight is distributed differently. I'll manage."

Shinji directed Unit-00 to slowly walk to his left. He wanted to keep the Angel's attention on him. The moves learned from the Justicar always fresh in his mind. Every movement coldly calculated to allow him a quick reaction. Slowly, with his eyes always on the enemy, he adjusted his grip on the Smash Hawk. Finger by finger. That way, he was never far from a firmer grip.

He could perceive Rei's soul through the neural link. She was scared, but trusted him to fight. She kept Unit-00's rage under control. The prototype wouldn't escape the leash she held in her metaphorical hands.


In Unit-02, Asuka ground her teeth slowly. The sympathetic pain coming from the biomech's shoulders was pure agony for her. Her vision threatened to go black, but she pushed the pain down, focused only on keeping the AT Field for as long as she could. The display ran its downwards count. She was expending a lot of energy to protect HQ. "Hurry up and kill that monster, Third." She muttered.


With half an eye, Shinji watched as the warning lights lit up the 17-B exit. The Angel began to turn, as the alarms noise rang through the Geo-Front.

"No! Here!" (2) Shinji switched the external loudspeakers on (3), while Unit-00 waved its arm, axe in hand, getting the Angel's attention. Once he had it, he switched back to internal comms. "Rei, be ready to dodge, this Angel us very fast on the attack."

"Agreed, I'm about to arrive to the surface. ETA 14 seconds."


Inside Unit-02's Core

"Okay, I can see you two lassies are having a family discussion." Vester found himself with a curious problem. He was still a magical dagger, thank you very much, but in this soul plane his body was actually… flexible. And much more expressive. "Now, which one of you is in charge of this stablishment? I want to lodge a complain. You are distracting my partner, who needs to work on whatever she's doing out there."

Both halves of Kyoko Zeppelin Soryu snarled at Vester. "Sooo, do we have an agreement, yes? Now, I don't know what in the name of the forge I was sharpened at you two are doing, but unless you get your act together, my partner is gonna get angry, most probably at me. And if she gets angry at me, I'm gonna be angry at you. So let's take a moment, breathe, and then we all help her do her job, it's that clear? Or do I have to get sesquipedalian?" (4)

"I want to be back with Asuka." Said one of the two, the one clad in a tight suit, similar to the one Asuka herself was wearing.

"I want to be with my daughter,"said the other, wearing only a white gown. "Forever!" The gleam of madness shining in her visible eye, the other hidden behind her long blond hair.

"Well! So do I!" Vester exclaimed. "We all agree on that! Say, what about we help her to do her stuff and argue later, we have to have priorities, people!"


Unit-00 feinted an attack with the Smash Hawk, the Angel, despite it's bigger mass, dodged easily. At the same time, Unit-01 extracted the Sonic Glaive from the weapons depot, weighting its mass on two hands. "Satisfactory." Rei whispered.

From the EVA 's core, Yui sent a thought to Rei. 'I learned to use the Naginata back in school. Our synch rate is high enough for you to share my knowledge, rusty or not.'

'Good. Time to fight.' Rei answered, positioning the right hand close to the weapon's head, the grip light. The left hand grip was much firmer. Yui's guide light in her mind. She preferred to guide with the right hand and use the left hand to impart impulse to the glaive. Stabbing was faster attack than slashing, though she could change tactics in a split second if needed.

"Shinji," Misato broadcast in the general comms channel, "keep the Angel busy and nullify its ATF while Rei closes distance. Attack on my signal. When either of you has the chance, strike at the core. It's clearly exposed right at mass center."

"Understood." Rei answered first.

Shinji followed, "Got it. Rei, do not hold back, this Angel has the thoughest shell we've ever seen. It shoots energy beams from its eyes and the arms strike faster than snakes, even at its size. Be ready to dodge or parry. Don't try to block. I'm sure it can cut through our weapons."

"Received and understood. Major Katsuragi, I'm moving into attack distance. Ready to attack."

From the Command Center, Misato breathed in controlled tension. Hey eyes analyzed the scene, calculating distance, vectors of attack, collateral damages, angles of retreat.

Finally, when she thought they had the best chance they were going to get, she ordered, "Attack!"

Both EVAs jumped into action.


Author Notes:

(1) The Sonic Glaive Asuka used against Israfel looks more like a spear, with a small head and double edge. A proper glaive has a longer head and a single edge, though some variants incorporate hooks, used to dismount riders or to disarm the enemy. The Naginata looks like a saber with a very long handle. All three are pole weapons, and Glaive and Naginata are generally used with two hands, due to the weight of the head. The one she got from the weapons depot is a true glaive.

(2) Shinji did like the Alien movie. Of course he watched the sequel!

(3) Not only the pilot can use the external loudspeakers, HQ can do it too. Back in the battle with Shamshel, Misato ordered Toji and Kensuke to board the plug.

(4) Literally, a foot and a half. But in context, it means Vester is gonna get pedantically long-winded, using the longest words possible. Maybe not the best idea when arguing with two halves of a very smart scientist, but then again, Vester is not necessarily the sharpest dagger in the panoply.