Susano-o: And the cast is nearly completed, and we get my favorite side character, Mari!
Sekhmet: If it were up to me, Asuka wouldn't exist and she would have been replaced with another OC. I seriously do NOT like her. She's everything I hate about people condensed into a single person.
Susano-o: ….Wow this is a swap lol. She's not that bad, she's just got a lot of things wrong with her that make her react like an asshole.
Sekhmet: How did I get stuck writing for her again? Who thought it was a good idea to have me channel my inner bitch?
Susano-o: Because I took Mari and Adelise, because I know Mari the best and Adelise because I made her. Leaving you with her, and again she'll be better.
Sekhmet: Yes, the only reason I'm tolerating her is because we plan to fix her so I don't bristle every time she opens her mouth. Luckily I remained uninfluenced by my own opinions and pulled through for the story.
Susano-o: Come on she's suffering just like Shinji, the poor hedgehog babes.
Sekhmet: We all suffer here, and Asuka is the only one who takes it out on others. But enough arguing.
Susano-o: Yep, let's go!
Chapter 8: The Sixth Angel, Gaghiel
"Love me love me, say that you love me~" Mary hummed, doing a small chair dance to Lovefool by The Cardigans, which she could barely hear over the helicopter's blades. "Fool me, fool me, go on and fool me~"
"We're so bloody high up," Isabelle said in awe as she watched the ocean race past her.
"The average turbine helicopter flies at 25,000 feet high," Rei said from her left.
Mary raised an eyebrow. "I thought you hated flying?" She asked.
"Well I still kinda do," Isabelle said blushing. "-But after using the S-Type equipment, I realized I hate flying in planes," She explained before her expression changed to amazement. "-But in something like this or in the eva's it's bloody amazing."
Mary nodded, sort of understanding her friends perspective.
"What do you think the new pilots will be like?" Shinji asked seeing the awkward quiet that was settling in.
"I hope this time their more, adult woman," Toji said adjusting his hat. "If you catch my drift."
Misato's smile was more of a grimace as she looked back at the full passenger area. "You do know you won't be able to keep that footage right?" She said looking at Kensuke.
"Awww," He pouted, but continued to film anyway thinking he could upload it before it got confiscated, not knowing the film was removed before he even got on.
As they passed through a small cloud, a huge fleet of ships came into view. Notable was an aircraft carrier that was very old and very large.
"There she is, The Over The Rainbow," Misato said smiling at everyone's enthusiasm.
"That's a huge ship!" Mary exclaimed, pulling one headphone off her head.
"It's a historical monument!" Kensuke said excitedly.
"I wanna climb that bloody tower," Isabelle deadpanned looking at ships radio towers.
"Isabelle no," Rei responded.
"Isabelle yes," Isabelle responded.
The helicopter touched down on the helipad, and the cabin unloaded the teens and Misato. The sight unfolded in front of three silhouetted girls.
"Where's the tower?" Isabelle asked jumping down from the copter.
"You can't climb the tower, it's government property." Mary said.
Toji got down and him and Kensuke looked at the deck in awe, unfortunately sending his hat flying. "Aww I just bought that!" He yelled running after it, but the middle girl stamped her foot down on it. "Hey!" Toji shouted grabbing at the hat. The offending girl was a haughty looking redhead in a yellow dress and red barrettes. On her left was a twin-tailed brunette in a plaid schoolgirl uniform and red rimmed glasses, and to her left was a blonde with a red and blue streak in her hair, a white pea coat and navy dress, topped off by a plaid scarf.
"Asuka," Misato said smiling. "Good to see you again."
"Guten Tag Miss Misato! I've grown since the last time we saw each other, haven't I?" The redhead said in the most princess like tone, and then due to the properties of wind on a boat, a gust of wind flipped up her dress exposing her panties to the group.
"Ah!" The redhead screamed before smacking Toji and Kensuke as hard as she could, her attempt to smack Shinji was stopped when Mary and Isabelle pulled him back and Rei stepped in front of him to grab the offending limb.
"Pilot Soryu," Rei said not releasing the redhead's hand. "Please refrain from hitting friend Ikari."
"That's the viewing fee! Pretty good deal if I say myself." Asuka huffed.
"Maybe next time wear spandex instead of panties," Rei quipped letting her go, only for her to spin around and see Toji with his pants around his ankles. "And here's your change! "He yelled smugly.
Smack!
…..
"So," Isabelle said as the group walked through the halls. "What are your names?" She asked the twin-tailed and pea coated girls.
"Ah Bonjour! I am Adelise Mercier!" The Pea coated girl said kissing Isabelle's cheeks, then moving on to the rest of the group, leaving Shinji red and Rei…
"I am uncomfortable," Was all she said.
"And I'm Mari Makinami Illustrious," The twin-tailed girl said leaning heavily onto Shinji to sniff his hair. "You smell like blood," She cooed. "That means LCL, you're one of the pilots," She concluded giddily.
Mary stepped into the conversation while Shinji tried to process what she had just said. "We're all pilots here. We all smell like that."
"Oh please. If you all are pilots, I'm twice the pilots you are." Asuka bragged.
"Hmm, of course you are my queen," Mari said draping herself over Auska's shoulders, highlighting the height difference between the two.
"Madam Illustrious has been doing that to Madam Soryu all trip," Adelise explained as they watched Asuka try to wrestle the taller girl off her. "It is most fun to watch," She giggled.
"Get off me Fifth!" Asuka shouted, shoving Mari off.
"Oh so cruel Second," Mari smiled lazily. Asuka snorted before turning to the rest of the group. "What are your numbers?" She asked the rest of them. "Because I know frenchie over there is the Eighth."
Adelise smiled as twiddled her fingers in a small wave. "That's me!" She said clearly not understanding the insult.
"Right. Sixth." Mary said.
"I'm the Third." Shinji replied.
"First," Rei said.
"And I'm the Seventh," Isabelle said smiling.
"Umm," Kensuke said when Asuka turned her look on him and the still fuming Toji. "We're not pilots," He explained nervously, Asuka looked like she was about to comment but Mary cut her off.
"Anyway, now that all of us are together, who wants peaches?" She said, pulling several of the fruits out of her bag, one for each person and handing them out.
Asuka snatched hers up. "It's about time someone started treating me right!" She sneered.
"Oooh delicious," Adelise said grabbing the offered fruit and taking a bite.
"Finally something fresh," Mari cheered putting as much of the fruit as possible in her mouth in one go.
"Come along then," Misato said waving them into the control room.
….
"Well he was pleasant," Misato snorted after their interaction with the captain.
"I'm sure his concerns were well placed." Mary offered, though she hadn't been listening much.
"Why do people keep treating us like this?" Isabelle asked sadly. "We're pilots but they act like we're just useless kids."
"Well maybe you are, but I'm not." Asuka huffed.
"It must be a problem with being a minor in a huge government project like this. Though we hold a lot of power in our hands, no one trusts us with it." Mary offered.
"I just ignore them," Mari said kicking her legs up as she walked. "They're just old and weird."
"Oh well," Adelise said shrugging and smiling, making Toji and Kensuke swoon. "As long as we are helping people."
Rei said nothing and Misato was grateful, till she turned the corner and ran right into a scruffy looking man.
Asuka suddenly gasped loudly, her personality switching from 'Smug' to 'Giddy schoolgirl' so quick it gave everyone whiplash. "KAJI!" She shouted.
"Kaji!" Misato screamed angrily.
"Long time no see Misato." He grinned.
….
Cramming 9 people in an elevator was not a fun task, but with trial and error...they didn't succeed.
"So you know him Miss. Misato?" Shinji asked as he was pushed up against Isabelle's chest. Mary was also shoved against his back so it was doubly awkward.
"She sure does. We dated for a while back in the day." Kaji explained.
Misato glared back.
"Umm excuse me Monsieur Suzuhara, your hand is on my posterior, could you please remove it?"
"HENTAI!" Asuka screamed trying to smack Toji, but Mari's hug forced her to stay still, which everyone was grateful for.
The elevator dinged, and the second the doors opened people spilled out of it like the snakes in a prank jar of peanuts.
"Mess hall's this way." Kaji said, completely unfazed by the previous circumstances.
The group followed Kaji towards the mess hall, and after receiving some questionable food, sat down together at a table.
"So, seeing anyone new?" Kaji teased.
"I don't think that's any of your business," Misato glared stabbing her food with more force than necessary.
"That's rather cold." Kaji said, continuing his teasing. When it didn't work a second time, he turned his attention to Shinji. "So, I hear you and Misato are living together."
"Well, yes." Shinji replied.
"Is she still wild in bed?" Kaji asked.
"What!?" Misato screamed jumping to her feet as Asuka started choked on her drink, Mari smacked her back while laughing her ass off, Adelise didn't understand the joke and looked around for anyone to explain.
[Umm,] Isabelle said leaning on Mary. [Should we intervene?]
[Probably. Misato looks like she's gonna strangle him.] Mary replied. "So, what's so interesting about us that's drawing your attention?"
"Well, it's Shinji specifically that's got the interest of the higher ups. After all, piloting an EVA with no training at all is a pretty impressive feat." Kaji explained.
"Oh, well that was just a fluke." Shinji said, trying to palm off the attention to anyone else. Asuka side eyed him, as all the attention was going to him and not her.
"Coincidences are a part of fate. You're blessed with a talent." Kaji replied, before standing up. "Well, I should be going."
"Yes sir." Both Shinji And Mary replied at the same time.
"Jerk," Misato growled sitting down.
Abruptly, Asuka got up from the table and stomped off, not even discarding her food on the way out.
"So," Isabelle said taking a drink.
"What was Monsieur Kaji talking about?" Adelise asked.
"I dunno. Apparently it's an 'adult only topic' and 'we'll learn about it when we're older' or some crap like that." Mary said, air quoting sarcastically.
Mari smirked as she leaned in closer. "Do you two not know about sex?" She simpered giggling.
"I'm not answering that for fear of what you'll do next." Mary said.
"Oh," Adelise said wide eyed. "I understand now."
….
Asuka stared out into the ocean from the rail of the boat, kicking her legs up in the air.
"So what did you think of Shinji and the others?" Kaji asked from behind her.
"They're annoying let downs. I never imagined someone as boring as him would be picked." Asuka replied.
"I understand. But you know, his sync rate hit 40 during the first battle." Kaji said.
"Really?" Asuka said, actually surprised by this, before an evil look crossed her face.
….
"So can someone explain why they shipped these EVA's over the ocean and not the air like ours?" Isabelle asked as she finally found the door to the radio tower.
"Air traffic control would not let NERV bring that many Evangelion's across their runways," Rei explained as she grabbed Isabelle's collar.
"Yeah that kinda makes sense." Mary said.
"Madam Jones," Adelise piped up. "Why is Madam Watanabe so insistent on climbing the tower?"
"I dunno. She likes high places I guess." Mary replied. "She's like the opposite of a fish."
"Wouldn't that just be a cat?" Mari asked raising an eyebrow as Rei picked up Isabelle like a sack of potatoes, causing her to pout.
"I dunno. While we're at it, what's the opposite of a horse?" Mary asked.
"Some sort of big cat?" Mari suggested with a small catlike grin.
"Well if the opposite of pig is salmon, maybe the opposite of a horse is an ostrich?" Shinji offered.
"The opposite of a horse is a seahorse," Rei said walking down the stairs. "Now please stop referencing pre-second impact shows."
"I thought it was a manga reference?" Mari asked.
"No it was a show reference," Adelise added.
"Yeah I got that from Stone Ocean." Mary said. "Did I accidentally reference something?"
"The Office," Rei said opening the hatch, right into Asuka.
"There you all are!" She yelled. "Come with me for a moment." She then walked off.
"Where are we going?" Isabelle asked from behind Rei. "Is it high up?"
"I don't think so." Mary said.
….
"Oh we are going there!" Adelise said excitedly as Asuka navigated their small boat across the fleet.
"This seems like a questionable move at best." Mary said.
"Oh you worry too much," Mari said lazing over the side. "Just go with the flow."
"I just feel like we should have stuck with Misato." Mary said.
"Don't worry about it so much. I've done this a bunch of times on this trip alone." Asuka said.
"You should leave the Evangelions alone," Rei said from her seat. "Contamination of the coolant could result in vulnerabilities in the EVA's immune systems."
"You're all no fun, especially you, Wondergirl." Asuka sneered.
"Hey leave Blue alone," Isabelle protested. "She's cool."
"Yeah man, that's not cool." Mary agreed.
"Oh quit your whining. We're here." Asuka sneered, the boat puttering into its destination.
"All ashore who's going ashore!" Mari yelled grabbing the side and climbing up. With various levels of reluctance, the children boarded the ship.
…
"Ok got to admit," Isabelle said looking over the three pools of coolant housing the EVA's. "Red is a nice color on them."
"Yeah I'll give you that much." Mary admitted.
"Oh oh this one is mine!" Adelise yelled excitedly running over to a silver and purple one with red highlights, including red hands, its head was small and rounded with a dull grey irregular octagonal visor and a small dull grey chin piece. "Eva unit 04!" She yelled jumping in front of it like an excited child.
"Shiny to be certain." Mary quipped.
"This one is mine," Mari said gesturing at the mainly pink one with white trim and some yellow details. The helmet had three horns aimed slightly backwards, with eight individual eyes colored neon green distributed in the front. "Eva unit 08."
"Oh please. Silver? Nothing but empty flash. Pink? So boring! Besides, Unit 2 was the first ever model built for combat, unlike the previous Prototype and Test Type. It's the first of its kind!" Asuka bragged from her perch on the highest point of her EVA.
"Interesting," Rei said after a few seconds of silence.
"You know you seem really embittered, are you maybe compensating for something?" Mary asked.
"Excuse you?!" Asuka screeched.
"Yeah seriously who hurt you?" Isabelle asked before the entire boat was rocked, sending them tumbling over. "Oh what now," Isabelle groaned as they ran towards the deck.
As the children gathered on the deck, a series of explosions and waves rocked the fleet.
"Well looks like we're in trouble." Mary said.
"Oh dear," Adelise said covering her mouth. "We must get to the Eva's post haste."
"There's seven of us and three EVAs. Either some of us will have to stay or we'll have to pair up. Is that even possible?" Mary asked.
"Wait, that's an Angel?" Asuka asked.
"I think that's pretty obviously aren't you supposed to be smart?" Isabelle asked undressing as quick as she could. "And this is why I suggested we all bring plug suits," She said smiling.
Mary dug the suits out from the bottom of her bag. "Well if we're all doing this, suit up." she said, handing them out.
"Shinji this is no time for modesty!" Isabelle ordered shoving the boy's plug suit into his hands as he tried to cover his reddening face.
"Yeah this is kinda life or death," Mari added pulling off her stockings as she hopped over to the lockers in the bay with the three's suits.
"I am fine with you being here," Adelise agreed grabbing the offered suit from Mari as she undid her peacoat. Mary and Asuka took their suits and went off into a nearby hallway to change.
"I don't think so, pervert!" She snapped at Mary.
"Relax. I'll go up, you go down, and we'll pretend we never saw each other." Mary said.
"Forget that, I'LL go up." Asuka huffed.
"They are going to take too long," Rei said sliding her suit on and compressing it. "Pilot Mercier are the Eva's prepped for launch?"
"Oui," Adelise said pressurizing her silver and red jumpsuit.
"Yep all we need to do is get in and pilot," Mari added pressurizing her pink suit. "Ah such good support!" She giggled jumping up a bit to make her chest jiggle, much to Shinji's embarrassment.
"Hey that's what I said," Isabelle chuckled as her and Shinji walked over to the Evas. "Hey move your asses you bloody ankle biters!" She yelled at the stairwell.
"I'm going as fast as I can!" Mary said, stumbling out of the hallway and pressurizing her suit as she ran to catch up with the group. Asuka followed her a few moments later.
"Well get your knickers out and go faster!" She shouted as the boat was suddenly rocked violently.
"Ok everyone in the pod!" Mary said, hopping into the open plug of Unit 2.
"Uh, not in my EVA!" Asuka said, starting to pitch a fit, only to realize both Shinji and Isabelle had also jumped in.
"It's gonna take too long to open the other plugs again, let's just go!" Shinji urged her.
Asuka growled in frustration, but climbed into the seat. "Fine, but don't touch anything and don't get in my way!"
Isabelle bit her lip hard as the pod sealed up around them and the start up sequence began.
{Systemsprache: Deutsch. Aktivierungssequenz einleiten. Stellen Sie neuronale. Verbindungen her und lassen. Sie LCL zu. Gehirnwellen und synaptische Verbindungen: positiv. Starten Sie die Synchronisation.} Asuka commanded. The pod lit up in the typical rainbow of colors before error signs lit up the displays.
"What's going on?" Isabelle asked grabbing her palm between her teeth.
"It's cognitive noise. I told you not to get in my way!" Asuka said.
"What do you mean?" Shinji asked.
"You're thinking in Japanese right now, you have to think in German!" Asuka explained.
"I don't know any German to think in!" Mary said.
"Bratwurst, Kartoffelpuffer, Kartoffelkloesse, Sauerkraut!" Isabelle suddenly yelled at the top of her lungs. "Nine! Deutsche Mark! Oktoberfest!"
"You're such an idiot!" Asuka shrieked. "Fine. Set language to Japanese." The error signs cleared up, then errored again.
"We're english you bloody hoon!" Isabelle yelled. "Fuck me dead!"
"Well that's some tough luck because I don't know any English!" Asuka said, clearly irritated with how difficult this was getting.
"They are going to die," Mari said activating her Eva.
"We will have to help them in that case," Adelise and Rei noted as they activated as well, Adelise was shocked when she didn't have to recalibrate with Rei.
"They will be fine," Rei said determined, and a few seconds later was rewarded with the image of Eva unit 02 sitting up in its pool. "We need to get to Over the Rainbow, it has the necessary power cables, has anyone gotten in contact with Captain Katsuragi yet?"
"Not yet. How are we gonna make it to the cables?" Mary asked.
"Simple. We're going to play hopscotch." Asuka smirked.
"Ooh I was good at that in school," Adelise said excitedly.
"I normally just walked," Mari joked. Unit 2 started jumping from boat to boat, closely followed by 8 and 4. The three eventually made it to Over The Rainbow, barely fitting on the carrier, where the external power cables were almost out and ready.
"Good to see you're all safe," Misato said smiling as the three eva's hooked up. "Now, the target has officially identified as the 6th Angel, your job is to eliminate it and protect this ship at all costs!"
"Got it Captain," Mari said with a two fingered salute.
"Affirmative," Rei agreed and Adelise gave a grin and a thumbs up in response.
"We don't have any guns." Mary said.
"The Prog Knife will do." Asuka said, pulling it from its holster. Isabelle just nodded.
"Right then," Misato said firmly. "Mission start Eva units go!"
The Angel made a beeline for the EVAs, tearing up a huge body that could only be bigger under the water.
"That thing is huge." Shinji said.
"Just as I thought." Asuka replied.
"Maybe we should order a prog fishing pole," Mari quipped as she jumped back.
The Angel jumped out of the water and onto the boat, beaching itself and destroying anything in its path as it tried to devour the EVAs.
"We're gonna need a bigger boat!" Mary said. Suddenly one of the elevator shafts on the flight deck caved, causing the boat to flip and throw Unit 2 and the Angel off the boat and into the water.
Isabelle's eyes went wide as they sunk like a stone into the frigid waters. "A-Asuka get u-u-us out of here," she stuttered as her breathing became more erratic.
"I'm working on it!" Asuka snipped. The Angel was effectively caught on a line, dragging the cable everywhere as it tried and failed to swallow Unit 2.
"We're in B Type, we can't move!" Mary said.
"What!" Isabelle screamed as she tried to stand up. "What idiot made that decision!" She screamed frantically looking around in the blackness or the ocean.
"Friend Watanabe?" Rei asked over the coms as she heard Isabelle's screams. "What's wrong?"
"I can't be in here," Isabelle said back. "The walls, I need to get out!"
As if to make things worse, the Angel came at them again, opening it's huge mouth to reveal teeth the size of people and it's red core.
"It has a mouth?!" Shinji asked.
"Oh no!" Asuka shouted.
"Awesome!" Mary said, their last words before getting chomped by the Angel and dragged again.
Isabelle felt her conscious collapse, it was a strange feeling to know all your mental facilities are now out of your control yet not be able to do anything about it, briefly she wondered if that screaming noise was herself or the Angel, but at this point she was too gone to be able to tell, all she could do was go to her happy place and stay there.
"Friend Isabelle!" Rei screamed into the coms as Isabelle's incoherent screaming filled the radio waves. "Friends Jones and Ikari what is happening?"
"We're in the mouth of the beast. We can see the core, but we have no way to reach it. On top of that, Isabelle is having a psychological reaction to something. I don't know what but it's fear based!" Mary attempted to explain.
"I want my mom!" Isabelle screamed curling up into a ball. "Please please get me out of here! I can't breath! I need to get out!"
"We need to get back to the ship!" Shinji realized. "We need to get to an open place!"
"Claustrophobia, of course! What's the plan!" Mary asked.
"We've been trying to fish you out," Mari explained. "-But I can't outmuscle that big fish, maybe we can shoot it."
"If we can force its mouth open, you'd have a clear shot at the core with anything, right?" Mary asked.
"It's a plan," Misato said. "I'll get the fleet to bring the big guns in, Asuka I need you to get it's mouth open, Adelise and Rei you'll be bait, Mari you're gonna make sure they don't drown if their cables get cut, Shinji and Mary one of you needs to keep Isabelle calm before the sych ratio gets more chaotic."
"I got Isabelle." Mary said, before making her way over to her and grabbed her shoulders. "Isabelle! Isabelle, I need you to be really brave and look at me! Don't look at anything else, just look at me. And if you can't open your eyes it's fine, just listen to me."
[I don't want to,] Isabelle whined curling up tighter. [I want my mom.]
[It's alright. You just have to listen to my voice. You don't have to do anything else. I don't know where your mom is, but what I do know is that if she were here, she'd want you to be really brave and listen to me.] Mary said, being as soothing as she could. [We're going to be ok. We're going to get out, and when we do, you can climb the highest structure you can find. Everything is going to be ok.]
Isabelle tensed but nodded as she curled up tighter, allowing their synch score to finally mellow out.
[You're gonna be fine. In fact, forget what I said about opening your eyes, keep them closed. When we get out, you're gonna go climb the tallest thing ever, and it's gonna be the best thing ever.] Mary said, and continued to say similarly soothing things.
"We're ready up here," Misato said. "Asuka get ready to start opening its mouth."
"Roger!" Asuka said, and put one hand on each part of the Angel's jaw. "Ready to open!"
"We're in the water," Adelise said as they watched the Angel turn to attack them.
"Right Asuka now!" Misato yelled. Asuka pushes as hard as she could, slowly working the Angel's maw open. "It's open!"
"The ships are down!" Misato yelled. "Adelise and Mari are ready, let's make some fish fry!"
Rei blinked. "Did Captain Katsuragi just make a joke?"
"We'll laugh at it later, let's go!" Mary said.
Unit 02 ripped open the jaws as the Angel just as the two torpedo laided ships entered the beasts mouth, Adelise grabbed her from behind and threw up her AT field while Asuka used hers to shut down the Angel's. The forceful reintroduction of drag ground the beasts momentum to a halt and Asuka and Adelise were ejected hard as the sonic booms created in the Angel's massive body sent them reeling, Mari quickly took hold of the lines as they began retracting as fast as the spools would allow.
"Now!" Asuka screamed once they passed the save zone, Misato hit the button and the two ships exploded, turning the Angel instantly into chum. "Ha take that!" She laughed as they were pulled out of the water and onto the boat. "And that's one for Asuka!"
…
"So," Misato said as she looked over the Ritsuko's notes. "What happened to her?"
"She had a panic attack," Ritsuko said calmly looking at the sleeping Isabelle. "Apparently she has cleithrophobia that we weren't informed of."
"What?" Misato asked. "You mean claustrophobia?"
"No cleithrophobia," Ritsuko clarified. "Fear of being trapped, she's perfectly able to go into small spaces, but she's scared she'll become trapped," She explained. "This explains why she was so nervous when she first got inside the entry plug, and why her score starts so low, she's worried she won't get out."
"That's...specific," Misato said looking down at Isabelle and unconsciously rubbing her head.
"Yes, but not hard to work with," Ritsuko explained. "We just need to make sure she's not inside a small space where she can't get out of."
Mitsuko nodded as she kept rubbing her head, Isabelle mumbled in her sleep and started rubbing back. "Momma," She whispered with a small smile, Misato blushed hard.