A/N: Continuing with my crossover I return with chapter twenty-two of "Neon Genesis Striker". After not appearing in last episode this focuses on Hanna and her tragic past within this series and you'll also notice I changed the sequence of events slightly again. Just to let you know, I said during her debut Hanna is part Arab (again looking at her skin color) and she gets it from her mother. This is going to be a very angst-ridden chapter so be warned.
Thanks to my pre-reader Makuhari-fan01and my friend Sebastian for helping me a lot.
Disclaimer: I don't own Evangelion or Strike Witches but I do won Aisha Marseilles.
Leading the UN Pacific Fleet back to it's home country, with the job of escorting Striker Unit-02 to the NERV Branch there, was the Fuso air craft carrier the Akagi. Out on the deck, the pilot of Unit-02 and her companion were watching the night sky.
"We should arriving in Fuso tomorrow." said Shirley.
"Good. As I much as I'll miss the Third Branch in Berlin that Count Heinrich von Kinkell is a total pain." replied Hanna sighing.
"Well he is the Director of Operations at the Third Branch and a former Major in the Karlsländ Army with experience in the Second UN intervention in Somalia, peacekeeping after the Bosnian War, the Kosovo War and the anarchy following Second Impact. The old geezer might have been a pain in the ass but he has earned his stars. Even if he's a heartless bastard." replied Shirley.
"Whatever." sighed Hanna, "At least Sakamoto said she'll come pick me up tomorrow. She was the one from NERV who was in Karlsländ before you."
"I see." replied Shirley, distracted which allowed Hanna to rollover and lay on her head on the redhead's stomach.
"You know they'll be plenty of people to meet in Fuso. I've heard a dew things about the Third Girl. You might like her." said Shirley.
"The only person I care about is you Shirley. I'm even ready to anything you want." said Hanna seductively.
"Hanna; I like you but not in that way. Sorry but, I just don't find attractive romantically or sexually." said Shirley.
"Don't say that!" cried Hanna as she looked right at Shirley who adverted her eyes, "Look at me Shirley! Look at me!"
On a warm spring day in 2005 the Charite Hospital in Berlin a woman was sitting in a hospital bed. Her name was Aisha Marseilles and she was clutching a doll in her hands while her six-year old daughter Hanna stood nearby.
"What a tragedy, thanks to that contact experiment her mind is totally gone." said Hans, her husband and Hanna's father and an ethnic Karlsländ native.
"Her sanity has completely broken down. It's sad." agreed her doctor Amalia Kaiser.
"We've been together for years but our marriage had been shaky." said Hans.
"Really." said Amalia.
"Yeah. I meet her while visiting Cairo in 1999 and I only wanted to bang her. When she got pregnant with Hanna she tracked me down and I was backed into a corner so I had to marry her." replied Hans nonchalant.
"You talk about it so casually." remarked Amalia.
"I tried to love her for Hanna's sake, but frankly it was hard. I'd rather divorce and raised Hanna myself; but she wanted to work things out. Now look at her, clutching that doll an acting as it's her daughter. She's pathetic." said Hans disgusted.
"If humans are made in the imagine of God then maybe we're all just dolls." said Amalia.
"That's not something I'd expect from a doctor." said Hans.
"Remember, I'm a woman first." said Amalia sensually.
"I couldn't forget Dr. Kaiser." said Hans getting the picture.
"Please, call me Amalia." replied the doctor who led Hans into the next room.
"No Hanna, you must eat or you'll never grow up to be big and strong." said Aisha before pointing over to the actual Hanna, "Do you see that girl? If you don't eat she'll laugh at you."
"Mama." said Hanna hurt and angry as a banging noise began coming from the next room.
A few months later a large crowd were gathered at the Heidefriedhof Cemetery in Hanna's hometown of Dresden for the funeral of Aisha Marseilles. Hanna was emotionless as she stared at her mother's grave.
"I feel so bad for the girl. To lose her mother at such a young age much so traumatizing." said a co-worker of Aisha who had come with several other co-workers.
"Yeah it's such a tragedy." agreed a second co-worker.
"You have to feel bad for her." said a third co-worker.
"Especially since her father doesn't seem to." said a fourth co-worker.
"What a despicable piece of garbage. I heard she's being buried here because Hans would pay to send her back to Egypt like she wanted." said the first as the four looked at Hans who was showing little care for his dead wife.
"Yeah, and he sure took time to mourn... I heard he married his mistress yesterday." said the third.
"Sleeping with your own wife's doctor then marrying her right before your wife's funeral is low." said the third co-worker as Amalia hung onto Hans' right arm.
"It would have been bad enough but he had to bring her to his wife's funeral." said the fourth in disgust while Hanna's maternal grandmother, who had traveled from Cairo to Dresden for her daughter's funeral, approached Hanna.
"Hanna darling, I know you're a strong girl but it's okay to cry." sobbed her grandmother bending down to comfort the girl.
"I'm fine grandmother. I swear I will never cry again." said Hanna stone faced.
("Hanna you're synch ratio is dropping you need to focus.") said Perrine over the intercom snapping Hanna out of these bad memories.
"I'm trying dammit!" snapped Hanna back but she finished at a measly forty-seven percent, way behind both Yoshika and Sanya.
That night at the Sakamoto/Miyafuji/Marseilles residence the apartment's residents had diner together for the first time in ages but things weren't exactly happy as tension filled the room like water in a swimming pool.
("This is uncomfortable. It's the first time we've eaten together in seemingly forever, but it feels like we're all strangers.") said Sakamoto, has Hanna finished her food and got up as the phone rang, but the Second Girl simply ignored it, "Hanna, can you get that?"
"I'm not a servant." answered Hanna defiantly.
"I'll get it." said Yoshika as got up and and answered the phone.
"Ah so the mighty Yoshika humbles herself down to our level. She doesn't just save the world she also answers the phone like a commoner." said Hanna sarcastically.
"Hello." said Yoshika answering the phone while paying no attention to Hanna.
"Damn, I hate it when she ignores me." said an irritated Hanna under her breath just before Yoshika handed her the phone.
"It's a call for you from Karlsländ. I think it's your mother." said Yoshika.
"My mother! Give me that!" demanded Hanna taking the phone, "Hallo mutter?"
("Hallo.") replied Amalia and the two began talking in Karlsländ for the next hour.
"It's weird. I've know Hanna for months now but when she talks in a language I don't understand she seems like a totally different person." thought Yoshika to herself as Hanna finished the phone call with her mother and hung up, "Wow Hanna, you were on the phone for a long time."
"It was just a routine phone call." replied Hanna shrugging her shoulders.
"I wish I talked to my family as much as you." said Yoshika.
"It's really overrated." said Hanna frankly.
"You seemed to enjoy talking to your mother." noted Yoshika.
"It's not like she my real mother. Don't get me wrong it's not like I hate her but she's just not my real mother." replied Hanna before realizing what she was doing, "And why the hell am I tell you this?!"
("She's been really edgy she the last battle. Then again, considering her past I can't blame her.") said Sakamoto to herself as Hanna stormed off to the bathroom to bathe.
After undressing Hanna stood naked by the bathtub, unable to get herself in. Eventually she just pulled the plug, and watch as the bath water went down the drain.
"I refuse to use the same bath water Sakamoto and stupid Yoshika used. I refuse to clean my cloths with the same water as Sakamoto and idiot Yoshika. I hate Yoshika. I hate Sakamoto. I hate the bitch Litvyak. I hate my mother. I hate my father." said Hanna softly before going off the deep end, "I hate myself! Why the hell does this happen to me?! I hate my life! Why do I have to keep suffering?!"
The next day Hanna was walking down the streets of Tokyo-3 headed for the train station so she could hope on a train and get closer to NERV. As she reached the station Hanna called Shirley for the fifth time that day but again got voice mail.
"Why isn't she answering?" asked Hanna hanging up the phone and turning around to see Yoshika on another platform talking to Sanya.
"What is that idiot doing? That idiot is talking to Wondergirl. That bitch. I can't stand either of them." seethed Hanna, who jumped on a train and was soon at NERV, undergoing a routine synch ratio test.
"Ma'am, Hanna's synch ratio is down to 33%." reported Lynne.
"What?! That's pathetic!" replied Perrine amazed.
"She's on her period." said Sakamoto standing nearby.
"The test wouldn't be effected by physical conditions. Whatever is going on with Hanna it's deeper." replied Perrine as the test finished and Hanna made a beeline for the bathroom.
"Why the hell do I have to go through this? It's not like I want to be a mother." groaned Hanna as she stood doubled-over a sink. After finally managing to compose herself, Hanna left for the elevator only to find the last the person she wanted to see already on there.
"Hello Pilot Marseilles." said Sanya but Hanna ignored her fellow pilot instead hitting the button and standing in the corner of the elevator while Sanya stood at the door for several awkward minutes.
"You need to communicate with you Striker." said Sanya breaking the silence.
"Oh great now you're trying to help me! Hanna- Justina Marseilles doesn't need anyone to help her!" snapped Hanna.
"The Striker is an entity within it's self and as such it must be treated not as a tool but a partner." replied Sanya.
"So you're telling me the Striker is alive?" asked Hanna.
"Indeed. It is part of yourself ans possess a free will." answered Sanya.
"That's ludicrous! " snapped Hanna.
"It is true." said Sanya.
"I'm supposed to believe that from somebody who has no free will themselves! You're nothing but an emotionless doll!" cried Hanna.
"I am not a doll." said Sanya.
"I'd bet you'd kill yourself if Commander told you to!" snapped Hanna.
"I would." replied Sanya serious as the elevator reached Hanna's floor and opened.
"Then you are a doll!" yelled Hanna slapping Sanya then storming out of the elevator, "I hate you!"
The door closed again and the elevator left, leaving an angry Hanna standing alone before storming off.
At the Tokyo-3 Middle School the classroom was mostly barren as many families were fleeing the city thanks to the constant Angel attacks. Two people who were present were Barkhorn and Lucchini.
"This classroom looks deserted." sighed Barkhorn.
"Yeah and not to mention our friends are gone." added Lucchini in a mixture of boredom and concern, "I miss Yoshika and Hartmann."
"Yoshika is busy at work I guess and Hanna must be too. Sanya is usually absent." replied Barkhorn before adding with clear sadness, "Hartmann is still in the hospital."
"This stinks." moaned Lucchini.
"I'd like to help them too but there's not much we can do." said Barkhorn understanding the younger girl's position.
"True. It's not like I could give the immortality with my blood." said Lucchini sighing.
In the end the Striker Cage in NERV, Hanna stood in front of Unit-02. Against her judgment she was taking the advice Sanya had given her earlier.
"Well after that ass beating you took last battle you're finally back. Listen, not only did you make yourself look bad but you made me look bad too. I'm an ace pilot who embodies the warrior spirit of Arminius and I refuse to be humiliated again." said Hanna forcefully but of course she got no response, "This is stupid."
Just then an alarm went off which Hanna knew meant an Angel had arrived. She got ready while in the new base Sakamoto and Perrine stood behind the three technicians who worked where at their stations. Minna sat in her chair in the tower above while Ferrara stood next to her.
"We have visual image." reported Lynne who pulled up an image of the Angel.
The Fifteenth Angel, Arael, was a bright, luminescent being with a pointed "head", as well as multiple sets of wings, some of which completely dwarf the central body. It sat in orbit for a short while; then slowly began to descend.
"Ma'am, the Angel's altitude is decreasing." reported Amaki.
"It seems it might try to suicide bomb us like the Tenth Angel." added Nishiki.
("Okay, Sanya will take the lead using the Dragunov SVD while Hanna taking the rear. Unit-01 is still frozen so it's just you two.") said Sakamoto over the radio giving the girls their orders.
"You want me to back up Unit-00?!" asked Hanna feeling her heart drop.
("Yes.") answered Sakamoto.
"Screw that!" snapped Hanna who placed her goggles on her head and darted out in front of Sanya.
("Hanna, you're disobeying a direct order!") said Amaki over the radio.
"Leave her." said Sakamoto coldly.
"But ma'am-" began Amaki.
"If she wants to be insubordinate she'll deal with the consequences." said Sakamoto still cold.
"That bitch needs to learn her place." seethed Perrine.
"Ma'am." said Lynne disturbed.
"We need to start looking for a replacement pilot for Unit-02." said Perrine bitterly.
Outside Hanna was at the ready. She held her FNP90 in her hands and floated above he city waiting for the Angel while the rain poured down.
"This is my last chance to prove myself. If I screw up here I'm never going to pilot again." said Hanna to herself knowing what this battle meant.
As the Angel came into view, Hanna readied her gun. Before it could be used though, she and everyone were surprised when the Angel fired a beam of light that quickly engulfed Hanna.
"The Angel has a particle weapon?!" asked Sakamoto not happy with this new development.
"There's no heat index! It's some sort of new weapon we've never seen!" answered Amaki as panic had ripped through NERV.
"It's in my head! The Angel is in my head!" cried out Hanna who began shooting off her gun over the city.
"Ma'am, her ego barrier is beginning to break down!" reported Lynne.
"The Angel can't be allowed to enter mind!" replied Perrine urgently.
("Sanya, you have to stop the Angel.") said Sakamoto over the radio.
"Understood." replied Sanya who opened fire but, when she fired the bullets made no impact.
"The Shield is too strong! The bullets are having no effect!" cried out Nishiki.
"Ma'am, this beam is made of some pure energy force. It seems to be entering Hanna's subconscious." reported Lynne.
"The Angel is trying to understand us?" asked Perrine in a mixture of amazement and horror.
"It's violating my mind! It's raping my mind!" cried out Hanna as everything went black and a crying could be heard, "Why am I crying? I swore never to cry again."
Indeed the crying was coming from a Hanna just a younger version. She remembered this moment, she had recently moved into her father and stepmother's home in Potsdam following the death of mother. In an attempt to connect with her new stepdaughter Amalia had bought Hanna a stuffed monkey-doll but Hanna rejected the doll throwing it to the ground.
"Your stepmother got that especially for you, why did you throw it to the ground?" asked Hans bending down and talking to his daughter.
"I don't need it." answered the young Hanna defiantly.
"Why not?" asked Hans.
"That's right. I grew up faster than the other kids, I don't need some stupid stuffed doll." answered the teenage Hanna stomping on her doll.
"Please look at me! I'm begging you please look at me!Don't leave me mama! Don't stop being my mother!" cried out the younger Hanna while the teenage Hanna saw before her memories of a door opening and a horrible sight waiting.
"Hanna, come die with me." came the voice of Aisha.
"No mama please!" cried the younger Hanna.
"Please don't kill me! I'm not mama's doll! I'll think for myself! I'll live for myself!" cried the younger Hanna as the laugh of Aisha echoed.
"No! Don't make me remember that! I wanted to forget those things! Don't bring those back! I don't want those terrible memories anymore! Stop!" cried out the teenage Hanna who could only watch as her past traumas were dragged out before her.
"Please Hanna, die with me." said Aisha is in a soothing voice.
"If...if that's what you want. Just don't stop being my mother. Please." replied the teenage Hanna on the verge of a breakdown while the doll her mother held hung from the ceiling.
"Who are you?" asked the doll stopping and facing Hanna who saw four memories flash before her.
"My name is Hanna- Justina Marseilles. The pleasure is yours." said Hanna in the memory of introducing herself to the class upon arriving in Tokyo-3.
"What are you, stupid?!" asked Hanna in the second memory directing this question toward Yoshika.
"Wonderful." said Hanna grinning in the third memory before her first battle.
"Look at me!" cried Hanna in the fourth image directed toward Shirley.
"No! This is just a front!" cried Hanna faced with these memories.
"My name is Hanna- Justina Marseilles. The pleasure is yours."
"What are you, stupid?!"
"Wonderful."
"Look at me!"
This isn't me!" cried Hanna after seeing these memories a second time.
"My name is Hanna- Justina Marseilles. The pleasure is yours."
"What are you, stupid?!"
"Wonderful."
"Look at me!"
"This is just a lie! A wall I put up around myself!" cried out Hanna.
"My name is Hanna- Justina Marseilles. The pleasure is yours."
"What are you, stupid?!"
"Wonderful."
"Look at me!"
"I just wanted people to leave me be! I didn't want to depend on others!"cried Hanna as the same, now haunting, memories passed by again.
"My name is Hanna- Justina Marseilles. The pleasure is yours."
"What are you, stupid?!"
"Wonderful."
"Look at me!"
"This isn't the real me!"cried Hanna again which was followed by things going black.
Hanna then found herself wandering through a rail yard. The dreary clouds above head cast a gloom over the yard as Hanna wondered across the tracks. The yard seemed abandoned when all of a sudden figures wearing cloaks begin swarming by Hanna who found herself lost in this flood. As one bumped right into Hanna it's cloak fell off revealing a crimson red figure which quickly morphed with the other figures and began swallowing Hanna.
"Help me Shirley!" cried out Hanna who then remembered the night the redhead brought Sakamoto back from the wedding but it was the words from the ship that rung out in Hanna's mind while Hanna focused in on Yoshika, "Hanna, I like you but not in that way. Sorry but, I just don't find attractive romantically or sexually."
"Why are you there dammit?! You won't hold me! You're never there for me! You're no one!" yelled Hanna as the sound of a railroad crossing rang in the distance as she began to relive memories from her time in Fuso so far.
"Where's Sakamoto?" asked that Hanna entering her living room in a towel.
"She's working late." answered Yoshika listening to her S-DAT.
"So, that means were alone." grinned Hanna.
"Yeah. Guess so." replied Yoshika which caused Hanna to become angry and move into the bedroom of Sakamoto.
"This is the impenetrable Wall of Jericho and since you aren't Joshua if you cross you're dead. Now it's time for the children to go to bed." said Hanna before slamming the door but as Yoshika was asking nobody in particular who Joshua was Hanna was barely keeping herself together, "Damn her. That idiot Miyafuji is to dense to figure anything out."
"Die you son of a bitch!" yelled Hanna before driving her combat knife into the Eight Angel while inside Mt. Asama. The Angel dissolved but thanks to it's attack Hanna's life was in peril, "I defeated the Angel but the cable is snapped. This can't be how I die."
"I won't let you fall." said Yoshika grabbing the cable and suing all her strength to pull her comrade back up.
"You idiot." smiled Hanna before thinking to herself, "She does care. Yoshika did notice me."
"Hey Yoshika." said Hanna tapping the table as she and Yoshika waited for Sakamoto to return from the wedding they had attended.
"Yeah." replied Yoshika as she removed her earplugs.
"You wanna kiss me?" asked Hanna.
"What?" asked Yoshika completely caught off guard.
"Are you afraid to kiss on the anniversary of your mommy's death? Or are you just chicken?" asked Hanna teasingly.
"I'm not!" answered Yoshika forcefully as she stood up.
"Then here I come." said Hanna walking over to her before stopping, "Your breath is tickling me."
Hanna then pinched the nose of Yoshika shut and kissed the girl. This kiss lasted for a minute until Yoshika broke away which caused Hanna to run into the bathroom.
"I should never kiss to pass time!" cried out Hanna after gargling but as the doorbell rang she told herself the truth, "She rejected me. I try to get her to notice I care and she rejects me. First my date stands me up and now this. Can this night get any worse?"
"I wonder who that is?" asked Yoshika answering the door as Shirley came in carrying a passed out Sakamoto, who she soon placed on her bed.
"Shirley!" called out Hanna relieved that Shirley was here.
"Nice seeing you Hanna, but I've got to go. I'd never live it down if I went to work like this." said Shirley who headed for the door.
"It's fine." replied Hanna trying to get Shirley to stay, but when she grabbed her arm she noticed a familiar sent, "Lavender perfume from Calvin Klein."
"Goodbye." said Shirley as Hanna felt her world crumble around her.
"They slept together. I love her. I've been trying to get her to notice me from the moment we met but she screws Sakamoto. She's rejected me too. Everybody is rejecting me just like mama." said Hanna to herself as Yoshika said goodbye to Shirley.
"What's wrong?" asked Yoshika noticing the mile-wide stare Hanna currently had.
"None of your damn business!" cried Hanna before storming off to her room and holding back tears to keep the promise she had made never to cry again.
"Everybody is rejecting me like mama!" cried Hanna after witnessing these memories as childhood pictures she had drawn now flashed before her.
"Why won't you look at me?!" cried the young Hanna sobbing then a minute later Hanna found herself sitting naked in the middle of a playground surrounded by darkness as a phone rang briefly in the distance. The young Hanna appeared in front of her holding the monkey doll.
"Are you lonely? Are you alone?" asked the young girl reaching out to the teenager.
"Stay away from me! I'm fine on my own!" cried Hanna as the young version of herself disintegrated and the monkey doll fell to the ground it's head becoming detached.
"Do you love me?" asked the younger Hanna whose voice was now disembodied.
"I won't rely on anyone!" answered Hanna as more images of herself in Fuso flashed before her.
"But, do you really love me?" asked the young Hanna's voice.
"I can live on my own!" answered Hanna again.
"But, you're lying." replied the younger Hanna again standing before the teenage Hanna except this time she took the doll Aisha mistook Hanna for.
"No!" cried out Hanna as images raced before her and the sound of shattering glass could be heard followed by darkness.
"We have to save Hanna." said Sakamoto racking her brain for a plan.
("I could go.") said Yoshika from in the the Striker cage.
"No." answered Minna sternly ending this.
"Then what are we going to do Commander?" asked Sakamoto.
"(Sanya, go to Terminal Dogma and get the Spear of Longinus.") ordered Minna.
"Yes ma'am." replied Sanya who went to do as she was commanded.
"But won't the union of Adam and the Spear of Longinus cause Third Impact?!" asked Sakamoto but when she got no reply she knew the answer, "So that was another lie. But if contact with Adam didn't cause the Second Impact then what did?"
"Minna, you can't just use the Spear of Longinus without the permission from SEELE." said Ferrara whispering this into the ear of the Commander.
"That is irrelevant." said Minna.
"It is relevant. Chairman Maloney will be not please by this at all." said Ferrara picking up a more accusatory tone.
"Defeating the Angel is of high priority." replied Minna calmly.
You just wanted an excuse to get rid of it!" snapped Ferrara in a whisper while Sanya retrieved the spear and return outside.
"Ma'am, the Angel is in position." reported Amaki.
("Sanya, fire!") ordered Sakamoto knowing it was better not to go against Minna.
"Roger." replied Sanya who hurled the spear which broke through the shield and slayed the Angel.
A few hours later the sun had risen but not for Hanna who on the verge of a mental breakdown. She was sitting hugging her legs while Unit-02 was returned to it's cage. It was at this point Yoshika arrived to check on the girl.
"Hanna, are you okay?" asked Yoshika.
"Hello no! Not only was I defeated but that bitch Sanya had to save me! I rather would have died! I would have rather taken my life like Field Marshal Rommel! I hate myself! I hate everything!" shouted Hanna.
A/N: So there goes one of the most screwed up chapters in this story so far. If you're wondering Rommel was referencing Field Marshal Erwin Rommel aka the Desert Fox who a German Field Marshal during WWII, but who later turned against Hitler. He even had friends try to bring him into Operation Valkyrie and committed suicide after Valkyrie failed. The reason I made her mother Egyptian was Hanna has darker skin as I mentioned and that's were her arch type died. I also made references to two other anime and two girls named Luna: the first was to Moon Phase and the main character named Luna with Count von Kinkell as the main antagonist in that series while the second was when Lucchini said "It's not like I could give the immortality with my blood." which was a reference to Casshern Sins. I've done one story for Casshan: Robot Hunter coming out in early October and am planning at least one for Casshern Sins fanfic for early December but I will likely do another. Anyway, I've been struggling still on this chapter so I'm taking a while off so don't expect the next chapter until early November but I've got a one-shot starring Eila and Sanya called "Green-eyed witch" coming out in October so look out for that. Until then please review!