Relapse:∣▍
Chapter 18: "…It started out as a bit of fun…"
Misato sipped coffee, it had been a rough morning, but she was used to a small hangover by now.
And as always Rits' coffee maker worked its magic once again.
"A training simulation?"
"Yeah, like what you had me do, but together as a team."
Ritsuko frowned, "I looked into it, we have 3 chambers, but the MAGI can't have all three of you in there with an enemy as complex as an Angel, it'd be glorified target practice."
"But can take three pilots at a time?" Shinji asked the scientist, an idea coming to mind.
"Can you reskin my Evangelion to be an Angel?"
"What?" the blonde asked completely confused.
"I have the most combat sorties between the three and I know what we can work on as a group."
"Who better to be an OPFOR?" he asked her.
ʡʘʘʢ
"Why do we have to do this again?" Asuka practically whined.
She shifted in her seat as the video of Rei in her sim seat popped up on her screen.
She didn't like the simulators as much as Unit-02, even with all the time she had spent in them back in Germany, it didn't have that comforting, normal feeling of the EVA she had come to know over the years.
It had a 'synthetic' feeling to her as much as that made sense. It wasn't like the 'natural' sense of Unit-02.
"We're trying to get you all used to working together and keep your combat skill sharp." Misato said with a smile.
She gritted her teeth "Then where's the Third Child, shouldn't he be here for that?"
"He couldn't make it; he's preoccupied with something else."
The redhead just grumbled in annoyance.
The screen came to life as the simulated EVA bay sprawled out in front of her.
"The simulator shouldn't have any neural feedback to you guys, so don't hesitate about feeling any pain."
"Like I ever do, I can't speak for the commander's pet though." The redhead boasted.
The bluenette didn't respond to her jab.
"You'll have no information for this fight, you'll be going in blind."
"Unit-00 and Unit-02 launch!" Misato called out in a calmer voice than they were used to, as the two of them raced up their respective virtual launch tracks to the surface.
They reached the surface in unison, but…
"Contact." Rei said as soon as she hit the surface.
Asuka couldn't understand it, she didn't see anything in this clearly digitized Tokyo-03.
"Asuka get over there and help her!"
"Urgh, always saving my fellow pilots." She grumbled to herself.
"Rei?" Misato called out, "status?"
"Currently falling down the launch shaft."
Asuka widened her eyes, "It's alright, I can take this thing by myself."
"Asuka do not engage until Rei is back on the surface!"
Opening the nearby weapon tower, Asuka pulled out a rifle, while scanning the city for threats.
"I don't see…"
A rather loud *snap* pulled her attention to her cable…
"What the…"
Her EVA was pulled back, off its feet and off balance, before something crashed into it.
"Argh!"
As soon as it was there it was gone, she didn't have a clue what had just happened.
Picking herself back up, she checked her time 4:42.
"Asuka the nearest plug is going to be north two blocks."
"Did I ask?!" she barked back as something slammed into her back, pushing her into a building, her rifle going flying.
She couldn't see her opponent, but she could feel it pinning her.
"Damn you." she growled as her progressive knife deployed.
Using her free arm, she let it fall into her palm and slashed widely behind her looking to get any kind of contact on the Angel.
Pushed off her, she was shoved further into the building, but she managed to push herself out of the debris as quickly as possible and spun around to see it.
The Fourth Angel, the one Shinji had been able to kill with no training, no experience and no plugsuit.
This was going to be easier than she thought.
It's core was there for her to see, that AT field couldn't be nearly as strong as the Seventh's, and it really didn't have any special abilities.
A walk in the park really.
She spied a weapon building nearby, a power cable laid next to it, if she…
Asuka had no time to think about that, it lurched forwards, blades extending from its palms to swipe at her.
And it seemed to know exactly what she would do.
Angling her AT field, she got glancing blows, but it was so agile, it dodged and weaved as lashed out at her to keep her off balance.
Finally backing up to the weapons tower, she sighed in relief that an Axe appeared from its side.
Taking it, she lashed out, going fully into an offensive against the Angel.
Despite making plenty of hits, the Angel's AT field blocked each and every blow.
"DAMMIT!" she yelled at she brought it down in one single blow.
Its AT field shattered as the axe head dug deep into its shoulder.
A spray of red washed over her screen as she smiled, that should…
Wait.
It emerged from the red spray, the axe still in its shoulder.
It was too close.
SHINK
She blinked as two blades went right into her shoulders. Twisting, turning, and slicing them off.
Asuka couldn't do anything as its undamaged hand latched onto Unit-02s face. The repeated blasts crushing the front of the cranium.
And looked at her clock 0:00.
She watched as it let her fall back, only to see Rei jump behind it.
It turned unnaturally fast, dashing away.
She blinked again.
Unit-00 held a spear, but the Angel was too close.
It wasn't even a fight.
ʡʘʘʢ
Misato's mouth should have been hanging open, but she was trying to keep the coffee from being spit out instead.
She was watching the simulation feed with Ritsuko next to her.
"You see what he did Rits."
"Hmm." she couldn't even muster a word, she just looked at her friend.
"That kid just outmatched an EVA pilot who's had years of combat training, and better part of a year actually piloting."
Misato nodded.
"He separated them."
"He knew exactly what she was going to do."
"Look," she said, rewinding the recording to where the axe destroyed the Angels shoulder "he knew she would stand and fight, he sacrificed his shoulder to beat her."
"A war of attrition isn't exactly what the EVAs are designed for." Ritsuko noted, even if they had won, repairs would have taken weeks.
"I know… and Rei"
"He knew where she would come out, just like the Sixth Angel, take one out of the fight long enough, her internal batteries weren't even fully recharged."
"He just cut the power and waited."
They stood in silence.
ʡʘʘʢ
Asuka just sat there, in the dark, empty pod, speechless. The Second Child couldn't even berate the First Child's abilities after what she did.
The simulators in Germany were nowhere near as extreme as this.
"Alright, we're going to run another simulation."
"Use that you learned for this next one."
Asuka tried to settle herself, focusing on keeping herself from shaking. She couldn't believe what just happened.
She was the best here; she had spent years in training for this…
This was just a simulation.
Her view changed, back in the staging area, she gripped the controls, now she was angry.
"Launch!" She heard Misato's call.
Again, they went to the surface, this time appearing next to each other.
Instantly Rei tried to get back-to-back with the redhead, who instead dashed for a weapon tower.
Ironically, that would be the better choice, as Unit-00 what hit by a single purple whip of light.
Grabbing a rifle from its rack, Asuka peered out from behind the reinforced tower.
It was the Fourth Angel. That insect-like monstrosity that Shinji quite nearly died defeating.
When didn't he nearly die killing an angel?
Idiot.
One whip went towards each of them, rolling away, Asuka watched the tower cut in half by the 'arm' of the Angel.
She sprayed it down with her rifle, but her aim wasn't steady, instead only half of the hail of gunfire slammed into the AT Field of the target, though it still created a black cloud obscuring it.
"Dammit!" She said throwing away the useless rifle.
"Asuka, link back up with Rei."
"I can't get a visual on target!" she growled as she pulled out her EVA's knives, readying for an ambush.
One that would never come.
"Unit-02, I need assistance." Rei's voice came through her comms.
She turned, dashing towards where Rei had been previously, she could see one of her arms wrapped in the purple stream.
Lunging forwards, her knife sliced through it with ease, releasing the bluenette.
"Stop being useless and start killing it!" she yelled at the other EVA pilot as she leapt forwards.
The creature dove down, before raising up and flipping her over.
Twirling it slashed at both of them in a purple whirlwind.
Asuka's heart was pounding in her chest. Her EVA's armor was being shredded, and her cable had been cut leaving her on battery power.
The creature… just stopped, before turning to Unit-00.
Asuka struggled up, but she was able to see the angel moving towards rei.
She didn't even think, even when it had its arms around Unit-00 she launched herself onto its back.
It shook, bucked, and did everything in-between to shake her off, but her knifes did well to keep her in place.
She forced her arms to the underside of it, she forced herself forwards.
There, the core.
Rei kept its arms busy while she tore into it, stabbing it over and over again, until a sea of red washed over them both.
Time froze and the simulation disintegrated.
ʡʘʘʢ
Misato just stared at the screen.
"He almost had them."
"I'm not sure it was the best teamwork I've seen, or if it even was teamwork."
Ritsuko tapped some buttons at her terminal.
"God job you guys, just sit tight we're adjusting for the next sim."
Misato just looked at the two pilots, she was willing to bet they would be sweating by now.
"He held back." she mumbled to no one in particular.
The blonde just raised an eyebrow "What do you mean?"
Misato pointed to the footage, "He clearly should have gone after Asuka, she has more training, she had weapons, but he turns and attacks Rei instead.
Sure, she's closer, but Asuka already has her knives out, she's the clear threat… and he turns away."
Ritsuko furrowed her brow.
"Do you think he let them win?" she asked, genuinely curious.
Misato looked at her then the footage.
She nodded.
"Hmmm"
Both just stood there for a moment, letting their thoughts keep them for a moment.
"Captain Katsuragi." came the commanders voice startling them both.
"Yes commander?"
"Have Rei sent to lower dogma, there are things that must be attended to."
"That's an order."
The both looked at each other.
"Shinji, we're going to have to stop early, Rei's being called away."
"Are you sure?" he asked, the boy almost sounded disappointed.
"Do you want to go one on one with Asuka?" she asked a slight smile on her face.
Silence
"Put me in an Evangelion." he said.
They looked at each other.
"Why, you're never going to face another EVA, it's a waste of time."
The boy said nothing until he smiled slightly.
"EVAs can beat Angels, it should be more of a challenge."
The looked at each other, "One on one, Unit-01 vs Unit-02?" she asked.
"Stack the deck." he said. "Only a progressive knife for me, give her what she wants."
he cut the communication.
The looked at each other, this was going to be good.
ʡʘʘʢ
"What?" Asuka practically yelled at the screen.
"We're going to be putting you up against a theoretical Unit-01." Misato said calmly "Rei's been called away so it's one on one.
"That doesn't make any sense" the redhead pouted "EVA's aren't going to fight each other, plus Unit-01's outdated, Unit-02 will wipe the floor with it."
"If that's so, show us." Misato challenged.
Determination and a smirk were her answer.
"There'll be a weapons tower to your left, so what do you want?"
"Give me the axe and a minigun." she said with a bright smile.
.
.
.
"Launching."
She braced herself for an instant attack, but nothing came.
Instead, she spotted her target across the virtual city. It wasn't hard, after all Unit-01 was painted purple, it was hard to miss.
She smiled to herself, this was just what she needed to blow off some steam.
She grabbed the minigun from its tower and readied the weapon.
Unit one just stood there, watching, waiting for her to make the first move.
"Stupid Shinji." she muttered to herself, despite the knowledge that it was just the computer.
Click.
The image lit up, the tracer rounds cutting a path of destruction through everything in front of her.
BRRRRT
She smiled at the harmony of the minigun and held down the trigger until all that was left were the red-hot barrels spinning.
She waited for the dust to clear.
Slowly but surely, the outline of Unit 01 emerged from the smoke, it rolled off its massive frame, which by her eyes appeared unfazed.
She hadn't expected it to do much, just pepper up her opponent a little.
It was his turn.
Reaching its arm out, Asuka watched as it pulled back, then out again, thrusting forward what she could only guess as an AT field.
"SHIT!" she rolled to her right in order to avoid the invisible force cutting a path through the city, buildings shattered, cars few to the horizon, and she barely escaped its wrath.
How was that fair? Even she couldn't manipulate an AT Field like that.
"C'mon," she said raising her axe.
"Let's go."
Charging Unit-01, Asuka dodged as AT fields blasted past her, rolling dodging, anything to get close.
When she did get close, she expected an AT field to block her weapon, but all she found was Unit-0'1s hand.
Sweeping low, she swept for Unit-01's leg just as she had done to Shinji when they had first met but found herself plying footsies with two mecha's feet.
Asuka had been so concentrated on that small fight she forgot about the free hand.
Crashing into her Evangelion's face she stumbled back, axe discarded.
Recovering she pulled her blades from their mounts as the Unit-01 pulled only one knife.
She narrowed her eyes as they circled each other, neither making the first move.
Then, they both struck.
ʡʘʘʢ
Misato stared, she wasn't the only one, everyone in the small control room couldn't tear their eyes from the stream that came from inside the simulation.
Down in the LCL tank, the fake EVA head seemed to struggle with the speed at which the fight was happening.
It was almost art, truly one of the most beautiful things she had seen, so much so that everyone had forgotten about data being recorded and displayed to them so that they could watch this almost ballet of combatants.
The weaved around each other, each not letting the other get the upper hand.
The Second Child was fast, and very skilled in one-on-one combat, but Shinji simply seemed faster. If she didn't know any better, she would have thought he was able to see her moves right before they happened.
Asuka was all in on offense, the two knives to Shinji's one was evidence enough of that.
But Shinji had quickly been able to steal one of hers by allowing the German to land a stab in his shoulder.
Twisting, he was able to get it out of her hand and discarded it from the battlefield.
Now they circled each other again.
She was sure this would be the last action as each hat cut the others power cord.
Both were already down to only a third of their internal batteries' charge.
Then it was Shinji who took the offensive.
If she didn't know better, she would have thought that Asuka was put off balance by this sudden aggressiveness.
Doing her best to keep up with his assault, she ultimately fell for a nonfatal jab to his lower abdomen.
But Shinji seemed to know that this was the end of the fight.
He let her get close, and he took the damage, before using her balance to bring her forward to the ground.
Turning around, he pinned her, and his knife dropped towards her face.
In that moment even the computers seemed to go silent.
His knife found itself embedded itself in the concrete next to Unit-02's head.
Asuka was speechless on the screen in front of the woman.
Getting up, Unit-01 straightened out before offering Unit-02 its hand to get up.
"That's not a computer is it?" Asuka asked Misato, the link still active.
Misato smiled "Your OPFOR today was Shinji."
Asuka didn't say anything, she just laid there.
0:00
It always annoyed me that they don't do any training. Granted the simulator Shinji has in 1.0 is rudimentary, but still, you'd think even Misato would want to train the children. Especially Shinji who's basically taken off the street and shoved in an EVA.
Shoutouts!
Gleaming Onyx – Yeah, I think the Rebuild Gendo is a bit less of a dick then NGE's Gendo, only by one degree since he agrees to have lunch with this son. This Shinji would probably only believe any genuine attempt at connection just more manipulation though and that's sad.
UltraSpink of Da USA – Everyone forgets that there's kinda one more before that one, and in Rebuild I'd say it might just be more important.
EVAPilotFair – Have you ever asked yourself what might happen if the boy had more of an audience than just the one in his head?
Bwanagator – Thanks! That also my favorite part too.
Calborghete – The question is which Asuka… or both?
Su Exodus – The name of the story is Relapse lol.
A Guy – Yeah, if you've ever seen the Anima art, Shinji basically looks a lot like Kaji, even took over his gardening habits. Trust me there's a reason for that admin access, have you noticed the MAGI not having a fit about his sync test, or giving a percentage of success for the plan against the Eight Angel?
I wasn't too much of a fan with this chapter, whether its just me not being very good at combat scenes or something else. You guys are getting spoiled this week since I won't be able to upload next weekend, so you'll get another 2 chapters before Thursday, mostly because I want them to be put out together.
Until Next Time