Unstoppable, Part 2
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).
Note, the parenthesis indicates languages other than Japanese, in this case, English.
Tokyo-3
Japan
GeoFront
NERV HQ
Central Dogma
"Station Unit-02 inside the Geo-Front! Major Katsuragi ordered, "I want Huntress as the first line of defense, send her all the weapons available, cycle the containers in the Weapon Station 13! What´s the status of Unit-00?"
Lt. Ibuki answered, "Stationed in the A. T. Field Neutralization point!"
Dr. Akagi added, "The left arm hasn't been regenerated yet."
"So it can´t fight." Major Katsuragi hissed. She turned to the Commander´s Perch. "Commander Ikari, requesting permission to return the Third Child to active duty."
"Denied. Send Rei in Unit-01, prepare a Dummy Plug as a backup."
Misato nodded brusquely, she hadn't really expected the Commander to rescind his previous order, but she had to try. "Understood, sir. Wonder Girl, to Unit-01. I want you supporting Unit-02, but your main mission is to protect HQ."
"Huntress here, boarding Unit-02."
"Wonder Girl, boarding Unit-01."
"Huntress, open fire as soon as the Angel makes it inside. Collateral damage is not a factor this time."
"Got it, Control." The redheaded pilot answered. Moments later, the red and purple EVAs ascended through the platform system to their designated positions.
Ruins of New York
A Possible XXVIth Century
Central Park
"(Destroy! Destroy-wreck!)" (1) The leader of the rat gangs of the city ordered his troops. Hundreds of rat soldiers hurried to obey. Their leader was not known for his mercy, and the rats were not known for their mercy to begin with.
"(Shiny-Shiny is too hard-big!) his Lieutenant answered, shooting her ancient revolver at the silver giant that somehow had managed to walk unimpeded to the very center of the rat empire. "(And very noisy-loud!)" Futilely, she tried to cover both her ears with one hand, while the silver colossus sang harder at the continuous rain of bullets and assorted projectiles hitting it. The only thing they did against 12,000 layers of fortified armor was pinging noises, but not a single rat soldier was about to point that to their boss. The bullets barely made any mark against the polished chrome-like surface. Nothing that couldn't be taken care of with a simple piece of cloth and some effort.
"(HYPERACTIVE WHEN I'M SMALL!
HYPERACTIVE NOW I'M TALL!
HYPERACTIVE AS THE DAY IS LONG!
HYPERACTIVE IN MY BONES!)" (2)
Inside Unit-04, Mari Ilustrious Makinami had the most fun she had had in a very long time. About six centuries, if you counted the years literally.
It had taken her a very short time to choose an appropriate song for the occasion, but even Brother Eye found it a fun choice. And that guy had a serious stick up his inexistent bum.
Tokyo-3
Japan
GeoFront
NERV Hospital
Recovery Room 16
The guard posted at the door shuddered minutely. Carefully, he opened the door just enough to see inside.
"Psst, kid"
Shinji´s eyes flickered to the door.
"It´s me, your old pal Boston." The guard hissed. "Just to get you a quick update. The Stranger is recovering in his, uh, home. He will be fine in a week or so; nothing to worry about. But right now, I must go and report with your little sister at Unit-00. I don´t want her to be scared when they activate it, okay?"
"Thank you, Boston-san." Shinji hissed, barely moving his lips. "I was terribly worried. I thought the Stranger…"
"I know, he got a preferential seat to watch the explosion. Just in case, be ready to bolt. The alarms are not destroying out eardrums just for fun, okay?"
"Will do."
The guard returned to his post, and never realized his body had been hijacked by a wandering ghost.
Tokyo-3
Japan
GeoFront
EVA Cage, Unit-00
Unit-00 waited patiently in its cradle. The occupant of the core sleeping deeply. She didn't dream, but had she been able too, she would have dreamed about a ghost dressed in red, who sang to her and taught her games.
Ruins of New York
Vantage point, ancient housing building
(currently occupied by the Great Felines Coalition)
King Tuftan watched the silver giant dancing in the overgrown forest that, according to Kamandi, had once been called Central Park. He shook his striped head, lowering the binoculars the human boy had brought him when he asked for help in his old stomping grounds.
"(That boy sure knows how to make strange friends.)" he mused.
Next to him, his wife, Lady Sunmane took the binoculars, watched the scene for a long minute, and commented, "(You know, I have to take back some of the things I've said about your human friend.)"
He shrugged. In all the years since the human had been gifted to him as a pet (only to flee at the very first chance he had), Tuftan had never stopped being surprised by his friend. "(He is one of a kind, my love. Even now that he has found others like him, he is still unique.)"
"(Does he actually needs our help?)" the lioness Queen bit her lip. Her right fang protruded a bit from her mouth, and whenever she was thinking, it bit on her lower lip. It was one of her most endearing quirks, Tuftan thought privately. She was a bit sensitive about it.
"(I'm not sure. His mate is doing a swell job of keeping the rats focused on her robot. But the Wolves won't be so easily distracted if they even suspect. He will probably need our help to get out the city.)"
Tuftan signaled to a jaguar lieutenant. "(Lt. Silent Paw, are your scouts ready?)"
"(All in position, King Tuftan. All report silent readiness to support a quiet extraction or a fighting retreat to the lion sites. They are coordinating admirably with the tiger troops.)"
"(Perfect as always, Lieutenant. Hopefully our help won't be needed, but I trust your troops to know what to do.)"
The jaguar soldier saluted.
Tokyo-3
Japan
GeoFront
NERV HQ
Platform 3, Shaft 5
"Huntress, get ready."
As soon as the platform reached its destination, Asuka began to extract weapons from the locker, nailing them into the soft ground, handles and triggers ready for grabbing and using. She stopped only to wait for the next load. "Send me some CQWs, the Sonic Glaive or a couple Smash Hawks." She checked the spikes in the right shoulder pad had been reloaded. They had been very useful against the 13th Angel, and she loved having an ace in the sleeve.
"Roger, Huntress; next load will be CQWs only." Major Katsuragi turned to Lt. Hyuga. "You heard her, Makoto. Send her the weapons she asked for."
"On it, Major."
Ruins of New York
A Possible XXVIth Century
STAR Labs Basement, Level 14
"(Uh, Brother Eye?)" Blue Beetle spoke in his comm, "(We are at the door, there's energy, but I need the numeric code to open.)" Next to him, Booster Gold, Kamandi, and Dr. Canus stood in guard, in case the rats managed to follow them.
"(Sending sequence.)" The sentient satellite answered.
"(If you could put me next to the keyboard, I'll input the code.)" Skeets said, resting in Booster Gold's hands. The hero nodded, "(Sure, buddy.)"
A short burst of binary code later, the blast doors opened with a ponderous groan.
Tokyo-3
Japan
GeoFront
EVA Cage, Unit-01
The Entry Plug slid easily into its cradle in Unit-01´s back.
"Ionizing LCL." Lt. Ibuki informed. "Initiate A-10 nerve connection."
A rainbow of colors cycled through the holo-screen in the Entry Plug.
"Wonder Girl here. Start-up sequence, nominal."
From Central Dogma, Lt. Ibuki reported. "Synch rate rising. 27%, 35%. Rising. Stabilizing at 62%."
In his perch, Commander Ikari grinned behind his gloved hands. Yui had accepted Rei. The Third Child could now be safely discarded.
Tokyo-3
Japan
GeoFront
Unit-01´s Core
Yui Ikari noticed the change in pilot as soon as the connection was established, "Rei? Is that you?" She sent, though her message arrived garbled to its intended recipient.
In the entry Plug, Rei Ayanami felt herself accepted into the gestalt.
Tokyo-3
Japan
GeoFront
Unit-00´s Core
Deadman waited impatiently for Unit-00 to be activated. "C´mon! C´mon! What´s the problem?"
He felt something strange at the back of his mind. "What was that? It felt like…" it didn´t take long for him to connect the dots. "Oh, please! Not the Dummy Plug!"
Tokyo-3
Japan
Five titanic detonations blossomed into energy crosses. Hundreds of apartments, buildings, cars, and assorted items were instantly vaporized.
The few civilians still outside, hurried to find a bunker to hide in until the storm passed.
Tokyo-3
Japan
GeoFront
NERV HQ
Central Dogma
Lt. Aoba reported frantically the results of the attack. "One more blast like that, and all armor layers will be breached!"
Major Katsuragi whispered a fervent prayer, "We are counting on you two, Huntress, Wonder Girl."
Tokyo-3
Japan
Zeruel´s eyes lit up with otherworldly light, and the last barrier in its way detonated, exactly over NERV HQ. the debris blossomed in an expanding could of particles. The damage had been so extensive, that the pyramid below was barely damaged. The debris had been turned into fine dust. However, the resulting dust covered the environmental mirrors that distributed sunlight to the GeoFront, gradually plunging it into a false night.
Tokyo-3
Japan
GeoFront
Huntress readied herself for the arrival of the enemy. Her mind ran over all the lessons imparted by Wildcat. "Watch your enemy, analyze them. Look for their strengths and weaknesses. Step around the strengths and strike at the weakness. Hit hard, hit fast, hit first, and hit often. But don't ever hesitate to retreat if your attacks are useless."
In sequence, she loosened her fingers over the control yoke. "Here we go." She whispered. ´Mama? Get ready. Time to fight.´
Eagerness. Agreement.
Asuka nodded to herself. She grabbed the first set of weapons. "Let´s see your ATF, you monster!"
Amidst the smoke caused by the destruction of the armor, the14th Angel descended. Huntress pulled the triggers of both pallet rifles. Streams of tracing bullets surged from the weapons, letting her know where she was aiming.
"Control, this sucker is immune to bullets!" Huntress informed.
"Wait for it to get closer and weaken its ATF!" Major Katsuragi fell in the usual procedure.
Asuka extended her own ATF, readying it for the next attack.
Zeruel descended slowly into the GeoFront.
"Extending ATF!"
Lt. Aoba interrupted the exchange, "No active ATF detected, Major! The Angel has no ATF!"
Misato's blood ran cold. She didn't lose any time to relay the info to the pilots, "Huntress! Wonder Girl! This Angel is not using an ATF!" Misato screamed into the mic.
"Was? Is it that hard?" Asuka mumbled, not believing her ears. Immediately, she discarded the rifles, and grabbed at the Smash Hawks, magnetizing the weapons to Unit-02´s back. Once the weapons were secured at easy reach, she took the Sonic Glaive, and assumed a waiting position while Zeruel descended softly until it stopped about 15 yards over the ground. Under the massive Angel, plants and dirt flattened, even without a direct contact with the Angel.
Zeruel's ludricrously short arms unfolded, turning into twin metallic ribbons. "What the hell?" Huntress hissed. The twin ribbons writhed like striking snakes.
Unit-02 stepped aside, barely dodging the attack. However, one of the ribbons struck at her umbilical cable, severing it cleanly. Next to her, the countdown started, running madly towards zero. "Control! I lost my umbilical!" She shouted in the comms.
Major Katsuragi answered with a calm she didn't felt. "Prepare to retreat and change cable, Huntress. Move to the next charge station. Wonder Girl, support her."
Unit-01 stepped forward, a Sonic Glaive in its hands. "Acknowledged. Moving to support."
Tokyo-3
Japan
GeoFront
NERV Hospital
Recovery Room 16
Shinji felt the tremors caused by the Angel´s invasion. Quickly, he got up from the bed, and opened the closet. Inside a plastic bag, his plugsuit waited.
Quickly, he discarded the white gown, and changed into the technological suit. A push of the wrist button, and the suit adjusted to his body with a simple hiss. (3)
Tokyo-3
Japan
GeoFront
Level 22, Maintenaince Shaft Nr 2703
Special Inspector Ryoji Kaji ran to the nearest bunker. He had been busy looking for some classified information when the Angel Alarms rang. He cut the connection, and now needed a place to wait out the attack. (4)
Tokyo-3
Japan
GeoFront
Unit-01 stood its ground in front of the HQ. Zeruel´s eyes shone, and released a colossal blast of energy. "ATF! Maximum Yield!" Wonder Girl shouted, a shimmering wall of octagons manifested in front of the purple Evangelion, stopping the energy beam.
Zeruel pressed the attack.
In Unit-02, Huntress watched the impasse. "Wonder Girl! Keep up!" The red Evangelion adjusted its grip on the Sonic Glaive, hesitating for a moment. "Control! Another blast like that, and Unit-01 will be overwhelmed!"
Ruins of New York
A Possible XXVIth Century
STAR Labs Basement, Level 14
"(Okay, Brother Eye.)" Booster Gold spoke into his wrist comm unit. "(We are at the entrance. What's next?)"
The A.I. answered, it's voice tinged with some emotion. "(Kamandi. Step into the chamber. Only Kamandi must enter the infusion chamber. The procedure is calibrated for him and only him. He is the only human being registered in my database. Blue Beetle, you designed some of the elements in the infusing array, keep watch over the array and be prepared to cut the feed on my signal if something goes wrong.)" The hero nodded gravely. Brother Eye continued, "(Booster Gold, connect one of your energy blasters to the emergency generator according to the holo-image I'm sending to your goggles.)"
The humans hurried to comply.
"(What about me, Brother Eye?)" Dr Canus asked.
"(Please sit back and be ready to activate the fire extinguisher, Dr. Canus. In case… in case my robot maintenance units have not maintained the automatic systems adequately."
The enhanced dog nodded, and took his place.
"(We are set, Brother Eye.)" Skeets transmitted.
"(Kamandi, hold the bars, and bite on the rubber teeth protector. I must apologize before starting. The procedure will be painful. The nanobots will take five minutes and thirty seven seconds to disperse in your body.)"
The blond teenager took his place in the array as instructed, he took a moment to breath and prepare himself. Putting the teeth protector into his mouth, he flashed a thumbs-up sign to Beetle, he grabbed the bars, and nodded.
"(We are ready, Brother Eye. Start when you're ready.)" Blue Beetle adjusted his goggles a last time.
"(Initiating nanobots infusing in three, two, one. Infusion begins.)" Injecting units emerged all around Kamandi, imbedding themselves into his flash, and in his longer bones, depositing microscopic machines that had been held in stasis for six centuries, waiting for him.
Kamandi felt his flesh burn and his bones break. He endured the pain beyond anything he had ever known, until the agony was too much for him.
He screamed until his throat was raw.
Later, Kamandi wouldn't even remember how he had managed to endure the lastfew seconds of the procedure.
Tokyo-3
Japan
GeoFront
NERV Hospital
Recovery Room 16
The door opened, and seeing the pilot already wearing his plugsuit, the guard shouted "Hey! You are not authorized to pilot!"
Shinji jumped at him, surprise at his side. A series of precise punches soon rendered the man unconscious.
"Sorry, but I won´t let them fight alone." He whispered. Cautiously, he peeked out the door, and seeing no more guards, ran towards the cages.
Author Notes
(1) I know that's not how Jack Kirby wrote them, but I thought it would be fun to have the rat gangs of New York speaking like Warhammer Fantasy Skaven.
(2) It had been a while since the last time we heard Mari singing. And of course, she had to choose a perfect song! Hyperactive, by Thomas Dolby. BTW, if the song itself is bizarre, the video goes well above and beyond
(3) I hadn't noticed a terrible continuity mistake in these episodes until I was rewatching them to prepare this chapter. When Shinji boards Unit-01 to fight Zeruel, he is wearing his civilian clothes. But when the crew is trying to recover him, the plugsuit is floating in the Entry Plug! There is an on-screen explanation, about how Shinji's self-image reconstructed a facsimile of his plugsuit, but I think they simply noticed the mistake, and modified the dialogue to justify it.
(4) Kaji has not been found out as a triple agent yet. Mr. Weatherbee's actions are muddling the waters.