Usurper, Part 6

Please Read and Review. I'd like to know what I'm doing right (to keep doing it), and what I am doing wrong (to correct it).

I want to make it clear that both Evangelion Units 00 and 02 have their umbilical cables during the fight. The existence of mobile generators was established during NGE episode 10, "Magma Diver". In this story, they appear in the equivalent story-arc, "Pressure", chapters 25-29.

Military Route Tokyo-3/Matsushiro Secondary NERV Base
Nobe Mountain Pass

Startled, Wonder Girl reacted by slapping away the hand trying to wrap itself around Unit-00's throat. Strangely, the move actually removed the hand! Even the 13th Angel seemed surprised! It seemed to look at its own traitorous hand as if reproaching it.

"What happened?" Rei gasped, blinking twice. "Control?"

"I think Shinji is sabotaging the Angel's maneuvers, Wonder Girl. The thumb was aligned with the other fingers! It had no way to actually tighten its grip!" Major Katsuragi informed through the comms.

Rei nodded, she had pushed the forearm away with Unit-00's only remains arm, and the strangling hand had slipped away.

In Unit-03's core, Robin grinned, at that point, and though he had no visual nor auditive input, he instinctively knew the exact posture of Unit-03's body.

Though, to be honest, the stretching has been a surprise. 'That felt really weird.' He thought. 'I wonder if this is like Plastic Man or Elongated Man, I hope it's not like Metamorpho. An elemental Angel would be even harder to fight." (1)

"Oh, no, you won't!" Huntress grunted, directing Unit-02 to grab the Angel's hand, keeping the legs locked with the red EVA's own.

For all the world to see, it was just like watching an impossibly big wrestling match! And to top it off, both Evangelions had rolled over the rice fields picking up a slight layer of mud on arms, legs, backs and chests. Asuka grinned, 'Time to apply Wildcat's lessons!' she thought, and tightened her grip.

From the core, a roaring approval answered her thought.

'Really? I didn't knew you liked wrestling, Mama!' (1)

Unit-03 buckled under the red Evangelion, but the grapple was firm and unwavering.

Suddenly, Asuka felt a burning sensation in her hands. "Dammit! This sucker is secreting some kind of acid!"

Commander Ikari spoke, "Release it, you are risking contamination."

"Not… yet… sir…" Asuka grunted. "Wonder Girl! Hurry up!"

The black EVA was pinned face down onto the ground, desperately trying to escape. Its fingers dug deep trenches into the ground, looking for traction.

Finally, Unit-00 arrived, and with decisive yet delicate movements, cut the web of tendrils around the partially ejected plug. Though Bardiel wasn't going to let its prey go so easily. New tendrils emerged from the back of the possessed EVA Unit, trying to keep the plug in its place.

Unit-00 cut faster, and Wonder Girl calculated the right moment to act.

The Progressive Knife was dropped, and the giant hand pulled at the plug containing Robin. It slid out with a wet, disgusting noise, ripping the half-formed tendrils.

Unit-03 screamed in fury and outrage!

In its anger, it managed to twist itself, freeing itself from Unit-02's hands.

Still cradling the plug, Unit-00 fell to the ground. Somehow, it managed to roll away, protecting the precious cargo in its only hand.

"Well done, Wonder Girl!" exclaimed Major Katsuragi, "Evac Robin immediately! Get the plug to the Recovery Crew!"

Unit-00 seemed to hesitate for a moment, but Huntress voice galvanized it. "Do it, Wonder Girl! I have this! Go!"

The blue Evangelion straightened itself up, and ran away from the fight. It wobbled a bit as it ran, cradling the plug close to its chest.

"Wo waren wir, du Bastard?" (3) Asuka's lips parted in a bloodthirsty grin.

Unit-03 Plug

For Shinji, it was like being plunged into a dark pit. Suddenly, he lost all sensory input from Unit-03, he was now completely cut apart from the world outside. He was ripped from the shared world that was the core of Unit-03/Angel. Finally, he had silence in his mind, the constant attempts of the Angel to convince him to join into a symbiosis ceased.

All he had now was whatever his own senses could tell him. He looked around, finding himself in the familiar enclosure of an Entry Plug. Red light illuminated the cylinder, and he could feel the LCL sloshing around him.

There was a rhythm. A rhythm almost familiar, yet distorted. Movement to the left, then to the right.

"Hello? Can anybody hear me?" he pressed the comms button, trying to open frequencies.

NERV Mobile HQ

"Shinji! Thank the Kami!" Major Katsuragi exhaled, sweet relief coursing through her veins. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, what happened?"

"Later! Right now, we have an Angel to kill. Wonder Girl! Hurry up to Recovery, and go back to the fight, Huntress is alone against that monster!"

"Try to fight it at a distance! It can invade our EVAs and usurp our control; this thing can fuse with other creatures! It tried to fuse with me, but I think I managed to resist! The ATF is very strong, projectile weapons won't do it any harm unless they are shot from inside the ATF!" Shinji informed his superior officer

"Got it, Robin! Wonder Girl, resupply run, get the Sonic Glaive and a Smash Hawk from the closest depot. Lt. Mogami, send her the fastest route!"

Unit-00 Core

DeadRei kept on managing the synchronization rate of the blue EVA. In the plug, Rei felt strangely serene, accepted even as she directed the titan's movements towards the place the Recovery Crew had set down their mobile units, including the field hospital.

The composite ghost rolled their shoulders, testing the pain response from the giant. "Nope, still hurts like Hell!" Boston hissed. "I better keep on it for a while longer. Hang on, kids!"

An Unnamed Demiplane.

"No, sorry. I can't really intervene in your behalf, Isaac. It was mortals caused that problem, and I fear it will have to be solved by mortal souls." Death's eyes seemed to try to say something Death herself couldn't.

Behind the shadows that covered his eyes, the Stranger thought on her words, while sipping tea.

He had something very important to think about, while his body reconstructed itself, enough for him to return to it.

However, that didn't mean he had to remain idle.

"I… I see." He said, catching the hidden meaning of her words.

A warm smile appeared on her pale features. "I'm glad you see things my way."

The Stranger nodded noncommittally. "So it is."

Tokyo-3
Japan
GeoFront
NERV HQ
Central Dogma

"Lt. Hyuga; I want the Third Child isolated and quarantined as soon as he is extracted from the plug; I want Dr. Akagi in charge of the analysis and tests the moment this situation is solved to my satisfaction."

"Yes, Sir." Though Commander Ikari's order was sensible, if what Robin had said was in fact, true; the coldness of his voice as he gave the order made a chill go up and down the long-haired Bridge Bunny's veins.

He contacted the Recovery Crew to order them to enact the initial isolation procedures.

Military Route Tokyo-3/Matsushiro Secondary NERV Base
Recovery Unit Mobile Hospital

The medical emergency crew ran to their respective stations, making sure all the equipment and staff was ready. A series of shockwaves heralded the arrival of Unit-00, the EVA had run along the secondary road, and now was slowing its run.

By the time the One-Eyed EVA arrived with the plug, everything was ready. It deposited the plug in a portable metal cradle, designed to allow the most access to an Entry Plug as possible. Only a few square centimeters of the surface would be hidden, and even those would be completely sterilized before the plug even made contact with them.

A small man encased in an armored bio-hazard suit directed the crew to first use their flamethrowers to burn all trace of the still remaining tendrils adhered to the Entry Plug.

By the time the first flame had touched the plug, EVA-00 had already departed. It stopped only to reconnect itself to a mobile umbilical cable station.

Military Route Tokyo-3/Matsushiro Secondary NERV Base
Nobe Mountain Pass

Meanwhile, Unit-02 had disengaged from the fight, and cautiously circled around the black EVA.

The possessed Evangelion growled at her. Without Shinji in the plug, the Angel had reverted to a more animalistic behavior.

That didn't mean it was a dumb beast. There was cunning in its narrowed eyes. Asuka knew it was taking her measure before striking.

As she directed the EVA to keep circling the enemy, Asuka opened the left shoulder pylon, extracting the Progressive Knife. The movements were slow, trying not to provoke the Angel into attacking her before she was ready It was a risky gamble, but without a long reach weapon, it was her best bet.

The weapon's weight in the red EVA's hand was reassuring. She had trained extensively in its use, and though she was not a world-class expert, she could hold her own.

She gritted her teeth, wishing Wildcat had begun to train them in the use of other weapons, but the old man insisted on teaching them how to defend themselves from an armed opponent first.

Military Route Tokyo-3/Matsushiro Secondary NERV Base
Weapon Depot 125-D

Unit-00 opened the gigantic box, and quickly extracted the content; a Sonic Glaive, and a set of Smash Hawks. Rei hesitated for a moment, before taking the Sonic Glaive and putting it at the back of her EVA. The magnetic grapple would held it there until she rescinded the command.

She ripped one Smash Hawk from its moorings, and ran back to the fight.

Military Route Tokyo-3/Matsushiro Secondary NERV Base
Nobe Mountain Pass

"Oh, no, you don't! Get a new trick!" EVA-02 evaded the elongated arms of her enemy, by ducking under the first one, and slashing at the other with her knife.

She managed to make a shallow cut on the left forearm. But before she could gloat, she realized that the Angel was smarter than it looked. Its right arm had dropped down to the ground while she was distracted with the other arm, and had now grabbed Unit-02 by the ankle, pulling quickly, and making her fall. Almost immediately, the black monster rose in the air, propelled by its own AT Field, flattening the vegetation around it.

Reacting quickly, Unit-02 rolled away, before Unit-03 fell over it.

"Damn! It's like fighting an octopus!" She hissed, looking beyond her enemy. She saw Unit-00 running back, it stopped suddenly, and dropped the axe it carried, only to grab at the shaft weapon at its back.

"Huntress!" Rei's voice rang in her comm. "Catch!"

The Sonic Glaive almost flew into EVA-02's hand. But before she could do anything, Unit-03 attacked again. Its boneless arms striking like snakes.

The Progressive Knife flashed, and a black hand fell to the ground, as the Angel screamed in pain and fury. Quickly, Asuka put the PK back into the left pylon, now she had a weapon better suited to this fight.

Meanwhile, Unit-00 picked up the axe again, and now circled around the Angel, positioning itself for a fight.

The Angel looked alternatively at one and then the other. Deciding that Unit-00 would be easier to fight, it struck. The right hand closed around its neck, and pulled it back.

A flash of the axe, and the forearm was cleanly cut.

Bardiel screamed again.

NERV Mobile HQ

"Ow!" Toji Suzuhara tried to sit up. Only to feel an almost blinding pain.

He felt two hands pushing him down to the floor. A familiar voice spoke. "Easy. Don't try to move, you have several broken bones, and I have to get you to surgery as soon as possible. We put some splints and bandages, but I really need to get you to the hospital."

"Dr. Akagi? Surgery?" he asked, deciding that laying back was not so bad. "What happened?"

"In brief? Unit-03 was possessed by an Angel, it blew the whole Matsushiro base to bits, the MHQ got shaken like a cat's toy, you crashed against something, got broken bones and almost a concussion. You just got knocked out like a light. You got lucky, if you can believe me. Could have been way worse. And now Rei and Asuka are fighting the Angel."

He gulped a big lump as the situation was revealed to him. "Shinji? Is he..? Did the Angel..?"

"He managed to resist for long enough for us to evacuate the area. Asuka and Rei got the plug, but I have not yet received any data about him. The Recovery Crew is working yo sterilizase the Plug before getting him out."

"…oh..." He managed to say.

"Oh, indeed." Somehow, the tone of her voice relayed more than Toji would have liked to know.

Military Route Tokyo-3/Matsushiro Secondary NERV Base
Nobe Mountain Pass

Bardiel swayed on its feet, it looked like a boxer about to fall. The stumps of its arms dripped a noxious pink goo. Suddenly, the goo congealed over the woulnds, and solidified into a new set of hands.

The fingers flexed tentatively.

"Enough!" Asuka screamed, "This ends now!" Unit-02 jumped high in the air, blandishing the Sonic Glaive like an executioner's axe. It embedded itself on Bardiel's shoulder, it cut through the supports that held the chest armor in its place. The metal piece almost fell to the ground, hanging from a last stubborn support, exposing the brilliant red sphere at the centre of the torso.

With a furious roar, Bardiel's arms elongated themselves, wrapping around Unit-02, almost like a cocoon. It began to tighten its grip. The armor resisted for a couple of seconds, before it began to collapse on itself like a soda can.

"Gotcha!" Asuka grinned through the pain. Unit-02's right shoulder pylon opened right in front of Bardiel's face, the hidden mechanism launched eight spikes right through Unit-03's head.

A scream of pain filled the air, as Bardiel tried to rip the hardened steel spikes from its head, the arms released Unit-02. The red EVA fell backwards, the synch rate was high enough for Asuka to feel as if she had been crushed.

"Wonder Girl! The Core!" she screamed.

Rei waited until the desperate Unit-03 spun towards her.

A swift movement, and the Smash Hawk cut through the chest armor, stricking the core with perfect precision.

For a moment, nothing moved. As if frozen in time. Absolute silence all around.

A tinkling noise.

Then another. And Unit-03's core shattered in sharp fragments.

Bardiel collapsed on its feet, and fell down like a puppet without strings.

As it fell down, pink goo oozed from every articulation, consuming all the organic components of the titan, in a desperate attempt to survive. Four minutes later, the only things that remained of Unit-03 and the Thirteenth Angel were pieces of armor, electronic sensors, and the entry Plug system; all the parts that had been grafted onto the cloned body by enterprising humans. Even the goo disappeared, evaporating in the air.

Asuka struggled to stand up, but EVA-02 shook like a leaf.

A blue hand entered Asuka's field of vision, she nodded to herself, and accepted the offer of help.

Unit-00 Core

Just before the blue EVA deactivated, DeadRei sighed. They were tired, terribly tired.

Shaking their head, the two entities separated. Once again, Rei returned to her normal look, her blue hair and dress replaced the white latex mask and the red acrobat's clothes.

"You okay, Rei?" Deadman asked.

Rei nodded. "My arm hurts. Just a little now."

Before she vanished back into the core, Boston held her in a hug, which the child eagerly returned. "Glad to help, kid. Glad to help."

Military Route Tokyo-3/Matsushiro Secondary NERV Base
Recovery Unit Mobile Hospital

"Quickly! More water!" the chief directed the crew to cover the Entry Plug with their hoses, lowering the temperature to a tolerable degree.

The whole place was hidden by a steam cloud, the Entry Plug somewhere inside the white cloud.

"Enough! Enough!" he screamed into his comm unit.

Inside, Shinji waited nervously.

After a subjective eternity, the cover opened, the LCL drained into an isolation tank. Light blinded him for a moment.

The last thing he saw was the silhouette of a man at the opening.

The last thing he heard was a soft "Pffth!" sound.

The last thing he felt was a prick on his chest, and darkness claimed him.

Author Notes

(1) To clear a few details, though their powers are very similar, Plastic Man and Elongated Man differ in a very crucial aspect. Plas can assume complex shapes, and even turn himself into multiple parts mechanisms. It seems he doesn't even have any internal organs anymore! On the other hand, Elongated Man can only stretch his body, but keeps to the general human form. He could assume the shape of a wheel, but it would be a simple circle or spiral, while Plas can not only make a wheel, but turn himself into a moving locomotive, wagons and all! (a small one, he is still subject to keeping the same mass). Metamorpho was even more versatile, able to change is matter into any element or substance, though limited to elements contained in a human body. For example, he could transform himself into pure calcium, but not into, say, plutonium, as calcium is present in the human body, but plutonium is not.

(2) Wrestling has been a very popular sport in Japan, especially Mexican style. Quite a few Luchadores have visited the country.

(3) "Where were we, you bastard?"

Extra Note:

This is the 4th Anniversary chapter!

I published the first chapter back in January the 4th, 2017. It's been quite a learning experience. At this point, and according to Wikipedia, it qualifies as a Door-Stopper, with over 300,000 words (I'm not sure how many words are in the Author's Notes, though… but I'm sure the story itself has over the required 250k words).