Neon Defender Evangelion
by Sean Newton (seannewton@geocities.com)

See Introduction for Copyrights and Disclaimers

<<Opening Theme: "The Cruel Angel", Neon Genesis
Evangelion >>

Episode Two: Baptism By Fire

International Aerospaceport, Tokyo-3
7 June 2015, 1535 hours universal time   

   Michael and Rachel Hunter stood on the sidewalk,
waiting.  Their plane had arrived in Tokyo-3 just minutes
before.  Now, the two children were waiting for the woman
who had promised to pick them up.
   Rachel sighed.  Twenty four hours before, the
forteen-year-old twins had been in high school classes back
in Nevada.  They'd been pulled from classes and sent to
Tokyo-3 aboard a Minerva hypersonic transport.  Now,
they stood and waited, listening to the announcements going
out over the airport loudspeakers.  "I wonder when she's
going to get here?" Rachel said to her brother.
   Michael groaned.  "Not soon enough," he commented
dryly, stretching.  "I don't think we have much choice in the
matter," he added, suddenly realizing the full consequences
of their situation.  Trapped in a foreign land, with no tickets
home, and no way of contacting their parents, they were
essentially trapped.
   Suddenly, a car pulled to a stop in front of them.  The
driver rolled down the window.  "Hi!  I'm Misato
Katsuragi!" she bubbled at the two teenagers.  "Welcome to
Japan," she added.
   "Thank you," Rachel responded.
   "Uh, thanks," Michael said.
   "Hop in the back," Misato told them.  "I've got one more
person to pickup before we return to NERV."
   The twins gasped in surprise.  "NERV?  Is that why we're
here?"
   Misato turned her head to face them as best she could. 
"What do you mean?" she asked.
as Michael rolled his eyes and Rachel sister glared back at
her.  She had a feeling that the two children knew more than
they were supposed to.
   Michael chuckled.  "Look on the bright side, sis.  At least
we'll get to pilot something."  He knew they would, if
NERV had indeed sent for them.  And he'd do his best not
to disappoint.  If NERV had been allowed to yank them her
from Nevada, then the situation must be pretty bad.... 
Whatever the situation was.  The thought both terrified and
excited him.  
   Rachel agreed with her brother, but inside, she wasn't so
sure.  If she and Michael had been sent to NERV as pilots,
there was a good chance they might not be returning home
in one piece... if ever.  Still, their cousin had stressed the
importance of NERV to the protection of the Earth, and if
there was one thing she knew about, it was duty.  So, for
the meantime, she'd try to stay alive, and do what had to be
done.  Whatever that was.  Especially if it meant she could
pilot a giant robot!
   Misato frowned as she started her car up for the second
leg of her trip.  Almost all the information regarding the
Evangelions was supposed to be classified.  How did a pair
of fourteen-year-olds know so much?

<< "Through The Fire", Larry Greene, _Top Gun_
Soundtrack >>

   Suddenly, a loud noise from above drew everyone's
attention.  High above the city, a squadron of fighters could
be seen streaking north.  Rachel stuck her head out the
window for a better look.  It took her only seconds to place
them.  They were F-25 Tigercats, the most advanced
fighters in service anywhere in the world.  The United
States, Canada, England, and Japan were the only nations
operating them, and from the red circles painted on their
wings, Rachel was rather confident that the ones that had
just flown past were part of the Japanese Air Self Defense
Force. And from the way they were flying, it didn't look like
they were on routine maneuvers.  Her suspicions instantly
flared up.  "What's going on?" Rachel demanded of Misato.
   Wish I knew, Misato thought to herself.  NERV wasn't
involved with this, and had in fact been ordered to keep out
of it unless the Planetary Defense Corps battalion and the
Japanese Self Defense Forces failed.  Unfortunately,
Commander Ikari had said he doubted the PDC or the JSDF
could handle the Third Angel.  "An alien, what we call an
Angel, landed north of here.  The fighters are probably
going to try to attack it," she guessed aloud, for their
benefit.
   Abruptly, the full implications began to flow through the
heads of the twins.  If an alien attacker had reached Earth,
that meant it had to have gotten past the Space Fleet.  And
their parents were fighter pilots with Space Fleet.  "I hope
Mom and Dad are okay," Michael whispered to his sister. 
Even if they weren't, there was nothing they could do.  And
if this so-called Angel couldn't be stopped by the Japanese,
then Rachel and Michael would have to face it themselves. 
Rachel shuddered.  She'd never felt more afraid in her life.
   Misato pressed down hard on the accelerator.  "Hang on,
I've got one more quick pickup to make..."

* * *

Command Center, NERV Headquarters, Tokyo-3
7 June 2015, 1550 hours universal time   

   There were three of them at the command table.  General
Hikaru Arima, commanding officer of the Second Army of
the Japanese Ground Self Defense Forces, was the
seniormost, in overall command of the situation. Next came
the JASDF brigadier commanding the aerial units deployed
to deal with the Angel.  Junior-most of the three was
Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Wolfe, commander of Second
Battalion, Third Division, Planetary Defense Corps. 
Between them, they controlled the forces trying to stop the
invading Angel.
   Three divisions of infantry, one of armor, and a fifth of
mechanized infantry had been deployed to attack the Angel. 
A complete wing of combat aircraft was already in the air,
while the Planetary Defense Corps mecha battalion had
taken up position to offer supporting fire.  If that massive
force was insufficient to the task, the mission of stopping
the Angel would fall to NERV.  All three officers were
determined to keep the situation from deteriorating that far.
   "113th Squadron is coming up on target," a technician
called out.  "The squadron commander reports that his
squadron has launched all missiles.  Intercept in ten
seconds."
   "This should take care of the problem," the brigadier
stated.
   Wolfe frowned.  "I hope so, General.  Space Fleet tried
missiles on the target, but they had no apparent effect."
   "Hopefully, the outcome will be better here," General
Arima stated, glancing at the other two officers.  As
intended, both closed their mouths on the subject.
   "Intercept," the technician announced, and all could see
on the main screen as the missiles detonated...  Leaving the
Angel undisturbed.
   "It appears to possess and Absolute Terror Field, as
suspected.  Conventional weapons are useless," Doctor
Ritsuko Akagi announced calmly, only to be ignored by the
combat officers.  Or by the two generals, rather.  
   Colonel Wolfe descended from behind the table, walking
over to Ritsuko's station.  "Doctor, is there any chance that
energy weapons might be capable of penetrating this...
field?" he asked her.
   Ritsuko ran one hand through her blonde hair while the
other ran over the keyboard, trying to see if she could
provide Wolfe with an answer.  "Possibly, but only if the
energy weapons are very intense."
   Wolfe looked thoughtful.  "How powerful?"
   "The Magi estimate a concentrated burst of no less than
two thousand megajoules, within a period of no more than
ten seconds," Ritsuko answered.  "However, the only
energy weapons available are mounted in space," she
reminded him.
   Wolfe shook his head.  "Not true, Doctor.  And I think I
may just have something that will work."

* * *

Somewhere in Tokyo-3
7 June 2015, 1602 hours universal time   

<< "The Robotech Follies", _Robotech Perfect Soundtrack
Album_ >>

   As explosions from afar echoed through Tokyo-3, Rachel
began to get increasingly tense.  Driving through a city near
a warzone was like asking for trouble.  She groaned,
wishing she'd never heard of NERV, never even left Nevada
to come here.  She sighed.  Another thought suddenly came
to her.  Exactly why are they using us to pilot these things?
she wondered.  A pair of fourteen-year-olds?  It didn't make
sense, though she knew from her cousin that it was ture,
nonetheless.
   The ground beneath the car shuddered, and Micheal found
himself wondering why this Misato woman was running
some errand while a battle was coming closer.  Michael
frowned.  He couldn't contain his curiousity any longer.  He
had to ask.  "Are you sure you can't pick up whatever this is
you need later, Captain Katsurgai?" 
   She shook her head.  "It can't wait," she told them. 
Suddenly, the took a hard right at the intersection and
braked.  The squealing sound that resulted was hideous. 
"And, please, call me Misato," she said, rolling down her
window and peering out.  "Shinji!" she shouted, waving
towards a boy standing near the corner.  "I'm here to pick
you up."
   Rachel and Michael both looked out to see the boy she'd
waved to.  He seemed to be about their age, with dark hair
of medium length.  Overall, an average looking young
teenager.  Almost stereotypically so, from a glance. 
However, neither of the twins was used to just giving things
a glance.  They watched closely as the boy approached.  His
walk was slow, and his head was inclined downwards ever
so slightly.  His face was virtually expressionless.  He
looked resigned to his fate, whatever it was to be.
   Rachel considered what she saw.  Low self-esteem. 
Uncomfortable around others.  Not used to dealing with
others.  Oh well, I guess I'll just have to work extra hard to
make friends.  And he is kinda cute, she added to herself.
   Michael thought about what he'd seen.  Depressed.  Not
used to being around other kids.  Rather sad and dejected. 
Maybe a joke will cheer him up.
   Shinji took the front seat, beside Misato.  "Hi," he said
simply.  "I'm Shinji Ikari."
   "Captain Misato Katsuragi, of NERV," Misato told him.  
   Shinji seemed to brighten up slightly.  "NERV?  The
organization my father works for?"
   Misato nodded.
   "Are you taking me to him?" Shinji asked.
   Misato reddened.  "Er, I guess you could say that," she
answered awkwardly, starting up the car again.  "Rachel,
Michael, this is Shinji Ikari.  Shinji, these are Rachel and
Michael Hunter."
   Rachel smiled.  "Hello, Shinji."
   Michael shook his hand, which is a rather awkward
procedure when one person is in the backseat and one in the
front.  "So your the Commander's son?" he asked, slightly
surprised, as he released Shinji's hands.
   "Yes, he is," Misato cut in.  An anguished sound crashed
through the streets, and as those in the car watched on in
horror, a Tigercat trailing smoke and flames passed over
head, crashing into the hillside not fifty meters away. 
"Shit!" Misato cursed.
   "Ah, Misato, I think now would be a good t-time to get to
s-safety," Michael suggested.
   "You may be right," Misato said, pressing down harder on
the accelerator.  It was shaping up to be one of those days,
she thought to herself.  At least she'd managed to pickup all
three of the new Eva pilots.  Now all she had to do was get
them back to NERV headquarters intact.
   
* * *

Command Center, NERV Headquarters, Tokyo-3
7 June 2015, 1605 hours universal time   

   General Arima slammed his fist down on the table in fury. 
The Angel had gone through five divisions of his best
soldiers in less than ten minutes.  While most of the infantry
were still alive, the units had broken into pieces.  "Damn it!"
he shouted impotently.
   "Fighter squadrons are retreating," an anonymous
technician reported quietly.  "Combat aerodynes are
continuing their engagement, but are suffering heavy
losses."   
   "PDC Battalion is in position," another tech reported. 
"Angel will enter their range within one minute."  It was
time to see if Colonel Wolfe's gambit would work out
afterall.  Assembled across the entrance to the pass that
separated the Angel from Tokyo-3, the entire battalion of
combat mecha had assembled, their top-mounted particle
cannons all aimed at the approaching Angel.  "Ten seconds
to range," the tech updated.  
   Jon Wolfe was standing behind Ritsuko, looking over her
shoulder at the small screen displaying data on the Angel. 
He glanced away briefly, looking up at the visual on the
main screen.  Suddenly, the battalion let loose.  He returned
his attention instantly to Ritsuko's station.  "Any effect,
Doctor?" he asked.
   Ritsuko nodded.  "Some."  
   Wolfe glanced up at the main screen.  The Angel was
getting closer.  He looked back.  "Will it work?" he asked.
   "No," Ritsuko said.  "Not enough time."
   Wolfe turned away from her station, walking dejectedly
back to join the generals behind the table.  He'd done his
best, and accomplished more with one battalion than five
divisions and an airwing had managed, but it just wasn't
enough.  It was time to cut their losses.  "Signal the
battalion to retreat," he ordered.
   Brigadier General Nakamura drew himself up tight,
turning to General Arima.  "Sir, I suggest we employ an N2
strike against the Angel."
   Arima considered this for several seconds, then nodded. 
"Approved."

* * *

Omega Flight, Enroute to Target
7 June 2015, 1623 hours universal time   

<< "Destination Unknown", Marietta, _Top Gun
Soundtrack_ >>

   "Omega to Birddog.  Omega to Birddog, over," the lead
pilot of the Tigercat flight said, addressing the aerodyne
force that continued to buzz around the Angel, taking
potshots and trying not to get hit in return.
   "Omega, this is Birddog.  Over."
   "Clear out, Birddog.  We're about to drop some Big Ones,
so I really don't think you want to stick around," the pilot
said dryly.
   There was a brief, shocked silence before the aerodyne
force's commander came back.  "Uh, roger that, Omega. 
We're outta here."  The aerodyne's began to retreat, moving
away from the Angel as fast as their engines could drive
them.
   "Omega Flight, begin acquisition," the lead pilot ordered,
flipping on his master arm switched and then arming the N2
his plane carried.  The other three Tigercats each carried a
single N2, as well.

* * *

Somewhere in Tokyo-3
7 June 2015, 1624 hours universal time   

   "Look, those aerodynes are scattering," Rachel
commented, pointing off in the distance.  "Those fighters
are headed right for the alien, though."
   "That's nice," Misato commented absently, driving down
the road that led to access to the trains, the only way to get
her car down into the Geo-Front.  Suddenly, though,
Rachel's words sunk in.  She slammed on her brakes. 
"Everybody, get down!" she shouted, ducking down herself. 
It was a good reaction.
   On the other side of the ridge, four N2 thermonuclear
devices, each rated at two kilotons yield, detonated
simulatenously.  A blinding light flooded the car, followed
seconds later by a loud rumbling.  All around, the ground
shook violently.
   "Was that what I think it was?" Rachel said, breaking the
silence.
   "They just used nukes on that thing, right?" Michael
asked.
   "What happened?" Shinji asked.
   Misato repressed a curse.  It was definitely one of those
days.  Sitting back up, she turned the key in the ignition. 
Nothing happened.  She slammed her fist against the
dashboard.  
   "EMP effect.  Side effect from the nuclear blast," Rachel
commented.  "Guess we'd better get out and walk, huh?" 
She smiled wanly.  
   Misato groaned.  Rachel was right.  There was no way
she'd get her car running again anytime soon.  Walking to
the train station would take them a good twenty minutes,
but it would be much faster than trying to fix the car.  "She's
right.  Let's start walking."  She pulled several books from
her glovecompartment before leaving the car.  She handed
one to each of the teenagers.  "You can read these on the
train."
   Michael peered down at the title of the green-covered
tome as he started walking.  It was the NERV Personnel
Manual.  I guess we're really going to be part of NERV
afterall, he thought to himself.
   "Um, Captain Katsuragi, why did those planes drop
nuclear bombs?" Shinji asked.
   "Call me Misato," the woman told him.  "And that's why,"
she added, pointing to the silhouette of the Angel, just over
the ridge.
   "That's an Angel.  It's an alien invader," Michael threw in,
exhausting his knowledge of the subject.
 
* * *

Command Center, NERV Headquarters, Tokyo-3
7 June 2015, 1637 hours universal time   

   "Detonations successful," a technician reported.
   The two Japanese generals practically cheered, but
Colonel Wolfe was motionless.  The NERV personnel failed
to react at all.
   "Omega Flight has begun approach to target zone to
perform Bomb Damage Assessment," another tech updated. 
"Thirty seconds to target zone."  The command center was
virtually silent now, as all awaited the report from the
fighters.  Suddenly, the main screen returned to life as the
cameras on the lead fighter began feeding visuals of the
target.
   "I don't believe it!  It's still there!" Brigadier Nakamura
shouted.
   "I believe it, but only because I see it," Wolfe said.   
   General Arima rose from behind the table.  "Commander
Ikari, it is in your hands now.  Do your best.  All mankind is
counting on you."
   "I understand," Gendo Ikari responded.  Gendo sat on the
balcony above an to the left of the table where Arima had
sat.  He was leaning over his desk, his white-gloved hands
folded together.  "NERV shall fulfill its purpose," he
assured Arima.
   "Very well."  The two generals left the command center,
followed closely by Colonel Wolfe.
   Beside Ikari, Kozo Fuyutsuki turned to NERV's
commander and spoke.  "Are you sure we are ready for
them, Commander?" he asked.
   Gendou inclined his head slightly.  "We soon shall be."
   "Commander Ikari, Captain Katsuragi has just checked in
at the upper station.  All three pilots are with her."
   "Excellent.  All is proceeding as I have forseen it,"
Gendou commented to Fuyutsuki.

* * *

<< End Theme: "Fly Me To The Moon",  Neon Genesis
Evangelion >>