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Episode 8: The Battle For Humanity! Seele vs The Patriots, Part One

Snafu's Notes: Here it is. The moment of truth. The battle between Seele and The Patriots, and more importantly, the final battle between Shinji and Asuka. Also, bold italics denotes speaking German. Also, for those who had PM'ed me about Zero's real name, his real name is in fact, David Oh. Seriously. Also, as you have seen in the chapter's title, this chapter is in two parts, since it was just as long as Episode 5. I had planned originally to post the chapter in its entirety, but I decided to rewrite several key portions in the second half of the chapter, as they were not up to my liking.

Upon discovering the location of the Haven Troopers' main base of operations, Big Boss had ordered around-the-clock surveillance on the base. Using several unmanned UAV drones outfitted with the stealth camo, The Patriots and the JSSDF forces went on high alert, ready for the moment where the order to execute 'Susanoo's Wrath.'

Named after the Japanese kami of storms and the sea, 'Susanoo's Wrath,' officially known as 'Special Order A-801,' is what Big Boss has explained to Gendou during his visit to the Geofront. Should either the United Nations or the Japanese government lose confidence in Nerv's abilities to keep humanity safe - or whether or not Gendou pisses off the wrong people, whichever comes first - then the Japanese Strategic Self-Defense Force, assisted with a battalion of United Nations crack troops, would occupy the Geofront and place Gendou Ikari under arrest.

Ritsuko Akagi had approached Big Boss and had voiced her opinions about Seele trying to hack into the MAGI. If Big Boss and the Patriots had successfully hacked into the supercomputer, then Seele could do the same thing.

It was Otacon and Mei Ling that had made the save.

"Aside from having a backdoor into Nerv," Otacon had explained, "we also uploaded a triple-firewall system into the MAGI. Something that Mei Ling and I have created. Should anyone from Seele try and hack into the system in an attempt to take it over, they'll receive a nasty surprise."

"Which is...?" Ritsuko had asked.

"Should they reach the third firewall," Mei Ling had replied, "then their files will be instantly copied and deleted, the files themselves going into the MAGI. Also, at a moment's notice, we can send the files regarding Second Impact and Seele to every major news and media network in the world and blow this whole thing open at Big Boss's request."

It was also during this time that the JSSDF forces had covertly moved closer to Tokyo-3. Big Boss had suspected that once Seele discovered that the JSSDF could not be trusted in launching the assault on the Geofront, he would move to quickly remove the JSSDF out of the equation. So Big Boss had ordered the JSSDF to move to the fallback base, which was closer to the city.
---
December 29, 2015 - two weeks after the end of the Angel Wars.

The city of Tokyo-3 has just celebrated the Christmas holiday and were looking forward to the New Year. There had been no Angel attacks for the past two weeks, and the people enjoyed the brief peace it had brought.

But for the people of Tokyo-3, that peace was not going to last very long.

It was early in the morning when Otacon received the reports.

Seele had attempted to hack into the MAGI.

And as expected, the triple firewalls had served their purpose, thus setting Seele's plans back even further.
---
Location - unknown.

The seven remaining monoliths that made up the power cabal of Seele had convened in an emergency meeting following their failure to take the MAGI supercomputer.

"We were expecting Ikari to execute a Type-666 protection program on the MAGI," Seele 06 reported, "but this firewall has all but erased all of Seele's files, but not before copying and transporting them to the MAGI inside the Geofront. Not even our best hackers can breach it."

Seele 01 - Zero in his Keel persona - listened on in deep thought. 'Just what do you have up your sleeve, Jack?' he wondered, knowing full well who was behind all of this. Zero had expected Jack to back down following his warning. But given the recent build up of JSSDF forces in the Hakone region of Japan, he saw that Jack was looking for a fight.

"It appears that seizing control of the MAGI is no longer viable," Seele 07 added. "There is no way around this firewall."

Zero then spoke. "I had wished to solve this without any bloodshed, but that is no longer possible. We will use the JSSDF to invade the Geofront."

"Chairman, that's impossible," Seele 07 rebuked. "They refused to carry out the orders! Three times the orders came down, and they refused each time!"

"Very well," Zero said. "We will use the Haven Shock Troops to invade the city and the Geofront. The invasion will take place in three hours."

"What about the JSSDF?" Seele 03 asked. "They can still be used to defend the city against the Haven Troopers."

"That problem will soon be rectified," Zero replied grimly. Seconds later, a holographic image which had the words EVA Unit Five - SOUND ONLY came up. "Sohryuu."

"Yes, Chairman Lorenz?"

"You will accompany the Haven Troops into Tokyo-3. Once the city is secured, then you will move into the Geofront."

"Remember our deal, Lorenz. Do what you will with the others, but Shinji Ikari is mine."

"Of course," Zero said, and ended the call. "Give the Haven Shock Troops their orders. Leave no survivors inside the Geofront. Only Gendou Ikari is to be brought in alive. Send the bomber to the Haruna base."
---
JSSDF Forward Base Futagoyama - 0920 Hours, local time.

The young tech ordered to track down Big Boss found him inside the motor pool, where he was talking to Snake and Ocelot. "Big Boss, sir!" the tech panted, clearly out of breath.

"Catch your breath, son," Big Boss said. "What is it?"

The tech said nothing. Instead, he handed Big Boss a sheet of paper. The old man scanned it. It was short and to the point.

JSSDF BASE HARUNA DESTROYED BY N² MINE. HAVEN TROOPERS ON THE MOVE. WILL REACH JAPANESE AIRSPACE IN 47 MINUTES.

Big Boss digested the news with his usual stoicism. He had suspected that Seele would try and wipe out the JSSDF in one fell swoop, which is why he had the soldiers move to the forward base near Mount Futagoyama in secret, thus moving the force closer to Tokyo-3. One thing about Big Boss is that nine times out of ten, he knew what Zero was planning.

Turning to the tech, Big Boss dismissed him.

"What is it?" Meryl asked.

"It's showtime," Big Boss replied. "'Susanoo's Wrath' is a go."
---
Warning klaxons erupted throughout the base. Within minutes, every soldier stopped whatever they were doing and prepared for the upcoming battle. FOXHOUND was no different. Within minutes, the three combat units of the Japanese Strategic Self-Defense Force were on the grounds, each man and woman prepared for the battle ahead.

Big Boss stepped onto the podium, followed by Ritsuko Akagi, Revolver Ocelot, Solid Snake and Meryl Campbell. Big Boss was dressed for the occasion; his trademark SNAKE Camo, the Patriot in one hand. Ocelot was dressed in the same outfit he had on during the Manhattan Incident, while Snake and Meryl were dressed in their respective Sneaking Suits (MGS4 version).

"ATTENTION ON DECK!" one of the JSSDF soldiers shouted, bringing the forces (Ritsuko, Otacon, Mei Ling, and the four Beauties being the exception) to attention.

Big Boss stood before his soldiers, inspecting them. The official cover story was that the JSSDF was originally formed following a war between China and Vietnam over some islands. In truth, the JSSDF were in fact, Big Boss' private army, which was backed by the Japanese government. For the past decade, Big Boss had trained them for this very purpose: to fight for humanity.

Big Boss wasn't for speeches, so he was direct and to the point. "In less than forty minutes, you will have the privilege and the honor to take part in a battle that will decide the fate of mankind. In that time, Seele will dispatch its Haven Shock Troops into Tokyo-3 and the Geofront in order to unleash Third Impact. This...we cannot allow. I know that some of you have lost loved ones in Second Impact, and in the following wars that had engulfed the planet. I share your grief. Now is the time to take your revenge."

The troops erupted into cheers. Big Boss raised one hand, and the soldiers became silent.

"I will not lie to you," Big Boss continued. "Some of you will not make it out of this alive. What we do in this life will echo in eternity. If you want to piss the Haven Troopers off, then survive. You have your orders. If the FROGS want a fight, then we'll give it to them. Move out!"

Several supply trucks were parked nearby. The soldiers piled into them, while Big Boss, Snake, Meryl and Ocelot commandeered a Humvee, while Mei Ling, Otacon, and Ritsuko commandeered a second Humvee. The Beauty and Beasts Corps, each of them clad in their battlesuits, took the last truck. Actually, Only Laughing Octopus and Screaming Mantis were inside. Crying Wolf and Raging Raven were outside, Raven in the air and Wolf running on the ground.

Ocelot was behind the wheel, while Big Boss was riding shotgun. "I've notified the Secretary General and the Prime Minister. The U.N. is sending their crack troops to Tokyo-3 to assist us in the battle."

"How many?"

"Four combat units."

"Good," was all that Big Boss said before Ocelot lead the JSSDF forces out of the base. He retrieved the picture of EVA from his jacket pocket and regarded it for a moment.

'EVA...my love...protect me in this darkest hour,' he thought as he pocketed the photo.
---
Nerv Headquarters.

Ryouji Kaji had gotten the call while he was on his way to water his melons. The call came from Big Boss, and it was brief.

"Mr. Kaji...it's time. 'Susanoo's Wrath' is a go."

The call went dead after that. Kaji knew what that meant. Seele was on the way with their troops. The unshaven man took the moment to check his sidearm, a government-issue Beretta PX4 Storm, making sure that a round was jacked inside the chamber. Once he saw that he was ready, he got Naomi on the phone.

"Doctor Hunter speaking."

"Doc, it's Kaji. Big Boss is on his way, and he's bringing in the troops."

Naomi immediately understood what that meant. Big Boss was executing 'Susanoo's Wrath.' Which means that Seele has launched their assault. "How long do we have?"

"About thirty minutes before Big Boss arrives with the JSSDF," Kaji replied. "Less than that before the FROGS arrive."

"Understood," Naomi said as she cut the call.

Kaji pocketed the cellphone and after retrieving his body armor and a carbine from his office, rushed off to find Misato. Fortunately for Kaji, she was inside her office, going through what was the bane of her existence - paperwork.

Misato looked up. "Kaji? What is it?"

"Big Boss is on his way here with the JSSDF," Kaji replied. "Seele is on their way with the Haven Troops to invade the Geofront."

That was all that Misato needed. Opening her drawer, she retrieved her H&K P8. Making sure that a round was chambered, she followed Kaji out of the office, Kaji explaining everything on the way.
---
The citizens of Tokyo-3 were not greeted with the Angel alarms that were a frequent part of their lives, but rather, by an air-raid siren, followed by an announcement from the Emergency Broadcast System.

"Attention. A state of emergency has been declared for the Hakone region of Japan. All non-military personnel please report to your designated shelters immediately. This is not a drill. I repeat, a state of emergency has been declared for the Hakone region of Japan. All non-military personnel please report to your designated shelters immediately."

However, as Shinji Ikari was at the moment, in the shower, he did not hear the sirens, nor the announcement on the T.V.
---
The Geofront, Nerv Headquarters - Commander Ikari's office.

Gendou Rokubungi Ikari sat behind his desk as the reports were coming in.

The JSSDF were moving into Tokyo-3.

Gendou had long suspected that Seele would use the Japanese armed forces to invade Nerv. Only this time, as Gendou continued to read the report, the Japanese Strategic Self-Defense Force were not invading the city, but rather taking defensive positions in key locations around Tokyo-3, as the city went into fortress mode.

'Just what you are thinking, Keel,' the supreme commander thought. 'The last Angel has not appeared yet...this is not part of the scenario.'

He was still in the dark about the fate of Tabris and that of the nine mass-produced EVAs Seele had originally intended to use for their scheme of Instrumentality.

He was also in the dark about the fact that as of this moment, the JSSDF were at the moment, moving into Nerv Headquarters itself. That is, until he got the call from Fuyutsuki.

"Professor, what is going on?" Gendou demanded.

"The JSSDF is here," Fuyutsuki replied.

Gendou went rigid in his seat. "Where is the Major?"

"Major Katsuragi is with the senior commander. It's him."

Gendou's eyes widened.

General Hayter was here...again.
---
Central Dogma.

Kaji had filled Misato in on the details. Upon meeting with Big Boss in the corridors of Central Dogma, the old man himself had verified it.

The Tactical Operations Director was on the phone with Hyuuga as she led Kaji, Big Boss, Snake and Meryl down the hall, as JSSDF troops rushed by them, taking up their positions. Ritsuko had taken Otacon and Mei Ling to the bridge. "That is correct, Lieutenant. We have incoming. As of this moment, we are at Stage One Battle Alert. Send all non-combat personnel the shelters immediately. Shut down all monorails leading in and out of the Geofront. Lock down the entire base."

"But Major, we can't do anything about the Freight Entrances," Hyuuga objected. "They remain open 24/7!"

"It can't be helped," Misato replied grimly. "You have your orders, Lieutenant."

"Understood, Major. Hyuuga out."

Misato pocketed the cellphone.

"Where's Shinji?" Big Boss asked.

Misato froze in her steps. "Dear God...he's at my apartment."

"We're gonna need his help," Big Boss said. "Seele isn't taking any chances. They have an EVA in their possession - an advanced prototype. I'm sorry to say this, but it's been verified that Asuka Sohryuu is the pilot."

Misato looked at the old man. "Asuka is the pilot?" she asked, horrified.

Big Boss nodded. "Afraid so. She has joined forces with Seele in an attempt to get to Shinji. We need to get to Shinji before the FROGS do." He gestured to Snake and Meryl. "These two will accompany you. Now go, Colonel. We're almost out of time."

Misato nodded as she led Snake and Meryl down the hall. She then stopped and turned around. "Wait...Colonel?"

Big Boss turned around, the ends of his mouth twitched upwards in a small smile. "The U.N.'s issued a battlefield promotion for you, Lieutenant Colonel Katsuragi, for your efforts in the Angel Wars. That and Commander Ikari will soon be deposed for his crimes. Now go. Bring Shinji here."

Misato nodded. "Yes, sir." Turning to Snake and Meryl, she said, "Come with me."

As Misato led the two Patriot operatives down the corridor, warning klaxons began to blare, followed by an announcement by Maya Ibuki.

"Attention! All non-military employees please proceed to the nearest shelters immediately! We are at Stage One Battle Alert! I repeat, all employees proceed to the nearest shelters immediately!"
---
[The invasion of the Geofront takes place the same way as seen in End of Evangelion. Only this time, the FROGS are doing the invading on Seele's orders. Two of the Nerv guards are gutted, while a third is garroted from behind. Several bombs go off, killing several more Nerv guards, which is followed by the FROGS moving into the Geofront. Only this time, as the FROGS move into the base, they run into the JSSDF, who had taken defensive positions all over the base. The FROGS are armed with their standard PN-90s, while the JSSDF are armed to the teeth with assault rifles and heavy machine guns. The battle for the fate of humankind has begun.]
---
"The Daigatake tunnel has been cut off! Fire at the West No.5 freight entrance!"

"JSSDF forces have made contact with the invading force on Level 1!"

"The south hub station is off-line!"

"Contacts in Computer Room No. 77 and No. 3 hub-station!"

"Level 3 Block B report contact with Haven Troopers! Enemy contact in Block F! The main bypass is also under fire!"

As all hell broke loose all around the Geofront, Gendou Ikari arrived on the bridge, along with Deputy Commander Fuyutsuki and an armed escort of Section 2 guards. Upon arriving at the bridge, Gendou saw two people he did not recognize, a Chinese woman in JSSDF fatigues and a long-haired gaijin with glasses, also in JSSDF fatigues, both typing feverishly over their laptops.

The two armed men – the dark-skinned man and the Caucasian with the mohawk brought their guns to bear on Gendou, who froze in his steps.

He also noticed that standing alongside Naomi Hunter, was Ritsuko Akagi, and the last person he wanted to see.

Big Boss had noticed the soon-to-be deposed supreme commander's entrance. A snap of his fingers, and a squad of JSSDF shock troops appeared, assault rifles trained on Gendou and his entourage.

"What is the meaning of this?" Gendou demanded. "I am the supreme commander of Nerv! How dare you bring armed troops into my base!"

"Not anymore you are not. You've been relieved," Big Boss said. "As of this morning, the United Nations has issued Special Order A-801, codenamed 'Susanoo's Wrath,' which calls for the immediate abolishment of special legal protection of the anti-Angel agency known as Nerv and transfer of command to the Japanese government. As of this moment, you have been stripped of your duties of Supreme Commander of Nerv and is hereby placed under arrest. Deputy Commander Fuyutsuki is in command of Nerv as Acting Supreme Commander, with Colonel Katsuragi as Acting Deputy Commander."

"Under arrest? What for?"

Without breaking eye contact, Big Boss addressed not only Maya, but all present. "Crimes against humanity, as well as the crime of genocide in regard to the incident on 12 September 2000, also known as Second Impact, and conspiracy to commit mass murder and genocide in regards to Third Impact."

The entire bridge went silent at that very moment, the sounds of gunfire erupting from the various corridors of the headquarters was only heard. Gendou Ikari, the man who had led humanity through the Angel Wars was responsible for Second Impact?

Fuyutsuki then verified it. "General Hayter is telling the truth. I had also discovered the truth behind Second Impact shortly after the event had taken place. Ikari had threatened me with death if I had told anyone about it, as well as his schemes for a Third Impact."

The temperature in the room had dropped considerably. Even Gendou's Section 2 escort were giving him nasty looks. Sure most of Section 2 had consisted of hired muscle and thugs, but even they drew the line when it came to working for a man who made Hitler, Pol Pot and Stalin look like chumps when it came to genocide. After all, most of them had lost family members in the aftermath of Second Impact.

"You..." Gendou sputtered, his body shaking with rage as he glared at Fuyutsuki. "You...you dare betray me, Fuyutsuki?"

"It's over, Gendou," Fuyutsuki said. "Yui would have been horrified as to what you have done, as well as what you have become. There are no more Angels coming. Tabris has been eliminated a month earlier, on Big Boss' orders, and the mass-produced EVAs Seele planned on using for Third Impact have been destroyed. Why else would Seele be attacking us?"

Gendou's eyes narrowed at his traitorous professor. Then they widened. Big Boss? General Hayter is Big Boss, the legendary soldier thought to have died in Zanzibarland the year before Second Impact? But more importantly, there were no more Angels?

Before he could ponder this further, Big Boss broke his chain of thought, giving his order to Nerv's Section 2. "Escort Mr. Ikari to the holding cells and keep him there until this matter is over with," he said.

Two of the Section 2 agents grabbed Gendou by the arms and proceeded to escort him out of the bridge.

Fuyutsuki turned to Big Boss. "Well, General...I'm not a soldier. I will relinquish command to you."

"Glad you see things my way," Big Boss replied. He turned to Otacon and Mei Ling. "You two, get inside the MAGI. Send the reports regarding Second Impact and Seele to the world's news and media, as well as to the world's governments. Also, prepare to flood the corridors with bakelite on my command."

Otacon and Mei Ling nodded. As the pair went to work on the supercomputer, Big Boss turned to Fuyutsuki. "The biggest threat to Seele are the EVA pilots. Which is why the EVA Cages will be placed under heavy guard, the EVAs themselves ready to launch at a moment's notice."

Fuyutsuki nodded. He turned to the bridge bunnies. "You heard the General. Give the orders to the techs in the EVA Cage! Have them prep Units Zero and One!" He sighed.

Big Boss caught onto it. "Something on your mind, Professor?"

"It appears that man's ultimate enemy is not the Angels, but man himself," Fuyutsuki replied. "Of course, you already know as much, General."

"War. It never changes," Big Boss mused. "The Haven Shock Troops has five combat divisions to the JSSDF's three. But I got faith in my soldiers. We will see this through."

Meanwhile, Makoto and Shigeru had taken out their Nerv-issued P8 pistols.

"This is bad," Hyuuga said as he loaded the gun. "I don't think Nerv was meant to survive a human invasion."

Aoba nodded as he loaded his own pistol. "Yeah. This is only counter-terrorist measures at best."

"At least we got the JSSDF on our side," the bespectacled male bunny said. "Otherwise, we would not stand a chance." He looked at Maya. She was at her desk. Her gun was still in its case. "Maya?"

"I...I can't shoot," she admitted. She slammed her fist on the console. "Damn it! This isn't training! I wasn't shooting at people back then!"

Before Maya could break down, Ritsuko placed one hand on her pupil's shoulder. "Maya. Calm down. This area is well-defended. The Haven Troops will have a difficult time in reaching command. Just do your job and everything will be fine."

Maya calmed down. "Okay, Sempai. I'll do my best."
---
As Misato's Renault zoomed through the abandoned streets of Tokyo-3, they could hear the gunfire erupting from various parts of the city.

She prayed that she could make to Shinji in time as she made her car go faster, ignoring the screams of Snake and Meryl as she avoided another parked car by scant inches.
---
Katsuragi Asylum.

Shinji heard the gunfire as he got dressed. Looking out the window, he saw several cargo plans fly overhead, dropping paratroopers in the downtown area, which was followed by even more gunfire.

'What the...? We're being invaded!' Shinji thought. From the look of things, the invaders were human. One thing for certain, he had to get to the Geofront. And fast.

The house phone began to ring. Shinji was on it in an instant. "Hello?"

"Shinji! Thank God you're all right!"

"Misato?"

"I'm on the way to pick you up! I should be there in five minutes! There should be a Section 2 agent outside! Let her in, she'll keep an eye on you until I get there!"

Once the call ended, Shinji rushed to the door and opened it. Sure enough, the Section 2 agent was standing outside. Shinji recognized her from the school when Asuka had attacked him in a rage.

The woman entered the apartment. "I just got off the phone with Katsuragi," she said. "Just sit tight, and she'll be here soon."

Shinji nodded. "Okay."
---
The seven monoliths that made up Seele were monitoring the assault on Nerv Headquarters, which much to their surprise, turned out to be a full-blown battle between the JSSDF and U.N. crack troops versus the Haven Shock Troops.

This was supposed to be a simple assault. Instead, Seele found that their plans for Human Instrumentality could be derailed.

"This is unexpected!" Seele 07 said. "We were certain that the JSSDF were obliterated in the N² blast! Were not expecting them to fight the Haven Troops!"

"There are reports of fighting above Tokyo-3 and in the Geofront, with U.N. Special Forces backing the JSSDF!" Seele 03 shouted. "Our political maneuvering within the United Nations is all but gone! We can't call the U.N. Troops back!"

"Furthermore, I've been getting reports from all over the world!" Seele 11 shouted. "We've been exposed! The whole world knows the truth about Second Impact and our plans for Instrumentality!"

Seele 01 – Zero in his Keel persona – growled. There was only one person he knew was responsible for exposing his plans.

A certain, bearded, one-eyed soldier.

"Snake...SNAKE!" Zero screamed, thus dropping his Keel persona.
---
Meanwhile...

"Damn it! Unhand me!" Gendou shouted. "I am still the commander of Nerv! Unhand me at once!"

"Shut up," one of the Section 2 agents said, smacking Gendou in the back of the head. "You're no longer in control. Better yet, maybe we should just put a bullet in your head and tell Old Man Fuyutsuki that you tried to escape. No big loss. No one's gonna miss him. Hell, even his own son thinks he's scum."

"You're thinking about that too?" another Section 2 agent said. "This fucker deserves to die. I had family in South America when the Impact hit! We should at least torture him first, before killing him!"

As the former commander and his escort rounded a corner, they ran into three armed members of the Haven Shock Troops.

"What the fu...?" the first Section 2 agent said before the three FROGS turned on them.

"There he is!" the first FROG shouted, just as the trio opened fire with their PN-90s.

Gendou had the good sense to duck and retreat back around the corner, while his Section 2 escort was gunned down.

"Stop it!" the second FROG shouted. "Hold your fire! Keel wants him alive!"

Gendou heard that remark as he opened a secret passage and slipped inside. As the FROGS rounded the corner, Gendou was nowhere to be seen. "Where is he?" the FROG demanded as her two counterparts executed the surviving Section 2 members.

Gendou looked at his gloved hand, feeling the embryo grafted to his skin. 'So...Keel wants me alive because I have Adam,' he thought. 'Sorry, old man. You won't be able to stop me from reuniting with Yui.'

At least he still had his cellphone. Which means that he had one more lose end to tie up.

His son.

Gendou's decision was instant. His son no longer had a use for him, which means one thing to Gendou.

Despite the fact that he was his son, Shinji Ikari must die.

He retrieved it and placed a call to the female Section 2 agent that was at Katsuragi's apartment.

"Sir?"

"Is Pilot Ikari with you?"

"Yes, sir. I am watching him until Colonel Katsuragi arrives."

"You have new orders. Terminate the Third Child. Immediately."

"Sir?"

"I will not repeat myself, agent. You have your orders. Terminate Pilot Ikari now."

With that, Gendou ended the call, and prepared to take the long way back to his office. 'Yui will understand,' he thought. 'Everything I do, I do it for her.'
---
The Geofront.

While the FROGS stormed Nerv Headquarters, two of the combat units were outside in the middle of a deadly firefight with the JSSDF. The FROGS' acrobatic abilities easily matched the JSSDF's heavy firepower.

But the JSSDF had a trump card on their side.

From her sniping post, Crying Wolf – inside her battlesuit – aimed her rail cannon at the group of FROGS. After five seconds, her gun was at full charge.

"Now...let me hear you CRY!" Wolf snarled as she pulled the trigger.

BOOM!

Nearly half a dozen Haven troopers were sent flying from the deadly blast. Wolf fired off a second time, with the same results. Settling back into her battlesuit, she charged at the FROGS that were firing on her, their bullets bouncing off harmlessly against her armor.

Three of them were in the trees. Not a problem for Wolf, as she charged head-first into the tree, causing it to fall from the impact, crushing the FROGS under its weight.

Wolf the vanished into the forest once her rail gun was charged to full power. Then she fired again, and more Haven troopers were sent flying.
---
Nerv Headquarters – Central Dogma.

The Haven Shock Troopers had made their way inside Central Dogma, only to find a nasty surprise waiting for them. Instead of Nerv personnel, they found a welcoming committee of JSSDF and U.N. Forces within the halls of Central Dogma. Revolver Ocelot himself led the assault.

In rapid succession, he took out six Frogs with one Colt Single Action Army, before switching to a second Colt Revolver. The FROGS quickly took cover behind the wall, after seeing the wily gunslinger take down six of their comrades.

Not that it would stop Ocelot. Six more shots later, and the FROGS were down for the count, Ocelot had caused the bullets to ricochet, thus killing the assailants.

Ocelot's CODEC came to life as he reloaded his revolvers. "Ocelot, pull your men back. The FROGS are are bearing down on your position. We're going to seal off that corridor and flood it with bakelite," Big Boss ordered.

"Understood, Boss," Ocelot acknowledged. To the troops behind him, he gave the order to withdraw.

Seconds later, three squads of FROGS came charging down the corridor, expecting a firefight, only to find the halls littered with bodies of their fallen soldiers. The JSSDF had pulled their wounded back.

Then the blast doors in front of them sealed shut. It was then the lead FROG realized that it was a trap.

But it was too late.

The blast doors behind them slammed shut. Seconds later, the blood-red fluid that was bakelite flooded the corridor. The FROGS did not have a chance of escape as they drowned in the bakelite.
---
In another part of Central Dogma, a squad of FROGS found themselves face-to-face with the commander of the Beauty and Beasts Unit.

Clad in her battlesuit, with a Psycho Mantis doll in one of her 'hands,' and a Sorrow doll in the other, Screaming Mantis hovered over the FROGS, dodging their automatic fire.

Mantis laughed at their pitiful attempts to hit her with their weapons. "Let me hear you scream! Howl! Roar! From the very depths of your soul!" she snarled.

The Haven Shock Troopers were one of the very few PMCs that still used the nanomachines to make them even more combat effective. As it turned out, it would be their undoing. The lead FROG took cover as a volley of knives took down her fellow soldiers. Mantis' specialty – aside from being a medium – was that she could control anyone with nanomachines in their bodies. The Haven Shock Troopers were no exception.

Like a living wall of steel, the knives danced around Mantis' body. As the FROG stepped out from her cover, Mantis made her move.

The FROG froze in its tracks, as if something was possessing its body. As five more FROGS appeared, Mantis used the FROG she captured to gun down her comrades. Once they were dead, Mantis turned her attention to her captive. Lifting the FROG into the air, Mantis used her powers to snap the Haven Trooper's back in two, before discarding the body.

Several more FROGS appeared inside Central Dogma. This time, they were gunned down by their dead comrades, Mantis using their nanomachines to do her bidding. Once they were taken care of, Mantis retreated further into Central Dogma.
---
Three of the FROGS were sledgehammered back, dead before they hit the ground.

"Heeheehee," Laughing Octopus snickered as she brandished her own PN-90, throwing another FROG to the ground with her tentacles. "Isn't this funny? Laugh with me!"

Octopus opened fire on the FROGS, who returned fire, but to no avail, as Octopus retreated in a black cloud of smoke. However, the FROGS moved too soon, as they triggered several microbombs that Octopus had left in her wake, thus triggering another flood of bakelite, Octopus narrowly escaping as the blast doors closed behind her.
---
At the Katsuragi Asylum...

The female Section 2 agent got off the phone with Gendou Ikari. The whole city was about to go to hell, and he just ordered her to put a bullet into his son's head.

Oh, well. Orders are orders.

Shinji was in the kitchen, fixing himself a cup of tea in order to calm himself down as she pulled out her handgun. Screwing a silencer on the threaded barrel, she flipped the safety off, preparing to end the life of the Third Child.

'Sorry, kid,' she thought as she took aim to the back of the skull. It's nothing personal. Just business.'

However, Shinji Ikari would not die today.

"SQUAK!"

POKE.

"OW!"

It was Pen-Pen who had made the save. The hot springs penguin had just finished its bath and was on his way to the kitchen to grab a beer before heading for his fridge to relax and read about the mating rituals of hot spring penguins when he saw the strange woman pull her gun from her holster. Sensing Shinji's life in danger, Pen-Pen waddled over to the woman, who thankfully did not notice him, and poked hard at her leg with his beak.

Sure enough, it had the desired effect of distracting the would-be assassin.

Shinji turned around and was about to chastise Pen-Pen for harassing the agent when he saw the gun in the woman's hand. The woman saw that her element of surprise was gone, and quickly reacted.

Shinji ducked low, just as the Section 2 assassin fired, the shot missing Shinji, and putting a hole in Misato's fridge (as well as destroying a row of beer). Shinji's fist impacted the woman's chin in the form of a quick uppercut, throwing her off balance, the gun falling out of her hand. Then Shinji proceeded to grab her by the jacket, and just as Big Boss had taught him, performed a textbook-perfect hip throw...

...sending the woman through Misato's living room table with a loud CRASH, reducing the hardwood item to kindling, and knocking the female assassin out cold.

"Very impressive, Shinji."

Shinji recognized the voice. "Misato?"

Standing in the doorway, guns drawn, were indeed Misato, along with Solid Snake and Meryl. The trio had arrived just in time to see Shinji put the Section 2 assassin through the table. Outside, gunfire and explosions are heard throughout the city.

"Not bad, kid," Snake complimented.

"CQC," Meryl said. "You're a real Big Boss, aren't you?"

Shinji looked at the man. Almost immediately, he recognized him from the FOXHOUND group picture. He looked like a younger Big Boss, only without the eyepatch.

"No way..." Shinji whispered. "You look just like the old man."

"I know. I'm his son," Snake admitted. "Call me Snake. The redhead's Meryl. We gotta go, kid."

"What's going on?" Shinji demanded as Misato scooped Pen-Pen in her arms.

"We're being invaded," Misato replied, shoving the penguin in Shinji's arms. "Let's go!"

The three adults, plus one teenager and one penguin, rushed back to the parking lot, only to find that several FROGS were already there, with orders to terminate Shinji Ikari. Misato, Snake and Meryl quickly took them down in a hail of gunfire.

"Damn," Meryl cursed as she reloaded her Desert Eagle. "Those FROGS move pretty fast."

"It's because Ikari here is a primary target for Seele," Snake replied.

"Me?" Shinji said.

"The Geofront's already locked down," Misato said. "But there's the south freight entrance. It stays open 24-7."

"So we head there," Snake said.

"But given the fact that the FROGS and the JSSDF and UN crack troops are currently fighting in the streets," Misato pointed out, "we're gonna have to take the long way around. You think you and Major Campbell got enough ammo?"

"No need to worry about that, Major," Snake replied. Pointing to his bandanna, he said, "Infinite ammo."

"Oh."

In the firefight, Misato's car was an unfortunate casualty. The blue Alpine Renault would not start again. But there was the black Dodge Charger that Section 2 primarily uses.

A smile appeared on Misato's face as she walked over to the car. Snake and Meryl both exchanged worried glances before following her to the car. Shinji already had an idea as to what was going to happen next.
---
The streets of Tokyo-3.

[The following caption appears in English and Japanese: Tokyo-3: City Streets. Just as how the motorcycle chase in Groznyj Grad opens up in Snake Eater, so does the high-speed mad dash to the Geofront, from the rear of the car, the Charger turning a hard right to avoid the main streets, where the main skirmishes between the combined JSSDF/U.N. forces and the FROGS are taking place.]

Misato drove past a Haven roadblock, the four FROGS opening fire on the Charger as it zoomed past, pedal to the medal. Snake is riding shotgun, while Shinji, Meryl and Pen-Pen are in the back.

"Damn!" Misato cursed as she swerved around several abandoned vehicles, and another Haven checkpoint. "These bitches aren't making this easy for us!"

"Just get us to the Geofront!" Snake shouted. He then activated his CODEC. "Raven, do you read?"
---
In the skies above Tokyo-3, Raging Raven, flanked by a dozen of her drones, each armed with rockets, answered Snake's call. "Loud and clear, Snake."

"Raven. We need an escort to the Geofront. Track my CODEC signal."

Raven looked down, and saw the speeding Nerv sedan. "I got you, Colonel. Moving in."
---
Back inside the car...

"Misato, what the hell is going on?" Shinji asked. "Who is invading the city?"

"A power cabal called Seele," Misato explained as she kept her eyes on the road, which was at the moment, clear. But she still kept her manic driving. "They want to wrest control of Third Impact from your father, so they've ordered Haven Shock Troops to invade the city and the Geofront."

"The old fart has something to do with this?"

Misato nodded. "Afraid so. Turns out that he also had a hand in Second Impact."

"No way..." Shinji muttered. "It can't get any worse."

"It just did," Misato said grimly. "Asuka has joined Seele, and is on her way. We got to get you to the Geofront fast."

At that moment, an ominous shadow covered the sun. Snake looked upward, and saw a massive glider-like bomber overhead. "Too late. She's already here."
---
The Geofront, Nerv Headquarters.

The assorted Nerv employees and Patriot operatives watched as the single glider made their way to the downtown area of Tokyo-3.

"Damn," Big Boss cursed. "She's here."

"Who?" Fuyutsuki asked.

Ritsuko answered the question. "It's Asuka. She's piloting Unit Five."

The Nerv faculty went silent at the bottle blonde's proclamation. They knew that Asuka had went missing following her dismissal, but had never thought that she would go to the other side.

"Wait...what?" Maya had said, echoing the sentiments of the Nerv staff.

"Asuka is now working for Seele," Ritsuko explained. "She's after Shinji, as well as acting as backup for the Haven Troopers." She walked over to Otacon's laptop, where he was receiving by-the-minute information regarding the battle above them. "Dr. Emmerich, give me the best route to the Geofront."

Otacon punched in several keys. "They can't go in from Downtown, since most of the firefights are there." He pointed to the screen. "Two of the four freight entrances have been destroyed. There's still the south freight entrance. They can use that, but it will take them the long way around."

"Can't be helped," Big Boss replied. To Ritsuko, he said, "Get Colonel Katsuragi on the line."
---
On the streets of Tokyo-3, several of the FROGS had caught up with the speeding Charger.

Five FROGS on motorcycles appear from around the corner, and open fire on the Charger, Meryl forcing Shinji's head down as the rear windshield explodes from the bullets. Thankfully, no one in the car is hurt.

"Stay down!" Meryl shouted at the Third Child.

The redhead pulls out her Desert Eagles - the second one having been outfitted with an extended barrel and scope, and returns fire. She nails the lead biker, who loses control and careens into a second biker. Meryl's rounds also strike the gas tank, causing the bikes to go up in a ball of fire.

Several more FROGS on bikes appeared, swerving around the broken bodies of their comrades. Shinji kept his head down as Meryl fired both Desert Eagles. Two of them swerved out of the way, before returning fire with their own PN-90s. Bullets whizzed passed Misato's head as she came up on a hard turn. The purple-haired colonel turned the steering wheel hard to the left, making the car pull off a Fast and Furious-style drift. The remaining FROGS failed to emulate Misato's driving abilities and ended up crashing into the steel guardrails.

A third squad of FROGS on motorcycles slowed the gap between themselves and the speeding Charger. Meryl fired her guns at their pursuers, killing three of them, but leaving one behind.

Snake saw the last biker coming. He turned to Misato, as the FROG came up on Snake's side. "When I say so, hit the brakes."

"What?" Misato shouted.

"Just do it!" Snake shouted. "That's an order!"

Misato sped up, pushing the car to over 120 miles per hour. As expected, the FROG hit the gas and sped up as well.

"And...NOW!"

Misato braked hard, planting both feet on the break pedal. Thankfully, the passengers had the good sense to buckle up (Shinji buckling up Pen-Pen for good measure). At the same time, Snake shoved his door open. The FROG tried to swerve, but it was too late. It crashed at full speed into the door, literally ripping the door off the hinges, the impact sending the FROG in the air, flipping end over end in a body flip before landing head-first on the asphalt. She did not get back up, as her skull had cracked upon the street. She twitched for a moment before lying still.

Misato took her foot off the brake and hit the gas, swerving around the body.

As the car picked up speed, Misato's phone began to ring. Without taking her eyes off the road, she retrieved it and answered it. "Colonel Katsuragi...yes, sir, Shinji has been retrieved...we're on our way to the South Freight Entrance...hold on."

Misato tosses Shinji the phone. "It's Big Boss."

Shinji answered the phone. "Boss? is that you?"

"Yeah. It's me. Listen carefully, Shinji. Asuka is in Tokyo-3. She is piloting an EVA unit and is on the warpath. She has joined Seele in an attempt to get her revenge on you. She will not stop until you're dead."

"Wonderful. The Red Devil's snapped."

"Yeah, no kidding. You're going to have to face her in Unit One. I'm sorry, Shinji, but there's no other way. You have to stop Sohryuu. I'll see you once you get to the Geofront. Don't worry. You're in good hands."
---
Above the speeding car...

The red Entry Plug was loaded into the black-and-red EVA, its armor sliding shut. Seconds later, Evangelion Unit Five was online, its pilot's synch ratio holding at a perfect 100 percent.

Asuka Sohryuu performed the startup procedures inside her entry plug. Rather than her usual crimson Plug Suit, her new Plug Suit is black with red trim, with the number 05 stenciled where the 02 would normally be. Her neural connectors are also black. The look on her face says it all. With the S² Engine inside Unit Five, she has free reign.

She looked down, and saw the speeding black Charger as it swerved through another Haven checkpoint. In an instant, she recognized that style of driving. Within seconds, the profiles of Shinji Ikari, Misato Katsuragi, Meryl Campbell and Iroquois Pliskin (Snake's alias) were on the screen. A sadistic smile spread across her lips as she saw that termination orders were placed on all parties involved.

'I'm coming for you, Shinji,' she thought as she gripped the duplicate Lance of Longinus in her EVA's hand.

The glider then released its cargo, sending Unit Five into a free-fall. It would land in the downtown area, as expected. Afterwards, Asuka could simply track down the Nerv sedan and crush it underneath her heel.

Unit Five flipped in mid air, before landing in a crouch-like position.

But before it could accomplish its mission, it was body-checked by an unseen force, sending the advanced Evangelion to the ground.

RAYs 1 and 3 have come to play. Dropping their stealth camos, they prepare to attack. Asuka watched as the speeding Charger made its escape. The disgraced Second Child rose to her feet, and retrieved the lance.

Asuka had not forgotten that strange mecha that had made a complete fool of herself. She didn't care that there were two of them. All she cared about was that Shinji Ikari would soon see why she was the superior pilot.

"I'll take you both on!" Asuka howled in her native tongue, just as the two RAYs leapt at her.
---
Meanwhile...

The Dodge Charger was out of the city. At the moment, it was on the highway. Shinji recognized the highway as that of the scenic highway, the same one that Misato had taken him following the battle with Sachiel.

Now, as the city was in fortress mode, Shinji watched as Unit Five took on RAYs 1 and. 3. So far, the highway was deserted, as the FROGS had not made it this far just yet. Overhead, Raging Raven flew, flanked by her drones.

Against an EVA armed with heavy artillery, the RAYs had no problem. Against an advanced EVA armed with something as dangerous as a replica Lance of Longinus, that was another story.

Asuka's AT-field blocked RAY 1's water cutter, while RAY 3 attempted to attack her from behind. Not one to fall for the same trick twice, Asuka broke off the AT-field, spun around, and thrusted the Heavy Lance into RAY 3, running it straight through. She then yanked her lance back and with a feral yell, cleaved RAY 3 straight down the middle. The two halves of RAY 3 fell to the streets in a heap, destroyed.
---
Nerv Headquarters.

Otacon turned to Big Boss. "RAY 3 has been completely destroyed!"

Big Boss nodded. This certainly was something that he was not expecting. He had thought that all of the duplicate Lances were destroyed when he ordered the attack on the Tarumae Facility. But it was apparent that Zero himself was not without surprises of his own. He had designed the RAYs to withstand gunfire from the EVAs' pallete rifles and rockets. They were not designed to withstand a weapon such as the Lance of Longinus. From the look of things, it could cleave through the RAYs like a hot knife through butter.

"Damn," Big Boss cursed. "I should have planned for this. If this continues, then Sohryuu will destroy RAY 1 in a matter of minutes. What's Katsuragi's ETA?"

"They are approaching the South Freight Entrance, General," Maya replied. "Their ETA is less then five minutes."

"Good. RAY 1 will just have to stall in the meantime until we can get Shinji out there."

Inside the Charger, Shinji, Snake and Meryl watched in abject horror as Unit Five first impaled, then cleaved RAY 3 in two. Unit Five let out a triumphant roar before it turned its attention to RAY 1, who had fired fired off several missiles. Asuka had deflected them with her AT-field, and tried to perform the same attack on RAY 1.

However, the AIs used to control the RAYs were quick to learn from their mistakes, and RAY 1 simply hopped back in order to avoid Asuka's thrust. One quick blast from the Ion Cannon had knocked Asuka's lance from her hands, forcing the half-German pilot to fight barehanded.

In the meantime, Raven and her drones had rejoined Shinji and the three adults, and just in time too.

"Oh, SHIT!" Misato cursed as they approached the Freight Entrance. Two Humvees with gun mounts, as well as an armored personnel vehicle, along with a squad of Haven Troopers, blocked the entrance. A Haven checkpoint.

Flying overhead, Raven quickly reacted. Her drones fired their rockets at the checkpoint.

KA-BOOM!

The Humvees flipped end over end, while the APV was blown to the side, the FROGS themselves sent flying as Misato's Charger and Raven zoomed past, the Humvees crashing to the ground.

"This entrance will take us directly to Nerv HQ!" Misato shouted. "If we're lucky, this should take us to Central Dogma!"

"Then step on it!" Snake shouted.

Up ahead, was another Haven checkpoint. Since the drones had exhausted their rockets, Raven zoomed ahead. Brandishing her grenade launcher, she fired six grenades at the Haven checkpoint. The Humvees were blown to the side, the Charger and Raven sped past the destroyed checkpoint.

"Good work, Raven," Snake said on the CODEC. "You're needed in the Geofront. Backup the JSSDF and Wolf."

"Roger that," Raven replied as she joined the battle alongside Wolf and the JSSDF.
---
Nerv Headquarters, the Bridge, minutes later.

Following Makoto's directions, Misato, Shinji (holding Pen-Pen), Snake and Meryl had avoided the ares where the major firefights were taking place, and had reached the bridge. Along the way, they had ran into several stray FROGS, but there were quickly disposed of by Misato, Snake and Meryl.

"Big Boss!" Shinji shouted as he released Pen-Pen, happy to see that his mentor was still alive. Pen-Pen, in the meantime, had waddled off to where Maya sat and hid under the console.

Big Boss turned to his student and smiled. "Glad you could make it, kid," he said. He turned to the screen, where Asuka had just destroyed one of the RAYs with the Lance. "There's no time, Shinji. Unit One is ready. You have to stop Asuka."

Shinji nodded. "I know."

"From what we know," Big Boss continued, "Unit Five is an advanced prototype. Like your Unit One, it also has an S² engine. What makes it more dangerous is that is armed with a duplicate Lance of Longinus. The Lance is powerful enough to penetrate the even strongest AT-field. The Lance has two forms: a heavy spear, which can morph into the Lance. So be careful."

Shinji nodded. "Got it." He then looked around. "Wait...where's Rei?"

"She's not in her Unit Zero," Ritsuko said. Then a dreadful thought came to her. Rushing over to Maya's console, she typed in several keys. Within seconds, Rei's image was on the screen. She was standing in front of the destroyed Reiquarium. "She's in Terminal Dogma!"

"What the hell is she doing down there?" Misato asked.

Ritsuko pointed to the screen. Gendou Ikari had appeared.

Big Boss looked at the screen. "He's going to try and initiate Third Impact," he said.
---
Terminal Dogma.

Gendou had made it back to his office. There, he had taken his hidden elevator straight to Terminal Dogma.

Rei wasn't hard to find. She stood in front of the destroyed Dummy System, looking at the remains of her clones inside the Reiquarium.

"I thought you would be here, Rei," Gendou said as he stepped out of the shadows.

Rei remained silent as she turned to Gendou.

"It's time. The promised moment is upon us. Let's go."

Silently, Rei followed Gendou deeper into Terminal Dogma.
---
Central Dogma, the Bridge.

Ritsuko punched in several keys. On the far side of the bridge, a hidden elevator activated. "Okay, I've activated Emergency Elevator R-10-20. We can drop Shinji off at the EVA Cages, and we can head for Terminal Dogma."

Misato reloaded her pistol. "Sounds like a plan. Let's go, Shinji."

Shinji nodded and followed the two most powerful women in Nerv to the elevator. However, as he reached the elevator, he stopped.

Turning to the three bridge bunnies, he simply said, "Sorry for blowing up at you three," before joining Misato and Ritsuko inside the elevator.

As the doors closed, despite the circumstances they were in, the three bridge bunnies smiled.
---
EVA Cages.

Unit One was placed on the lift. Shinji Ikari was inside the Entry Plug. He had no time to change into his Plug suit, given the severity of the situation. Misato had handed Shinji his neural connectors as he exited the elevator before the elevator continued on to Terminal Dogma.

Big Boss' image appeared before Shinji. "Okay, Ikari. We're going to send you close to Asuka's location. Reports are coming in that she had just destroyed RAY 1. You have to stop her before she can reach the Geofront."

"Understood," Shinji replied.

"I'm sorry it has to be this way, Shinji," Big Boss continued, "But we have no choice."

Shinji nodded. "I know, Boss."

"The techs have added a second Progressive Knife in your other shoulder pylon," Big Boss continued. "Remember what I taught you about weapons combat?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good to know. You turned out to be one of my best students. The best way to render the EVA immobile is to destroy the core, since its core can repair and regenerate most injuries. Godspeed, Ikari."

Big Boss then ended the call.
---
Somewhere in Central Dogma...

The last Haven Trooper fell to her knees, her heart sliced in two by Raiden's high frequency blade. The White Devil kicked her lifeless corpse over as he wiped the blood from his blade.

Then his CODEC came to life.

"Raiden here."

"It's Snake. Where's your location?"

"Near Commander Ikari's office."

"There's a hidden elevator inside the office. Otacon's activating it now. Head down to Terminal Dogma and backup the good doctor and Colonel Katsuragi. When you're done there, return to Central Dogma."

"Understood," Raiden replied, and the call ended.

Three more FROGS charged from around the corner, guns drawn. They opened fire on Raiden, who simply deflected the bullets with his sword. The first FROG lost her head, while the remaining two were left to bleed to death after losing several appendages.

Raiden found Gendou's office and entered. At the far wall, there was an open passageway, revealing a lift leading down to Terminal Dogma. Raiden boarded it and was on his way down.
---
In the streets of Tokyo-3, RAY 1 had been literally torn apart. Asuka had been expecting to find a human pilot inside, Only to find that the RAY was completely unmanned.

"What?" Asuka gasped. "Where's the pilot? Is this thing unmanned, like Jet Alone?"

Her chain of thought was interrupted when warning klaxons were heard coming from a nearby hatch. Asuka saw that the hatch was opening, meaning that soon, either Unit Zero or Unit One will come to play.

Her Lance was nearby, so Asuka quickly retrieved it. Rushing over to the opening hatchway, Asuka prepared to cleave the offending EVA, not giving it a chance to be released from its restraints.

The hatch opened and Asuka drew the lance back.

With a loud screech, the lift came to a halt...

...only problem was that there was nothing on the lift. No EVA. Nothing. Only one word was painted at the bottom of the lift. Given Asuka's problems with reading Japanese Kanji, it took her a moment to realize what it had said.

SUCKER.

"Hey, Sorhyuu!"

WHAM!

Asuka felt herself being launched several feet down the street as she was struck from behind, the lance falling from her hands as she slid down the street.

Unit One dropped the 'flipper' of the destroyed RAY. Big Boss had suspected that Asuka would have been waiting for him to ambush him, so he simply caused a diversion.

The location Asuka was at had a second hatchway. While Asuka was distracted with the first one, the second hatchway opened, and Shinji came through in Unit One, having climbed to the surface..

Seeing that Asuka was distracted, Shinji quickly capitalized on his good fortune. He grabbed the destroyed RAY's flipper, snuck up behind Asuka, and with a giant swing that would have made a major league slugger proud, smashed Asuka in the back with the flipper.

Unit One dropped the flipper and activated the first Progressive Knife. He then activated his visual of Asuka. "Looking for me, Sohryuu?"

Asuka got to her feet and turned around. She retrieved her Lance. "So...the coward finally shows himself."

Shinji frowned. "I can't speak German, idiot. Speak in Japanese."

Asuka growled. "I said that you finally show yourself, you coward."

"That's rich, coming from someone like you," Shinji retorted, ready for when Asuka would attack. "The great Asuka Sohryuu was more than willing to send mankind to oblivion because you wanted to be the best."

"I AM THE BEST!" Asuka screamed. "KEEL CHOSE ME! HE CHOSE ME TO PILOT UNIT FIVE! I AM THE SUPERIOR PILOT! NO ONE IN NERV WOULD UNDERSTAND THAT! ALL THEY GO ON IS ABOUT THE GREAT SHINJI IKARI, THE KILLER OF ANGELS! THAT TITLE SHOULD BE MINE!"

"You don't get it, do you?" Shinji retorted. "I never wanted to pilot the EVA! I never wanted the 'Killer of Angels,' title! I just wanted a normal life. But life is never fair, Sohryuu."

"Spare me your sympathy," Asuka snarled.

"I'm not offering any. Answer me this question, Asuka. Why? Why did you do what you did to me?"

Asuka's voice was like ice. "Because I refuse to lose to a spineless little bastard like you. I am the superior pilot. Not you. Not Wondergirl. You should have just stayed gone inside your unit's core, Shinji. You should have stayed inside the core, and I would be the savior of humanity." She twirled the Lance. "Looks like I'll just settle for killing you."

Shinji's grip tightened on the knife. "You can try."

The two EVAs faced each other in a Mexican standoff. Then they both charged.