Stand Proud and Make Yourself a Legend [Evangelion/JJBA]
- Thread starter TGT09
- Start date
He was. That's why Johnny isn't going to be in this fic.
Cyrus 21
Kamen Rider/Spirit of Chaos
- Location
- Canterlot
Ah, got it. Also, good luck!
Daniel Estacado
ZA WARUDO
So was Nicolas George Joestar a Stand user or a Ripple user?
He was the 7th Stand user.
Ridiculously Average Guy
I'm you, but stronger
- Location
-
Seeing how far Joseph has fallen really messes with me.
He's the only Joestar you see something even close to the full life of, minus his golden years in real estate after his funeral. And...well...we see him get old, and lose himself....
He's the only Joestar you see something even close to the full life of, minus his golden years in real estate after his funeral. And...well...we see him get old, and lose himself....
Finagle007
[Verified Great Old One]
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
Happy the Hero,
Dead in his prime;
Who need never whisper,
"There once was a time..."
I'd say its less him getting physically frail and more him getting dementia and whatnot, losing his mind and wit, that is rather sad. I mean, I don't mind him getting older and less able to do the crazy stuff he used to do, that's just life, it's his mind and whatnot going that is sad.
Ridiculously Average Guy
I'm you, but stronger
- Location
-
The poem isn't necessarily about just the physical aspects its...
Uh, a good modern example is the opening of Uncharter 4. You see Nathan Drake who has settled down from his life of adventure, who is getting older, and pines for his past.
The hero dead in his prime never has to deal with aching for the past, with knowing that the greatest part of your life (if not necessarily the happiest) is behind you.
Finagle007
[Verified Great Old One]
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
Indeed. In my headcanon, that's one of the reasons why Jonathan died smiling; because it meant he wouldn't have to go through that, or avoid it by becoming a monster like Dio.
I got back home last Saturday, and I've churning out words for the new chapter. My goal is for it to be out before September hits. In the mean time, here's a snippet.
Jotaro's Office, Marine Life Sancturary
"Ryoji, let me get this straight. Katsuragi just waltzed in and helped herself to a prototype JSSDF weapon and is going to use all of Japan's electricity to power the thing up so she can take out that Angel?" Jotaro raised an eyebrow as he spoke over the phone. "She's a pretty daring woman."
"That's Misato for you, always coming up with these crazy schemes to help save the world." Kaji said. "So, is that the craziest thing you ever heard or what?"
"Not at all." Jotaro answered immediately. "I've seen way too many bizarre「Stands」over the years for me to consider this crazy."
"Nothing fazes you anymore, huh, Jotaro?" Kaji chuckled. "Anyway, I just saw some Speedwagon Energy guys in the GeoFront. Guess NERV is already setting up the power grid for the positron rifle. Thanks for sending them over."
"I only deal with the Speedwagon Foundation." Jotaro said. "Whatever Speedwagon Enterprises or its subsidiaries are doing is their own corporate business. That reminds me; I got a major loose end I need to tie up."
Osaka
[...]
"Damn it, Otoishi, this is more important than your money! Your concert is getting canned anyway because of the blackout, but the Japanese government too slow to let you know on time." Jotaro's rage-filled voice boomed over the phone's speaker. "Don't think about just moving the concert underground either. That gimmick you pull with 「Red Hot Chili Pepper」at every show always end up breaking the power grid. If you pull that shit again, I'll have Dr. Higashikata make a very painful house call."
"All right, fine, fine. I'm not gonna play." Akira gulped as he remembered the last time he faced Josuke in a fight. "But listen, I might be able to help if the blackout is for what I think it is."
"You have thirty seconds to explain." Jotaro said curtly. "You take any longer, I'm hanging up."
"I'm not stupid; I saw what happened in Tokyo-3 on the news. Someone is going to use some kind of weapon to take out that giant diamond freak, right?" Akira said. "I'm sure the Speedwagon Foundation knows this already, but「Red Hot Chili Pepper」developed some new powers since our little fight 16 years ago. Those powers would be very useful for whatever stunt they're pulling."
For five long seconds, there was only silence from Jotaro's end. Akira wondered if he should just hang up before he suddenly heard the marine biologist's voice again.
"I'll set something up so you can give me a demo of your new powers." Jotaro said. "Use「Red Hot Chili Pepper」to beam yourself over to the Tokyo-3 train terminal in 30 minutes. If you waste my time, Josuke is going to know about this."
Jotaro's Office, Marine Life Sancturary
"Ryoji, let me get this straight. Katsuragi just waltzed in and helped herself to a prototype JSSDF weapon and is going to use all of Japan's electricity to power the thing up so she can take out that Angel?" Jotaro raised an eyebrow as he spoke over the phone. "She's a pretty daring woman."
"That's Misato for you, always coming up with these crazy schemes to help save the world." Kaji said. "So, is that the craziest thing you ever heard or what?"
"Not at all." Jotaro answered immediately. "I've seen way too many bizarre「Stands」over the years for me to consider this crazy."
"Nothing fazes you anymore, huh, Jotaro?" Kaji chuckled. "Anyway, I just saw some Speedwagon Energy guys in the GeoFront. Guess NERV is already setting up the power grid for the positron rifle. Thanks for sending them over."
"I only deal with the Speedwagon Foundation." Jotaro said. "Whatever Speedwagon Enterprises or its subsidiaries are doing is their own corporate business. That reminds me; I got a major loose end I need to tie up."
Osaka
[...]
"Damn it, Otoishi, this is more important than your money! Your concert is getting canned anyway because of the blackout, but the Japanese government too slow to let you know on time." Jotaro's rage-filled voice boomed over the phone's speaker. "Don't think about just moving the concert underground either. That gimmick you pull with 「Red Hot Chili Pepper」at every show always end up breaking the power grid. If you pull that shit again, I'll have Dr. Higashikata make a very painful house call."
"All right, fine, fine. I'm not gonna play." Akira gulped as he remembered the last time he faced Josuke in a fight. "But listen, I might be able to help if the blackout is for what I think it is."
"You have thirty seconds to explain." Jotaro said curtly. "You take any longer, I'm hanging up."
"I'm not stupid; I saw what happened in Tokyo-3 on the news. Someone is going to use some kind of weapon to take out that giant diamond freak, right?" Akira said. "I'm sure the Speedwagon Foundation knows this already, but「Red Hot Chili Pepper」developed some new powers since our little fight 16 years ago. Those powers would be very useful for whatever stunt they're pulling."
For five long seconds, there was only silence from Jotaro's end. Akira wondered if he should just hang up before he suddenly heard the marine biologist's voice again.
"I'll set something up so you can give me a demo of your new powers." Jotaro said. "Use「Red Hot Chili Pepper」to beam yourself over to the Tokyo-3 train terminal in 30 minutes. If you waste my time, Josuke is going to know about this."
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Finagle007
[Verified Great Old One]
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
Since when does Jotaro refer to his uncle by his last name?
Hmm. Good point. I had a brain fart when I wrote that part at the end. I'll go change that.
EDIT: I'm keeping the line "I'll have Dr. Higashikata make a very painful house call". It's just too good not to keep.
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Arjac
Retreating Backwards
Because Josuke didn't go through med school to not get called Doctor
Chapter 6: Happiness Is a Warm Gun, Act 1
Author's Note: I'm finally back. Let's just say this past summer was both the best and worst summer of my life. Glad to be up and writing again. Hope you all enjoy this latest chapter.
Greenwood Cemetery, New York City
"Hey, papa is coming to visit again." An old man said as he slowly bent his right knee. The butler beside him gently held onto the old man's left arm and slowly eased him down until the rose bouquet in the old man's hands touched the ground in front of the headstone. The butler then helped the old man get back onto his feet and handed him his cane.
The old man graciously took the cane with his right hand and then turned his attention back to the grave in front of him. He bowed his head and closed his eyes, the youthful fires in them having been extinguished long ago. A minute or so passed in silence, with the only interruption being a chirping bird that brought a little life to the overcast day.
"Remember your newest sister? The little girl I adopted?" The old man said in a slow, trembling voice, the cane visibly shaking along with his hands. "She went off to war a couple of weeks ago. Not the kind of war your granddaughter is fighting, but something even worse. I'm so scared of losing her, just like how I lost you."
The old man's vision started to blur because of the tears that gathered in his eyes as he thought back to happier times.
"I shouldn't have let you come along no matter how hard you begged." The old man said, his voice becoming weaker. "If only you stayed back to take care of Holly, you'll still be with us today. I-I…"
The old man tried to speak, but only choked sobs came out. Every breath he took to try to calm himself down was immediately expelled as a sob while tears streamed down his cheeks. The cane clattered to the ground while the old man dropped to his knees, his hands holding onto the headstone.
Tears began to form in the butler's own eyes as he got down to one knee and rubbed his employer's back, which heaved like a stormy sea because of the old man's sobbing. There was nothing more the butler could do except attempting to comfort his employer and gaze upon the headstone that read "NICHOLAS GEORGE JOESTAR, 1940-1989".
6 Hours earlier
NERV AFTER ACTION REVIEW OF COMBAT OPERATION AGAINST ANGEL SHAMSHEL
BY: CAPT KAWAJIRI, H
LCOL KATSURAGI: As you all know, I'm Lieutenant-Colonel Katsuragi, Operations Director of NERV and all that good stuff. Pilot Joestar, I know this is your first real AAR. Just remember all the mock ones you did in America. Don't be nervous and answer all the questions honestly. An AAR is supposed to be a candid discussion about what happened so we all can do better next time.
1LT* JOESTAR: Understood, ma'am.
LCOL KATSURAGI: Now, let's get started. What was supposed to have happened during this mission?
1LT JOESTAR: Ma'am, I was to pilot Eva Unit 04 and eliminate the Angel designated "Shamshel" before it could penetrate the GeoFront while minimizing civilian infrastructure damage.
LCOL KATSURAGI: Yeah, you just about summed up the gist of the mission. Anybody got anything else to add?
DR. AKAGI: I got nothing.
[OTHER PERSONNEL GAVE SIMILAR ANSWERS. TRANSCRIPTION NOT NEEDED.]
LCOL KATSURAGI: Damn it, Ritsuko, put that cigarette out! This is a non-smoking area! Anyway, what did actually happen?
1LT JOESTAR: Well, I did end up taking out that Angel, but it took me longer than I expected. I tried to go with the ranged options, but all it did was to piss off the Angel and make it attack me. We wrestled for a bit, and I ended up head-butting the Angel and then stabbing the core with my prog knife to kill the freak.
DR AKAGI: On the technical side, Eva Unit 04 sustained moderate damage to the arms during hand-to-hand combat. The repairs can be easily done within the day, though.
LCOL KATSURAGI: Good, good. Now, what went well?
1LT JOESTAR: Uhh…I killed the Angel and didn't die?
LCOL KATSURAGI: Come on, Shizuka, there's gotta be more than that.
1LT JOESTAR: Well, ma'am, the ground crew had Unit 04 all set up and ready to go by the time I got here. I was able to launch right away thanks to them. The prog knife also worked like a charm.
1LT IBUKI: According to police reports, there were no civilian casualties either. The evacuation procedures and shelters worked just as intended.
1LT AOBA: Eva Unit 04 engaged the Angel immediately upon sighting and showed intense effort to remain on the offensive throughout the fight. I think credit goes to Shizuka here for her fighting spirit despite this being her first mission.
DR AKAGI: I said this before, but there was little damage to Eva Unit 04, and Pilot Joestar did not show any abnormalities in her vitals beyond elevated heart and breath rates.
LCOL KATSURAGI: Congratulations on making it through your first official mission, Shizuka. At this moment in time, you're tied with Shinji and Rei in terms of kill count. My thanks for the support staff as well. Keep up the good work, everyone. Now, what could have been done better?
1LT JOESTAR: Ma'am, do transportation to my Eva Unit count?
LCOL KATSURAGI: Yes, the mission began the moment that siren sounded.
1LT JOESTAR: Well, there was a huge delay between the siren sounding and Eva Unit 04 actually launching. I appreciate the fact that you tried to give me a ride in your sports car, but there were way too many vehicles clogging the streets. What didn't help was the fact that the helicopter that was supposed to take me to NERV HQ took forever to show up. By the time I actually launched, the Angel already took out most of the city's defenses and started digging up the ground with its glowing tentacle things. How come they sent a helicopter anyway? I thought we have those Osprey things that are like way faster.
LCOL KATSURAGI: It was just mostly bad luck. Most of the aircrew had their day off, and a helicopter was the only thing we could scramble into the air on short notice. What didn't help was the Strategic Self-Defense Force flying all over the place, which prevented the pilot from flying the quickest path. I'll make sure this is addressed ASAP. Thanks for bringing it up.
1LT JOESTAR: Oh, and those ranged weapons I got? They were complete garbage. The assault rifle and gatling gun did jack all. I might as well chucked rocks at it! I did everything from the drills and the simulations. Aim at center of mass, fire in controlled bursts, blah, blah, blah. Pretty much all my shots hit, but nothing got past that damn AT field. I swear to God I heard it laughing when it whipped me with those glowing tentacle things.
DR AKAGI: Also, Pilot Joestar's sync ratio for this mission peaked at 54%. Eva Unit 04's movements were somewhat sluggish, and she had some issues grappling with the Angel as a result. Judging from the spiked vitals, she was pretty anxious during the fight. Past test results indicate anxiety as a factor which leads to lowered sync ratios. Correct me if I'm wrong about you being nervous, Pilot Joestar.
1LT JOESTAR: No. Dr. Akagi is right. I started to panic around the time I ran out of ammo, and I was nervous as hell the entire time I wrestled the Angel. I'm not saying I have an excuse, but I did just go from a hostage situation to fighting a giant monster. Plus it's my first time fighting one of those things. Maybe some pre-battle yoga or playing calm music would help?
LCOL KATSURAGI: Thanks for all your input. Anyone got anything else to add?
1LT IBUKI: Ma'am, UN and SSDF garrisons in the city suffered 73% casualties because of the delay in sending out Unit 04. The city itself also experienced significant property damage from the battle. Causes include the Angel's own attack, misaimed shots from Eva Unit 04's weapons, and hand-to-hand combat between Unit 04 and the Angel. The precise monetary amount in property damage is still being calculated by city authorities.
LCOL KATSURAGI: All right, that wraps things up. We have areas that rocked and areas that sucked. Make sure everyone gets some rest, eat, drink water, and whatever else you need to do. The next mission will come whenever the next Angel shows up. You are all dismissed.
* Ranks of Eva pilots are only assigned for pay purposes and do not reflect any command authority.
Misato's Office
"Holy fuck, what a day." Misato muttered to herself as she dropped into her office chair and logged into her computer. "First a hostage situation, then an Angel attack."
Without any conscious thought, she opened the mini fridge under her desk and reached for a can of beer inside. Misato then stared at the can, debating whether she should drink or not.
I can't drink yet. I still need to write this stupid report.
I just need to relax. Besides, this wouldn't be the first time I drink and write.
I'm not allowed to drink on duty.
Nobody's going to know. The office is locked, and Commander Ikari won't be back for another day or two.
The debate in her own mind raged on as she kept staring at the can while cold air continued to flow out from the open fridge. Finally, after about 5 minutes, she shook her head, put the beer back in the fridge, and slammed the door shut. The first thing Misato saw after turning her attention to the screen was an email from NERV's UK branch.
"Flight has been arranged for the Sixth Child." Misato read the message out loud. "Will arrive at Narita by JST 1900 20 July 2015."
Good thing my calendar is clear tomorrow evening. Misato thought as she downloaded the attachment containing the Sixth Child's personnel file. I can go pick her up myself.
Misato then quickly wrote and sent off an email to US Forces Japan requesting assistance in defending the city until the JSSDF and UN forces could send replacements and finish repairing their defensive emplacements.
Now, let's get that report done. Now, how am I going to explain why Unit 04's head disappeared for a few seconds? Misato thought as she sent off that email. Damn it, this is why I tell these kids to not use their Stands. Writing cover stories is such a pain in the ass.
Tuesday, After School
Whoa. The new pilot's hot. Was all Shinji could think when he, Rei, and Shizuka walked into the conference room at NERV HQ. In front of them were Misato and a green-eyed girl who wore her long brown hair in pigtails. She had sporty-looking glasses and wore a pink short-sleeved t-shirt that was just the right size to highlight her ample chest as well as khaki canvas shorts that ended a little bit above her knee which highlighted her long legs. When the new girl saw the other 3 pilots come in, she immediately stood up and walked over. A little bit taller than me, and she seems pretty fit too. This is GREAT!
"The name's Mari Makinami. Nice to meet you all!" She said with a friendly wave and proceeded to shake the other pilots' hands one-by-one. Once the introductions were done, all 5 sat down at the table.
"Mari, why don't you introduce yourself?" Misato asked. "Break the ice a little."
"Well, you all know my name already. Let's see now…I'm 17 years old. I was brought up at an orphanage in the UK." Mari said as she put up her running shoe-clad feet on the table and leaned back in her chair. "I got recruited by NERV when I was 12. Ooh, I finished high school early and now I'm working on my degree online! Besides piloting the Eva, I like reading comic books and cycling. And…that's it for now. You'll have to get to know me better to find out more."
"Now that the introductions are out of the way, let's get down to some business." Misato said. "First things first, Shinji and Rei, the repairs on your Eva Units are complete. The next mission will be handled by Shinji."
"Ok." Was all Shinji had said as he stared down at the table. Despite the earlier encouragements from Misato, doubt and bitterness towards Gendo weren't something Shinji could easily get rid of overnight. Still, Misato did help him understand his mission better, and the phone calls he had with Josuke also helped.
Remember what Cousin Josuke said. Shinji thought to himself. I need to look at this the same way he looked as his own adventures. I'm not doing this for dad; I'm doing this to protect the city.
"It's time for the next item in our agenda." Misato continued. "Rei, will you do the honors?"
Rei nodded and summoned 「Fly Me to the Moon」.
"Well, Mari." Misato asked. "Do you see anything weird?"
"Yes, ma'am. That's a nice Stand you got there, Blue." Mari said casually. "So are you all Stand users? I hope you don't mind, but I don't like to show mine unless it's absolutely necessary."
"Well…yes." Misato was taken aback by how easily Mari guessed how they all have Stands. "And don't worry about it. The whole purpose of this little exercise was to brief you on one of my personal rules: don't use Stands during a mission unless authorized by me."
"Not a problem, ma'am." Mari said in a lighthearted manner as she tilted her head to the left, winked, and smiled. "This just makes the missions so much more fun."
"Well, your enthusiasm is definitely appreciated around here." Misato said. "Go suit up now, everybody. We have harmonics tests to run."
With Misato's command, everyone filed out of the conference room with Shizuka and Mari staying in the back of the group.
"Hey Mari, is it just me, or have I met you somewhere before?" Shizuka asked the new pilot. "You look really familiar."
The brown-haired girl took a quick look at Shizuka's face, and then shut her eyes as she pretended to scratch her chin as if she was deep in thought.
"Nope, don't think we ever met." Mari said as she opened her eyes again. "Now let's get this harmonics test over with. I want to go home."
At a park somewhere in Tokyo-3, a young woman with short auburn hair was relaxing while listening to some tunes. One of her hands gripped the Walkman on her lap while her other hand was tucked into a pocket on her shorts. Her head bobbed up and down as she followed along to the song's rhythm. Besides occasionally checking her watch, the woman was absolutely relaxed.
Maybe I should check out one of those MP3 players that just came out. She thought as she adjusted her sunglasses. I have enough vacation time to go to Akihabara, and I got quite a bit in the bank.
The woman, who looked like she was in her early twenties, checked her watch again (the time read 1745) and felt her phone vibrate soon after. With a practiced motion, she hit the pause button while her other hand took out the cell phone and flipped it open. She quickly scanned the text message before taking off her headphones and punched in a number on the keypad.
"This is Kirishima." She said barely above a whisper. "The tiger is loose in the woods."
The young woman immediately hung up and gathered her belongings.
Well, that part of the job is done. She thought as she stood up and walked towards her car. The others should be in position by now.
Wednesday Morning
"The Americans are pretty impressive, Misato." Ritsuko said to her long-time friend and colleague. "They managed to send a full contingent all the way from Okinawa in less than a day. Fighter jets, missile batteries, and even ground troops to help defend the GeoFront."
"Tell me about, Ritsuko." Misato replied. "I bet Maya is having a field day staring and ogling at all those Marines."
"Actually, Maya doesn't like men at all." Ritsuko said as she sipped her coffee. "She plays for the other team."
"Huh? That kind of explains why she never hangs out with Hyuga and Aoba after work." Misato said. "I'm pretty sure we all saw it from a mile away. How'd you find out?"
"Well, I…umm…" Ritsuko lowered her eyes to the computer screen in front of her. "We got a problem. There's an unidentified flying object headed towards Tokyo-3."
"Let me guess…" A bead of sweat rolled down Misato's face as her heart picked up the pace.
"…aaaand it's Pattern Blue." Ritsuko said as she shook her head. "Damn it."
"What? Another Angel already?" Misato shouted. "Initiate emergency recall for all pilots! Prep Unit 01 to launch! Have the other 3 units on standby!"
"Do you want to contact the UN forces too?" Ritsuko asked. "The Angel hasn't done anything so far."
"Negative, if the Angel hasn't taken any hostile action, we don't need the UN to distract it." Misato replied. "Let's just wait and see what happens."
Shinji's agonized screams blasted over NERV's communication network as Misato looked at the screen in horror. As soon as Eva Unit 01 reached the surface, the diamond-shaped Angel twisted itself into a cone with the pointed end facing Unit 01 and fired off a bright violet beam. The beam burned through several buildings with easy before connecting with Unit 01's center of mass. In the cockpit, Shinji felt his chest both being speared through and cooked alive.
"OH! NO!" Shizuka yelled as she put her hands on her cheeks. "If the Angel adjusts the beam just a little, it'll destroy Unit 01's core."
"Lower the elevator!" Misato yelled. "Mission is now pilot retrieval."
"I can't!" Maya called out. "The beam melted the elevator mechanisms! It's no good!"
Thinking quickly, Shinji did a quick combat roll to the side and tried to dodge the beam, knocking over some buildings in the process. However, the Angel tracked Unit 01 and simply adjusted the beam to keep it trained on the Eva.
"Detonate the explosive bolts!" Misato commanded. "Shinji, jump in the hole! Get medical ready to receive the pilot!"
After Shinji was retrieved safe and sound, Misato decided to test the Angel's abilities while the rest of the Tactical Operations Center analyzed the Angel. After a few destroyed drones and rubber dummy Eva Units, Misato deduced the Angel worked off of movement. Meanwhile, the rest of the TOC team completed their analysis. With the data in hand, Misato called an emergency meeting.
"All right, listen up. The Angel, designated Ramiel, is powered by an internal plasma reactor that allows it to project an extremely powerful energy beam." Misato said as a holographic projection of the Angel appeared on the table. "Not only that, but it can rapidly change its form in order to respond to any threat within a spherical area around it and can engage multiple targets at once. Judging from the tests we ran, its range includes all of Tokyo-3 and parts of the city's outskirts, possibly further."
"Ramiel also possesses the most powerful AT-field we've seen yet." Ritsuko picked up from her colleague. "If the rare attack does slip past its defenses, it won't be able to penetrate the AT-field."
"That means even if we send all 4 Eva Units at once, the Angel will wipe them all out before we can make a dent." Misato continued. "Think of the Angel as a frog, except the frog is rabid, has a laser beam for a tongue, and can shoot the tongue at several places at once. If it senses anything moving, it will attack no matter what."
"So, what now?" Shigeru asked. "Just put up a white flag?"
"Of course not, I'm just trying to think of something." Misato thought. "Tell the UN and the SSDF to stand down for now…"
"Ma'am, we have a problem." A male officer with chin-length orange hair called out. "Looks like the Angel started to drill into the GeoFront."
"WHAT?" Misato yelled. "Bring up the scans!"
"Here you go, ma'am." The officer said as the holographic display showed the Angel extending a long piece of itself into the ground. "The Angel is using its reactor to superheat its drill portion in order to penetrate the GeoFront."
"Captain Kawajiri, how long do we have until it gets through?" Misato asked the long-haired officer.
"According to the MAGI's calculations, full penetration will occur at 0200 tomorrow morning." He replied.
"All right, we don't have that much time left." Misato said as she put her hand on her chin while folding her other arm in front of her torso. Think, Misato, think! How can we defeat this thing without moving? Maybe we could try sniping it? No, the positron rifles we have aren't power enough…wait a second. I think I got it!
"All right, I have a plan." Misato grinned as she slammed her fist into her open left hand. "Time to cash in that favor from the Strategic Self-Defense Force."
Jotaro's Office, Marine Life Sancturary
"Ryoji, let me get this straight. Katsuragi just waltzed in and helped herself to a prototype JSSDF weapon and is going to use all of Japan's electricity to power the thing up so she can take out that Angel?" Jotaro raised an eyebrow as he spoke over the phone. "She's a pretty daring woman."
"That's Misato for you, always coming up with these crazy schemes to help save the world." Kaji said. "So, is that the craziest thing you ever heard or what?"
"Nope." Jotaro answered immediately. "I've seen way too many bizarre「Stands」over the years for me to consider this crazy."
"Nothing fazes you anymore, huh, Jotaro?" Kaji chuckled. "Anyway, I just saw some Speedwagon Energy guys in the GeoFront. Guess NERV is already setting up the power grid for the positron rifle. Thanks for sending them over."
"I only deal with the Speedwagon Foundation." Jotaro said. "Whatever Speedwagon Enterprises or its subsidiaries are doing is their own corporate business. That reminds me; I got a major loose end I need to tie up."
Osaka
Akira Otoishi managed to restart his career from scratch after his release from prison. Even in a devastated world caused by the Second Impact, entertainers were in high demand thanks to the need for escapism, a need Akira was eager to fulfill. The rocker initially had some problems with his image thanks to his recent release from prison, but the quality of his music was able to redeem him in the eyes of publishers and his fans. By 2006, he became the most successful rock musician in Japan, a distinction he continued to enjoy even after the Angels attacked.
At that particular moment, Akira was off in his own world as his fingers danced along the strings of the guitar. His mind drifted off to a mystical realm of knights, dragons, magic, and princesses, as he concentrated on rehearsing for his next concert. To an outsider, the musician didn't really need to rehearse, but Akira always found faults in his own music.
The chord isn't right.
Shit, I screwed up the lyrics again.
Damn, that was off-tune!
No, no, NO! There wasn't enough soul in that one!
Akira's fingers picked up speed and danced with manic intensity over the guitar strings as he approached the climax of his piece, an ear-popping and soul-shattering guitar solo. Soon, the guitarist's fingers were flying over his instrument while his eyes remained firmly shut and his mouth gaped in a wordless scream. There wasn't a single hint of nervousness in his mind thanks to the long hours of practice that allowed Akira to lose himself in his music. Akira visualized the crowd roaring in excitement and his own shadow hovering over his fans thanks to the industrial-strength floodlights behind him. Sweat streamed down his forehead as the solo reached its climax, and he began panting both because of the exertion and for dramatic effect. In mere moments, the solo came to its natural conclusion, and Akira fell to his knees and raised his hands in the air in the familiar heavy metal horn gesture.
The long-haired guitarist opened his eyes and found his latest assistant looking at him with a cordless phone in her hand.
"Sir, a Jotaro Kujo has been trying to reach you." The young woman said right before he snatched the phone from her. "He called a bunch of times; left a whole lot of voicemail too."
"Fuck. What the hell does he want this time?" Akira muttered before reaching out for the phone and dialed Jotaro's work number.
"Dr. Kujo, what a pleasure." The sarcasm was heavy in Akira's voice. "You know I don't answer any calls during rehearsal."
"Cut the chatter. You need to listen to what I'm about to say very carefully." Jotaro spoke with his usual serious tone. "Otoishi, I need you to cancel your concert tonight. It's important."
"WHAT? What the hell, man?" Akira screamed into the phone. "There's no way in hell I'm cancelling this gig! My agent already booked a whole stadium! Do you have any idea how much money I'll lose if I cancel?"
"Damn it, Otoishi, this is more important than your money! Your concert is getting canned anyway because of the blackout, but the Japanese government too slow to let you know on time." Jotaro's rage-filled voice boomed over the phone's speaker. "Don't think about just moving the concert underground either. That gimmick you pull with 「Red Hot Chili Pepper」at every show always end up breaking the power grid. If you pull that shit again, I'll have Dr. Higashikata make a very painful house call."
"All right, fine, fine. I'm not gonna play." Akira gulped as he remembered the last time he faced Josuke in a fight. "But listen, I might be able to help if the blackout is for what I think it is."
"You have thirty seconds to explain." Jotaro said curtly. "You take any longer, I'm hanging up."
"I'm not stupid; I saw what happened in Tokyo-3 on the news. Someone is going to use some kind of weapon to take out that giant diamond freak, right?" Akira said. "I'm sure the Speedwagon Foundation knows this already, but「Red Hot Chili Pepper」developed some new powers since our little fight 16 years ago. Those powers would be very useful for whatever stunt they're pulling."
For five long seconds, there was only silence from Jotaro's end. Akira wondered if he should just hang up before he suddenly heard the marine biologist's voice again.
"I'll set something up so you can give me a demo of your new powers." Jotaro said. "Use「Red Hot Chili Pepper」to beam yourself over to the Tokyo-3 train terminal in 30 minutes. If you waste my time, Josuke is going to know about this."
"All right, getting the positron rifle, check. Requesting fire support from UN and JSSDF forces, check." Misato said enthusiastically as she crossed off items in her notepad. "Borrowing observation plane and satellites from the Americans, check. Warning the Japanese government about the blackout, check."
Misato walked as she tapped her pen on the side of her head. She looked up the hill and saw that NERV technicians were busy working with Speedwagon Energy personnel in setting up the power grid that would focus all of Japan's electricity into their trump card, the positron cannon. Meanwhile, combat engineers from the United States Marine Corps were constructing the sniper's perch that would house Eva Unit 05. While she projected an air of confidence to those around her, Misato was extremely worried deep down inside.
"You know, this is one hell of a gamble." Ritsuko had told her earlier. "What if it's still not enough to get past the AT-Field?"
"It has to." Misato replied as she, or anyone else from NERV, simply didn't know the power yield required to break the AT-Field and destroy the Angel. "There's no other way."
"A do-or-die situation?" Ritsuko chuckled. "Just another day at NERV."
Misato quickly shook her head and wiped the sweat from her forehead. She turned her attention to the dirt road beside her and saw Kaji driving a Jeep full of Speedwagon Energy employees. Misato noticed that one of them wore his long purple hair in a ponytail and had his hardhat pulled down to cover his eyes. As he drove by, Kaji gave her a quick wave, a gesture Misato gladly returned.
"Constructing the sniper nest, check. Constructing the heat shield from spacecraft material, check." Misato said as she closed her eyes briefly. "Looks like preparations for Operation Yashima are going smoothly."
"Commencing Operation Yashima! Eva Units 04 and 05, launch!" Misato visualized herself yelling out the command that would begin the latest battle to decide the planet's fate. No, that's not right. The Evas should already in position when the operation begins, and it's not Units 04 and 05, it's Units 01 and 05 that are going to be the stars of the show. Good thing Shinji and Mari volunteered for this mission. Pretty brave of those two.
Mari Makinami walked into the gun range that was open to all NERV personnel and found it empty save for the safety personnel and the instructor that ran the facility.
"Can I help you, Pilot Makinami?" The firearms instructor asked her.
"I need the heaviest sniper rifle you got. I need to practice for the fight with that Angel." Mari replied. "What do you got?"
"Bolt action or semi-auto?" The instructor asked. "How's this helpful for the operation anyway?"
"Bolt action, since I need to manually cycle the fuses." Mari replied as she crossed her arms. "Firing something similar to the positron rifle helps me with the muscle memory."
"Ah, I think I might have something for you." The instructor replied. "Come on over, and you can sign out a MacMillan Tac-50. The security teams use these to stop vehicles just in case some crazies try to attack with car bombs."
"This is perfect!" Mari grinned at the thought at firing a very familiar weapon. "Thanks for your help!"
After getting the rifle and some rounds, Mari quickly went over to an empty lane and lied down with the weapon. She inserted a magazine and pushed the bolt forward with a satisfying click.
"Let go of everything else and just relax. Focus on the way your body is lined up. Are you comfortable?" Mari remembered the words from one of her previous coaches. "Don't worry about anything else in the world. When you're looking through that scope, it's just you and the target."
Just remember your training. Three breaths. Shoot after third exhale. Mari thought as she followed the breathing procedure. Any thoughts and doubts trickled out of her mind as she took the three breaths. On the third exhale, she held in her breath and slowly pushed her trigger finger down.
BANG!
Mari then gently let go of the trigger then cycled in a new round.
Off to a good start. Mari thought as she fired off another shot. Just gotta keep practicing for a little longer.
On a mountain outside Tokyo-3, 2 men wielding assault rifles trudged along in the forest as they carefully scanned their surroundings. One of them had a snake rod patch on his plate carrier that signified his status as a medic while the other didn't have any patches.
As the two men slowly and silently moved along, they saw two people up ahead wearing black balaclavas and JGSDF flecktarn combat uniforms and bush hats. One sentry raised his Type 89 rifle while the other one kept his slung in front of him.
Great, here we go. The medic thought as he signaled his companion to halt while one of the sentries called out the same thing in accented English.
"Advance one to be recognized!" The sentry with the slung rifle called out. "Put your weapon in the air!"
Knowing the routine, the medic held his rifle in the air with both hands and slowly walked forward until he was told to stop.
"Victor, victor." The sentry said in a quieter tone.
"Oscar, oscar." The medic replied.
"Delta, delta." The sentry said while his companion lowered the rifle.
"Kilo, kilo." The medic replied as he grinned.
"All right, you're clear." The sentry reached out with his right hand, which the medic gladly shook. "Come on over."
The two men followed the Japanese sentries to what resembled a campsite with simple hoochies and several other people dressed like the sentries. The only one who wasn't wearing a balaclava was a young woman with short auburn hair who let her bush cap hang loosely behind her head.
"Looks like the gaijin didn't get lost in the woods." Kirishima grinned as she saw her two guests approach. "What a miracle."
"Sergeant First Class Kirishima, good to see you again." The medic said. "You guys need any help with security?"
"Nah, we got this part covered. Thanks for asking." Kirishima replied. "Come on over, and I'll show you guys where to set up."
The three people then walked a bit further into the woods until they reached a cliff side with no trees that gave them a perfect view over the city. The non-medic put down one of his bags and reached inside to pull out a tripod and a large target designator while the medic summoned something resembling an enlarged pen.
"You know, that big fucker looks pretty cool if he wasn't trying to wipe out all of humanity." The non-medic said as he put the designator together and started fiddling with the device to test it. "The thing reminds me of the diamond on my wife's wedding ring."
"Just take a picture or something and show your wife when you get back." The medic said as he used the giant pen to draw a perimeter around his friend. "There, all done. One click of a button, and「Protect Ya Neck」is going to work its magic."
"Are you sure the shield is strong enough to block the Angel's beam?" Kirishima asked. "NERV reports say it's extremely powerful."
"「Protect Ya Neck」blocked direct hits from artillery before. Worst comes to worst, we give our lives for the good of humanity and all that good stuff." The medic replied as he drank from his water bottle. "Unlimited liability and all that, right?"
"Say, how did we end up with this tasking anyway?" The non-medic asked. "Not that I don't appreciate the mission, but I'm just curious."
"It's on a need-to-know basis and you guys clearly need to know, so I figure I'd tell you sooner or later. NERV wanted something to distract the Angel with as part of their 'Operation Yashima' and ended up borrowing a bunch of drone fighters from the Americans and several Russian Scarab C batteries that were attached to the UN force." Kirishima replied. "Problem is, of course, they need a joint terminal attack controller to tell them exactly where to hit. They were going to fly in a JTAC from somewhere else until I mentioned to the right people there's a JTAC already in the city. Long story short, you ended up doing this instead of…you know, your regular stuff."
"Benefits of being a secret squirrel." The JTAC grinned. "If you want to know about your mission, you get to know your mission. All right, I'm all set up here. Time for some lunch."
"Some of my boys are due for food too; I'll send them your way so they can get some sunlight." Kirishima said as she walked away. The two men pulled out bags from inside their rucksacks and tore them open.
"Goddamn it! Fucking baked cherry dessert!" The medic sighed as he looked inside his bag. "I wonder if the SSDF guys are down for some trading."
"You know, this feels like a picnic." The JTAC said as he chewed into his rations. "Just one with automatic weapons and an Angel hanging「menacingly」nearby."
A couple of hours later…
Mori-mori-morioooooh-cho Radiooooo~
"Good afternoon, Morioh, this is your neighbor Kai Harada. Just a gentle reminder to turn off all your lights and appliances at midnight tonight." The announcer's deep soothing voice blared from the radio in Josuke's office. "Remember, tonight's blackout is for the folks at NERV fighting the good fight."
Josuke packed his bag as he continued to listen to the radio. He took another look around his office to make sure he didn't forget anything, and then summoned 「Crazy Diamond」to turn off the radio. Before the Stand could hit the power button, however, an announcement caught his attention.
"We now have confirmation that Morioh's own Shinji Ikari will be a part of tonight's operation." Kai Harada's voice said. "From all of us here at Morioh-cho Radio, good luck tonight!"
Better give Koichi and Okuyasu a call when I get back. Josuke thought as he turned off the radio. I'll let mom know too.
NERV HQ
"Hey Mari, are you nervous?" Shinji asked Mari as they ate together in NERV's central cafeteria.
"Yeah, a little bit. Anybody who say they're not nervous before this kind of missions is a liar." Mari replied in her usual cheerful tone. "I just don't let it get to me. Besides, I'm the one who'll do the sniping, so I need to relax. Enough about me, how are you feeling?"
"Yeah, I'm honestly pretty nervous about this one." Shinji replied. "It's just so much to take in, you know? Misato and the others' encouragement helped a bit, but I still can't shake the feeling of being scared."
"Like I said before, fear and anxiety are perfectly natural responses to situations like this." Mari said. "Don't get too beat up about it. Just do what you're told to the best of your ability."
"Right, I just need to pop up with my shield when I get the signal. Just gotta focus on that." Shinji said to himself. "Say, why do you pilot the Eva anyway?"
"Why not? It's fun, challenging, and a one-in-a-billion chance of a lifetime. Or maybe I just really like fighting." Mari chuckled. "What about you?"
"At first it was because of Rei. She was injured, but my dad still wanted her to go out there and fight, so I took the bullet for her." Shinji replied. "Now, I'm not too sure. I know my dad won't let me leave or quit, but I've also to grown to like this city and even the people in NERV a little bit. My cousin Josuke said that he and his friends once used their「Stands」to protect their town from a serial killer, and I think it's rubbing off on me."
"So what you're trying to say is that you're doing this because you can't leave and you actually want to protect this city?" Mari said. "This cousin of yours sounds like a very noble man."
"Yeah, I guess it's like that." Shinji scratched his head and smiled. "Cousin Josuke is a pretty cool guy. When I was little, he used his school holidays to help my aunt raise me."
"Shinji and Mari, how're you guys doing?" The two suddenly heard Misato's voice. "Had a good meal?"
"Yes, ma'am." Mari replied.
"Good, you still have a couple of hours to go before you have to prepare for the mission. Relax in the mean time until I call you guys." Misato said as she approached the table and pulled out some kind of recorder. "By the way, I got this from the PR department. It's for you, Shinji."
"Hey, it's your old buddies from school. Can't believe you're an Eva pilot, man. Go kick that Angel's butt tonight!"
"Mr. Ikari, this is the mayor of Morioh. On behalf of this town, I would like to wish you success on your mission."
"Hey there, it's Hikari. I'm calling on behalf of the class to wish you good luck…"
"Hi Shinji, it's Aunt Tomoko, I would just like to say I'm very proud of you…"
"Hey, man. It's Toji and Kensuke…"
"This is Mr and Mrs Hirose…"
"Yo, it's Okuyasu…"
"Josuke here…"
Shinji grinned ear-to-ear as he listened to all the voice messages. For that brief moment in time, he wasn't worried about the mission thanks to the encouragement of his friends and family back both in Morioh and Tokyo-3.
"That day, you went into the Eva not just to protect Rei or to obey your father, but also to protect this beautiful city and everyone who lived in it." Shinji remembered Misato's words from a few weeks ago. "Whenever you're in doubt about why you're doing this, just remember this night."
"Thank you, Misato." Shinji said gratefully. "I really appreciate it."
"It's really nice having people cheering you on before a mission, isn't it?" Mari said. "I've been there before too."
Near Midnight
On a mountain just outside of Tokyo-3, Kirishima's team stood sentry around the JTAC as he pointed at the Angel and target designator and got to work.
"How're you doing, man?" The medic asked his friend as he looked down at the Angel hovering 「menacingly」above Tokyo-3.
"Got the range, got the coordinates, and I'm transmitting them right now." The JTAC replied. "Now, we just wait for the fireworks to start."
"Good luck." The medic tapped his buddy's shoulder as he walked away.
"Hey, don't say it to me. Those Eva pilots need it the most, especially her." The JTAC said. "She's the one that's doing the sniping."
"In any case, let's hope we make out of this in one piece." The medic summoned his pen-shaped「Stand」and clicked the button on top. Translucent walls of yellow light sprung up from all the places the medic drew lines earlier during the day and formed a barrier surrounding their position. "「Protect Ya Neck」will keep us cozy in here."
Elsewhere in a camp outside Tokyo itself, a Russian Lieutenant wearing a UN armband gently shut the door of the command trailer behind him. He marched up to a desk where his commanding officer sat and saluted.
"Tovarishch Polkovnik, we have the targeting data." The Lieutenant reported. "All batteries awaiting your order to fire."
"Thank you, Lieutenant." The Colonel replied as he put his hand over the phone handset in front of him. "We have two minutes remaining. Return to your post and wait for further instructions."
At the Narita airport, several Marine Corps FQ-47 Unmanned Combat and Surveillance Craft took off into the night sky while other UN aircraft were put on high alert. The officer in charge of the UN contingent paced nervously as he looked at his watch while the UCAV crew reports came through the radio.
Meanwhile, US Navy P-8 observation aircraft flew just outside the Angel's effective range while satellites monitored the city in orbit. Their data gave Misato a perfect live feed of the situation on the ground.
On the sniper's nest itself, Mari woke herself from a half-trance and made final adjustments to her Eva as she lined up the targeting scope with the Angel. Shinji crouched in the dugout right in front of the sniper nest as he waited anxiously and looked on at the mission clock. One minute to go. Shinji thought. I just need to trust in the people around me doing their jobs, and I need to give it my all too. In a purpose-built hut behind the sniper's nest, Akira Otoishi practiced with his guitar while 「Red Hot Chili Pepper」hovered in front of him, surrounded by crackling arcs of electricity. Meanwhile, Shizuka and Rei waited in their own dugouts with NERV positron rifles, ready to assist their teammates as necessary.
In NERV HQ, the staff looked at their displays anxiously while Misato silently counted down the seconds.
Five. The Russians armed the missiles while their Colonel picked up the handset.
Four. The Marine drone operators armed their crafts' payload.
Three. Mari flicked off the safety.
Two.「Red Hot Chili Pepper」put its hands on the transformer as it got ready to do its work.
One. Kaji lit up another cigarette.
"Commence Operation Yashima!" Misato commanded. "Pull back the observation planes!"
On the mountainside outside Tokyo-3, the commandos noticed the US Navy planes pulling out while the mountains around Tokyo-3 open up, revealing a myriad of automated artillery emplacements and missile batteries.
"And. Here. We. Go." The JTAC waved his right hand dramatically.
<======= To Be Continued ===|\|====
On the Next Chapter of Stand Up, Become Legend
"Mr. President, NERV has commenced Operation Yashima."
"OH! NO! The Angel intercepted that shot!"
"Shinji, your shield is completely melted!"
"I…need…to cover her…with my own Eva…if I have to!"
"「Red Hot Chili Pepper」has one more trick up its sleeve."
Greenwood Cemetery, New York City
"Hey, papa is coming to visit again." An old man said as he slowly bent his right knee. The butler beside him gently held onto the old man's left arm and slowly eased him down until the rose bouquet in the old man's hands touched the ground in front of the headstone. The butler then helped the old man get back onto his feet and handed him his cane.
The old man graciously took the cane with his right hand and then turned his attention back to the grave in front of him. He bowed his head and closed his eyes, the youthful fires in them having been extinguished long ago. A minute or so passed in silence, with the only interruption being a chirping bird that brought a little life to the overcast day.
"Remember your newest sister? The little girl I adopted?" The old man said in a slow, trembling voice, the cane visibly shaking along with his hands. "She went off to war a couple of weeks ago. Not the kind of war your granddaughter is fighting, but something even worse. I'm so scared of losing her, just like how I lost you."
The old man's vision started to blur because of the tears that gathered in his eyes as he thought back to happier times.
"I shouldn't have let you come along no matter how hard you begged." The old man said, his voice becoming weaker. "If only you stayed back to take care of Holly, you'll still be with us today. I-I…"
The old man tried to speak, but only choked sobs came out. Every breath he took to try to calm himself down was immediately expelled as a sob while tears streamed down his cheeks. The cane clattered to the ground while the old man dropped to his knees, his hands holding onto the headstone.
Tears began to form in the butler's own eyes as he got down to one knee and rubbed his employer's back, which heaved like a stormy sea because of the old man's sobbing. There was nothing more the butler could do except attempting to comfort his employer and gaze upon the headstone that read "NICHOLAS GEORGE JOESTAR, 1940-1989".
6 Hours earlier
NERV AFTER ACTION REVIEW OF COMBAT OPERATION AGAINST ANGEL SHAMSHEL
BY: CAPT KAWAJIRI, H
LCOL KATSURAGI: As you all know, I'm Lieutenant-Colonel Katsuragi, Operations Director of NERV and all that good stuff. Pilot Joestar, I know this is your first real AAR. Just remember all the mock ones you did in America. Don't be nervous and answer all the questions honestly. An AAR is supposed to be a candid discussion about what happened so we all can do better next time.
1LT* JOESTAR: Understood, ma'am.
LCOL KATSURAGI: Now, let's get started. What was supposed to have happened during this mission?
1LT JOESTAR: Ma'am, I was to pilot Eva Unit 04 and eliminate the Angel designated "Shamshel" before it could penetrate the GeoFront while minimizing civilian infrastructure damage.
LCOL KATSURAGI: Yeah, you just about summed up the gist of the mission. Anybody got anything else to add?
DR. AKAGI: I got nothing.
[OTHER PERSONNEL GAVE SIMILAR ANSWERS. TRANSCRIPTION NOT NEEDED.]
LCOL KATSURAGI: Damn it, Ritsuko, put that cigarette out! This is a non-smoking area! Anyway, what did actually happen?
1LT JOESTAR: Well, I did end up taking out that Angel, but it took me longer than I expected. I tried to go with the ranged options, but all it did was to piss off the Angel and make it attack me. We wrestled for a bit, and I ended up head-butting the Angel and then stabbing the core with my prog knife to kill the freak.
DR AKAGI: On the technical side, Eva Unit 04 sustained moderate damage to the arms during hand-to-hand combat. The repairs can be easily done within the day, though.
LCOL KATSURAGI: Good, good. Now, what went well?
1LT JOESTAR: Uhh…I killed the Angel and didn't die?
LCOL KATSURAGI: Come on, Shizuka, there's gotta be more than that.
1LT JOESTAR: Well, ma'am, the ground crew had Unit 04 all set up and ready to go by the time I got here. I was able to launch right away thanks to them. The prog knife also worked like a charm.
1LT IBUKI: According to police reports, there were no civilian casualties either. The evacuation procedures and shelters worked just as intended.
1LT AOBA: Eva Unit 04 engaged the Angel immediately upon sighting and showed intense effort to remain on the offensive throughout the fight. I think credit goes to Shizuka here for her fighting spirit despite this being her first mission.
DR AKAGI: I said this before, but there was little damage to Eva Unit 04, and Pilot Joestar did not show any abnormalities in her vitals beyond elevated heart and breath rates.
LCOL KATSURAGI: Congratulations on making it through your first official mission, Shizuka. At this moment in time, you're tied with Shinji and Rei in terms of kill count. My thanks for the support staff as well. Keep up the good work, everyone. Now, what could have been done better?
1LT JOESTAR: Ma'am, do transportation to my Eva Unit count?
LCOL KATSURAGI: Yes, the mission began the moment that siren sounded.
1LT JOESTAR: Well, there was a huge delay between the siren sounding and Eva Unit 04 actually launching. I appreciate the fact that you tried to give me a ride in your sports car, but there were way too many vehicles clogging the streets. What didn't help was the fact that the helicopter that was supposed to take me to NERV HQ took forever to show up. By the time I actually launched, the Angel already took out most of the city's defenses and started digging up the ground with its glowing tentacle things. How come they sent a helicopter anyway? I thought we have those Osprey things that are like way faster.
LCOL KATSURAGI: It was just mostly bad luck. Most of the aircrew had their day off, and a helicopter was the only thing we could scramble into the air on short notice. What didn't help was the Strategic Self-Defense Force flying all over the place, which prevented the pilot from flying the quickest path. I'll make sure this is addressed ASAP. Thanks for bringing it up.
1LT JOESTAR: Oh, and those ranged weapons I got? They were complete garbage. The assault rifle and gatling gun did jack all. I might as well chucked rocks at it! I did everything from the drills and the simulations. Aim at center of mass, fire in controlled bursts, blah, blah, blah. Pretty much all my shots hit, but nothing got past that damn AT field. I swear to God I heard it laughing when it whipped me with those glowing tentacle things.
DR AKAGI: Also, Pilot Joestar's sync ratio for this mission peaked at 54%. Eva Unit 04's movements were somewhat sluggish, and she had some issues grappling with the Angel as a result. Judging from the spiked vitals, she was pretty anxious during the fight. Past test results indicate anxiety as a factor which leads to lowered sync ratios. Correct me if I'm wrong about you being nervous, Pilot Joestar.
1LT JOESTAR: No. Dr. Akagi is right. I started to panic around the time I ran out of ammo, and I was nervous as hell the entire time I wrestled the Angel. I'm not saying I have an excuse, but I did just go from a hostage situation to fighting a giant monster. Plus it's my first time fighting one of those things. Maybe some pre-battle yoga or playing calm music would help?
LCOL KATSURAGI: Thanks for all your input. Anyone got anything else to add?
1LT IBUKI: Ma'am, UN and SSDF garrisons in the city suffered 73% casualties because of the delay in sending out Unit 04. The city itself also experienced significant property damage from the battle. Causes include the Angel's own attack, misaimed shots from Eva Unit 04's weapons, and hand-to-hand combat between Unit 04 and the Angel. The precise monetary amount in property damage is still being calculated by city authorities.
LCOL KATSURAGI: All right, that wraps things up. We have areas that rocked and areas that sucked. Make sure everyone gets some rest, eat, drink water, and whatever else you need to do. The next mission will come whenever the next Angel shows up. You are all dismissed.
* Ranks of Eva pilots are only assigned for pay purposes and do not reflect any command authority.
Misato's Office
"Holy fuck, what a day." Misato muttered to herself as she dropped into her office chair and logged into her computer. "First a hostage situation, then an Angel attack."
Without any conscious thought, she opened the mini fridge under her desk and reached for a can of beer inside. Misato then stared at the can, debating whether she should drink or not.
I can't drink yet. I still need to write this stupid report.
I just need to relax. Besides, this wouldn't be the first time I drink and write.
I'm not allowed to drink on duty.
Nobody's going to know. The office is locked, and Commander Ikari won't be back for another day or two.
The debate in her own mind raged on as she kept staring at the can while cold air continued to flow out from the open fridge. Finally, after about 5 minutes, she shook her head, put the beer back in the fridge, and slammed the door shut. The first thing Misato saw after turning her attention to the screen was an email from NERV's UK branch.
"Flight has been arranged for the Sixth Child." Misato read the message out loud. "Will arrive at Narita by JST 1900 20 July 2015."
Good thing my calendar is clear tomorrow evening. Misato thought as she downloaded the attachment containing the Sixth Child's personnel file. I can go pick her up myself.
Misato then quickly wrote and sent off an email to US Forces Japan requesting assistance in defending the city until the JSSDF and UN forces could send replacements and finish repairing their defensive emplacements.
Now, let's get that report done. Now, how am I going to explain why Unit 04's head disappeared for a few seconds? Misato thought as she sent off that email. Damn it, this is why I tell these kids to not use their Stands. Writing cover stories is such a pain in the ass.
Tuesday, After School
Whoa. The new pilot's hot. Was all Shinji could think when he, Rei, and Shizuka walked into the conference room at NERV HQ. In front of them were Misato and a green-eyed girl who wore her long brown hair in pigtails. She had sporty-looking glasses and wore a pink short-sleeved t-shirt that was just the right size to highlight her ample chest as well as khaki canvas shorts that ended a little bit above her knee which highlighted her long legs. When the new girl saw the other 3 pilots come in, she immediately stood up and walked over. A little bit taller than me, and she seems pretty fit too. This is GREAT!
"The name's Mari Makinami. Nice to meet you all!" She said with a friendly wave and proceeded to shake the other pilots' hands one-by-one. Once the introductions were done, all 5 sat down at the table.
"Mari, why don't you introduce yourself?" Misato asked. "Break the ice a little."
"Well, you all know my name already. Let's see now…I'm 17 years old. I was brought up at an orphanage in the UK." Mari said as she put up her running shoe-clad feet on the table and leaned back in her chair. "I got recruited by NERV when I was 12. Ooh, I finished high school early and now I'm working on my degree online! Besides piloting the Eva, I like reading comic books and cycling. And…that's it for now. You'll have to get to know me better to find out more."
"Now that the introductions are out of the way, let's get down to some business." Misato said. "First things first, Shinji and Rei, the repairs on your Eva Units are complete. The next mission will be handled by Shinji."
"Ok." Was all Shinji had said as he stared down at the table. Despite the earlier encouragements from Misato, doubt and bitterness towards Gendo weren't something Shinji could easily get rid of overnight. Still, Misato did help him understand his mission better, and the phone calls he had with Josuke also helped.
Remember what Cousin Josuke said. Shinji thought to himself. I need to look at this the same way he looked as his own adventures. I'm not doing this for dad; I'm doing this to protect the city.
"It's time for the next item in our agenda." Misato continued. "Rei, will you do the honors?"
Rei nodded and summoned 「Fly Me to the Moon」.
"Well, Mari." Misato asked. "Do you see anything weird?"
"Yes, ma'am. That's a nice Stand you got there, Blue." Mari said casually. "So are you all Stand users? I hope you don't mind, but I don't like to show mine unless it's absolutely necessary."
"Well…yes." Misato was taken aback by how easily Mari guessed how they all have Stands. "And don't worry about it. The whole purpose of this little exercise was to brief you on one of my personal rules: don't use Stands during a mission unless authorized by me."
"Not a problem, ma'am." Mari said in a lighthearted manner as she tilted her head to the left, winked, and smiled. "This just makes the missions so much more fun."
"Well, your enthusiasm is definitely appreciated around here." Misato said. "Go suit up now, everybody. We have harmonics tests to run."
With Misato's command, everyone filed out of the conference room with Shizuka and Mari staying in the back of the group.
"Hey Mari, is it just me, or have I met you somewhere before?" Shizuka asked the new pilot. "You look really familiar."
The brown-haired girl took a quick look at Shizuka's face, and then shut her eyes as she pretended to scratch her chin as if she was deep in thought.
"Nope, don't think we ever met." Mari said as she opened her eyes again. "Now let's get this harmonics test over with. I want to go home."
At a park somewhere in Tokyo-3, a young woman with short auburn hair was relaxing while listening to some tunes. One of her hands gripped the Walkman on her lap while her other hand was tucked into a pocket on her shorts. Her head bobbed up and down as she followed along to the song's rhythm. Besides occasionally checking her watch, the woman was absolutely relaxed.
Maybe I should check out one of those MP3 players that just came out. She thought as she adjusted her sunglasses. I have enough vacation time to go to Akihabara, and I got quite a bit in the bank.
The woman, who looked like she was in her early twenties, checked her watch again (the time read 1745) and felt her phone vibrate soon after. With a practiced motion, she hit the pause button while her other hand took out the cell phone and flipped it open. She quickly scanned the text message before taking off her headphones and punched in a number on the keypad.
"This is Kirishima." She said barely above a whisper. "The tiger is loose in the woods."
The young woman immediately hung up and gathered her belongings.
Well, that part of the job is done. She thought as she stood up and walked towards her car. The others should be in position by now.
Wednesday Morning
"The Americans are pretty impressive, Misato." Ritsuko said to her long-time friend and colleague. "They managed to send a full contingent all the way from Okinawa in less than a day. Fighter jets, missile batteries, and even ground troops to help defend the GeoFront."
"Tell me about, Ritsuko." Misato replied. "I bet Maya is having a field day staring and ogling at all those Marines."
"Actually, Maya doesn't like men at all." Ritsuko said as she sipped her coffee. "She plays for the other team."
"Huh? That kind of explains why she never hangs out with Hyuga and Aoba after work." Misato said. "I'm pretty sure we all saw it from a mile away. How'd you find out?"
"Well, I…umm…" Ritsuko lowered her eyes to the computer screen in front of her. "We got a problem. There's an unidentified flying object headed towards Tokyo-3."
"Let me guess…" A bead of sweat rolled down Misato's face as her heart picked up the pace.
"…aaaand it's Pattern Blue." Ritsuko said as she shook her head. "Damn it."
"What? Another Angel already?" Misato shouted. "Initiate emergency recall for all pilots! Prep Unit 01 to launch! Have the other 3 units on standby!"
"Do you want to contact the UN forces too?" Ritsuko asked. "The Angel hasn't done anything so far."
"Negative, if the Angel hasn't taken any hostile action, we don't need the UN to distract it." Misato replied. "Let's just wait and see what happens."
Shinji's agonized screams blasted over NERV's communication network as Misato looked at the screen in horror. As soon as Eva Unit 01 reached the surface, the diamond-shaped Angel twisted itself into a cone with the pointed end facing Unit 01 and fired off a bright violet beam. The beam burned through several buildings with easy before connecting with Unit 01's center of mass. In the cockpit, Shinji felt his chest both being speared through and cooked alive.
"OH! NO!" Shizuka yelled as she put her hands on her cheeks. "If the Angel adjusts the beam just a little, it'll destroy Unit 01's core."
"Lower the elevator!" Misato yelled. "Mission is now pilot retrieval."
"I can't!" Maya called out. "The beam melted the elevator mechanisms! It's no good!"
Thinking quickly, Shinji did a quick combat roll to the side and tried to dodge the beam, knocking over some buildings in the process. However, the Angel tracked Unit 01 and simply adjusted the beam to keep it trained on the Eva.
"Detonate the explosive bolts!" Misato commanded. "Shinji, jump in the hole! Get medical ready to receive the pilot!"
After Shinji was retrieved safe and sound, Misato decided to test the Angel's abilities while the rest of the Tactical Operations Center analyzed the Angel. After a few destroyed drones and rubber dummy Eva Units, Misato deduced the Angel worked off of movement. Meanwhile, the rest of the TOC team completed their analysis. With the data in hand, Misato called an emergency meeting.
"All right, listen up. The Angel, designated Ramiel, is powered by an internal plasma reactor that allows it to project an extremely powerful energy beam." Misato said as a holographic projection of the Angel appeared on the table. "Not only that, but it can rapidly change its form in order to respond to any threat within a spherical area around it and can engage multiple targets at once. Judging from the tests we ran, its range includes all of Tokyo-3 and parts of the city's outskirts, possibly further."
"Ramiel also possesses the most powerful AT-field we've seen yet." Ritsuko picked up from her colleague. "If the rare attack does slip past its defenses, it won't be able to penetrate the AT-field."
"That means even if we send all 4 Eva Units at once, the Angel will wipe them all out before we can make a dent." Misato continued. "Think of the Angel as a frog, except the frog is rabid, has a laser beam for a tongue, and can shoot the tongue at several places at once. If it senses anything moving, it will attack no matter what."
"So, what now?" Shigeru asked. "Just put up a white flag?"
"Of course not, I'm just trying to think of something." Misato thought. "Tell the UN and the SSDF to stand down for now…"
"Ma'am, we have a problem." A male officer with chin-length orange hair called out. "Looks like the Angel started to drill into the GeoFront."
"WHAT?" Misato yelled. "Bring up the scans!"
"Here you go, ma'am." The officer said as the holographic display showed the Angel extending a long piece of itself into the ground. "The Angel is using its reactor to superheat its drill portion in order to penetrate the GeoFront."
"Captain Kawajiri, how long do we have until it gets through?" Misato asked the long-haired officer.
"According to the MAGI's calculations, full penetration will occur at 0200 tomorrow morning." He replied.
"All right, we don't have that much time left." Misato said as she put her hand on her chin while folding her other arm in front of her torso. Think, Misato, think! How can we defeat this thing without moving? Maybe we could try sniping it? No, the positron rifles we have aren't power enough…wait a second. I think I got it!
"All right, I have a plan." Misato grinned as she slammed her fist into her open left hand. "Time to cash in that favor from the Strategic Self-Defense Force."
Jotaro's Office, Marine Life Sancturary
"Ryoji, let me get this straight. Katsuragi just waltzed in and helped herself to a prototype JSSDF weapon and is going to use all of Japan's electricity to power the thing up so she can take out that Angel?" Jotaro raised an eyebrow as he spoke over the phone. "She's a pretty daring woman."
"That's Misato for you, always coming up with these crazy schemes to help save the world." Kaji said. "So, is that the craziest thing you ever heard or what?"
"Nope." Jotaro answered immediately. "I've seen way too many bizarre「Stands」over the years for me to consider this crazy."
"Nothing fazes you anymore, huh, Jotaro?" Kaji chuckled. "Anyway, I just saw some Speedwagon Energy guys in the GeoFront. Guess NERV is already setting up the power grid for the positron rifle. Thanks for sending them over."
"I only deal with the Speedwagon Foundation." Jotaro said. "Whatever Speedwagon Enterprises or its subsidiaries are doing is their own corporate business. That reminds me; I got a major loose end I need to tie up."
Osaka
Akira Otoishi managed to restart his career from scratch after his release from prison. Even in a devastated world caused by the Second Impact, entertainers were in high demand thanks to the need for escapism, a need Akira was eager to fulfill. The rocker initially had some problems with his image thanks to his recent release from prison, but the quality of his music was able to redeem him in the eyes of publishers and his fans. By 2006, he became the most successful rock musician in Japan, a distinction he continued to enjoy even after the Angels attacked.
At that particular moment, Akira was off in his own world as his fingers danced along the strings of the guitar. His mind drifted off to a mystical realm of knights, dragons, magic, and princesses, as he concentrated on rehearsing for his next concert. To an outsider, the musician didn't really need to rehearse, but Akira always found faults in his own music.
The chord isn't right.
Shit, I screwed up the lyrics again.
Damn, that was off-tune!
No, no, NO! There wasn't enough soul in that one!
Akira's fingers picked up speed and danced with manic intensity over the guitar strings as he approached the climax of his piece, an ear-popping and soul-shattering guitar solo. Soon, the guitarist's fingers were flying over his instrument while his eyes remained firmly shut and his mouth gaped in a wordless scream. There wasn't a single hint of nervousness in his mind thanks to the long hours of practice that allowed Akira to lose himself in his music. Akira visualized the crowd roaring in excitement and his own shadow hovering over his fans thanks to the industrial-strength floodlights behind him. Sweat streamed down his forehead as the solo reached its climax, and he began panting both because of the exertion and for dramatic effect. In mere moments, the solo came to its natural conclusion, and Akira fell to his knees and raised his hands in the air in the familiar heavy metal horn gesture.
The long-haired guitarist opened his eyes and found his latest assistant looking at him with a cordless phone in her hand.
"Sir, a Jotaro Kujo has been trying to reach you." The young woman said right before he snatched the phone from her. "He called a bunch of times; left a whole lot of voicemail too."
"Fuck. What the hell does he want this time?" Akira muttered before reaching out for the phone and dialed Jotaro's work number.
"Dr. Kujo, what a pleasure." The sarcasm was heavy in Akira's voice. "You know I don't answer any calls during rehearsal."
"Cut the chatter. You need to listen to what I'm about to say very carefully." Jotaro spoke with his usual serious tone. "Otoishi, I need you to cancel your concert tonight. It's important."
"WHAT? What the hell, man?" Akira screamed into the phone. "There's no way in hell I'm cancelling this gig! My agent already booked a whole stadium! Do you have any idea how much money I'll lose if I cancel?"
"Damn it, Otoishi, this is more important than your money! Your concert is getting canned anyway because of the blackout, but the Japanese government too slow to let you know on time." Jotaro's rage-filled voice boomed over the phone's speaker. "Don't think about just moving the concert underground either. That gimmick you pull with 「Red Hot Chili Pepper」at every show always end up breaking the power grid. If you pull that shit again, I'll have Dr. Higashikata make a very painful house call."
"All right, fine, fine. I'm not gonna play." Akira gulped as he remembered the last time he faced Josuke in a fight. "But listen, I might be able to help if the blackout is for what I think it is."
"You have thirty seconds to explain." Jotaro said curtly. "You take any longer, I'm hanging up."
"I'm not stupid; I saw what happened in Tokyo-3 on the news. Someone is going to use some kind of weapon to take out that giant diamond freak, right?" Akira said. "I'm sure the Speedwagon Foundation knows this already, but「Red Hot Chili Pepper」developed some new powers since our little fight 16 years ago. Those powers would be very useful for whatever stunt they're pulling."
For five long seconds, there was only silence from Jotaro's end. Akira wondered if he should just hang up before he suddenly heard the marine biologist's voice again.
"I'll set something up so you can give me a demo of your new powers." Jotaro said. "Use「Red Hot Chili Pepper」to beam yourself over to the Tokyo-3 train terminal in 30 minutes. If you waste my time, Josuke is going to know about this."
"All right, getting the positron rifle, check. Requesting fire support from UN and JSSDF forces, check." Misato said enthusiastically as she crossed off items in her notepad. "Borrowing observation plane and satellites from the Americans, check. Warning the Japanese government about the blackout, check."
Misato walked as she tapped her pen on the side of her head. She looked up the hill and saw that NERV technicians were busy working with Speedwagon Energy personnel in setting up the power grid that would focus all of Japan's electricity into their trump card, the positron cannon. Meanwhile, combat engineers from the United States Marine Corps were constructing the sniper's perch that would house Eva Unit 05. While she projected an air of confidence to those around her, Misato was extremely worried deep down inside.
"You know, this is one hell of a gamble." Ritsuko had told her earlier. "What if it's still not enough to get past the AT-Field?"
"It has to." Misato replied as she, or anyone else from NERV, simply didn't know the power yield required to break the AT-Field and destroy the Angel. "There's no other way."
"A do-or-die situation?" Ritsuko chuckled. "Just another day at NERV."
Misato quickly shook her head and wiped the sweat from her forehead. She turned her attention to the dirt road beside her and saw Kaji driving a Jeep full of Speedwagon Energy employees. Misato noticed that one of them wore his long purple hair in a ponytail and had his hardhat pulled down to cover his eyes. As he drove by, Kaji gave her a quick wave, a gesture Misato gladly returned.
"Constructing the sniper nest, check. Constructing the heat shield from spacecraft material, check." Misato said as she closed her eyes briefly. "Looks like preparations for Operation Yashima are going smoothly."
"Commencing Operation Yashima! Eva Units 04 and 05, launch!" Misato visualized herself yelling out the command that would begin the latest battle to decide the planet's fate. No, that's not right. The Evas should already in position when the operation begins, and it's not Units 04 and 05, it's Units 01 and 05 that are going to be the stars of the show. Good thing Shinji and Mari volunteered for this mission. Pretty brave of those two.
Mari Makinami walked into the gun range that was open to all NERV personnel and found it empty save for the safety personnel and the instructor that ran the facility.
"Can I help you, Pilot Makinami?" The firearms instructor asked her.
"I need the heaviest sniper rifle you got. I need to practice for the fight with that Angel." Mari replied. "What do you got?"
"Bolt action or semi-auto?" The instructor asked. "How's this helpful for the operation anyway?"
"Bolt action, since I need to manually cycle the fuses." Mari replied as she crossed her arms. "Firing something similar to the positron rifle helps me with the muscle memory."
"Ah, I think I might have something for you." The instructor replied. "Come on over, and you can sign out a MacMillan Tac-50. The security teams use these to stop vehicles just in case some crazies try to attack with car bombs."
"This is perfect!" Mari grinned at the thought at firing a very familiar weapon. "Thanks for your help!"
After getting the rifle and some rounds, Mari quickly went over to an empty lane and lied down with the weapon. She inserted a magazine and pushed the bolt forward with a satisfying click.
"Let go of everything else and just relax. Focus on the way your body is lined up. Are you comfortable?" Mari remembered the words from one of her previous coaches. "Don't worry about anything else in the world. When you're looking through that scope, it's just you and the target."
Just remember your training. Three breaths. Shoot after third exhale. Mari thought as she followed the breathing procedure. Any thoughts and doubts trickled out of her mind as she took the three breaths. On the third exhale, she held in her breath and slowly pushed her trigger finger down.
BANG!
Mari then gently let go of the trigger then cycled in a new round.
Off to a good start. Mari thought as she fired off another shot. Just gotta keep practicing for a little longer.
On a mountain outside Tokyo-3, 2 men wielding assault rifles trudged along in the forest as they carefully scanned their surroundings. One of them had a snake rod patch on his plate carrier that signified his status as a medic while the other didn't have any patches.
As the two men slowly and silently moved along, they saw two people up ahead wearing black balaclavas and JGSDF flecktarn combat uniforms and bush hats. One sentry raised his Type 89 rifle while the other one kept his slung in front of him.
Great, here we go. The medic thought as he signaled his companion to halt while one of the sentries called out the same thing in accented English.
"Advance one to be recognized!" The sentry with the slung rifle called out. "Put your weapon in the air!"
Knowing the routine, the medic held his rifle in the air with both hands and slowly walked forward until he was told to stop.
"Victor, victor." The sentry said in a quieter tone.
"Oscar, oscar." The medic replied.
"Delta, delta." The sentry said while his companion lowered the rifle.
"Kilo, kilo." The medic replied as he grinned.
"All right, you're clear." The sentry reached out with his right hand, which the medic gladly shook. "Come on over."
The two men followed the Japanese sentries to what resembled a campsite with simple hoochies and several other people dressed like the sentries. The only one who wasn't wearing a balaclava was a young woman with short auburn hair who let her bush cap hang loosely behind her head.
"Looks like the gaijin didn't get lost in the woods." Kirishima grinned as she saw her two guests approach. "What a miracle."
"Sergeant First Class Kirishima, good to see you again." The medic said. "You guys need any help with security?"
"Nah, we got this part covered. Thanks for asking." Kirishima replied. "Come on over, and I'll show you guys where to set up."
The three people then walked a bit further into the woods until they reached a cliff side with no trees that gave them a perfect view over the city. The non-medic put down one of his bags and reached inside to pull out a tripod and a large target designator while the medic summoned something resembling an enlarged pen.
"You know, that big fucker looks pretty cool if he wasn't trying to wipe out all of humanity." The non-medic said as he put the designator together and started fiddling with the device to test it. "The thing reminds me of the diamond on my wife's wedding ring."
"Just take a picture or something and show your wife when you get back." The medic said as he used the giant pen to draw a perimeter around his friend. "There, all done. One click of a button, and「Protect Ya Neck」is going to work its magic."
"Are you sure the shield is strong enough to block the Angel's beam?" Kirishima asked. "NERV reports say it's extremely powerful."
"「Protect Ya Neck」blocked direct hits from artillery before. Worst comes to worst, we give our lives for the good of humanity and all that good stuff." The medic replied as he drank from his water bottle. "Unlimited liability and all that, right?"
"Say, how did we end up with this tasking anyway?" The non-medic asked. "Not that I don't appreciate the mission, but I'm just curious."
"It's on a need-to-know basis and you guys clearly need to know, so I figure I'd tell you sooner or later. NERV wanted something to distract the Angel with as part of their 'Operation Yashima' and ended up borrowing a bunch of drone fighters from the Americans and several Russian Scarab C batteries that were attached to the UN force." Kirishima replied. "Problem is, of course, they need a joint terminal attack controller to tell them exactly where to hit. They were going to fly in a JTAC from somewhere else until I mentioned to the right people there's a JTAC already in the city. Long story short, you ended up doing this instead of…you know, your regular stuff."
"Benefits of being a secret squirrel." The JTAC grinned. "If you want to know about your mission, you get to know your mission. All right, I'm all set up here. Time for some lunch."
"Some of my boys are due for food too; I'll send them your way so they can get some sunlight." Kirishima said as she walked away. The two men pulled out bags from inside their rucksacks and tore them open.
"Goddamn it! Fucking baked cherry dessert!" The medic sighed as he looked inside his bag. "I wonder if the SSDF guys are down for some trading."
"You know, this feels like a picnic." The JTAC said as he chewed into his rations. "Just one with automatic weapons and an Angel hanging「menacingly」nearby."
A couple of hours later…
Mori-mori-morioooooh-cho Radiooooo~
"Good afternoon, Morioh, this is your neighbor Kai Harada. Just a gentle reminder to turn off all your lights and appliances at midnight tonight." The announcer's deep soothing voice blared from the radio in Josuke's office. "Remember, tonight's blackout is for the folks at NERV fighting the good fight."
Josuke packed his bag as he continued to listen to the radio. He took another look around his office to make sure he didn't forget anything, and then summoned 「Crazy Diamond」to turn off the radio. Before the Stand could hit the power button, however, an announcement caught his attention.
"We now have confirmation that Morioh's own Shinji Ikari will be a part of tonight's operation." Kai Harada's voice said. "From all of us here at Morioh-cho Radio, good luck tonight!"
Better give Koichi and Okuyasu a call when I get back. Josuke thought as he turned off the radio. I'll let mom know too.
NERV HQ
"Hey Mari, are you nervous?" Shinji asked Mari as they ate together in NERV's central cafeteria.
"Yeah, a little bit. Anybody who say they're not nervous before this kind of missions is a liar." Mari replied in her usual cheerful tone. "I just don't let it get to me. Besides, I'm the one who'll do the sniping, so I need to relax. Enough about me, how are you feeling?"
"Yeah, I'm honestly pretty nervous about this one." Shinji replied. "It's just so much to take in, you know? Misato and the others' encouragement helped a bit, but I still can't shake the feeling of being scared."
"Like I said before, fear and anxiety are perfectly natural responses to situations like this." Mari said. "Don't get too beat up about it. Just do what you're told to the best of your ability."
"Right, I just need to pop up with my shield when I get the signal. Just gotta focus on that." Shinji said to himself. "Say, why do you pilot the Eva anyway?"
"Why not? It's fun, challenging, and a one-in-a-billion chance of a lifetime. Or maybe I just really like fighting." Mari chuckled. "What about you?"
"At first it was because of Rei. She was injured, but my dad still wanted her to go out there and fight, so I took the bullet for her." Shinji replied. "Now, I'm not too sure. I know my dad won't let me leave or quit, but I've also to grown to like this city and even the people in NERV a little bit. My cousin Josuke said that he and his friends once used their「Stands」to protect their town from a serial killer, and I think it's rubbing off on me."
"So what you're trying to say is that you're doing this because you can't leave and you actually want to protect this city?" Mari said. "This cousin of yours sounds like a very noble man."
"Yeah, I guess it's like that." Shinji scratched his head and smiled. "Cousin Josuke is a pretty cool guy. When I was little, he used his school holidays to help my aunt raise me."
"Shinji and Mari, how're you guys doing?" The two suddenly heard Misato's voice. "Had a good meal?"
"Yes, ma'am." Mari replied.
"Good, you still have a couple of hours to go before you have to prepare for the mission. Relax in the mean time until I call you guys." Misato said as she approached the table and pulled out some kind of recorder. "By the way, I got this from the PR department. It's for you, Shinji."
"Hey, it's your old buddies from school. Can't believe you're an Eva pilot, man. Go kick that Angel's butt tonight!"
"Mr. Ikari, this is the mayor of Morioh. On behalf of this town, I would like to wish you success on your mission."
"Hey there, it's Hikari. I'm calling on behalf of the class to wish you good luck…"
"Hi Shinji, it's Aunt Tomoko, I would just like to say I'm very proud of you…"
"Hey, man. It's Toji and Kensuke…"
"This is Mr and Mrs Hirose…"
"Yo, it's Okuyasu…"
"Josuke here…"
Shinji grinned ear-to-ear as he listened to all the voice messages. For that brief moment in time, he wasn't worried about the mission thanks to the encouragement of his friends and family back both in Morioh and Tokyo-3.
"That day, you went into the Eva not just to protect Rei or to obey your father, but also to protect this beautiful city and everyone who lived in it." Shinji remembered Misato's words from a few weeks ago. "Whenever you're in doubt about why you're doing this, just remember this night."
"Thank you, Misato." Shinji said gratefully. "I really appreciate it."
"It's really nice having people cheering you on before a mission, isn't it?" Mari said. "I've been there before too."
Near Midnight
On a mountain just outside of Tokyo-3, Kirishima's team stood sentry around the JTAC as he pointed at the Angel and target designator and got to work.
"How're you doing, man?" The medic asked his friend as he looked down at the Angel hovering 「menacingly」above Tokyo-3.
"Got the range, got the coordinates, and I'm transmitting them right now." The JTAC replied. "Now, we just wait for the fireworks to start."
"Good luck." The medic tapped his buddy's shoulder as he walked away.
"Hey, don't say it to me. Those Eva pilots need it the most, especially her." The JTAC said. "She's the one that's doing the sniping."
"In any case, let's hope we make out of this in one piece." The medic summoned his pen-shaped「Stand」and clicked the button on top. Translucent walls of yellow light sprung up from all the places the medic drew lines earlier during the day and formed a barrier surrounding their position. "「Protect Ya Neck」will keep us cozy in here."
Elsewhere in a camp outside Tokyo itself, a Russian Lieutenant wearing a UN armband gently shut the door of the command trailer behind him. He marched up to a desk where his commanding officer sat and saluted.
"Tovarishch Polkovnik, we have the targeting data." The Lieutenant reported. "All batteries awaiting your order to fire."
"Thank you, Lieutenant." The Colonel replied as he put his hand over the phone handset in front of him. "We have two minutes remaining. Return to your post and wait for further instructions."
At the Narita airport, several Marine Corps FQ-47 Unmanned Combat and Surveillance Craft took off into the night sky while other UN aircraft were put on high alert. The officer in charge of the UN contingent paced nervously as he looked at his watch while the UCAV crew reports came through the radio.
Meanwhile, US Navy P-8 observation aircraft flew just outside the Angel's effective range while satellites monitored the city in orbit. Their data gave Misato a perfect live feed of the situation on the ground.
On the sniper's nest itself, Mari woke herself from a half-trance and made final adjustments to her Eva as she lined up the targeting scope with the Angel. Shinji crouched in the dugout right in front of the sniper nest as he waited anxiously and looked on at the mission clock. One minute to go. Shinji thought. I just need to trust in the people around me doing their jobs, and I need to give it my all too. In a purpose-built hut behind the sniper's nest, Akira Otoishi practiced with his guitar while 「Red Hot Chili Pepper」hovered in front of him, surrounded by crackling arcs of electricity. Meanwhile, Shizuka and Rei waited in their own dugouts with NERV positron rifles, ready to assist their teammates as necessary.
In NERV HQ, the staff looked at their displays anxiously while Misato silently counted down the seconds.
Five. The Russians armed the missiles while their Colonel picked up the handset.
Four. The Marine drone operators armed their crafts' payload.
Three. Mari flicked off the safety.
Two.「Red Hot Chili Pepper」put its hands on the transformer as it got ready to do its work.
One. Kaji lit up another cigarette.
"Commence Operation Yashima!" Misato commanded. "Pull back the observation planes!"
On the mountainside outside Tokyo-3, the commandos noticed the US Navy planes pulling out while the mountains around Tokyo-3 open up, revealing a myriad of automated artillery emplacements and missile batteries.
"And. Here. We. Go." The JTAC waved his right hand dramatically.
<======= To Be Continued ===|\|====
On the Next Chapter of Stand Up, Become Legend
"Mr. President, NERV has commenced Operation Yashima."
"OH! NO! The Angel intercepted that shot!"
"Shinji, your shield is completely melted!"
"I…need…to cover her…with my own Eva…if I have to!"
"「Red Hot Chili Pepper」has one more trick up its sleeve."
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@TGT09 I could barely keep track of what was going on quite frankly, you had too much crap going on at once to keep track. And the bit where the Angel just got beaten offscreen by Shizuka just seemed like cheap filler, no action, no suspense, it was just like "ZZZZZZZZ... wake me when your done with the stupid stuff." Really seemed like a complete waste. I honestly could only get about halfway through this chapter before giving up because there was too much crap going on and not enough detail for any of it for me to get invested or be interested.
Thanks for the advice. I'll keep things cut down for future chapters.
Keep in mind that the problem wasn't the amount of stuff happening, its that there wasn't enough detail given about the stuff happening and how it connected to the larger picture to interest/captivate/make sense to me. Like this bit:
This literally seems to have no connection to ANYTHING that is currently going on that I can see. Note that this is about where I stopped, so there might be details later on, but they just weren't given soon enough for me to make any sense of them, and combined with the previous stuff... Well, you get the idea. Like, things weren't cohesive and connected enough and it just felt like reading a bunch of disjointed scenes that have absolutely nothing to do with each other, or even the story or the current events for that matter. I know this isn't true, but when I have to FORCE myself to remember that fact it isn't a good thing.
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I could, but keep in mind that I beta several other stories, so if there is ever a schedule conflict you go to the bottom of the pile. I don't mind helping but I do recommend you get someone else to help just in case.
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- Location
- Scotland
All right I take issue with this, of course stuff is gonna lack context if you skip half the story, thats setup for a later part, you can't just go, "its not immediately obvious it's shit."