Disclaimer: Today's chapter is brought to you by the Speedwagon Foundation.
Author note: It's chapter 9 and we're back to the Angels. Israfel, come on down.
The Reprint and Repackaging of Evangelion
Chapter 9 It Seems the Sun is Still Sleeping
by Anonguy
Time had passed in the form of three weeks, during which the three pilots were busy training and getting used to fighting alongside one another. Shinji was taking to the role of team sharpshooter, with Rei as the team's shock trooper. Asuka had taken to the role of heavy ordinance with a little too much gusto, but enthusiasm was preferable to endless angst and doubt.
As it were, the three pilots found themselves in the middle of a mock battle, their targets rapidly moving dummies designed off of the first three Angels that showed up. And while they could replicate the weaponry of the Angels, they made up for it by coming up with creative equivalent. The Sachiel dummy had a hydraulic rifle that allowed it to simulate the long distance piledriver it showed off on the UN forces. Shamshel's dummy didn't have beam tentacles, but with them administering an electric shock, they were just as threatening.
Sadly, the Ramiel dummies lacked any form of beam weapon, and had to make due with a custom built smoothbore cannon, sent in from those helpful folks in NERV America.
It went without saying the mock battle had turned the training center of the Geo Front into a warzone in no time at all. Asuka and Rei protected Shinji from a Ramiel dummy's cannon, allowing the pilot of Unit-01 to ventilate the core with some nice incendiary rounds. Asuka turned a bazooka on a group of Sachiel and Shamshel dummies, obscuring the immediate area in smoke and dirt. Rei emerged from the clouds wielding a custom built shotgun, the rotating round system allowing her to shred her foes in no time at all.
Unit-01, meanwhile, had taken to a running battle with the Ramiel dummies, doing his best to draw their fire and keep them from helping the others. The HE round toppled one over into the path of another, blocking it from returning fire as Shinji chambered in another incendiary round, silencing the second one in a flash. All told, the battle had already passed five minutes and the teamwork of the Children had them suffering no damage at all.
Everyone who watched that battle felt some measure of pride, from the weapon techs who worked endlessly to make the weapons and ammo, to the brains of the operation who had trained them so well.
They were the best hope the world had of defeating the Angels, as they had pilots capable of controlling the Evangelion without issue. But also because the support and infrastructure behind them was solid and dependable, they weren't out there trying to sabotage them at all. There was a sense of pride and camaraderie that had become the norm at NERV since Shinji's arrival, of whom some would give credit for opening their eyes to what they had ignored before.
Rei was also key, recovering from her injuries to become a competent pilot and capable fighter in her own right had taken all the pressure off their every action. Asuka continued the alleviation, being the best pilot amongst them in terms of training, but also the one with the brightest spirit. The three had formed into a trio that could very well carve out a legend for themselves, as long as they stayed the course.
And everyone at NERV Japan would be damned if they allowed those kids to fall by the wayside.
/-\ /-\ /-\
ôCaptain.ö Oh, it was one of the weapon techs. Lei Ti as Misato recalled.
ôWhat can I do for you?ö Misato was curious, as the woman worked with the nut who made that chainsaw sword thing.
ôJust need you to sign off on the weapon load-out for the next mission.ö They were getting better prepared. Hell, NERV was bringing in rockets from Japan's former space program just in case they needed them.
ôOf course.ö Misato took the form and signed it. ôOh, and how's Ron doing?ö
ôSill stuck on the drill again.ö Lei sighed, he had been at it since he finished the sword.
ôI'll send Shinji along to help.ö Misato turned to get back to work.
ôCan he really help?ö Lei wasn't doubtful he could, seeing as he had become the Ace of Project E in general and allowed her and Ron to run amok in the weapon labs.
ôHe's good at spotting the obvious and telling you if you missed it.ö Misato said in a tone that sounded like she was being respectful to her charge. It wouldn't do to say it was because he could be a real asshole about it now would it?
ôI'm sure Ron can handle him.ö Not entirely a lie, since Ron was one of the few people that could outcreep Gendo when he put his mind to it. And when Lei thought about it, that was pretty damn scary.
ôI bet he could.ö Misato decided not to make any obvious cracks about how Ron would handle Shinji. She bit her lip to stifle a laugh. ôI'll go get him, and you can help me put together the briefing for the load outs.ö
ôOf course.ö
/-\ /-\ /-\
ôSo this is the weapons division's labs. Funny, I expected a lot more weapons and stuff strewn about.ö Shinji was walking behind Li Rong, who was helping the young pilot make his way to the drill project.
ôOh, we got interns for that, among their other duties. They operate the heavy machinery you see scattered about to keep things tidy.ö Li Rong, henceforth to be referred to as Ron, said casually. If couldn't make your interns do the dirty jobs, then why have them?
ôAt least they have a job here. The Section Two interns look so depressed.ö Having to guard a box of donuts and the coffee machine in the lounge had to be one of the worst jobs. That or the intern whose only job was to be hit whenever something went wrong. Shinji decided he liked nepotism all of a sudden.
ôI don't even know where they get the kids they do for Section Two, to be honest.ö Ron didn't like thinking about things that had no real answer, so he just focused on the stuff he could answer. More efficient that way.
ôSo, I hear you have some new monstrosity of a weapon you're working on.ö Shinji had seen the chainsaw sword, but Rei had already claimed it as hers. Just as well, he thought Unit-01 would look stupid holding it.
ôYes, it was my original project before I made the sword.ö Ron wasn't offended by the remarks about his creation, he had made it to be crazy looking anyways. ôI was inspired when I saw the Fortress Angel using a drill and thought we could use one too.ö
ôMakes sense.ö They arrived at the lab and Shinji did his best not to stare at the fucking huge drill stationed there. ôYou... you built this?ö
ôNot me personally, me and Lei and some of the other techs did most of the work. The interns did the minute details, but the core was crafted by us.ö Ron knew he sounding like he was bragging, which was good because he certainly was. ôI just can't get the damned thing to spin, Simon.ö
ôShinji.ö
ôPardon?ö
ôIt's Shinji, the pilot of Unit-01.ö
ôOh damn it, I've been having him help me so much I spaced out.ö Ron slapped his forehead, feeling rather stupid.
ôSimon's an intern here I take it?ö Shinji wasn't offended, the guy was working on stuff to kill the Angels and would have every right to be pissed at him for pushing his nose to the grindstone.
ôYes. He's often one of the cleaners of the work sites.ö It was a thankless job, but the kid seemed good at it. His adoptive brother worked in the city so they didn't see each other much since Simon became an intern at NERV.
ôI think I saw him working with some red haired girl on the rifles.ö Shinji wasn't going to ask why she had a sniper rifle strapped to her back, but Section Two wasn't watching her every move so he figured she had permission to do it.
ôAkagi actually managed to poach Yoko from the JSSDF?ö Ron had mentioned she was a sharpshooting expert when they had started work on the sniper rifles to be used by the Evangelion, he hadn't expected her to be hired.
ôWell, NERV seems to specialize in acquiring the people needed to help us do our jobs.ö Shinji had been impressed by the sheer number of people who kept getting hired as new jobs became in demand. ôThere is a sizable number of interns here after all.ö
ôHell, some of them don't really work here.ö Ron decided to put off work for now, you really didn't get a chance to engage the pilots in conversation these days.
ôOh?ö
ôA couple of the interns are some kids who sometimes pop into NERV somehow, so we put them to work until they disappear again.ö They were nice kids, but the boy could due with some lessons in humility.
ôI'd be appalled but you could have just killed them instead.ö Shinji knew that infiltrating NERV was a federal offense that had a myriad of punishments he didn't care to think about. ôIs there a reason for the odd dress code?ö
ôAh, you saw Noriko did you?ö Ron closed his eyes for a second. ôHer father was a captain back during Second Impact, he didn't make it out of the wars. She lives at the school that supplies our interns, being under the care of Kazumi, the other girl dressed like Noriko.ö
ôI see, that poor girl.ö Shinji was being polite, as her plight didn't exactly move him. But that wasn't to say it didn't affect him at all.
ôShe's a hard worker, which is why we always yell at Ohta when he hogs her to himself.ö Ron didn't care if the man was old friend of her dad's, the interns were there for everyone to abuse help them realize their potential.
ôWow, I guess there is a lot of stuff you guys get around to down here in the guts of the operation huh?ö Shinji looked at the drill and thought for a long second.
ôMore than you know kid, more than you know.ö Ron clapped his hands. ôWell, let's get to work shall we?ö
/-\ /-\ /-\
ôWe've got blue signal!ö Aoba called out, having noticed it during a routine scan. ôTwelve miles to the west, ETA is ten minutes!ö
ôEvangelion units are being prepped and readied as we speak, pilots standing by for insertion.ö Hyuga followed up, furiously typing to get everything set up for this Angel.
ôWe have confirmation of visuals, putting them on screen.ö Maya did as she said, the image of not one but TWO Angels appearing for everyone to see.
ôWait, two?ö Misato bit her lip, not liking this development at all. The hulking forms were gray and orange, their distinct face masks with three eye holes and a core a piece.
ôNegative, they are not separate entities! Blue signal frequency in the same in both.ö Maya answered quickly, processing the data as fast as she could. ôThey're the same Angel.ö
ôOkay! Since there are two of them, our three units will dance with them. The battle plan is to keep switching from target to target, never engage for more than one attack.ö Misato ordered, arms crossed confidently as she gave the command.
ôRoger that, orders are being relayed. Unit-01 and Unit-02 will engage with melee weapons, Unit-00 will focus on ballistics to help suppression of targets.ö Aoba called as he issued the order to the pilots. ôEquipping Unit-01 with Maglock sword. Equipping Unit-02 with Sonic Glaive.ö
ôOperation will begin once the Evangelion have reached the intercept point.ö Hyuga added, keeping watch on the Angel.
ôSo, have they been watching?ö Misato frowned and turned around towards Gendo in his perch. ôCommander, permission to initiate Hunter protocol!ö
ôOn what grounds Captain?ö Gendo wasn't saying no, but he wasn't saying yes. Hearing why they would use that protocol is the best course of action.
ôWhile I have faith in our pilots and tactics, I want to be sure if we have to escape, we can keep the Angel away without an N2 mine.ö Misato reasoned that the less they relied on the big bombs, the more capable they would be to fight out of these sticky situations.
ôVery well, Captain.ö Gendo turned to Fuyutsuki. ôSensei, get the UN on the line and tell them that we're enacting the Hunter protocol.ö Said protocol was a three way operation using a large number of air support like Predator drones and gunships to suppress a given target by forcing it to defend itself.
ôUnderstood.ö The Sub-commander saluted and took his leave.
ôI applaud your quick thinking, Captain Katsuragi.ö Gendo said, loud enough for Misato to hear. ôI too believe in them, but the better we cover ourselves, the more likely we will succeed. We were caught with our pants down before, but we survived. Whether luck or skill, we're here.ö
ôWe make mistakes to learn from them.ö Misato finished for him, remembering that he had said much the same after Rei's accident. ôAnd we have learned so much.ö
ôAnd that knowledge is why we're so very dangerous.ö Gendo remained impassive, watching the video feed with his usual stoic front.
/-\ /-\ /-\
ôThis is Unit-01, we have arrived at the intercept point and have visual confirmation of the Angel. Unit-02 and I are ready to mobilize and engage at your mark, command.ö Shinji handled the protocol procedures, leaving it to Rei and Asuka to assess the threat of the Angel, Israfel, posed.
ôCopy that pilot Ikari, you and pilot Soryu are to engage immediately.ö Maya responded over the radio.
ôRoger.ö Unit-01 hefted the Maglock sword and stared at the approaching Angel. ôAyanami, lay down some fire the left body, Soryu and I will take the right first.ö
ôGot it.ö Rei said, hefting the custom made heavy assault rifle built for Unit-00 specifically. It was larger than three pallet rifles taped together, carried more rounds than anyone could possibly need, and to top it off it came with three modes of fire. Unit-00 squeezed the trigger and showered Left with a spray of bullets, which were blocked by the AT-field, but halted that half of the Angel's progress.
ôCome on!ö Asuka roared, slamming the glaive into Right's AT-field, pushing it farther away from Left. Speaking of Left, it came charging at the back of Unit-02, only to be blindsided by Unit-01 nearly slicing it in half with the Maglock.
ôSwitch!ö Shinji yelled, as Unit-01 and 02 rotated their positions, with Rei hosing both bodies down to prevent Israfel from attacking at all. They each clashed with their respective targets again, failing to do damage but keep the Angel from unifying its own attack.
ôOnce more!ö Asuka was getting into it, as she cranked Unit-02 into the switch with great enthusiasm. Another clash and they had sufficiently pushed them apart.
ôTogether on one!ö Shinji called, Asuka abandoning Left to come and attack Right. Rei held Left in position with her fire, the shotgun at her feet itching to be used. Shinji and Asuka pressed Right, attacking without worrying of bringing down the field. They would first check and see if there was a limit to the distance they could be separated.
ôNo signs of any decay in the target and they've been separated by 300 yards.ö Maya called up to Misato.
ôRei, get in there and kill the Left one.ö Misato had a hunch she wanted checked out.
ôOrder received.ö Rei said, gently putting down her rifle and picking up her shotgun. With a frightening quickness, Rei shoulder checked Left as it sought to aid Right before jamming the shotgun into its gut. ôDie.ö She pulled the trigger, the roar of the shotgun drowning out the sound of Left's torso being gruesomely ripped apart.
ôBlue signal weakened but not gone. Left is likely still alive.ö Aoba called, and as if to prove him correct, one of Right's eyes glowed, the damage done to left reversing itself in seconds. It stood up and roared.
Unit-00 punched it in the face.
ôFuck you!ö Rei punctuated this by firing off a flechette round into the stumbling Angel's body. Right's eye glowed again and Left was back to normal again. Unit-00 kicked it in the face, sending it flying away.
ôHealing abilities confirmed. Left and Right seem to be able to heal one another.ö Hyuga noted, entering this data into the MAGI for later analysis. Well, Left's healing ability was assumed, but that had more to do with a highly probably conjecture on the bridge crew member's part.
ôThis isn't good.ö If only because the pilots wouldn't last forever and if it became a battle of stamina between an endlessly regenerating foe, Misato knew they would lose. ôOrder the pilots to conserve their energy if necessary, I don't want this to come down to attrition.ö
ôOrder relayed, ma'am!ö Maya replied, gritting her teeth. Lucky bastards.
/-\ /-\ /-\
ôLet's finish this up soon, we have them on the ropes.ö Shinji flexed his fingers a bit before regripping the controls.
ôBut how do we do that? They keep healing each other!ö Asuka shouted as she bisected Left again, only for Right to heal it midair.
ôKill them at the same time?ö Rei suggested as she picked back up her assault rifle.
ôAlright, Ayanami and I will corner them into a line so you can use the glaive to impale both their cores fast enough for them to both die.ö Shinji called out as he charged forward, Rei maneuvering around for a shot on the two halves of Israfel. Shinji got within range and swung with all his might, only for his slash to miss as the twins back flipped away.
ôThe hell are they doing?ö Rei asked, even as she tried to line up a shot.
Both halves of Israfel struck a pose... before turning on heel and running away as fast as possible. Wait, were those tears? Needless to say, everyone was dumbfounded by one of the previously thought to be fearless Angels running like a proverbial bitch.
ôThe... the Angel has ran away. Blue signal can't be confirmed anymore.ö Aoba was stunned, but not enough to voice the data he had been given.
ôRetrieve the Evangelion, there's no need to stay there. The UN and JSSDF should be put on alert for any future activity.ö Misato ordered, shaking her head. Did it really run in fear, she really wondered about that.
End Chapter 9
Teaser for Chapter 10 ôCry Me a Future, Where the Revelations Run Amokö:
ôSo Ritsuko, what you're saying is..ö Misato shook her head, refusing to believe what she was hearing.
ôWhat I am saying is that most likely, the Angel ran because it had been expecting just two Evangelion.ö Ritsuko sighed, having explained this in detail before.
ôWho knew they were so sensitive?ö Asuka commented from the side, looking at Shinji, who had fought the most.
ôThe first two were crybabies.ö Shinji shrugged, looking not at all surprised at Israfel's sudden cowardice.
ôSo logically, we should have two units engage the Angel.ö Rei added, looking out at the screen as they received word of the UN and JSSDF began to mobilize in accordance to the Hunter protocol.
ôOverlord, this is Hunter-1, we are moving to form a defensive barrier around Tokyo-3 as agreed.ö One of the UN commanders radioed in to inform NERV. ôOur mission isn't to try and kill the target, just delay it, correct?ö
ôThat is correct Hunter-1. Keep your men safe and good hunting.ö
Author note: And that's 9. With this chapter, have I exhausted all the references I could fit into this story? (Signs point to no). See ya for 10 soon.
Author note: It's chapter 9 and we're back to the Angels. Israfel, come on down.
The Reprint and Repackaging of Evangelion
Chapter 9 It Seems the Sun is Still Sleeping
by Anonguy
Time had passed in the form of three weeks, during which the three pilots were busy training and getting used to fighting alongside one another. Shinji was taking to the role of team sharpshooter, with Rei as the team's shock trooper. Asuka had taken to the role of heavy ordinance with a little too much gusto, but enthusiasm was preferable to endless angst and doubt.
As it were, the three pilots found themselves in the middle of a mock battle, their targets rapidly moving dummies designed off of the first three Angels that showed up. And while they could replicate the weaponry of the Angels, they made up for it by coming up with creative equivalent. The Sachiel dummy had a hydraulic rifle that allowed it to simulate the long distance piledriver it showed off on the UN forces. Shamshel's dummy didn't have beam tentacles, but with them administering an electric shock, they were just as threatening.
Sadly, the Ramiel dummies lacked any form of beam weapon, and had to make due with a custom built smoothbore cannon, sent in from those helpful folks in NERV America.
It went without saying the mock battle had turned the training center of the Geo Front into a warzone in no time at all. Asuka and Rei protected Shinji from a Ramiel dummy's cannon, allowing the pilot of Unit-01 to ventilate the core with some nice incendiary rounds. Asuka turned a bazooka on a group of Sachiel and Shamshel dummies, obscuring the immediate area in smoke and dirt. Rei emerged from the clouds wielding a custom built shotgun, the rotating round system allowing her to shred her foes in no time at all.
Unit-01, meanwhile, had taken to a running battle with the Ramiel dummies, doing his best to draw their fire and keep them from helping the others. The HE round toppled one over into the path of another, blocking it from returning fire as Shinji chambered in another incendiary round, silencing the second one in a flash. All told, the battle had already passed five minutes and the teamwork of the Children had them suffering no damage at all.
Everyone who watched that battle felt some measure of pride, from the weapon techs who worked endlessly to make the weapons and ammo, to the brains of the operation who had trained them so well.
They were the best hope the world had of defeating the Angels, as they had pilots capable of controlling the Evangelion without issue. But also because the support and infrastructure behind them was solid and dependable, they weren't out there trying to sabotage them at all. There was a sense of pride and camaraderie that had become the norm at NERV since Shinji's arrival, of whom some would give credit for opening their eyes to what they had ignored before.
Rei was also key, recovering from her injuries to become a competent pilot and capable fighter in her own right had taken all the pressure off their every action. Asuka continued the alleviation, being the best pilot amongst them in terms of training, but also the one with the brightest spirit. The three had formed into a trio that could very well carve out a legend for themselves, as long as they stayed the course.
And everyone at NERV Japan would be damned if they allowed those kids to fall by the wayside.
/-\ /-\ /-\
ôCaptain.ö Oh, it was one of the weapon techs. Lei Ti as Misato recalled.
ôWhat can I do for you?ö Misato was curious, as the woman worked with the nut who made that chainsaw sword thing.
ôJust need you to sign off on the weapon load-out for the next mission.ö They were getting better prepared. Hell, NERV was bringing in rockets from Japan's former space program just in case they needed them.
ôOf course.ö Misato took the form and signed it. ôOh, and how's Ron doing?ö
ôSill stuck on the drill again.ö Lei sighed, he had been at it since he finished the sword.
ôI'll send Shinji along to help.ö Misato turned to get back to work.
ôCan he really help?ö Lei wasn't doubtful he could, seeing as he had become the Ace of Project E in general and allowed her and Ron to run amok in the weapon labs.
ôHe's good at spotting the obvious and telling you if you missed it.ö Misato said in a tone that sounded like she was being respectful to her charge. It wouldn't do to say it was because he could be a real asshole about it now would it?
ôI'm sure Ron can handle him.ö Not entirely a lie, since Ron was one of the few people that could outcreep Gendo when he put his mind to it. And when Lei thought about it, that was pretty damn scary.
ôI bet he could.ö Misato decided not to make any obvious cracks about how Ron would handle Shinji. She bit her lip to stifle a laugh. ôI'll go get him, and you can help me put together the briefing for the load outs.ö
ôOf course.ö
/-\ /-\ /-\
ôSo this is the weapons division's labs. Funny, I expected a lot more weapons and stuff strewn about.ö Shinji was walking behind Li Rong, who was helping the young pilot make his way to the drill project.
ôOh, we got interns for that, among their other duties. They operate the heavy machinery you see scattered about to keep things tidy.ö Li Rong, henceforth to be referred to as Ron, said casually. If couldn't make your interns do the dirty jobs, then why have them?
ôAt least they have a job here. The Section Two interns look so depressed.ö Having to guard a box of donuts and the coffee machine in the lounge had to be one of the worst jobs. That or the intern whose only job was to be hit whenever something went wrong. Shinji decided he liked nepotism all of a sudden.
ôI don't even know where they get the kids they do for Section Two, to be honest.ö Ron didn't like thinking about things that had no real answer, so he just focused on the stuff he could answer. More efficient that way.
ôSo, I hear you have some new monstrosity of a weapon you're working on.ö Shinji had seen the chainsaw sword, but Rei had already claimed it as hers. Just as well, he thought Unit-01 would look stupid holding it.
ôYes, it was my original project before I made the sword.ö Ron wasn't offended by the remarks about his creation, he had made it to be crazy looking anyways. ôI was inspired when I saw the Fortress Angel using a drill and thought we could use one too.ö
ôMakes sense.ö They arrived at the lab and Shinji did his best not to stare at the fucking huge drill stationed there. ôYou... you built this?ö
ôNot me personally, me and Lei and some of the other techs did most of the work. The interns did the minute details, but the core was crafted by us.ö Ron knew he sounding like he was bragging, which was good because he certainly was. ôI just can't get the damned thing to spin, Simon.ö
ôShinji.ö
ôPardon?ö
ôIt's Shinji, the pilot of Unit-01.ö
ôOh damn it, I've been having him help me so much I spaced out.ö Ron slapped his forehead, feeling rather stupid.
ôSimon's an intern here I take it?ö Shinji wasn't offended, the guy was working on stuff to kill the Angels and would have every right to be pissed at him for pushing his nose to the grindstone.
ôYes. He's often one of the cleaners of the work sites.ö It was a thankless job, but the kid seemed good at it. His adoptive brother worked in the city so they didn't see each other much since Simon became an intern at NERV.
ôI think I saw him working with some red haired girl on the rifles.ö Shinji wasn't going to ask why she had a sniper rifle strapped to her back, but Section Two wasn't watching her every move so he figured she had permission to do it.
ôAkagi actually managed to poach Yoko from the JSSDF?ö Ron had mentioned she was a sharpshooting expert when they had started work on the sniper rifles to be used by the Evangelion, he hadn't expected her to be hired.
ôWell, NERV seems to specialize in acquiring the people needed to help us do our jobs.ö Shinji had been impressed by the sheer number of people who kept getting hired as new jobs became in demand. ôThere is a sizable number of interns here after all.ö
ôHell, some of them don't really work here.ö Ron decided to put off work for now, you really didn't get a chance to engage the pilots in conversation these days.
ôOh?ö
ôA couple of the interns are some kids who sometimes pop into NERV somehow, so we put them to work until they disappear again.ö They were nice kids, but the boy could due with some lessons in humility.
ôI'd be appalled but you could have just killed them instead.ö Shinji knew that infiltrating NERV was a federal offense that had a myriad of punishments he didn't care to think about. ôIs there a reason for the odd dress code?ö
ôAh, you saw Noriko did you?ö Ron closed his eyes for a second. ôHer father was a captain back during Second Impact, he didn't make it out of the wars. She lives at the school that supplies our interns, being under the care of Kazumi, the other girl dressed like Noriko.ö
ôI see, that poor girl.ö Shinji was being polite, as her plight didn't exactly move him. But that wasn't to say it didn't affect him at all.
ôShe's a hard worker, which is why we always yell at Ohta when he hogs her to himself.ö Ron didn't care if the man was old friend of her dad's, the interns were there for everyone to abuse help them realize their potential.
ôWow, I guess there is a lot of stuff you guys get around to down here in the guts of the operation huh?ö Shinji looked at the drill and thought for a long second.
ôMore than you know kid, more than you know.ö Ron clapped his hands. ôWell, let's get to work shall we?ö
/-\ /-\ /-\
ôWe've got blue signal!ö Aoba called out, having noticed it during a routine scan. ôTwelve miles to the west, ETA is ten minutes!ö
ôEvangelion units are being prepped and readied as we speak, pilots standing by for insertion.ö Hyuga followed up, furiously typing to get everything set up for this Angel.
ôWe have confirmation of visuals, putting them on screen.ö Maya did as she said, the image of not one but TWO Angels appearing for everyone to see.
ôWait, two?ö Misato bit her lip, not liking this development at all. The hulking forms were gray and orange, their distinct face masks with three eye holes and a core a piece.
ôNegative, they are not separate entities! Blue signal frequency in the same in both.ö Maya answered quickly, processing the data as fast as she could. ôThey're the same Angel.ö
ôOkay! Since there are two of them, our three units will dance with them. The battle plan is to keep switching from target to target, never engage for more than one attack.ö Misato ordered, arms crossed confidently as she gave the command.
ôRoger that, orders are being relayed. Unit-01 and Unit-02 will engage with melee weapons, Unit-00 will focus on ballistics to help suppression of targets.ö Aoba called as he issued the order to the pilots. ôEquipping Unit-01 with Maglock sword. Equipping Unit-02 with Sonic Glaive.ö
ôOperation will begin once the Evangelion have reached the intercept point.ö Hyuga added, keeping watch on the Angel.
ôSo, have they been watching?ö Misato frowned and turned around towards Gendo in his perch. ôCommander, permission to initiate Hunter protocol!ö
ôOn what grounds Captain?ö Gendo wasn't saying no, but he wasn't saying yes. Hearing why they would use that protocol is the best course of action.
ôWhile I have faith in our pilots and tactics, I want to be sure if we have to escape, we can keep the Angel away without an N2 mine.ö Misato reasoned that the less they relied on the big bombs, the more capable they would be to fight out of these sticky situations.
ôVery well, Captain.ö Gendo turned to Fuyutsuki. ôSensei, get the UN on the line and tell them that we're enacting the Hunter protocol.ö Said protocol was a three way operation using a large number of air support like Predator drones and gunships to suppress a given target by forcing it to defend itself.
ôUnderstood.ö The Sub-commander saluted and took his leave.
ôI applaud your quick thinking, Captain Katsuragi.ö Gendo said, loud enough for Misato to hear. ôI too believe in them, but the better we cover ourselves, the more likely we will succeed. We were caught with our pants down before, but we survived. Whether luck or skill, we're here.ö
ôWe make mistakes to learn from them.ö Misato finished for him, remembering that he had said much the same after Rei's accident. ôAnd we have learned so much.ö
ôAnd that knowledge is why we're so very dangerous.ö Gendo remained impassive, watching the video feed with his usual stoic front.
/-\ /-\ /-\
ôThis is Unit-01, we have arrived at the intercept point and have visual confirmation of the Angel. Unit-02 and I are ready to mobilize and engage at your mark, command.ö Shinji handled the protocol procedures, leaving it to Rei and Asuka to assess the threat of the Angel, Israfel, posed.
ôCopy that pilot Ikari, you and pilot Soryu are to engage immediately.ö Maya responded over the radio.
ôRoger.ö Unit-01 hefted the Maglock sword and stared at the approaching Angel. ôAyanami, lay down some fire the left body, Soryu and I will take the right first.ö
ôGot it.ö Rei said, hefting the custom made heavy assault rifle built for Unit-00 specifically. It was larger than three pallet rifles taped together, carried more rounds than anyone could possibly need, and to top it off it came with three modes of fire. Unit-00 squeezed the trigger and showered Left with a spray of bullets, which were blocked by the AT-field, but halted that half of the Angel's progress.
ôCome on!ö Asuka roared, slamming the glaive into Right's AT-field, pushing it farther away from Left. Speaking of Left, it came charging at the back of Unit-02, only to be blindsided by Unit-01 nearly slicing it in half with the Maglock.
ôSwitch!ö Shinji yelled, as Unit-01 and 02 rotated their positions, with Rei hosing both bodies down to prevent Israfel from attacking at all. They each clashed with their respective targets again, failing to do damage but keep the Angel from unifying its own attack.
ôOnce more!ö Asuka was getting into it, as she cranked Unit-02 into the switch with great enthusiasm. Another clash and they had sufficiently pushed them apart.
ôTogether on one!ö Shinji called, Asuka abandoning Left to come and attack Right. Rei held Left in position with her fire, the shotgun at her feet itching to be used. Shinji and Asuka pressed Right, attacking without worrying of bringing down the field. They would first check and see if there was a limit to the distance they could be separated.
ôNo signs of any decay in the target and they've been separated by 300 yards.ö Maya called up to Misato.
ôRei, get in there and kill the Left one.ö Misato had a hunch she wanted checked out.
ôOrder received.ö Rei said, gently putting down her rifle and picking up her shotgun. With a frightening quickness, Rei shoulder checked Left as it sought to aid Right before jamming the shotgun into its gut. ôDie.ö She pulled the trigger, the roar of the shotgun drowning out the sound of Left's torso being gruesomely ripped apart.
ôBlue signal weakened but not gone. Left is likely still alive.ö Aoba called, and as if to prove him correct, one of Right's eyes glowed, the damage done to left reversing itself in seconds. It stood up and roared.
Unit-00 punched it in the face.
ôFuck you!ö Rei punctuated this by firing off a flechette round into the stumbling Angel's body. Right's eye glowed again and Left was back to normal again. Unit-00 kicked it in the face, sending it flying away.
ôHealing abilities confirmed. Left and Right seem to be able to heal one another.ö Hyuga noted, entering this data into the MAGI for later analysis. Well, Left's healing ability was assumed, but that had more to do with a highly probably conjecture on the bridge crew member's part.
ôThis isn't good.ö If only because the pilots wouldn't last forever and if it became a battle of stamina between an endlessly regenerating foe, Misato knew they would lose. ôOrder the pilots to conserve their energy if necessary, I don't want this to come down to attrition.ö
ôOrder relayed, ma'am!ö Maya replied, gritting her teeth. Lucky bastards.
/-\ /-\ /-\
ôLet's finish this up soon, we have them on the ropes.ö Shinji flexed his fingers a bit before regripping the controls.
ôBut how do we do that? They keep healing each other!ö Asuka shouted as she bisected Left again, only for Right to heal it midair.
ôKill them at the same time?ö Rei suggested as she picked back up her assault rifle.
ôAlright, Ayanami and I will corner them into a line so you can use the glaive to impale both their cores fast enough for them to both die.ö Shinji called out as he charged forward, Rei maneuvering around for a shot on the two halves of Israfel. Shinji got within range and swung with all his might, only for his slash to miss as the twins back flipped away.
ôThe hell are they doing?ö Rei asked, even as she tried to line up a shot.
Both halves of Israfel struck a pose... before turning on heel and running away as fast as possible. Wait, were those tears? Needless to say, everyone was dumbfounded by one of the previously thought to be fearless Angels running like a proverbial bitch.
ôThe... the Angel has ran away. Blue signal can't be confirmed anymore.ö Aoba was stunned, but not enough to voice the data he had been given.
ôRetrieve the Evangelion, there's no need to stay there. The UN and JSSDF should be put on alert for any future activity.ö Misato ordered, shaking her head. Did it really run in fear, she really wondered about that.
End Chapter 9
Teaser for Chapter 10 ôCry Me a Future, Where the Revelations Run Amokö:
ôSo Ritsuko, what you're saying is..ö Misato shook her head, refusing to believe what she was hearing.
ôWhat I am saying is that most likely, the Angel ran because it had been expecting just two Evangelion.ö Ritsuko sighed, having explained this in detail before.
ôWho knew they were so sensitive?ö Asuka commented from the side, looking at Shinji, who had fought the most.
ôThe first two were crybabies.ö Shinji shrugged, looking not at all surprised at Israfel's sudden cowardice.
ôSo logically, we should have two units engage the Angel.ö Rei added, looking out at the screen as they received word of the UN and JSSDF began to mobilize in accordance to the Hunter protocol.
ôOverlord, this is Hunter-1, we are moving to form a defensive barrier around Tokyo-3 as agreed.ö One of the UN commanders radioed in to inform NERV. ôOur mission isn't to try and kill the target, just delay it, correct?ö
ôThat is correct Hunter-1. Keep your men safe and good hunting.ö
Author note: And that's 9. With this chapter, have I exhausted all the references I could fit into this story? (Signs point to no). See ya for 10 soon.
