A/N: Well here we go again. Picking up where the last chapter left off we start in the direct aftermath of the incident with Unit-03. Yoshika vows never to fight again but the arrival of a new Angel makes matters much worse might make her break that promise.
Thanks to my pre-reader Makuhari-fan01
Disclaimer: I don't own Evangelion or Strike Witches
("You have to calm down and listen. We had to take control of Unit-01 there was no alternative.") said Amaki over the intercom.
"That's not the damn point!" cried out Yoshika who was still outside NERV threatening to damage NERV and kill Minna.
("Unit-03 had been possessed by the Thirteenth Angel. It was going to destroy us so we had no choice but to destroy it.") replied Amaki but nobody could get through to Yoshika.
"I told you that's not the damn point! My sister tried to kill Hartmann and she wanted to use me to do it!" cried Yoshika.
("It's unfortunate what happened to Hartmann but Unit-03 would have destroyed NERV and killed everyone here!") added Lynne.
"I don't care! The only thing I want is to kill my sister!" yelled Yoshika.
"The girl won't back down." said Ferrara who was down on Central Dogma with the technicians.
("Yoshika, you are to stand down immediately.") ordered Minna.
"I won't stop until I've killed you!" spat Yoshika.
"Increase the magical pressure in Unit-01. We can render Miyafuji unconscious." ordered Minna.
"Understood." replied Lynne who followed the orders.
"What the hell?" asked Yoshika as she began to develop a headache and had her vision become blurry as she slowly began falling to the ground, "Damn you."
The next day Perrine was observing the damage done by the previous day's battle. The Gallian had medical wrap around her head and a few bandages for minor cuts and scrapes but was otherwise was fine. As she took not of the damage on her clipboard, Sakamoto joined her. The Major's injuries mirrored Perrine, except she had also broken her left arm though it wasn't as bad as first thought.
"Good to see you're up." said Perrine as she kept working.
"There's no way I could stay bed ridden with all that's been going on." replied Sakamoto, "Glad to see you're still in good shape."
"We got lucky." said Perrine, "Unit-03 has been destroyed. It was dropped into a vat of sulfuric acid earlier this morning."
"Good." said Sakamoto, "How is the pilot?"
"She's in the NERV infirmary. The same room as Yoshika." answered Perrine.
"Yoshika might face the firing squad for this." sighed Sakamoto.
"She's really going to fry for this one. I don't think Yoshika can talk her way out of this situation." said Hanna who was standing outside the infirmary with Sanya who was sitting on a bench. Hanna had received a minor concussion from her kick and a few cuts from her fall but was otherwise fine. The biggest blow was to her ego.
"How is Miyafuji?" asked Sanya, who had medical wrap around her throat as a precautionary measure, but was otherwise alright as well.
"She wasn't injured so she's fine." answered Hanna with a snort.
"That is good." replied Sanya.
"Where am I?" asked Hartmann, finally waking to find herself in an infirmary. Drifting in and out of conscientiousness, as she managed to barely look to her side, "Why is Yoshika there?"
"Hartmann." moaned Yoshika, but as the blonde tried to reach out to the still-unconscious girl she felt her eyes roll into the back of her head and she passed out. Hartmann then found herself riding on a train car as the sun set outside. As Hartmann stood up she looked in the next car and saw Sanya sitting across from Yoshika.
"Why did you do this Yoshika?" asked Sanya.
"My sister tried to have me kill my friend. I refuse to hurt the people I care about." answered Yoshika.
"What would have happened if Unit-03 destroyed NERV?" asked Sanya, "Everyone there would have been killed. Would sparing on life be worth that?"
"I refuse to kill anyone." answered Yoshika.
"You're running away again." said Sanya.
"If life sucks I should be able to run away." said Yoshika.
"What are those two talking about?" asked Hartmann to herself as she closed her eyes again.
"Remember, this is a rarity so don't try anything funny." said a female voice.
"I won't ma'am. Thank you." said another voice the blonde recognized as Barkhorn.
"Class rep." said Hartmann slowly regaining conscientiousness and began trying to sit up.
"Don't try and get up. You're hurt badly and you need rest." said Barkhorn in their girl's native tongue.
"Where's Yoshika?" asked Hartmann in Karlsländ looking over and seeing the girl was missing.
"She left yesterday. Hartmann, you've been out for three days." answered Barkhorn.
"I remember everything. Poor Yoshika probably blames herself." said Hartmann, "How long have you been here?"
"I'm on duty as the Class rep and I only got permission today." answered Barkhorn.
"I'm sorry I didn't get to eat you're lunch. I'm sure it was delicious." said Hartmann.
"Don't worry about it. I wanted to bring it to you here but it's not permitted." replied Barkhorn hiding a blush.
"How bad am I hurt?" asked Hartmann solemnly, "I remember what happened I just want to know how bad I was injured."
"Luckily the steel body of Unit-03 protected you. You have a major concussion, and a few broken bones, your neck was hurt so you're in a brace and..." answered Barkhorn unable to finish while Hartmann rubbed her neck brace.
"I'm guess it could have been worse." said Hartmann smiling until she threw her arms on her legs. Her right arm made contact but her left arm hit the bed.
"Hartmann, I'm so sorry." said Barkhorn as Hartmann looked at where her leg left had been.
"My leg." said Hartmann her voice quivering.
"Your left leg was badly mangled during the battle. There was no alternative to amputation." said Barkhorn in a solemn voice as Hartmann laid back on her pillow and began sobbing.
In her cell, Yoshika Miyafuji sat on a bench waiting to be dragged before her sister. As she stared at the floor a guard approached, unlocked her cell, put three pairs of handcuffs on and led her to the office of her sister.
"Threatening, intimidation, insubordination, use of a Striker for personal vendetta." said Minna reading a few of the charges against Yoshika before looking up at the girl, "These are all serious charges. What is your defense?"
"I have no regrets for my actions. I'm never piloting a Striker again and I'm not staying here anymore." answered Yoshika determined.
"Then leave." replied Minna coldly.
"I'm going to live with grandma." said Yoshika.
"She's your grandmother not mine." replied Minna, "You're running away again. You truly disappoint me. I doubt we'll ever meet again."
"That's my intent." said Yoshika not giving an inch.
"Then consider this your dishonorable discharge." replied Minna and with that Yoshika was allowed to leave. As Yoshika walked back to her apartment Minna made a phone call, ("Hello, it's Commander Minna. I want you to delete the file for Yoshika Miyafuji. Re-designate Sanya the pilot of Unit-01 with the Dummy Plug as back up.")
Back at her apartment Yoshika had begun packing her belongings. She was alone except for the napping Pen-Pen when the phone rang. Yoshika wasn't in the mood to answer so the machine picked it up.
("Yoshika, it's Lucchini. Is it true you're quitting NERV? You're running away. You have to face your problems. It's not your fault for what happened to Hartmann so stop beating yourself up. Please, don't run-")
"What the heck?" asked Yoshika.
("This conversation is being monitored by NERV and has been cut for safety reasons. We hope you understand.") came a chipper female voice upsetting Yoshika more.
The next day a NERV black van drove Yoshika to the train station she could catch the next train back to Yokohama and her grandmother. Sakamoto sat nearby while Yoshika tightly gripped her ticket. When reached the station Yoshika got out of the car followed by Sakamoto.
"I guess this is goodbye. Thank you for everything." said Yoshika bowing as they reached the platform.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" asked Sakamoto uncertain.
"I am." answered Yoshika.
"I'm sure you realize your activity will be monitored." said Sakamoto.
"Of course and I told you already, I don't care. I'm never piloting Striker again." said Yoshika confident in her decision.
"Well if that's how you truly feel then I guess there is no persuading you to change your mind." relented the Major.
"It is." replied Yoshika.
"I'm sorry about what happened to Hartmann." said Sakamoto bowing.
"I know." replied Yoshika.
"I'm afraid it may happen again." said the Major.
"What do you mean?" asked Yoshika confused.
"All of your classmates are potential Striker pilots. I only found out myself a short time ago." answered Sakamoto.
"So Lucchini, Barkhorn or any of my classmates could end up in the same situation as Hartmann or worse." said Yoshika.
"What happened to Hartmann was a grave mistake but that can't be changed. Yoshika, the truth is I was projecting my own dreams, hopes and purpose onto you." said Sakamoto, "I know it's been a huge cross to bear. But we, everybody at NERV, had no choice but to entrust the future onto you girls. I want you to remember that."
"I will." replied Yoshika and with that Sakamoto left Yoshika at the platform and left.
"I never seen Yoshika so intense before. These battles have changed her." said Sakamoto to herself as the NERV personnel left.
Back at the platform Yoshika stood waiting for the train to come. As Yoshika was questioning if she wanted to grab her S-DAT so she could listen to music on the trip the emergency alarms began blaring.
("An unidentified object has been spotted near the city. Everyone please head to your emergency shelters immediately.") came an automated female voice over the emergency sound system.
"It's an Angel." said Yoshika to herself.
In Terminal Dogma, the three technicians were at their stations, Perrine was stranding behind them, Ferrara and Minna with the former standing and the latter in her chair. They were watching the Fourteenth Angel, Zeruel, making it's way to NERV. Like it's predecessors the Angel was the size of a skyscraper, The Angel was a large and bulky, It had a green body with it's core prominent in the center of it's chest. It had large orange circles on it's hips and arm regions with the latter two below large shoulders that looked like padding. Under neath them were two large squares that served as it's arms. It's face was gray and human looking. It was attached to sinewy "neck".
"Fire the missiles." ordered Minna from her chair and with a few punches of the keyboard the missile defense system fired.
"No good ma'am." replied Nishiki as the Angel released it's squares to form to two blade like arms. It shot it's right arm forward and pierced through NERV before retracting it.
"It just cut through eighteen of the twenty-two steel defense layers like they were nothing!" cried Amaki.
"The Angel can't be defeated by conventional means." said Sakamoto entering Terminal Dogma after returning to NERV, "Send out Hanna, we'll have to confront this close.
"Send out Sanya as well." added Minna.
"But Unit-00 hasn't be fully restored from the last battle." objected Sakamoto.
"Send her out in Unit-01." replied Minna and within a matter of minutes the two were getting ready. Hanna had no problem and quickly went out but Sanya was a different story. As soon as the pale girl jumped into Unit-01 she felt a pain ripping through out her body like she was being ripped apart.
"Unit-01 is rejecting Sanya." reported Lynne.
"Mother." said Minna becoming very concerned, "Never mind, send Sanya out in Unit-00."
("I will go in Unit-00.") replied Sanya over her communicator.
"It's too dangerous." said Sakamoto.
("If I die, I can be replaced.") said the pale girl.
("Hey, am I going out or what?!") asked Hanna impatiently.
"Launch Unit-02 and prepare Unit-00." ordered Sakamoto knowing she had no alternative.
"Alright you ugly bastard, I'll show you why the Star of North Africa doesn't need Yoshika the Great around to defeat an Angel." said Hanna putting her goggles over her head. When the Angel appeared she began firing but the Angel's shield was too much.
"Shit!" snapped Hanna who quickly pulled a cartridge from her right jacket pocket and inserted it into her gun.
("Hanna, that's not working. You're wasting ammunition. ") said Sakamoto over the intercom but Hanna would have none of it.
"I'm refuse to let the Angel defeat me." replied Hanna.
In an underground shelter outside Tokyo-3, Yoshika Miyafuji sat amongst the group of people gathered. Yoshika sat alone in a corner of the room because she was surrounded by strangers.
"Hanna mocked me when I wanted to take evacuation drills." said Yoshika to herself quietly. She couldn't hide the fact she was worried about her two comrades, Sakamoto, Perrine and the technicians. But she would never pilot again.
"Ma'am at this rate Unit-02 will run out of power before the Angel is hurt." reported Lynne.
("Hanna, shooting at the Angel isn't working. You need to retreat so we create a strategy!") said Sakamoto over the intercom.
("Fuso samurai had bushido, while we in Karlsländ and Prussia before that exists a history of military pride existed back to Fredrick the Great. I will never back down and I will never surrender. I will have my own Miracle of the House of Brandenburg!") called out Hanna as she kept firing but the Angel unfolded it's arms to reveal two retractable blades which it fired at Hanna. The girl threw up her shield but the blades smashed right through it like a hot knife through butter. Hanna dodged the sharped point, but the side of the "arms" hit the girl and sent her spiraling to the ground.
"Hanna!" cried out Sakamoto as she could only helplessly watch while Hanna fell.
Inside the bunker Yoshika had her S-DAT going and was listening to the "Triumphal March" by Giuseppe Verdi and his opera Aida. As Yoshika was watching the Egyptian Army returning after defeating the Ethiopians the shelter manager was updating the people on the condition of the situation, or at least the propaganda NERV was giving him. Yoshika paid little attention to the man when an explosion rocked the shelter. Yoshika was thrown back against the wall but was otherwise unhurt. Looking up she saw the large "arm" of the Angel lying in the center of the shelter.
"My God." said Yoshika to herself horrified at the dead bodies lying where the Angel had struck. Most had been killed by impact but others were bifurcated and their bodies lay strewn throughout the shelter. More so when the Angel retracted it's bloody "arm" through the hole in the roof Yoshika could make something falling and after adjusting her eyes recognized it as Hanna.
"Hey you, come on! We gotta leave now!" called a man from the door. The original shelter manager had been killed and the deputy manager was now in command. Yoshika followed the others but as the ran through a field and past the Angel, Yoshika stopped to watch it marching by unaffected by missiles and ground defenses NERV was throwing at it.
"It's unstoppable." trembled Yoshika before spotting Hanna floating in Lake Ashinoko.
"She fell just like Icarus. All we can hope is the water was slightly kinder than the ground would have been." hearing a familiar voice, Yoshika turned around to see Shirley in her red bikini lying on a white towel. Nearby were a half empty cooler of beer and a few adult girlie magazines nearby.
"What are you doing here?" asked Yoshika surprised.
"Tanning. I hate tan lines so I try and do it nude as much as possible but that was an option today." answered the redhead.
"Why right now?" asked Yoshika.
"Well my moonlighting job has become public knowledge so I'm not allowed inside NERV anymore. So might as well catch a few rays." answered Shirley.
"At time like this?" asked Yoshika.
"It's because it's a time like this." answered Shirley sitting up, "I'd rather be driving down the highway when I die but this is close enough."
"Die?" asked Yoshika gulping.
"That's right. They say if an Angel makes contact with Adam, who lies right below here, humanity will be eradicated in the Third Impact. The only thing that can stop that is a Striker." answered Shirley and as if on cue Sanya rose out of NERV.
"What's she carrying?" asked Yoshika unable to make out Sanya had tucked in her arms.
"It's a bomb!" cried out Sakamoto as Amaki identified the object.
"My God!" cried out Perrine.
"Sanya, don't do it!" called out Minna but Sanya charged in.
"I am replaceable. My life carries no value." said Sanya to herself as she charged in. Sanya deployed her shield with one arm and tired to jam the bomb through with the other. However, Sanya was unable to and fell back before the bomb went off. She threw up her shield but the impact from the bomb knocked her out of the sky.
"Litvyak!" cried out Yoshika watching the terrifying events unfold.
"Yoshika, the only thing I can do is stand her and watch. Of course normally I'd like that if you catch my drift." said Shirley who had gotten up, walked over to Yoshika and put her hand on the girl's shoulder, "But you, you have the ability to do something. That only you can do. Nobody is forcing you. Think for yourself and make the decision for yourself. Think about what you ought to do right now. No regrets."
"I know what I have to do." replied Yoshika who turned and ran off towards NERV.
"At a girl." said Shirley who headed back to her blanket.
"Sanya is still alive." reported Amaki.
"Great but now we need to stop the Angel." said Sakamoto.
"The defense system is having no effect." said Nishiki.
"Have we made any progress with Unit-01?" asked Minna.
"No ma'am. We keep trying but Unit-01 keeps rejecting everything we try. It's even rejected the Dummy Plug." answered Lynne.
"It will only accept her." said Perrine to herself.
"Ma'am; we need a plan our else." warned Ferrara.
"The only witch we have is the Fourth Girl and she's hospitalized. I'm afraid we'll need the FSSDF." said Minna.
"I'll pilot!" called a voice from below which caused Minna to look down and see a breathless Yoshika below, "Sister."
"Why are you here?" asked Minna annoyed to see Yoshika.
"I'm here to pilot Unit-01. I'm the Third Girl." answered Yoshika determined.
"We have no choice so hurry up." said Minna.
"Thank you." replied Yoshika bowing before running off to the Striker cage.
"Ma'am, the Angel has penetrated though the final steel walls." reported Amaki.
"Then that's it." said Sakamoto in horror as the wall in front of Central Dogma exploded and the Angel stormed through.
"This can't be how it ends." said Lynne shaking but as the Angel drew closer but as the Angel neared the NERV employees it was struck in the head and driven through a wall.
"Look!" called out Amaki.
"Miyafuji!" cried Sakamoto surprised to see Yoshika deploying her shield and using it to drive the Angel through the walls of NERV.
"The Towel of Babel isn't out of our reach yet." said Minna smiling as she watched Yoshika, IMI Micro Uzi strapped to her back, driving the Angel outside NERV and into the night sky.
"You can do it Miyafuji!" called out Sakamoto as she, Perrine, the three technicians and a bunch of other NERV personnel headed outside to watch Yoshika fight the Angel.
"I can't ran away! I have to fight!" said a highly determined Yoshika as she drew her gun and began firing. As Yoshika was on the verge of victory she dodged the Angel's "arm" and pulled the trigger to finish off the Angel but when she did she only heard a familiar clicking noise.
"She out of ammunition." said Sakamoto, horrified and too stunned to move as the Angel went on the offensive.
"Yoshika is a sitting duck out there." said Amaki as Yoshika desperately dodged the Angel's blade "arms" and avoid the same fate as her two comrades.
"I mustn't run away. I mustn't run away. I mustn't run away." said Yoshika repeating her mantra.
"Ma'am, the synch ratio for Yoshika is climbing rapidly." said Lynne as she monitored Yoshika from a laptop.
"What do the Magi say?" asked Perrine.
"It's over 400!" answered Lynne.
"What 400?! There's no way that could be right!" replied Perrine shocked.
"I though levels that high were impossible." said Sakamoto as Yoshika snapped into berserk mode.
"It has happened once before...to Sayaka Miyafuji." replied Perrine.
"Her mother." said Sakamoto stunned and Perrine nodded while the Angel attacked again with it's right "arm" but this time Yoshika grabbed it and ripped the limb off with ease. Then she took off and plowed into the Angel's chest driving it backwards.
Seconds later Yoshika exploded out of the Angel's chest and unleashed a primal scream. Then the possessed Yoshika turned, dove back down, and began consuming it's flesh.
"My God." said Sakamoto more horrified then ever while Lynne began vomiting on the ground.
"We've lost it. Unit-01 has broken free from our control and reached God status." said Perrine trembling where she stood.
"So Unit-01 has finally freed it's self from our control. Man the old men at SEELE are gonna pissed about this." laughed Shirley holding a can of beer in her hand from which she took a swig then added seriously, "I wonder what you're next move will be Commander?"
"So it's happened at last." said Ferrara as she and Minna watched the events unfolding from the Commander's office.
"Yes. Now that Unit-01 has reached God status our Scenario can advance. The only obstacle left are the final three Angels then we can turn on SEELE and I can begin my Third Impact." smiled Minna while outside Yoshika had finished the Angel and, covered in Angel blood, let out one more primal scream before vanishing in a bright flash.
A/N: So there's chapter nineteen done. I've changed my schedule because I'm starting to feel a bit burned out with this story but luckily I managed to keep regular updates so I should be good. I'm basically hoping my DBZ reference made up for any shortcomings with this chapter. Anyway, next time comes the journey of Yoshika inside Unit-01. Please review!