[X] Operation Frozen Stars
-[X] Tell Rei to take the shot (Roll 2d100; 27, 18; pass)
-[X] Instructions for Asuka: Keep her AT-field extended, and if possible keep the Angel pinned down, inform her (and keep her informed) about what is happening in her blind spot.
-[X] Instructions for Shinji: Reposition if need be to avoid any friendly fire, charge a shot and provide fire support for Asuka.
You warn Asuka that the Angel is trying to sneak up to her on her left. Asuka squawks in surprise and whips around to face the twisting body of the Angel, forming its far end into a triangular shape. Asuka extends her AT-Field to continue to negate the Angel's. Shinji charges a shot.
Rei pulls the trigger. Her shot finds its mark. The Angel, still emitting a high-pitched whistling noise, makes a sputtering sound and returns to its shrill whine at a much louder and more irregular cadence. Unit-00 makes a motion to cover its ears. If it had ears, anyway. Greenish-blue blood spurts out of the Angel's wound in a fine mist, dissipating in the infernal air.
The Angel thrashes wildly under Asuka and breaks free of her pin, once again taking to the air as the white-hot outline of a equilateral triangle. The triangle "fills in", becoming a bright, flat polygon, and then subdivides itself into three triangles. Each of those triangles divides itself into three triangles. Each of those triangles divides itself into three triangles, etc, etc. Ibuki helpfully informs you this shape is called a Sierpiński triangle. Good to know someone in here paid attention in geometry, because you certainly did not. Curiously, no matter what angle the Angel is viewed from, the "face" of the Angel is visible as if being seen from head-on. This Angel is starting to give you a headache.
The Angel isn't done with its tricks, however. The bottom left triangle, subdivided into hundreds, possibly thousands of small burning triangles, detaches from the Angel and proceeds to bombard Asuka, each individual triangle aiming point side down at Unit-02. Most of them crash into Asuka's AT-Field, but a few manage to slip through and stick into the D-type equipment. The missed shots return to the Angel's body. Asuka doesn't react much beyond frustration. It appears the external skin of the D-type armor is not sensitive or innervated, so Asuka didn't feel that attack very much. Ritsuko says there's damage to the suit. Asuka cannot take more than a few attacks like that without compromising the protection of the equipment.
As if out of spite, the Angel begins another assault on Asuka. Shinji fires his weapon, yelling Asuka's name, and cuts broadly across the lower right sector of the Angel's body. A cloud of green blood rises from the Angel's face. Rei follows up with a sniper shot to the upper face. It doesn't do nearly the same damage, but still wounds the Angel. The Angel follows up by firing parts of itself in Rei and Shinji's general direction, sending them scrambling out of the way. Both Unit-01 and Unit-00 come away from the attack with burns. Rei tells Shinji to move back. She'll protect him. Shinji starts limping away for better cover.
Asuka is still holding up, but it's clear the D-type equipment is damaged. Asuka requests a pressure increase to the coolant in the pipes. Hyuga complies, but Asuka says the pressure is not increasing very much. It seems like one or more of them might have a small leak. This isn't an immediate emergency, but it's obviously concerning. Asuka says she'll be fine. Her Unit-02 is made of tough stuff, just like her.
Shinji is not doing as well; much of Unit-01's front armor is badly burned, and the flesh underneath is likely as well. At Ritsuko's insistence, Ibuki lowers Shinji's sync ratio. It's clear he's in severe pain.
Rei's in better shape, but not significantly better. The orange armor of Unit-00 is similarly blackened and damaged. Rei is taking the obvious pain this causes like a champion, though; part of it is Rei's lower synchronization rate, and part of it is sheer force of will. She requests that Dr. Akagi
not lower her sync ratio under any circumstances. Ritsuko frowns in thought but agrees to Rei's request, despite Ibuki's objections. Rei's sync rate is the highest it's ever been in a battle. 54.0%.
MOVEMENT IV
~Allegro~
Now what?
Rei
[ ] Switch weapons with Shinji. He's got the more useful weapon and his usefulness is in question. Rei will have to fight through the difficulties with her arm. Focus on offense.
[ ] Focus on protecting Shinji from further harm. Focus on defense.
[ ] Focus on drawing the Angel's attention away from Asuka (and Shinji).
Shinji
[ ] Continue providing fire support for Asuka for just a little longer, Shinji.
[ ] Full retreat. Shinji's at his limit. The girls will have to finish the job without him. You're pretty sure this isn't going to go over well with them, though.
[ ] Focus on drawing the Angel's attention away from Asuka (and Rei).
Asuka
[ ] Continue fighting at close range. Keep the Angel from advancing any further.
[ ] Move back and switch weapons with one of the other two.
Shinji has
4 shots remaining.
