Mobile Suit Evangelion Gundam

[YuushaFan]

Episode 1: Angels Return

The morning sun rose over the ruins of Old Tokyo as the Grandstall Mobile Armors moved into position on the ground. They knew not what their enemy would look like, but the pilots would not hesitate to give their lives if necessary. In the air, the flying Eagalron Mobile Armors patrolled the area, ready to strike at a moment’s notice. The few minutes of silence seemed like an eternity. Then…

*BOOM!* A giant explosion was seen as a large, looming figure approached, silhouetted in the sunrise as it breached the eastern defenses. The Grandstalls opened fire, but with only a twinkle of its eyes, half of the platoon was wiped out, engulfed by the flames of another explosion. The Eagalrons fired their missiles, but against its hide, they were nothing more than pebbles. With a giant swipe of its elongated arms, it struck down 4 or 5 of them. The battle began, and would surely end, as a futile struggle.

In a concealed location underground a few miles away from the conflict, three generals who were sitting in chairs below another, higher platform, looked upon footage of the scene, shock filling their eyes.

“Isn’t there any way to stop this thing!?” asked the left-most general.

“It’s like we’re throwing pebbles at it!!” exclaimed the right-most general. “General Kramer, if we don’t do something soon, it’ll reach Tokyo-3!”

“Patience,” said the middle general, Kramer, “if we can lure it far enough…”

On the platform, a gray-haired man was standing, looking at another man sitting there, his hands folded below his bespectacled eyes.

“Sir, are you sure about this?” the standing man inquired.

“Yes, Fuyutsuki, I am positive,” the sitting man replied. “The Angels have finally returned.”

“Then, sir, what about MSE-001? Is it functional?” the standing man, Fuyutsuki, asked.

“It is operational, but there is still one thing missing; the Third Child,” the sitting man answered. At this, Fuyutsuki looked worried.

“Haven’t you located him yet, Sir Gendou?” he asked of him.

“Yes,” the sitting man, Gendou, responded, “I have Captain Katsuragi picking him up now. I have the utmost faith that he will be here soon.”

“And if he isn’t?” inquired Fuyutsuki.

“Then,” said Gendou, “the Second Impact will be imminent, and all life as we know it will end.”

*************************************************************

As sirens blazed in the air, a young boy was still waiting at a bus stop. Nervous, he decided to read over the envelope’s contents, which he held in his left hand, again. It was a letter of introduction from the head of the secret organization NERV, Gendou Ikari. The boy couldn’t imagine why that man was summoning him, considering that he never really knew him. Also in the envelope was a picture of a stunning woman, lying on a tropical beach in a bikini (where she could have taken that photo considering that Okinawa was about 50 meters under the sea, he had no clue). On the photo was written a note. It said, “Hi! I’ll be the one picking you up. See you soon! –Misato.”

Even as he looked at that photo, his thoughts still centered on Gendou. Why now, after all this time?, he wondered. Speaking of time, he noticed that this “Misato” was late. Where could she be? Suddenly, he heard the roar of a large engine. As he looked down the street, he saw a blue sports car zooming down to the bus stop. As it stopped abruptly, the passenger side door opened, and in the driver’s seat was the woman in the photo, but she was in normal clothing this time around.

“Are you Shinji?” she asked.

“Ummm… Yes…” the boy, Shinji, muttered.

“Then get in, and quick!” she yelled back. He hesitated, but the woman pulled Shinji in without another word. She closed the door and zoomed off, which left Shinji wondering why she was speeding so quickly. He decided to compensate by asking her a question.

“Ummm… Ma’am? Are you Misato?”

“That’s my name, don’t wear it out!” she replied.

“Then,” he inquired further, “where did you take this photo?” He then showed her the photo. She took a quick glance at it.

“Oh, that little old thing. It’s amazing what holographic technology can do nowadays!” she replied. Shinji looked a little stunned. Holographic technology? Misato then took out her cell phone and started to dial a number. Talking on a phone while driving? How reckless could this woman be?, Shinji wondered.

*************************************************************

Back at NERV’s operations center, Gendou’s phone rang. He picked it up and put the receiver to his ear.

“Gendou here,” he started.

“Sir, it’s me. I’ve got him,” came the reply.

“Ahhh. Captain,” he mused. “What is your current location?”

“I’m currently on my way out of Old Tokyo as we speak. How is the military doing?” the voice inquired.

“As we feared, they don’t have the firepower to match that thing. Get the Third Child here as soon as possible, but be careful: they’re using THAT as their trump card,” he warned the voice.

“WHAT!? Are you serious!?” the voice asked. Gendou just sat there in silence. “I mean, understood, sir! I’ll be there ASAP!” Gendou then hung up.

“Sir,” asked Fuyutsuki, “was that…?”

“Yes,” said Gendou, “Captain Katsuragi has completed the first objective. If she can make it back before they use that…”

“But sir,” Fuyutsuki objected, “you know how curious she is!” Gendou could only grimace at that thought.

*************************************************************

As she closed her phone, Misato looked a little thoughtful. By now, they were on a mountainside road. Suddenly, she stopped the car, got out a pair of binoculars, and exited. Shinji decided to follow her out. As he stepped onto the road, he saw quite a sight: a giant, green monster with elongated arms and legs was attacking what appeared to be retreating mobile armors. It pursued them like a curious child.

“I can’t believe it!” came Misato’s voice, which was to his right. “They really ARE going to use an N-2 mine!!!”

Shinji, looking scared, meekly asked, “What did you say?”

“Shinji, get down!” she yelled, and the threw herself onto him, and down to the ground they fell as the N-2 mine detonated with the force of two hydrogen bombs exploding at the same time within a concentrated area. The shockwave tossed away the car as if it were a rag doll, totaling it.

*************************************************************

In the operations center, the two unnamed generals let out a cheer.

“We did it! We got that monster!” the two of them yelled in unison, as Kramer rose from his chair, and looked straight at Gendou to address him.

“Well, Mr. Ikari, it looks like we won’t be using your little toy after all,” he snidely said.

“Sir!” yelled out a bespectacled, brown-haired man, “The interference from the blast has subsided!”

“And?” inquired Fuyutsuki.

“We confirm one signature! It’s the Angel!” exclaimed the operator.

“WHAT?” Kramer yelled out.

“Sir, we have a visual,” said another operator, this time, a woman. “I’m putting it on-screen now!” What Kramer saw weakened his resolve considerably. The Angel was definitely alive, but it was just standing there. The left-most general cried foul.

“It’s not moving!” he yelled. “How can you tell that it’s still alive!?”

“The Angels have many amazing abilities, as you may already know,” stated Gendou plainly. “By using its AT, or Absolute Terror, Field, it can evade damage from even the deadliest of conventional weaponry.”

“Then why is it just standing there!?” cried out the right-most general.

“It seems,” Gendou responded, “that the Angel used up too much of its energy maintaining its AT Field. It is merely hibernating now, recovering its lost energy. As for how long that will last, I’d say 2 hours, give or take.” The generals looked astounded. A phone rang on Kramer’s desk, and he answered it.

“Yes, General Kramer reporting,” he said. He was silent for a moment, then said into the phone, “Yes, I understand. I’ll let him know.” He then hung up, and once again, stood to address Gendou. “Mr. Ikari,” he stated formally, “as of now, the United Nations has transferred all authority of Angel warfare to NERV. Do as you see fit with that monstrosity of yours.” He, with the other generals, then left the room.

“Fuyutsuki,” Gendou ordered as soon as the generals had exited, “order all surviving mobile armor forces to retreat. We will take it from here.”

“Understood, sir,” he said, and Gendou got up from his chair. “Something you need to do, sir?” Fuyutsuki asked.

“I must get ready for his arrival, Fuyutsuki,” he said. “Please take care of everything here until my return.”

“Understood, sir,” Fuyutsuki once again said as Gendou exited the room.

*************************************************************
COMMERCIAL BREAK
*************************************************************

Misato was still driving Shinji in the car, which was the worse for wear after the N-2 mine incident. The damage was so bad, in fact, that she needed to strap multiple batteries to the back of the car, which she had salvaged from other trashed cars not caught up in the shockwave.

“Ummm… Misato?” asked Shinji, “Are you sure it’s alright to use all those batteries? They belong to other people, you know.”

“Well,” replied Misato, “my top priority is getting you to NERV HQ in one piece, and to get us there faster, we need a working car right? So it’s really just fine!”

“If you say so…” Shinji just muttered. Misato turned back to face the road. Man, she thought to herself, What a day! My car is totally trashed, and I haven’t even paid off the full cost yet! She took a look at her dress and got a bit more worried. Not only that, but my dress is ruined! I just had it dry-cleaned! I am SO going to be strapped for cash this month! What with the repairs to the car and having to go out shopping again to replace part of my wardrobe, it’s just truly impossible to keep a decent paycheck nowadays!

“Misato, what are you doing?” asked Shinji’s voice, and Misato snapped out of her trance.

“Oh, nothing, nothing! Don’t worry about it, Shinji!” Misato nervously replied. “Ah, here we are!” she said as they entered a tunnel located in a forest. She stopped the car as a giant elevator started up and brought the car down. As they traveled further underground, Misato handed Shinji a handbook. “Here,” she said, “you’ll need to read over this book if you’re going to be down here with me.” Shinji flipped though the pages a bit, but he stopped as he saw a photo of Gendou Ikari, the man himself, imprinted upon one of the pages. The description below his photo not only stated that he was the head of NERV, but that he had also founded the organization. As they got further down, Shinji got more nervous, thinking about his first face-to-face meeting in quite some time. Once again, he was left wondering why he had called him here…

*************************************************************

Gendou was in another room, looking upon a strange area. He was not looking forward to his arrival, and he surmised that the feeling was mutual. Once again, his cell phone rang.

“Gendou here,” he said.

“Sir,” came Fuyutsuki’s voice, “Captain Katsuragi has just arrived with the Third Child.”

“And why are you telling me this, Fuyutsuki?” he asked.

“Well,” he said, “it seems like she’s gotten herself lost again.”

“Time is of the essence, Fuyutsuki,” Gendou said, “Have Dr. Akagi locate and escort both Captain Katsuragi and the Third Child to the Holding Chamber.”

“Understood, sir,” came the reply, and Gendou hung up.

*************************************************************

“Misato?” Shinji asked, “Haven’t we gone this way five times in a row?”

“Huh? Oh, no, I know where I’m going!” answered Misato. Shinji couldn’t help but feel that they had gotten lost.

“Misato, are you SURE that we’re in the right direction?” asked Shinji for the umpteenth time in a row.

“Of course we are!” she said cheerfully. She looked thoughtful for a moment, then pointed to the corridor on her left. “This way, Shinji!” she yelled out.

“Misato, we went that way last time,” said an obviously worried Shinji. “Now I’m positive that we’re lost. Are you going by memory, or do you have a map?” At this, Misato looked a little sullen.

“Well,” she said slowly, “it’s not that I don’t HAVE a map, it’s just-“

“CAPTAIN KATSURAGI!!” came a bossy (in Shinji’s opinion) voice. With the way she looked, he thought she was a doctor. She came running right over to Misato.

“Oh… Hi, Ritsuko…” said a meek Misato.

“Captain, when you’re in the installation, call people by their proper identification!” she yelled back at her.

“Right, right. Sorry, DR. Akagi,” teased Misato.

“Hmph!” the doctor, Ritsuko, pouted. She then took a look at Shinji: a good, hard look. “Captain, is this boy the Third Child?” Third Child?, wondered Shinji. What are they talking about?

“Yes, Dr. Ikari told me to specifically get him,” said Misato, suddenly getting serious. “Do you really think that he’ll be able to pilot THAT, considering that he’s never had proper training before?”

“I’m not sure,” Ritsuko responded, “but at this stage of the game, we don’t have time to be second-guessing ourselves.” Misato could only sigh.

“If you’ll excuse me, Ritsuko, I need to get going,” stated Misato, and she started to leave with Shinji, when Ritsuko stopped her.

“Oh, no you don’t!” she shouted. “You will follow me to the Holding Chamber!” she barked, as if it was an order.

“On whose orders?” Misato yelled back. Shinji couldn’t help but feel that these women didn’t like each other at all…

“On Dr. Ikari’s orders, of course,” said Ritsuko matter-of-factly. “Now, then, this way, please!” she said commandingly as she walked forward. Shinji felt that he had no choice but to follow her.

*************************************************************

The phone rang in the room above the Holding Chamber, where Gendou was. He picked it up and put the receiver to his ear.

“What is it?” he asked.

“Sir,” came Fuyutsuki’s voice, “The Angel has started to move again. As we feared, it’s headed straight for us.”

“Very well,” he mused, “have the mobile armor forces stall the Angel as long as they can until MSE-001 launches.”

“Understood, sir,” said Fuyutsuki, and Gendou hung up.

*************************************************************

As they headed for the Holding Chamber, Shinji thought that something strange was going on. If they’re holding something, then what is it?, he wondered. Suddenly, Ritsuko came to a stop.

“Get in,” she said, as she pointed to a small motorboat. Shinji and the two women climbed in as Ritsuko started the motor. They headed out, the liquid below them a strange orange color. As they traveled, there was only silence, as Shinji was wondering how far into this mess he had gotten himself into. After about 5 minutes, though it seemed like an eternity, they arrived at another dock. “This way, please,” she said and she opened the door. What Shinji saw was beyond belief.

He had just seen a strange head, which was attached to a neck. The rest of its body was suspended under the liquid. The head itself had a horn on its forehead, but it had no eyes or a mouth: there was a green visor where the eyes would be, and a faceplate was mounted below it. The head was mostly purple, with white accents.

“What is this thing?” he wondered aloud. “Is it a Mobile Armor?”

“Wrong,” came another voice from above him. “It’s a Mobile Suit.” Shinji looked up and saw the face of the man who had summoned him: Gendou Ikari, the founder of NERV.

“F-Father!” he cried out. “Why? Why did you call me?”

“Shinji Ikari,” he said slowly, “you are one of the only people in the world that can pilot the Mobile Suit. You are the Third Child, one of five special children that can use these powerful robots.”

“But…” Shinji stammered, “But why me? Don’t you have anyone else?” Gendou looked solemn.

“The First Child is currently… indisposed,” he said, “and the Second Child is still missing. That’s why you’re here. You’re the only one that can battle the Angel that is currently on its way here.” Gendou looked at his son straight in the eyes. “Will you do it? Will you pilot this Mobile Suit against mankind’s greatest foe?” Shinji was silent for a moment. When he didn’t answer, Gendou made his mind for him: “Very well, then. Go home. You’ll be much safer if you choose not to fight,” he said. Shinji looked shocked. Gendou then took out his phone and dialed a number. “It’s Gendou,” he said into the mouthpiece, “ready the First Child for combat. The Third is a dud.” Upon hearing this, Misato voiced her opinion.

“Sir, Rei can’t do it! She’s too injured to be doing this!” she yelled out. Gendou just ignored her as explosions began to be heard above them. After a while, the other door opened as a young, blue-haired girl, wrapped in bandages, was wheeled in to the Chamber.

“Rei,” Gendou said to the girl, “you will pilot MSE-001. Do your best.”

“Y-yes, sir,” she meekly said as she tried to get up from her stretcher, coughing. As soon as she tried to stand, another explosion rocked the Chamber, causing some debris to fall from the ceiling.

“Watch out!!” Shinji cried, and he jumped to the girl, Rei, and tried to knock her out of the way. Instead, a large shadow loomed over the both of them. As Misato saw it, she couldn’t believe her eyes. The Mobile Suit had used one of its own, shield-like arms to protect them from the debris!

“Ritsuko? Did you just see that?” she asked of her.

“Yes, and I can’t believe my eyes! It shouldn’t be able to move without a pilot inside!” she astonishingly said. Shinji looked down at Rei’s eyes and saw quite a beautiful sight. He just couldn’t let a fragile girl like her pilot a behemoth like this. He stepped out of the arm’s shadow and stared at Gendou.

“I’ll do it!” he yelled at him. “I’ll pilot it!” Gendou, upon hearing these words, smiled, as if he knew Shinji would do something like this.

“Very well,” he said, “Prepare MSE-001 for the Third Child’s use!”

*************************************************************

As Shinji climbed into the cockpit, he couldn’t help but notice that everything, from the levers to the buttons, were all unfamiliar to him. He just couldn’t figure out how to control the thing when he climbed into the chair and strapped himself in. After he did so, something from the ceiling of the cockpit descended. What is it?, he wondered.

“Shinji,” came Ritsuko’s voice, “this is the Nerve Coupling. With it, you’ll be able to control the MS.” The device started to come closer. “Stay still,” she said, “this might sting a little.” ‘Sting’ was an understatement. When it made contact with Shinji’s head, it hurt terribly. He cried out in pain! “Don’t worry,” Ritsuko continued, “all the pain you’re feeling is merely the feedback from the device connecting to your mind. You’re quite fine.” Shinji had no idea what she just said, and frankly, he didn’t care. All he had his mind on was to tell his father, through his own actions, that he was not worthless as a human.

*************************************************************

Back in the operations center, Misato appeared on the platform right below that of Gendou’s.

“Is Shinji ready?” she asked.

“Yes, ma’am,” the male operator stated. “All we’re waiting for is the order to prepare for launch.”

“Good,” Misato said, “move MSE-001 to launch platform 1 now!”

“Aye, ma’am,” replied the female operator. “Preparing to move MSE-001 to launch platform 1.”

*************************************************************

Back in the Holding Chamber, the walkway accessing the MS’s cockpit block split in half vertically, and rotated up out of the way. The Chamber’s liquid was drained, exposing the rest of the strange body. The Chamber itself then split in half, and the MS was carried on an automated walkway to the launch platform.

“Shinji,” came Misato’s voice in the cockpit, “are you ready?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” he responded.

“Ma’am,” the male operator said in the operations room, “MSE-001 is now ready for launch.”

“Roger,” she yelled out, “Mobile Suit EVA unit 001, launch!”

As Shinji heard those words from the cockpit, he felt an immense pressure on his body as the MS rocketed toward the surface.

*************************************************************

On the surface, the Angel was causing havoc, when it stopped, as if it had heard something coming from below. A giant door in the ground opened and the MS emerged. As they looked at each other, the MS’s visor flashed a pale green light that was seen quite clearly in the middle of the night.

END

Next episode: “The Berserker”

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Feedback is not only helpful, but encouraged!

[CHASER]

Well, there's an interesting cross right there. Of course, my first thought was something a little less cross-universe, but I guess that's because of my own Fic.

Anyway, it's interesting to read so keep it up. When you wrote "one of its own, shield-like arms" did you mean that its arms are shaped like shields/ one of its arms is?

[Draco Starcloud]

So how is this different from normal Evangelion except for MA in place of tanks and helicopters dying in battle?

[YuushaFan]

The EVAs are actually MSs in this universe. Remember when EVA-01 would go berserk? Well, the next episode will feature a berserk MSE-001, and what you may see might suprise you. Also, don't expect everything that happened in the original series occur in this fic. For example, my Gendou is completely different than the original.

And yes, in standard form, MSE-001's arms are like shields.

[YuushaFan]

Episode 2: The Berserker

As the Angel and the MS stared off at one another, Shinji, who was in the cockpit, still had no idea how to pilot the thing. He wondered if he was in a dream; a horrible, horrible dream. But this was no dream. This was reality, as Shinji could feel the Nerve Coupling on his forehead. In a dream, you could be killed and wake up in a cold sweat, wondering how such a nice dream could become a nightmare. In reality, there was no waking up once you were dead, and you had no thoughts as your life was cut abruptly. Now, Shinji wondered if he could possibly win… or if he would end up as just another dead weight on an ever-mounting pile of bodies…

*************************************************************

Back in the operations center, Misato looked at the monitor nervously. She had absolutely no idea what the outcome of the battle would be.

“Ma’am,” said the female operator, “MSE-001 is now on standby!”

“Unlock the final securers!” she ordered.

*************************************************************

The blocks of metal holding the shoulder fins disengaged, and they descended into the ground. The MS was now standing on its own two feet.

“Shinji,” came Ritsuko’s voice, “you most likely have no idea how to move MSE-001. The Nerve Coupling fixes that problem by showing you how to operate it. Right now, imagine the feet stepping forward, and it will show you how to walk.” Shinji really didn’t understand what she was talking about, but he closed his eyes and imagined himself walking. Then, suddenly, he saw himself pressing the left pedal near his foot in his mind’s eye, and he acted instinctively. The left, plate-like foot then stepped out forwards, as if the mech was starting to walk.

*************************************************************

Everyone in the operations center, excluding Gendou, who had just returned and sat in his seat, gasped at the sight they were seeing.

“It’s amazing,” whispered Ritsuko. “It took Rei one month to get that thing to move. And yet, this is Shinji’s first time, and he’s moving it as well!”

*************************************************************

The MS then put its other foot forward, and walked slowly towards its target, stumbling once or twice. The Angel, taking no chances, charged forward and grappled the MS’s head, and used a powerful pneumatic spike to impale it over and over. Shinji, who was in the cockpit, could not even imagine him countering, since he was too frightened by the monster’s speed. He heard voices from within the cockpit, yelling that the damage to the head was critical, and Misato ordering the withdrawal of the unit…

*************************************************************

Shinji woke up in a hospital bed, panting heavily. It took him a few moments to piece together exactly where he was. He then laid back down, staring unflinchingly at the ceiling, reflecting on the events of that night. He heard a knock on the door after a few moments.

“Come in,” he said, and as he turned his head, he saw Gendou, his father, walk into the room, with a pleasant look on his face. He pulled up a chair and sat down as Shinji sat up in his bed.

“Shinji,” he said, “you did an excellent job. You have nothing to be ashamed of.” Shinji just looked at him in disbelief.

“But…” he stammered, “I-I fainted during battle! I failed!”

“I have some good news,” Gendou responded. “The Angel is no more. Through your actions, you have helped protect humanity from destruction.”

“But,” Shinji said, “I don’t remember defeating the Angel at all!”

“Don’t worry,” Gendou consoled, “I’m sure it’ll all come back to you. As soon as you’ve been released from the hospital, I’d like to show you something. Until then, please get some rest.” With that, Gendou took his leave.

*************************************************************

It took Shinji at least 5 days to fully recuperate from his first battle with an Angel. When the doctor came in, he said that he was ready to leave. Shinji put his regular clothes back on, and left his room. He headed down to the lobby, and he saw his father waiting there for him. By this time, the sun had started to set. Gendou smiled, and motioned for Shinji to follow him. As they got into the car, Shinji decided to ask his father a question.

“Father, what are you going to show me?” was his question.

“You’ll see,” Gendou responded.

They drove up a cliff-side road, overseeing a vast area of land Gendou stopped the car and got out. Shinji decided to exit the vehicle as well. Gendou was once again smiling.

“Shinji,” he said, “whenever I get the chance, I like to come up here and watch the beautiful scene.”

“I don’t see anything,” Shinji responded.

“You will,” Gendou countered softly, “in about 3… 2… 1…” With that, Shinji saw giant towers rise from the ground. After one finished, the metal surrounding it split in half, revealing a beautiful glass skyscraper. The other towers stopped at different heights, and also shed their metal skins. It was over after a couple of minutes, the setting sun beautifully reflected in the windows of the skyscrapers. Shinji had to admit that the scene was fantastic. His father looked at him again, his face still beaming with happiness and love. “Shinji”, he said, “this is the city you protected last night. This is Tokyo-3.” Shinji couldn’t believe that a whole city could be hidden underground, but he figured that with modern technology, anything was possible.

*************************************************************
COMMERCIAL BREAK
*************************************************************

It was dark at an apartment building in the city as Gendou drove up with Shinji in tow. He got out of the car once he stopped it, and Shinji stepped out as well. Together, they entered the building and went up some stairs. They entered a hallway and stopped at a door. Next to that door, there was a faceplate that read, “Riika, Shun”. Shinji had no idea who this man was, and assumed that he’d be dropping him off here.

“This is my apartment,” he told Shinji. “From now on you’ll be living with me here.”

“Wait,” said Shinji, “you’re the head of NERV! Surely you must live somewhere more… extravagant.” Gendou looked a little surprised, and then, he chuckled.

“Well, the truth is my pubically revealed location is nicer than here,” he serenely said, “but I find that I do better in a crowded space.” He opened the door, and Gendou turned on the lights. It was indeed crowded, but Shinji felt that he’d do well here.

“Are you… displeased?” Gendou asked.

“No! Not at all!” blabbed Shinji. “I’m honored to get to know my father a little better!”

“That’s good,” Gendou replied. “Let me show you to your room.” He took Shinji down another hallway, and opened the door to his right. Inside, the room was even more crowded with boxes galore. “I’ve already had all of your luggage moved here from your aunt and uncle’s,” he clarified to a bewildered Shinji. “But we’ll start unpacking later.”

“Thank you, father,” he said, bowing.

“Get a good night’s rest,” Gendou responded, “Tomorrow is another day,” and he left, closing the door behind him. Shinji got out his music player, and put the headphones on his head, lying down on his bed. As he was enclosed in his own little world, bits and pieces of the battle came back to him…

*************************************************************

“Head unit’s frame has reached critical levels!” yelled out the male operator.

“There’s little to no reaction from the pilot at all!” the female operator added.

“Get him out of there!” Misato ordered.

“It’s no good! The Angel has him on the ropes!” the male operator stated.

“Is this it?” whispered Misato, obviously frightened.

“Hold on!” shouted the female operator. “I’m detecting some sort of response from MSE-001! … Wait. It can’t be!” she shouted hysterically.

*************************************************************

The Angel prepared for its final blow and punched… only for the MS to block it using its own arm. As a flash of light issued from the unit, it began to change. The long fins on its shoulders rotated downwards as a plate on the shoulder inscribed “MSE-001” rotated upwards. The fins and plates locked together, creating shoulder plates that extended outwards. The shields were lowered further down the arms, revealing human-like hands, one of which grabbed the Angel’s arms and started twisting it. The massive upper thighs slid down to the spindly lower legs when some exterior clamps were released. As the new lower legs locked into place, the clamps reconfigured themselves to become skirt armor. The flat feet then rose up using hidden pistons, then the other plate-like appendages on the upper part of the feet were flipped down, so that human-like feet had been created. Finally, the horn on the head split open, creating a v-fin, as the visor split down the middle and slid off to the sides, crystalline eyes sliding forward, glowing with a pale green light. The face plate also split, and as the two halves slid out of the way, a new faceplate slid out, a chin piece and two heat vents its most defining feature. When the transformation completed, it looked radically different that the MS it had started out as.

*************************************************************

“Signature confirmed!” the female operator announced. “MSE-001 has shifted into G-Berserker Mode!”

“What?” shouted Misato. “Withdraw the unit now!”

“Wait, Captain,” said Gendou. “Let’s wait and see what happens.”

“Sir!” Misato protested, “He can’t handle G-Berserker Mode yet!”

“If we withdraw him now,” Gendou responded, “then we will all die.” Misato could only look on as the MS easily broke the Angel’s arm.

*************************************************************

As the Angel reared from this unexpected turn of events, the MS put its right hand near the left shoulder plate, and a small, tube-like object was deposited into its open palm. With a burst of energy, its Beam Saber ignited, and it charged forward, delivering several solid slashes. By now, the Angel had been severely wounded. The MS put its Beam Saber away, and focused a sort of energy in its right hand. Soon enough, the hand started to glow with a golden light, and it dashed forward, ready to deliver the final strike.

The Angel had other plans, however, and wrapped its body around the MS, intent on sacrificing itself to destroy it. It glowed, and, over the horizon, a cross-shaped explosion could be seen quite clearly, even in the dead of night. As the smoke cleared, the MS was still standing. Then, it began changing again, reverting to its original form. Then, quite suddenly, the head fell off as the rest of the body collapsed back-first onto the ground.

As Shinji was rescued from the cockpit, he saw the head being lifted by a crane. The visor had been smashed during the battle, and its gem-like eye was visible. The eye moved, and looked at its pilot. As it glowed, Shinji let out a terrified scream, and that was all he could remember before blacking out.

*************************************************************

That’s right, he thought to himself, I DID defeat the Angel. But what was that power? With these last thoughts, Shinji drifted off to sleep.

*************************************************************

Gendou’s phone rang in his apartment. He picked it up and answered it.

“Gendou here,” he responded.

“Sir,” came Fuyutsuki’s voice, “the assessment of damages to MSE-001 has been completed.”

“What’s the damage?” he asked.

“Sir, it appears,” and here Gendou heard a sigh, “that the main reactor took quite a strain from the transformation to G-Berserker Mode. The unit will need to be outfitted with a stronger reactor. Your orders, sir?”

“Fuyutsuki,” Gendou responded, “remove the old reactor and attach the umbilical cord to MSE-001. We need to have it operational. Have you finished filling out the transfer papers?”

“Yes, sir,” Fuyutsuki responded, “He’ll be starting in another month, when they open from summer break.”

“Very well,” Gendou responded. “Schedule him for MS training for a week from today. I’ll tell him all about it.”

“Understood, sir,” came the reply and Gendou hung up.

Shinji, he thought privately, will you persevere through the trial mankind has to overcome? Or… will you break? Because if you do… we’re finished as a species…

END

Next Episode: First Day
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