A/N: Here is chapter three of Neon Genesis Striker. It's been three weeks since Yoshika arrived in Tokyo-3 and now she begins to attend school but she makes friends and an enemy. There will be clear OOC here.
Thanks to my pre-reader Makuhari-Fan01
I don't own Evangelion or Strike Witches. I do own Elsa Barkhorn who is an original character of mine.
Chapter Three: A Transfer
"How are you doing this morning Sergeant Miyafuji?" asked Perrine as she watched the events unfolding on a screen.
Yoshika stood ready in her Striker with her IMI micro Uzi ready for the enemy attack.
"Remember Miyafuji, aim first and then fire or else you're just wasting ammunition." came Perrine's voice again into the transceiver Yoshika had.
"Right." replied the sergeant who kept repeating 'aim first and then fire' over and over again.
"Ready Miyafuji?" asked Sakamoto and when Yoshika nodded 'yes' , Sakamoto gave the command.
"Attack!"
Yoshika left her hiding place behind the skyscraper and fired upon the Angel killing it.
"Not bad sergeant." said Sakamoto, "end simulation."
Lieutenant Bishop then ended the battle simulation and Yoshika returned to the hanger.
"Simulation ended." said Lynne who then asked, "Why do you think she choose to fight again?"
"She does whatever she is told." responded Perrine, "It's how she gets through life."
"That's one way to live." said Sakamoto who felt empathy for Yoshika.
Thanks to the hard work Yoshika put into cleaning the residence she shared with Sakamoto over the last few days, she wasn't tired when she woke up the next morning. Yoshika showered, dressed ate and was preparing to go to school when she realized there was a problem. Her guardian was still in her bed under her bed covers.
"Miss Sakamoto." Yoshika asked cautiously as she entered the older woman's room to find her on her futon under three blankets, "It's 7: 30 in the morning."
"I just got back from night shift and I don't have to go to work until tonight so please let me sleep." Sakamoto responded groggy.
"Okay, ma'am." Yoshika said and began to leave.
"Miyafuji." Sakamoto said causing her to stop, "Today is trash day so would you be a dear and bring out the trash for collection?"
"No problem." Yoshika replied.
After taking out the trash Yoshika left for school, while Sakamoto's attempt at sleep was again interrupted, but this time by Perrine.
("How is Yoshika doing at school?") asked Perrine trying to get as much info as possible on the newest addition to NERV.
"She's okay but she hasn't gotten any calls, and that bothers me." replied Sakamoto.
("Calls?") asked Perrine now confused.
"I gave Yoshika a cell phone if she needed to reach me but she hasn't made or received any calls. I can't prove it but I think don't Yoshika has any friends."
("Sakamoto, have you heard of the hedgehog's dilemma?") asked Perrine.
"Hedgehog?" asked Sakamoto, "Aren't those the animals with the spiny back?"
("Yes.") replied Perrine, ("Hedgehogs want to get close to each other but they can't because there spikes would hurt. Some humans are the same for fear of getting hurt and I believe that is the case with Yoshika.")
"Yoshika is going to have to realize that she can't avoid people forever." responded Sakamoto.
Yoshika arrived at her middle school she entered room 2-A which was her class. It was a typical classroom with six rows of five desks and a chalkboard at the front. The kids were in there groups and as she sat down, she noticed Sanya doing her favorite school activity; staring out the window. The pale girl's right arm was still in a cast hung up by a sling, and her right eye was still bandaged even after three weeks.
While Yoshika sat alone at her desk, two rows over another girl sat at her desk playing a hand held video game. She was totally obsessed with her racing game until her car lost control and crashed.
"Awe." said the girl named Francesca Lucchini. Lucchini was a twelve year old from Romagna with dark olive skin, jet black hair in two short twin pig tails, a white button shirt and white and blue striped panties.
Since Tokyo-3 was destined to be the new permanent capital of Fuso, people were coming to it from all over the world as companies began to move operations from the provisional capital of Tokyo-2, formerly the city of Matsumoto, to Tokyo-3.
"Miss Lucchini." came a stern voice causing Lucchini to almost jump out of her skin and hide her gaming system.
The voice belonged to the class representative Gertrude Barkhorn. An eighteen year old from Karlsländ, Barkhorn demanded constant discipline and respect for the teachers from her classmates. She has chestnut brown hair in two long pigtails and worn a gray jacket shirt. Barkhorn has a younger sister named Chris in the sixth grade who looked like Yoshika and a twenty year old sister named Elsa who was majoring in Liberal Arts at Tokyo-3 university.
"Did you deliver last night's homework to Hartmann like I told you?" asked class rep Barkhorn.
"I tried to, but nobody was home." replied Lucchini as Erica Hartmann, the girl they were talking about came into the classroom.
Hartmann was from Karlsländ like Barkhorn. She was sixteen with a brown shirt, short blonde hair in a bob cut and blue eyes. She tended to be very sloppy.
"Hey Trude." said a distant Hartmann to her friend.
"You know I hate it when you call me that." said Barkhorn who noticing that Hartmann wasn't her usual care-free and laid back self asked with concern in her voice, "What's wrong? Where's Ursula?"
The latter question cause Hartmann to cringe. Ursula was the more shy and reserved twin sister of
Erica, both of who hadn't been to school since the battle with the Angel and now only one had returned.
Lucchini decided to try and take her mind off of it, "Everyone is still talking about the battle against that giant alien. Wasn't that so cool?"
This only served to make Hartmann angry as she smashed her bag onto her desk, "I don't want to hear about that battle again."
"Erica, what has gotten into you?"asked a very concerned Barkhorn, "Does it have to do with the battle?"
"During that fight Ursula was crushed by a pile of debris. She's alive but in the ICU and in a coma. My father and grandfather work full time so they can't see her and my mother is dead so if I don't visit her then she's alone." said Hartmann with her voice full of sadness.
"Damn it." said a seething Trude, "Whoever the hell fought the alien was an idiot!"
"Well you two know the rumors right?" asked Lucchini, "Rumor is that that new transfer kid is the one who fought the alien."
"What?" asked Hartmann and Barkhorn together causing Barkhorn to blush slightly.
At that point the teacher, an elderly man in his sixties with black slacks, a white button shirt an a pair of glasses, enters the classroom and Barkhorn leads the class in her daily routine,
"Rise. Bow. Sit Down."
One might think that placing children ranging six years into one class wouldn't be logical but with droves of kids leaving after the Angel battle and the redistribution of money to NERV to battle the Angels at the expense of the rest of the city forced the school to let go of a quarter of its staff. These combined factors led to this unique situation. It didn't matter anyway since all their teacher did anyway was ramble on about Second Impact for hours and most kids were on their school laptops playing games, listening to music, chatting or browsing.
With ten minutes before lunch Yoshika sat at her desk and desperately tried to avoid falling asleep. As she felt her eyes getting heavy Yoshika got an instant message asking, "Are you the one who fought that giant alien? Y/N."
Yoshika made a huge mistake and answered honestly. A minute later the entire class with the exception of Barkhorn, Hartmann and Lucchini flocked to Yoshika and began asking her questions about the Striker and NERV. Hartmann looked away in disgust and Lucchini broke out her video camera and began to film.
"How did you get chosen? Did you have to take a test?" asked one while Yoshika just told them what she could and said the rest was classified well the teacher, completely unaware of what was going on remained facing the board and still kept rambling on about Second Impact.
"Pay attention guys we're still in class!" demanded Barkhorn.
"What was the gun you used?" asked another girl.
As Yoshika answered the question Barkhorn realized what they were talking about and her anger returned.
As Yoshika continued to answer questions the bell freeing the kids for lunch.
"Hey new kid.", Barkhorn called out to Yoshika as the latter went to get her lunch, "We need to talk."
"Okay." Yoshika and the two of them left with a grinning Lucchini in tow.
As they went outside Hartmann had received her lunch, beer battered bratwurst with sauerkraut on the side, it was her favorite and meal everyone knew it. She was now looking for her friends and saw them outside an open window.
Outside the building in an isolated area Yoshika and walked out with Barkhorn and Lucchini behind. When she turned around to talk to Barkhorn the Karlsländ girl punched Yoshika in the face knocking her to the ground.
"Sorry transfer, but I've got to beat you up." said the angry Barkhorn, "I won't feel right until I've hit you."
As Barkhorn walked away, Lucchini bent over and said, "It's not personal. She only hit you because Hartmann's sister got hurt when you were fighting that alien."
"I was forced to fight." said Yoshika which caused Barkhorn to turn around and stormed back over to Yoshika. After pushing Lucchini aside Barkhorn picked up Yoshika and punched her again before leaving with Lucchini behind her.
"She did this because of me." said a guilty Hartmann after watching the events unfold.
As Yoshika sat up, Sanya walked up to her and informed Yoshika, "There is an emergency, we must go to NERV."
As Yoshika watched Sanya bolt she heard the air raid sirens signaling an Angel.
"Battle stations!"ordered Sub-Commander Ferrara on the bridge above the command center where Sakamoto, Perrine and the three technicians readied everything for battle.
"Striker Unit-01 ready for launch." reported Lynne.
"Informing all government and military personal complete." reported Amaki who added, "Last time they gave us a fifteen year break. This time it's only three weeks."
"They never care about our convenience." said Sakamoto, "They're the type we women hate the most."
The Angel rose up from the sunken part of Tokyo-3. It had a large purple cylinder body with eight insect-like legs. The Angel had two arms from the top of it's body, with large purple whiskers coming from them, and purple spade shaped head, with it's core right below where the head meets the body.
As the Angel began crawling through the city the FSSDF tried to destroy the Angel with missiles and rockets with the no effect.
"That's a waste of the taxpayers money." commented Ferrara at the sight.
"Have the civilians been evacuated?" asked Sakamoto.
"Yes ma'am." replied Nishika.
In a subterranean shelter outside Tokyo-3 the class of 2-A sat waiting. Including a still mad Barkhorn, a guilty Hartmann and Lucchini who was trolling through a hand held television for any footage of the battle.
"There not showing any live footage." said a disappointed Lucchini.
"Of course." said Hartmann still not focused on what she was saying, "The government has installed new censors. They'll just mash together bits footage the will let us see and the rest will be buried away or destroyed."
"I got to pee." said Lucchini.
"Fine." replied Hartmann, "Class rep, me and Lucchini are going to the bathroom.
"You should have done that before you left." snapped Barkhorn but she didn't stop them nor did she realize Lucchini took her camera.
Once they got to the bathroom they went to stalls but that didn't stop Lucchini from continuing their conversation.
"Hartmann, I have to see the new kid fight that Angel at least once." said the Romagna girl.
"You're still going on about that?" asked Hartmann who wanted to avoid that conversation.
"You feel bad about Barkhorn beating up the new kid." stated Lucchini.
"How did you know that?" asked Hartmann.
"It's all over your face." replied Lucchini, "And I saw you in the window when she and I left."
Neither girl talked for a minute as they finished urinating. After they left the stall they washed their hands at the sink.
"You know." said Lucchini breaking the silence, "If we sneak out maybe you can see her and talk. Then you would feel better."
After a minute of thinking Hartmann agreed and she and Lucchini snuck out a side door. As they left Hartmann had the feeling Lucchini had tricked her to see the battle. Lucchini could be very sneaky if she wanted to be.
The girls left and found a Shinto shrine near the shelter. Lucchini and Hartmann climbed the stairs up to the hill, where the shrine ran to the edge of the hill seeing the Angel and Yoshika, who had just launched. Lucchini aimed her camera and began to film.
As Yoshika hid behind a skyscraper she repeated the same phrase over again, "Aim first then fire.".
"Ready Miyafuji?" asked Sakamoto.
"Yes." replied Yoshika.
"Then attack!" ordered the Major.
Yoshika came from around and fired several short bursts from her IMI micro Uzi that sent the Angel teetering back.
As Yoshika waited to see if she had won, the Angel quickly shot back up. It cracked one of its whiskers like a whip and before Yoshika could full deploy her shield the whip hit and sent her flying back.
"Wow! I can't believe I'm actually seeing this up close!" said Lucchini enthusiastically seemingly ignorant of the danger if Yoshika lost while she filmed.
As Yoshika recovered herself the Angel used it's whisker to grab her by the ankle and threw her with all it's might. Yoshika was flung to the hill where Hartmann and Lucchini were managing to tuck her legs to chest and roll avoiding serious injury as she landed only feet from her two classmates.
"New Kid!" yelled Hartmann who ran over Yoshika to see if she was okay as she hadn't opened her eyes.
"Status report!" demanded Sakamoto now scared for her ward's life.
"Ma'am." reported Lynne, "The impact of her landing damaged the battery in Unit-01. Yoshika only had five minutes of power left."
"Major Sakamoto." said Amaki, "There are two unknown people with Yoshika."
"What?" asked Sakamoto now more worried than ever as problems kept piling up.
"Identities established Captain." said Nishika as she used the MAGI to pull up profiles on Lucchini and Hartmann.
"Those are Yoshika's classmates!" said a shocked Sakamoto.
As Yoshika opened her eyes her vision was blurred and once it went into focus she found a blonde girl looking over her.
"Hey new kid!" came the enthusiastic voice of Lucchini and well Yoshika recognized her she was confused by who this was.
"Who are you?" asked Yoshika.
"Erica Hartmann." the blonde replied softly and Yoshika remembered what Lucchini said after Barkhorn punched her.
"I'm sorry about your sister." Yoshika said feeling guilty about the injury but Hartmann felt so guilty herself that Yoshika was hurt by Barkhorn she couldn't respond.
"Miyafuji!" yelled Sakamoto into the earphone of Yoshika.
"Yes Ma'am." responded Yoshika.
"Defend your classmates from injury." ordered Sakamoto.
"Right." said Yoshika who then took back off into the sky.
"You don't have the authority to do that Captain." snapped Perrine.
"I just gave myself the authority." a determined Sakamoto responded.
As Yoshika reached once again came face to face with the Angel she was immediately attacked by her foe. However, Yoshika was prepared and deployed her shield in time which absorbed the blows from the Angel.
"Miyafuji, you have to retreat." ordered Sakamoto over the microphone.
But Yoshika couldn't follow that order and after repeating "I mustn't run away" half a dozen times to herself, Yoshika charged the Angel. She took Uzi and aimed it at the Angel firing the rest of her ammunition hitting the Angel in it's core killing it.
"That was so cool!" cheered Lucchini.
As Hartmann watched Yoshika she saw the girl break down sobbing after being overwhelmed by the battle. After seeing this Hartmann turned and silently walked back to shelter choking back tears of her own.
Three days later Hartmann sat in class looking outside as the rain came down, Lucchini indulged in her hand held video game and Sanya stared out the window.
"How are you doing, Erica?" asked Barkhorn walking up to her friend. After she had been told by Hartmann about Yoshika's break down following the battle and her own guilt Barkhorn now felt guilty herself about hitting Yoshika because she felt that the breakdown she suffered was partly her fault.
Lucchini reached down into her bag and pulled a small piece of paper out of it.
"Here." she said handing it to Hartmann, "This is Yoshika's phone number. If you really feel so bad then call her and apologize."
Hartmann went into the hallway and pulled out her cellphone from her right breast pocket. She dialed the number but after a minute got no response and hung up.
A/N: I know that the whole 'sister getting injured' thing would have been better for Barkhorn but if I want to keep Barkhorn and Hartmann close to in character then it would be better for the long run doing it this way. Class representative is the closest to class president in the West. Next chapter we find out why Yoshika didn't answer and they'll be fan-service. Please review!