Log: Act One - ENEMY IS ANOTHER BIG - Part 2
Who: Asuka Langley, Conner Kent, Rei Ayanami, Roger Smith, Schwarzwald, Shinji Ikari, Sousuke Sagara, Thraskar Davidson
Where: Paradigm City Central Dome
When: 9/4/06, continued from previous log
What: Obsessed former Paradigm Press reporter Michael Seebach, alias Schwarzwald the Black Forest, has unearthed a Megadeus in the ruins surrounding the city - and it's another Big! Destruction rains from the heavens as Big Duo attempts to carry out retribution upon Paradigm City for their complacent ignorance of the lost events from 40 years ago, against the resistance of the same force that responded to Beck's attack. Actors, take your places! The stage is set!
Watch for: Theological debates in the middle of a giant robot bombing run. Rei's magical Kryptonian ride. Corny speeches about "truth" and "memories." Also, just plain hardcore giant robot action.
Well, so much for negotiation. "Some people just won't respond properly to negotiations," Roger grumbles. "What masters?! I'm a contractor, Schwarzwald. And when I'm in Big O, I do what I do for the people of this city! The truth can't be found in random destruction!"
It's another Big. That has Roger rattled: he didn't even know any other Bigs existed, and this Big seems to have chosen Schwarzwald as its Dominus. And the damn thing can fly, and fast, too. This is not a situation Big O is used to.
The Big O lifts its head quickly, regarding the bombs dropped in its way, and lifts its arm shields up to absorb the shock of the bombing run. As it follows Big Duo with its gaze, its eyes power up, and begin to fire superheated laser blasts, beams locked onto Big Duo's bombs in an attempt to erupt them in midair before they have a chance to hit a target. Of course, some of them are simply dropped too soon or on too tall targets for Big O to make much of a difference. "Now... how the hell am I going to do this...?"
Asuka is more of a 'dog of the military' than Roger Smith is, so Asuka finds Schwarzwald's fascination odd, though his taste in names impeccable. "Man...." She complains though, "It's flying, so uncool. I can't smash it apart as easily..." She hops her EVA away from the bombs while firing needles at the Big Duo--but an explosive blast knocks the Unitoff its feet and it sprawls into a nearby building.
Oh, there's Superboy, Asuka blinks. Man, if only her cool tattoo would let her stand up to giant robots like that.
The Big Duo is rather fast for what it is, and expectedly durable. Finishing the bombing run, the Big Duo is set upon by Shinji, the third child, sending a few pot shots towards it. The Big Duo is able to pull itself up and to the side, a blast hitting square on, burning into the heavy red and black armor, the carrier like Big pulling itself away from the others.
Having better luck would be Thraskar and any flying mech or being, being on the same plane but much smaller than the Big. There is quite a large amount of Big to hit. The Thraskar engages, three pinpoint weapons fired towards the Big Duo, two getting purchase, the third swerved out of the way of. The colossal blows are absorbed, one of the slots being rendered inoperable and an arm/wing being dented as it goes by, the Big Duo jerking but not much under the shot.
Schwarzwald pilots the Big Duo around, laughing within the cockpit. "Those who are frozen by fear that they do not seek knowledge, that accept how such things are without seeking... those are the ones whose existence has no value!" As Superboy slams the head with the laser eyes, Big Duo's face is scarred, the black and white separation getting a new melted grey on, heading deep into it but not into the cockpit, a carrier like window that Schwarzwald may be using. As Superboy goes for the shoulder, the wing/arm itself spins towards the Super Boy, the cutting streams scorching along the connection to the arm, cutting into it, but in an attempt to swat Superboy away.
The shotcannon rounds are reacted too, but mostly the laser blast from Big O, the bombs being gotten by it, but not all, a bit less than half being blaste dout of the way, and warning Big Duo of what is coming, the lasers scorching the hull slightly as the Big Duo gets a bit too close but lives to tell, Big O's blast indeed striking but not for long, the shotcannon rounds mostly avoided, with a few striking from evasive maneuvers made to not be struck dead on by the Big O.
Two large sections on the chest of the Big Duo slide out, the Big Duo making another run as this time missiles are fired in a gatling effect towards buildings, the Big O, and the two aerials going after him. Those are the main problems targeted, Shinji having a few towards his way as well as a few towards the one who fired at him from the ground.
Asuka would be right under him for when he made the large turn around, flying high within the dome, the missiles a more heavy form of payload that seeks towards their target. It may not be so easily avoided as the bombs, which had just fallen. It had been taking damage, but Schwarzwald would not the fearful stop him like they did the fool, Beck. The needles stick into Big Duo, much harder to see, and visible wear is seen on the Big Duo. It is not out just yet. IF things keep going this way, Schwarzwald might attempt something more inclusive.
[Fac-IPA] Superboy! Conner Kent says, "Hnnh.. any tips for fighting giant robots, Pa?"
[Fac-IPA] Tio says, "I am not Pa, but I recommend attempting to damage the knees."
[Fac-IPA] Naruto Uzumaki says, "Always come with a giant frog. Believe it."
[Fac-IPA] Peleps Fals says, "...'robots'?"
[Fac-IPA] Rei Ayanami says, "The pilot."
[Fac-IPA] Superman ahem.
[Fac-IPA] Peleps Fals says, "What is a 'robot'?"
[Fac-IPA] Tio says, "Attacking the pilot is often difficult, and it may be unpiloted."
[Fac-IPA] Peleps Fals says, "Is it like the mechanical...thing that the bald man was riding?"
[Fac-IPA] Amuro Ray sounds like he's answered this question before. "A robot is a large, usually humanoid automation."
[Fac-IPA] Superman says, "The best way to take out a giant robot, Superboy, is with your fists. Use your heat vision to get the armor a little meltly, and just hammer away!"
[Fac-IPA] Peleps Fals says, "Oh."
[Fac-IPA] Tio says, "Yes. Please read available information files."
[Fac-IPA] Superboy! Conner Kent says, "Hmm.."
[Fac-IPA] Superman says, "The neatest part is when the evil scientist or crazy pilot or smaller robot body realizes you've torn off the thing's arm and are hitting it with said arm, and starts jumping up and down. Its like a little kid having a tantrum!"
[Fac-IPA] Peleps Fals says, "Automata tend to be very thick, but their joints are often good to target with piercing or magical attacks."
[Fac-IPA] Superboy! Conner Kent says, "Mister Smith! Do your.. uh.. super retard robots keep anything important inside the head?"
[Fac-IPA] Amuro Ray says, "The joints are the weakest points, yes, unless the machine is very well-constructed."
[Fac-IPA] Rei Ayanami says, "The pilot."
[Fac-IPA] Superman chuckles nostalgicly! "Good times..." Ahem. "Oh, and, um, be sure to watch for collateral damage." Pause. "And don't use 'retard', that's a mean word."
[Fac-IPA] Asuka Langley says, "So that kid is your kid for real?"
[Fac-IPA] Roger Smith says, "Since it's another Big... if it's in the same place as in Big O, it's in the neck, not the head."
[Fac-IPA] Thraskar Davidson says, "Aim for the jets, too."
[Fac-IPA] Thraskar Davidson says, "They're what's keeping that thing in the air, right?"
[Fac-IPA] Roger Smith says, "And just call me Roger."
[Fac-IPA] Superman shyly, "I'm, ah, not married. Superboy's my clone. But we figure its close enough."
[Fac-IPA] Naruto Uzumaki says, "I find using sharp, pointy, and explosive objects on the butt of the robot works well too."
[Fac-IPA] Tio says, "I was not aware marraige was essential."
[Fac-IPA] Superboy! Conner Kent says, "Think more important than that. Like will it still be operational if its head is broken?"
[Fac-IPA] Superman says, "-well, its not /really/, but...what I mean to say is, I'm a little young to...you know, its not that important. In the important way, yeah."
[Fac-IPA] Peleps Fals says, "Illegitimate children are frowned upon."
[Fac-IPA] Rei Ayanami says, "Eva requires the head components for proper operation. It is not an Eva."
[Fac-IPA] Roger Smith says, "Taking out the head will inflict a lot of damage, the same as destroying any other component... but I'm not sure it will cripple it."
[Fac-IPA] Roger Smith says, "It will make it easier to get to the cockpit."
[Fac-IPA] Superboy! Conner Kent says, "....."
[Fac-IPA] Superboy! Conner Kent says, "I'm stickin' with the retard in super retard robot, Pa."
[Fac-IPA] Tio says, "I do not understand. Why not? - I am not capable of functioning without my head for any length of time, but many machines are."
[Fac-IPA] Ryoji Kaji says, "Machines don't always keep their brains in the typical locations."
[Fac-IPA] Superman says, "Son, he said the cockpit's in the neck, its not that tricky."
[Fac-IPA] Peleps Fals says, "Automata don't /have/ brains."
[Fac-IPA] Roger Smith says, "I wouldn't be so sure about that..."
[Fac-IPA] Superboy! Conner Kent sigh. "Nevermind..."
[Fac-IPA] Peleps Fals says, "They have a seat of Essence to control them, but brains are organic."
[Fac-IPA] Amuro Ray says, "He means the operation system, or in some cases, the AI."
[Fac-IPA] Tio says, "Negative. I have a processor that is equivalent to a brain, and it is in my head."
[Fac-IPA] Peleps Fals says, "Of course, gods don't have brains, either. Brains aren't quite essential."
[Fac-IPA] Roger Smith says, "Big O has its own will, and its own memories. But I'm not sure where it's stored exactly. Norman and I understand how to maintain and repair Big O, but not how it operates."
[Fac-IPA] Ryoji Kaji says, "I see."
[Fac-IPA] Amuro Ray says, "Gundam is just a machine. Haro has an AI, though."
Rei looks up as the great flying Megadeus is attacked. It is astonishing, she thinks; it must be ten times the mass of an Evangelion and yet it is flying. How? It is wondrous. EVA-00 can cushion a landing with retro-rockets; that is the limits of what NERV can do.
Other words from the radio are listened to. She looks towards the tiny flying speck that she believes may be 'Superboy'. Her eyes widen.
She continues standing there, otherwise, and watches. She is probably too tiny to see easily.
[Fac-IPA] Peleps Fals says, "What do brains have to do with automata thinking? Thought is a function of the soul - after all, ants have brains, and ants don't /think/. If an automata can think, it must have a soul."
[Fac-IPA] Peleps Fals says, "...or more than one, I suppose, like demons..."
[Fac-IPA] Tio says, "...No, that is not correct."
[Fac-IPA] Peleps Fals says, "Yes it is. It is /written/."
[Fac-IPA] Peleps Fals says, "The soul is the seat of the mind."
[Fac-IPA] Tio says, "Where? I would like to see this writing."
[Fac-IPA] Peleps Fals says, "In the teachings of the Five Immaculate Dragons."
[Fac-IPA] Rei Ayanami says, "Our worlds are different."
[Fac-IPA] Ryoji Kaji says, "Those Dragons have never met an Evangelion, then."
[Fac-IPA] Roger Smith says, "I don't care how thought works, and I don't care what was written. All that matters is the here and now, and here and now there's another Big with a madman for a Dominus bombing the damn city."
[Fac-IPA] Peleps Fals says, "A soulless being cannot think! It is /obvious/. You see, all things that think have a soul for themselves. All things that /don't/ get a god to watch over them, because they have no soul."
[Fac-IPA] Asuka Langley makes that whistle noise usually reserved when referring to psychos.
[Fac-IPA] Ryoji Kaji says, "Yes, well. Be /that/ as it may... good luck, Mr. Smith."
Inside Evangelion Unit-01, Shinji Ikari sighs as he manages to miss the robot that's bigger than /his/ robot, which is apperently plus sized. He can't help but narrow his eyes a little at the Boy of Steel-a flush covers Shinji's face as he shakes his head, mentaly smacking himself upside it.
"Wrong time to get all-"
"-/any/ time's the wrong time to get all-"
"I know." Shinji mutters to himself, "I-oh no." Unit-01's eyes might widen, a tiny bit, as Unit-02 crashes into a building...and /yet more/ missles fly at it. Shinji grunts, pulling his machine upward...and crys out, a little, as a few of those twisting, drill-like missles hit his Eva's hide. Snarling, Shinji pours on the speed, mentaly apologizing to anyone he might hurt as Unit-01 pulls a baseball slide across the battlefield-
"How." Shinji says through the radio, focusing his mental energy, "Are you supposed to out do me if you don't stop letting the missles hit you?!" Ikari the Younger just hopes he can pull this off...the air in front of Unit-01 shimmers orange and red, as Shinji struggles with his tempermental ATField, trying to cover as broad a radius as he can-hopefuly enough to give Unit-02 time to recover, and prevent those missles from making swiss cheese of the immediate area.
Superboy huffs as he weaves around Big Duo's attempts to swat him away. Frustration stains his cheeks hot pink, as the hundred-odd answers that stream across the IPA broadband serve to aid him little. The Metropolis Kid will have to stick to his initial plan and quash Big Duo's flight-capabilities and ground it long enough for Roger Smith and the Big O to do its work ... if his teammates don't drive him nuts, first! He backs away, pressing his feet against the air ahead of him to speed him away from the length of Big Duo's arms. Energy still streams from his eyes, focused on that initial point to continually weaken the surface integrity of the afflicted shoulder unit..
Skirting fifty feet back, Superboy pauses in the air. His broad chest is heaving, propelling carbon dioxide from his lungs in heavy doses and drawing in similar amounts of oxygen. Sweat streaks his sun-kissed brow, his eyes straining and itchy from the constant outpour of heat. He blinks thrice over, batting away the irritation so that he can focus on the Big Duo without problem. Superboy breathes in, his chest expanding with breath. He shoots forward, becoming that familiar streak of black cotton and indigo denim again. His teeth gritted, fists held ahead to fashion his flying form into a spear of truth and justice. "Hnnnnh..." Brow narrowed, thick furrows of intense focus stretching across. "....NNNNNNAAAAGH!" In a mighty roar, the space behind Superboy's feet -pops-. The sun-less clouds echo with the localized sonic boom, created by Superboy to send him at the speed of sound right into -- and through -- Big Duo's shoulder!
Red warning lights snap on inside the Meteor's cockpit, and the lock-on alert starts wailing. The pilot quickly flicks a switch, activating the Meteor's jammers and shielding himself with a wall of electronic noise. The Meteor speeds upwards, right for the remains of the glass dome--but at the last second, it veers to the side, exiting through the hole the Big Duo made during its big entrance. The missiles detonate harmlessly against the 'umbrella', shattering glass and metal.
If Paradigm asks how that enormous hole got there, Thraskar is going to claim it was an accident.
[[Dominus... Deus?]] The starfighter does a hairpin turn in the sky above Paradigm, and dives down back through the ruined dome. The Lieutenant acquires lock once more, murmuring into his mic as he lines up another shot. [[Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus...]] He fires two more of those mass singularities, one after the other--the target is the arm opposite the one Superboy's attacking. [[Dominus Deus Sabaoth.]]
Hrm. "This isn't working." ]Correct, Sergeant.[ Sousuke looks up....and closes his eyes. Focuses. Trust the machine. It can do whatever you want, as long as you believe.
The shoulder and back pads on the Arbalest suddenly spring open, and heat radiation fins emerge. At the same time, a faint pink-blue light emerges from those same panels.
]Lambda Driver activation confirmed.[
"Let's go."
And Arbalest leaps up suddenly, dozens of meters into the air - far faster and higher than any machine of its kind should be capable of. And as it soars, it lashes out with its left hand, and a shot of long wire fires out, aiming at Big Duo. With any luck, this will catch on to the flying menace - and then Arbalest can climb aboard, and bring this fight to the enemy.
"Attempting to close in!" Sousuke calls into the radio. Is this guy crazy!? (yes)
Sousuke Sagara switches armor modes to Lambda Driver Arbalest.
Hey, closing in is how Big O does its stuff. Although it usually involves a lot less jumping since Big O is way too heavy.
Here comes another bombing run from Schwarzwald. Gatling missiles. Big O digs itself into the ground, lifting its two heavy arm shields up in front of its body. The blasts erupt around the shields, causing a thick plume of smoke which tmeporarily obscures the Big O - there were a lot of them. And it shows within the cockpit, as Roger looks at a readout of the Big O's body, with blinking arrows pointing at the arm shields - DAMAGE Lv3. "Damn it! So you're going to shock people into seeking knowledge by killing them, Schwarzwald. Some reporter you are..."
Roger grits his teeth, flipping a panel on the controls and flipping a number of switches. "I'm sorry, Big O. Looks like your friend up there has trusted itself to a madman... Truth is well and good, and perhaps this city would rest easier if we can unveil the mystery of forty years ago. But that doesn't justify murder! Big O! Action!"
As the smoke begins to clear from the Big O, one of its hip anchors launches into the air, anticipating another bombing run from the Big Duo and tracking its approach to fire at a position where it will be passing. Another anchor fires, and then a third, fourth, fifth, attempting to hook into Big Duo and, if they can, pull with all their might to bring the enemy Big down to the ground.
Asuka hears Shinji. "What the hell, I'm not letting it!" The EVA pulls up and throws out a hand, aiming to slap Shinji's EVA across the 'face' while the other hand steals its guns and opens fire at the Big Duo, aiming to also bring it down--in a way perhaps more old fashioned than the grappling hook technique. On the plus side, Shinji keeps her from getting hit by missiles with his AT field. Funny how her slap managed to break through, guess absolute terror fields aren't more absolute than Asuka.
"Why are you pissing me off all the time lately, what bug crawled in your butt?"
The Big Duo is apart of the forgotten, a truth of the city that has been forgotten due to fear by the populace, much like the megadeus that assault the city. The creation of them and their acceptance of their pilots, the dominus, is unknown. Perhaps just a memory of the city, as for how and why the Big Duo can do what it does.
Shinji has struck it but the size betrays its agility. It's large but for what it is, quite quick. As Shinji is focusing upon defense, the shield would absorb many a missile, depending on how strong the shield is from an Eva that had been in a fight the night before. It's a question of how much strength is has left.
The afflicted shoulder unit is hard pressed to stay up, and even bends a little under the pressure as Super Boy continues the assault through the eye lasers. The Big Duo spiralling once to distribute the laser damage so the shoulders doesn't fall off. Not yet. Not now! And then Super boy plummets quickly towards the Big Duo, not striking dead on as he slams towards the shoulder, Big Duo pulling up so he grabs the top of it, taking a bit of it with him but hardly anything vital. The Big is attempting to spread the damage, and there is alot of area to be spread over.
The arm gets shot towards once more, this time by Thraskar, but his luck runs dry this time. The singularities, shot one by one, evaded by finishing pulling up, and changing his direction. Thraskar has given too much time for the Big Duo to respond, the second arm unscathed for the moment.
The flying land based machine leaps into the air, suddenly, as the panels allows it to do so. The Big Duo is wrapped up by the wire, catching on and dragging it a big down. It's not that strong, to support another as well as itself, slowly losing altitude. Schwarzwald forces against it with the controls but he's already on.
And when Big O launches his own anchors against Big Duo, who was already weighted down by Sousuke, is caught by them, the rockets flaring as he attempts to pull away, the smoke thick as the Big Duo strains itself. "Those who will not seek are already dead, are just fearful creatures! If this will get another to seek the truth, I have no qualms. If one other does not fear what happened forty years ago I will have acommplished what I have set out to do. To show them the truth!" And then the Duo no longer is able to stay flying, the Big O having attached itself, combined with the damage it having already sustained, begins to bring the Big Duo down.
Right where the Big O wants it. The fire from Asuka catches one of the rockets, weakening it temporarily to malfunction, dragging it slowly down. The Big Duo changes courses, downwards, the propeller arm heading down towards the Big O. If he would be dragged down, he would use their force for his own gain!
[Fac-IPA] Superboy! Conner Kent says, "Looks like you got your wish, Mister Sm.. Roger!"
[Fac-IPA] Roger Smith says, "He may have another Big, but I've still got some tricks up my sleeve. Is everybody hanging in there?"
[Fac-IPA] Thraskar Davidson still sounds eerily calm, if a little annoyed. "I am undamaged, and the prey's been snared."
[Fac-IPA] Superboy! Conner Kent says, "Here. Let me make it easier for you.."
The Big O's anchors do not hit the building Rei is in. As light flashes, she watches, standing a few yards away from the edge of the building, which is about the only concession to safety she is making.
This one, she thinks, is wrapped in chains as well. A strange coincidence.
Okay, Shinji thinks, challanging her is /not/ a good way to motivate Asuka. Saved, stored, memorized! The ATField is, fortunately, more reliant on the pilot's ability to focus than the condition of the machine. In other words, its moderately plot powered-Shinji grunts at the strain all the same, feeling the faint reflection of the missle impact as he works to play tanker.
One or two get through, striking Unit-01 a heartbeat or two after that slap. In the cockpit, Shinji holds his face, trying not to feel too hurt. He kind of asked for it-"Hey, my gun!" And then more missles. He can't really complain about Asuka's aim, though.
Shinji Ikari decides, today, that he really hates missles. "I...I...I don't know! You flipped out when we found out about Toji and you just get pissed off when I try and be nice!" Shinji deflates, a little, "...sorry. I was worried, I guess?"
[Fac-IPA] Shinji Ikari grunt. "I /hate/ missles." A pause, then meak-as-usual, "B-but I'm okay. Sorry."
[Fac-IPA] Roger Smith says, "Hey, no need to apologize. Show a little confidence. I'm sick as hell of them myself right now."
[Fac-IPA] Thraskar Davidson says, "Thirded."
/Gotcha/. [[Good work, Squadron. Now keep him down,]] Lieutenant Davidson transmits. His tone still seems to be stuck in 'creepily calm', with a hint of amusement. And maybe a teeny bit of annoyance, too--something that big has no right to be that fast when it's equipped with that kind of propulsion.
As the Big Duo struggles to stay aloft, the Meteor continues to be an obnoxious, buzzing mosquito; it activates its ECM jammer once more, setting up a bubble of interference to try and ward off those missiles. It doesn't actually attack, though--Thraskar doesn't want to cut Sousuke's tether, or Roger's anchor-cords.
Superboy comes off with a chunk of the Big Duo, nothing he identifies as being particularly vital. "You've got to be kidding me!" He remarks to himself, staring in disbelief at the chunk of godmachine in his steel hands. His head shakes, indulging in a grunt lets him relieve some of the pent up frustration. "I have had just about enough of these super retarded robots and their super retarded durability!" With a snarl, Superboy hurls himself in a downward arc to rejoin the falling Big Duo. This time, he hurls the chunks of armor at the offensive forearm that houses the propeller unit. Pressing his feet back, he thrusts hard and slams his fists against it, trying to veer it away from damaging the Big O!
Reel reel reel hoist! Big Duo is falling, but Sousuke Sagara isn't letting go. The Lambda Driver gives him tremendous durability and his machine isn't going to release without a fight. So while Big Duo is dragged to the ground, Arbalest rapidly reels its cable in, bringing the machine down - in a hard kick aimed at the back of the Big Duo, to speed its descent.
If that doesn't work, Sousuke will start cutting things.
Asuka Langley shoots more at Big Duo, and after a moment's thought--having seen this on a television show--throws Shinji's gun at it too.
The chains begin retracting rapidly - a couple other anchors even fire into nearby buildings behind and to the sides, to anchor the Big O and dig it in, supporting its pull on Big Duo. The buildings begin to stress a bit, but the ease grows as Big Duo settles into the approach, and the others in the sky and on the ground begin to assist.
Roger Smith grimaces, watching Big Duo switch momentum. It's going to go for an attack when the collision occurs... so why not just deny him the collision that appears to be inevitable? Roger clicks the transmission to exclude Big Duo, and reports, "Uruz-Seven, anybody else around Big Duo, get clear of it now! Give it a wide berth!" The Big O lifts its fist, pointing at the incoming Big Duo, as Roger rears the stick back, and lets go. Big O flips the stick back down into the panel, sliding a more elaborate replacement stick with a prominent trigger in its place.
"Let me show you what I think of your Ultimate Truth, Schwarzwald!" Roger tenses and drives the stick forward, pushing the trigger. The wrist panels between Big O's enormous arm guard and its fist slide outward, revealing a number of wide-barreled gatling cannons surrounding the fist. The ring of cannons begins to revolve rapidly, settling into a blurred spin as each rapid-fires powerful blasts of energy at the incoming Big Duo. The rapidfire grows so quick that an enormous ring-shaped shockwave forms in front of the Big O's fist, slowly condensing and closing in on Big Duo. And when it collides, an enormous explosion rips into the opposing Big, at least as large as the Megadeus itself.
After throwing her--er, Shinji's--gun at the Big Duo, she finally answers Shinji, "Well it took me years of training to become a pilot, of course I'm upset that all you guys get the job after a few months!" The EVA crosses its arms defiantly, "And who would build giant robots with their own mind? Don't you think that's kind of silly?"
"Why is that so important to you?" Shinji probes, eyes afficed to the coming collision of the Bigs...for some reason, he's fairly sure there's going to be a pretty big explosion. For a brief, brief second-
"I toooolllldddd yyyooouuuuu~"
"Death in battle's a man's death! Be a man, sport! Oh-ho!"
"If I was worth something, dad wouldn't have left in the first place. ...why'd they let me get my hopes up?"
"Nah. I don't want to come out, right now. I think...I'm pretty sure we both know that I'm going to save it for when you really, really don't want to. Something /messy/. Keep pushing someone away, kid, and they might just stop trying. ...Hey, maybe both the girls'll be out, we can make it a party~"
Shinji closes his eyes, trying to focus on his ATField and not on the self doubt worming its way through his brain. He breaths, shallowly, muttering, "...I might...n-need some help with this..." as the Red-Orange field covering as far as Shinji's weakening ego can manage to cover starts to falter.
The Big Duo is plagued by the plaguye of mosquitoes! The smaller but still deadly mechs and and super boys have been wearing him down for a while. The missiles are no longer usable for the moment, the bubble of interference stopping such weaponry for at least the moment. There were far worse than those within the Big, and it wouldn't be wise to allow such a field to detonate it all.
Superboy chucks the chunks of armor towards the propeller unit, but the propeller .. catches it. The spinning stops, turning out to be one of the Big Duo's hands. It continues to spin after wards, now with extra force towards it's target.
The descent towards the ground caused by Sousuke helps him, it speeds him towards Roger. However, a large dent is created, armor breaking off and bending inwards from it. The gun may hit Sousuke. This is good. Or hit one of the cables, but with mixed success it does hit Big Duo, and bounces off, perhaps towards one of those nearby. The shots also ring true, him unable to move. The damage is really adding up, especially when the Big Duo is stuck. He still heads straight towards the Big O, fists heading down..
And then Big O raises his fist towards him. The arm guard and arm seperate as the wide barreled gatling gun cannons fire directly towards Big Duo, hitting each shot as Schwarzwald still continues his straight path.. and then the shockwave is created, Schwarzwald letting go of the control and screaming. Big O has him where he wants him
And the enormous explosion slams into Big Duo, consuming the entire Big for a moment in the gigantic blast, even the screams of Scwarzwald not heard for the moment... and when it is over, the big still stands, although it is not doing well at all. Chains having been blasted off as well as heavy damage to the entire big, a rocket or two sputtering, the gyro's mangled as well as the knees and legs, a few of the unused payloads falling from the form and pieces of the wing arms falling off, one of them nearly separated by Super Boy now even more so, the explosion welding a bit so that it still hangs by sheer coincidence, and the head broken apart, shattered but holding still. The Big Duo barely stands... and then the two rockets on each highly damaged arms begin to sputter, something seeping from the Big.
Thick black smoke begins to seep from the rockets as they sputter to life, the rotors beginning clunkily but in the end working. The rockets push off, the smoke seeping heavily now, attempting to break free of any chains that may be attached to him as well, smoke now being released from every available port, Big Duo heading straight up.
There is no crash, the smokescreen eventually consuming Big Duo, obscene amounts of thick black smoke being sent out. Before he disappears into it though, Schwarzwald calls out to Roger, the others as well who had interrupted his work. "Don't you find it odd Roger... that there is only one man in this whole city, who has the desire to find the truth? Even the desire to know the truth has withered.. It will be I who will restore the fruits of my labor to the entire world!"
And the red Megadeus is drawn into the smoke...
"Beacuse..." Asuka's EVA moves in the way of the missiles heading for Shinji. As usual, her AT field isn't so hot, but she manages to catches two incoming missiles flying for Shinji. "Piloting EVA...."
She twists them around and throws them as hard as she can for Big Duo with a creak of metal and a hiss of breath through her teeth. "...Is my life! That's why!"
Impact - and it's falling. "Affirmative!" Sousuke yells at Roger's command, and then the gun smashes into him - but there is a tremendous explosion of blue-white light, negating the blow entirely. It never strikes, although the kinetic force still applies, and Arbalest flies through the air, crashing through a building and landing in a shorter one beside it, the Lambda Driver's barrier protecting the machine from harm.
]We seem to have crashed.[ "That...seems to be the case." ]...Would you like some after-battle mood music? It is my understanding that such can greatly[ "CAN IT." ]Yessir.[
And now, this is Roger's hunt. The Meteor flies backwards, well away from the fight, as the Big O opens up on its prey. In the cockpit, Thraskar grits his teeth and looks away from the explosion; the plasteel canopy changes tint to block out most of the light, but it's still a bit too bright.
The fighter deactivates its jammers once the extent of the damage becomes apparent. It makes ready to start a circular patrol sweep when smoke starts billowing out of the Big Duo. Thraskar lets out a low hissing noise--frustration, or maybe anger--and then attempts to sweep the area with radar. Unfortunately, the Meteor is somewhat lacking in this respect, and its pilot knows it. Doesn't make him feel any better.
Shinji Ikari feels the bizarre urge to smirk a little as Sagara "lands". He blames his evil dad.
Steel against steel! Superboy drives his fists against the plating of the Big Duo, hammering massive blows without any sign of slowing down. The sound of the close-quarters impact blot out Roger's warning to steer clear -- not that it would bother the Boy of Steel much. The aggressive punching slows, though, the moment something glowing catches Kon-El's attention from out the corner of his eye. Something coming emitted from the Big O, an O-shape condensing down into something far more powerful. Instinctively, Superboy knows this will not end well for his clothing. "Aw, heck.." He sighs in reservation. His shoulders slump and his lips droop into a pout. It's awfully good he saved a lot of money on costume insurance!
The explosion that rocks the Big Duo sends Superboy careening off the Megadeus. His steely physique rides along the rim of the shockwave, its destructive energy shearing away his outfit in patches and ribbons. He flies through the air, hurtled a respectable distance until his nearly-naked body whizzes two feet past the standing Rei Ayanami. Superboy crashes against the roof and skids, cutting a wide swath of building material until he finally comes to a rest upon the doorway that leads into the building proper. Scraps of black cotton and indigo denim cling to his muscular, sweat-soaked and scuffed body. The five-sided diamond crest has been disintegrated, save for a few red bits. "..oogh. That tickled," Superboy murmurs, unaware of the tiny thread of crimson streaming from his nose. His head shakes and he huffs, coming to be aware of Rei's presence a few seconds later. "Hallooo.." Superboy waves half-heartedly, his greeting almost cheery.
The impact near her does get Rei's attention. She is not that oblivious. She does not move to dodge or to protect herself; instead, her head turns to track the small incoming object until it comes to a skidding halt.
At this point she realizes that it is not a missile, a moment from explosion and a swift death, nor is it a piece of shrapnel. Rather, it's that flying man. Superboy.
She steps closer, quickly. She lifts her voice slightly above the usual toneless quiet to ask, "Are you badly hurt?" as she looks at him. She seems faintly impressed.
Shinji Ikari's eyes widen as the missles streak in-and he lets out a breath, as Asuka saves the day. The Third breathes, a little, as the ATField does its level best to help keep the property damage down to a dull roar-as the explosions fade into smoke and sinister laughter, Eva-01's on its knees, arms crossed in front of its face, and almost seems to be panting along with his pilot. Ugh, how does Ayanami /do/ this so easily...
"T-thanks." Shinji mutters, concentrating on breathing. Asuka's admitted reason is...well...well, that's the same reason Gendo left, isn't it? Suddenly desperate, Shinji tries to think of some way to-he doesn't know, turn /down/ the whatever it is that Asuka's upset over. "...l-look I...can't say I know what its like to...you're...stable and I'm..." Shinji sighs, realizing he's probably ventured into the unspeakable territory again. "I'm sorry. Its been a bad month. ...I'll take over, um, dish duty for a while?"
"I'll live," Superboy says. His head leans forward, surveying the destruction wrought to his clothing. With a mournful sigh, his fingers flick over his chest and clear it of cement bits and dust. He looks up at Rei, brow raised and eyes inquisitive. "You alright?"
Rei looks rather strange, but unharmed beyond some stray dust from the battle. "Yes," she says, with a slight nod.
She looks at the doorway behind Superboy, then back at him. "Can you still fly," she asks after considering the probable state of the staircase.
Arbalest calms; the radiator fins retract, the pods close, and the Lambda Driver deactivates. Sousuke relaxes in his seat, closing his eyes.
"Uruz Seven to all units. Is everyone alright?"
Sousuke Sagara switches armor modes to Arbalest.
"Don't bother--" Asuka seems to realize this sounds ruder than she intends and adds, "I mean, you don't have to do anything like that just to make me feel better, I'm fine." A beat. "'Sides, you'd probably end up doing it anyway."
Badum ching!
Superboy follows Rei's eyes, tilting his head to glance back at the structure he's impacted to. "I think so." He says with a soft, confident smile -- like no matter what, everything will be alright. Pressing his foot on the floor of the roof, Superboy slowly uproots himself. Without showing it, fatigue slithers across his broad shoulders and down his thighs. Battling Big Duo has called upon his reserves and the sun-less sky of Paradigm City has done nothing to replenish them. Standing tall, Superboy shakes his head one last time at the remains of his shirt. He merely pulls the black shreds off his chest and throws them to the ground. "Sooner or later, I'm going to have to embrace the whole 'tights' thing, you know?" Kon-El looks back to Rei, his dour expression at the ultimate fate of his outfit softened for her sake. "Did you need a lift? Best ride in the city," he winks.
That's significant damage to the Big Duo... which appears to be... obscuring itself?
Escaping.
Roger Smith grits his teeth, the anchors retracting into Big O as it takes a few steps forward, swinging the one punch it can hope to get in before Big Duo passes out of range again. "The truth is precious to people. Memories give us a sense of who we are, and losing them leaves a hole in our hearts that we seek to fill. But we are made up of more than our memories. The fact is we have to live here, in the present and the future. To destroy the present in the name of the past is no truth worth anything, Schwarzwald!"
Roger Smith sighs, as Big O's radar scrambles, unable to track the movement of Big Duo past this. He flicks the radio back to allied chatter. "This is the Big O, Uruz Seven, we're alright. It... looks like I accidentally hit you with the O-Thunder, uh... Superboy. Are you still out there? You okay?"
[Fac-IPA] Shinji Ikari says, "Wow, Mister S-smith, do you practice those? Its really impressive!"
The punch skimming along the heavy feet. The missiles disappear into the smoke after Big Duo. Perhaps they hit.. but it is not apparent through all the smoke. And the Meteor chases after Big Duo, the smoke slowing him down as he switches to radar, which, for a few moments, does indeed pickup Big Duo. It's a large signal.
And then it disappears from the radar completely. Roger's radar would also read nothing once it eventually returns to normal. The Big Duo apparently gone. As quick as it came, it is gone, the smoke eventually blowing away to reveal nothing at all, Big Duo, gone, as the scanner had indicated.
Rei looks steadily at Superboy for a moment. This is strange to her. They said, clearly and outright, what he is and where he comes from. This is also strange to her; she understands what is generally the outcome of cloning as it exists in her world. He doesn't fit.
Her own expression is rather dour itself. She rests her left arm's elbow in her right hand and looks to the side of the building. "They aren't uncomfortable," she says, and then looks back at him. "Yes."
[Fac-IPA] Roger Smith smirks. You can almost hear it. "As a Negotiator, it's important to think calmly and clearly, and to express an argument in its purest form."
[Fac-IPA] Shinji Ikari oh. "So you're what Misato calls a bu-" pause. "Um, n-nevermind. I hope we helped a little."
[Fac-IPA] Roger Smith says, "Of course you did. I have a feeling that would have been a much bigger struggle if you guys didn't provide the assist like that."
[Fac-IPA] Thraskar Davidson now sounds coldly annoyed. "He's gone." Pause. Back to the usual smart-aleck tone. "God, I hate it when they do that."
[Fac-IPA] Rei Ayanami says, "Yes."
[Fac-IPA] Amuro Ray says, "How'd the battle go?"
[Fac-IPA] Thraskar Davidson says, "Lots of property damage, and Paradigm's going to have to fix their dome."
[Fac-IPA] Thraskar Davidson says, "We busted the enemy up good, though."
'Doesn't fit' is an understatement. The Boy of Steel is thankfully without the power of telepathy and cannot pick-up on the thoughts running through Rei's mind. Instead, he is caught up by the words spoken in his ear, through the IPA micro-transmitter lodged in it. He cranes his head low, placing his fingertip against his ear canal to speak. "Ah...." Kon-El's lips part, the words about to leave his throat when he catches himself. Rethinking his response, he chooses a word that causes him a bit of amusement. "..Swell, Roger. Thanks."
Superboy smiles at Rei. "I'll keep that in mind," he says in regards to her comment about tights. He holds his hands out, offering them with upward palms to Rei. He's offering for her to reach out. "Ready when you are."
The Meteor makes a single pass through the smoke before slowing to a halt. In the cockpit, Thraskar lets out another annoyed hiss...
And the Hunter punches the 'OUT' sign on his time-card. The Wingman punches 'IN'.
The pilot shakes his head. "Davidson here," he says to Sousuke, "All systems green."
Shinji Ikari sort of /wants/ to, but he realizes that when you try and help certain people with certain things, its best to just kind of /do/ it before they can get all uptight about it. He actualy laughs at the truth. "Well, I don't mind. I kind of like it, to be honest."
Shinji can't resist, and clicks on his wider radio. "Hey, Sagara. Good work out there." That part is genuine. And then Shinji smiles a tiny, tiny, tiny little smile. "Nice l-landing, too."
Then, out of the corner of Unit-01's camera-eyes, Shinji sees it. He blinks. He blinks again. "Am I crazy, or is that Ayanami flying off that b-building with a shirtless guy?" Shinji asks, filled with an odd, fraternaly volitle sort of calm.
"Nope, Ayanami has just been captured by a Superboy. Hope they use prot--hey, did you just jive at Sousuke?" Asuka comments.
Rei reaches out as well, and somewhat upwards. She is a great deal smaller than Superboy, after all.
And yes, she is actually there. What is more, she is wearing, for some reason, a red tracksuit.
"You have an advantage, fighting them," she says, rather quickly. She is expecting the flight to be fast, and thus loud.
"Um.. something like that." Superboy smiles again. He doesn't particularly catch the meaning behind her red tracksuit. "Although I'd call it more of a responsibility.." He takes her hands and brings her close, gently. An arm loops around her waist, ensuring she's well-secured to him as he begins to slowly ascend into the darkened heavens. "So, where did you need me to drop you off?"
Sousuke blinks owlishly at Shinji's face in his monitors. His cockpit is very dark, lit only by the light of his screens. "Thank you," he says, apparently completely oblivious to Shinji's sass. Al flashes the 'SASSY' part of Shinji's Sassy Rival tag, but Sousuke writes it off as the AI being insane again. "It was a difficult impact; being hit by weapons several times the size of the machine is hardly conducive to grace." Pause. "It's good to know you're all well. Did the city sustain much damage?"
Sousuke is still not used to this whole 'fighting in cities where people are used to massive property damage' thing yet.
Shinji Ikari wonders if this is somehow all Toji's fault, bizarrely. "Maybe she finally tried out for the track team. She's got a heck of an arm. If he doesn't I'm going to step on him." This is probably a joke, since Shinji usualy passes out at the thought of anything two healthy young adults would need protection for. And, come on, its Superman's kid. Clone. Whatever. Shinji blinks hedgehogishly back at Sousuke, and shrugs. "I'm n-not sure. I did my best...the ATField's actualy p-pretty good for that kind of stuff, once you get the hang of it."
"What, I can't jive?" Shinji asides, quietly.
"Yes," Rei says at the mention of responsibility. She doesn't object or react much at all to being picked up around the waist - however, on takeoff, she starts looking around. It's strange, and not unpleasant. Unlike helicopters, it's silent.
Her first thought is 'the street' but it looks wrecked. "The Gate," she says, looking up towards EVA-01. She raises one hand to wave at it.
Yes, the city sustained very much a lot of damage.
"Sorry about that, Superboy... I was hoping I'd provided enough warning." The greyscale, scanlined image of Roger Smith on the radio shakes his head. "A lot of it, between Beck and Schwarzwald, it looks like. But less than it would have if they had their run of it. Schwarzwald probably came to tear down the entire dome. Anyway, this is Alex Rosewater's dome. The reconstruction is up to him." And that serves him right. Alex Rosewater... the corporate master Schwarzwald accused Roger of serving, and Roger doesn't particularly care for the guy either. "I'm heading back to the mansion... the military police can handle this situation from here. Thanks for all the help, everybody."
The ground begins to rumble again, and once again, a heavy hole is torn in the pavement beneath the Big O. The subway mechanism platform rises up under it again, and then lowers Big O down into the hole, out of the light and out of sight, on its way back home.
The image on Roger's radio switches temporarily.
"Master Roger, I am terribly sorry, but the roast has grown cold in your absence. I will do my best to have something ready when you return."
"Thanks, Norman. Sorry about the delay, but it looks like I'm about done here now."
"Very good, sir. I will prepare Big O's repair bay."
Kon-El nods when Rei voices her destination. He cannot help but ask, "So.. find yourself on rooftops during giant robot fights often?"
"I am usually in one," Rei answers. "It is more comfortable."
EVA-01 waves back-the "animal" from before almost looks shy, perhaps a reflection of its growing synchronization ratio with its owner.
As for Shinji, he decides that a quick nap while the cleanup crews do their thing would be a good way to spent the next few hours. Man, crazy ATField wearing him out.
"Thank you," Rei says, lifting her hand to wave back, before passing through once again.
I should report on this, she thinks, before she appears in another universe.
ACT 1
ENEMY IS ANOTHER BIG
WE HAVE COME TO TERMS.
*Ring, ring.*
A mysterious voice on the other end of the line says, "Act 2: Electric Boogaloo."
Where: Paradigm City Central Dome
When: 9/4/06, continued from previous log
What: Obsessed former Paradigm Press reporter Michael Seebach, alias Schwarzwald the Black Forest, has unearthed a Megadeus in the ruins surrounding the city - and it's another Big! Destruction rains from the heavens as Big Duo attempts to carry out retribution upon Paradigm City for their complacent ignorance of the lost events from 40 years ago, against the resistance of the same force that responded to Beck's attack. Actors, take your places! The stage is set!
Watch for: Theological debates in the middle of a giant robot bombing run. Rei's magical Kryptonian ride. Corny speeches about "truth" and "memories." Also, just plain hardcore giant robot action.
Well, so much for negotiation. "Some people just won't respond properly to negotiations," Roger grumbles. "What masters?! I'm a contractor, Schwarzwald. And when I'm in Big O, I do what I do for the people of this city! The truth can't be found in random destruction!"
It's another Big. That has Roger rattled: he didn't even know any other Bigs existed, and this Big seems to have chosen Schwarzwald as its Dominus. And the damn thing can fly, and fast, too. This is not a situation Big O is used to.
The Big O lifts its head quickly, regarding the bombs dropped in its way, and lifts its arm shields up to absorb the shock of the bombing run. As it follows Big Duo with its gaze, its eyes power up, and begin to fire superheated laser blasts, beams locked onto Big Duo's bombs in an attempt to erupt them in midair before they have a chance to hit a target. Of course, some of them are simply dropped too soon or on too tall targets for Big O to make much of a difference. "Now... how the hell am I going to do this...?"
Asuka is more of a 'dog of the military' than Roger Smith is, so Asuka finds Schwarzwald's fascination odd, though his taste in names impeccable. "Man...." She complains though, "It's flying, so uncool. I can't smash it apart as easily..." She hops her EVA away from the bombs while firing needles at the Big Duo--but an explosive blast knocks the Unitoff its feet and it sprawls into a nearby building.
Oh, there's Superboy, Asuka blinks. Man, if only her cool tattoo would let her stand up to giant robots like that.
The Big Duo is rather fast for what it is, and expectedly durable. Finishing the bombing run, the Big Duo is set upon by Shinji, the third child, sending a few pot shots towards it. The Big Duo is able to pull itself up and to the side, a blast hitting square on, burning into the heavy red and black armor, the carrier like Big pulling itself away from the others.
Having better luck would be Thraskar and any flying mech or being, being on the same plane but much smaller than the Big. There is quite a large amount of Big to hit. The Thraskar engages, three pinpoint weapons fired towards the Big Duo, two getting purchase, the third swerved out of the way of. The colossal blows are absorbed, one of the slots being rendered inoperable and an arm/wing being dented as it goes by, the Big Duo jerking but not much under the shot.
Schwarzwald pilots the Big Duo around, laughing within the cockpit. "Those who are frozen by fear that they do not seek knowledge, that accept how such things are without seeking... those are the ones whose existence has no value!" As Superboy slams the head with the laser eyes, Big Duo's face is scarred, the black and white separation getting a new melted grey on, heading deep into it but not into the cockpit, a carrier like window that Schwarzwald may be using. As Superboy goes for the shoulder, the wing/arm itself spins towards the Super Boy, the cutting streams scorching along the connection to the arm, cutting into it, but in an attempt to swat Superboy away.
The shotcannon rounds are reacted too, but mostly the laser blast from Big O, the bombs being gotten by it, but not all, a bit less than half being blaste dout of the way, and warning Big Duo of what is coming, the lasers scorching the hull slightly as the Big Duo gets a bit too close but lives to tell, Big O's blast indeed striking but not for long, the shotcannon rounds mostly avoided, with a few striking from evasive maneuvers made to not be struck dead on by the Big O.
Two large sections on the chest of the Big Duo slide out, the Big Duo making another run as this time missiles are fired in a gatling effect towards buildings, the Big O, and the two aerials going after him. Those are the main problems targeted, Shinji having a few towards his way as well as a few towards the one who fired at him from the ground.
Asuka would be right under him for when he made the large turn around, flying high within the dome, the missiles a more heavy form of payload that seeks towards their target. It may not be so easily avoided as the bombs, which had just fallen. It had been taking damage, but Schwarzwald would not the fearful stop him like they did the fool, Beck. The needles stick into Big Duo, much harder to see, and visible wear is seen on the Big Duo. It is not out just yet. IF things keep going this way, Schwarzwald might attempt something more inclusive.
[Fac-IPA] Superboy! Conner Kent says, "Hnnh.. any tips for fighting giant robots, Pa?"
[Fac-IPA] Tio says, "I am not Pa, but I recommend attempting to damage the knees."
[Fac-IPA] Naruto Uzumaki says, "Always come with a giant frog. Believe it."
[Fac-IPA] Peleps Fals says, "...'robots'?"
[Fac-IPA] Rei Ayanami says, "The pilot."
[Fac-IPA] Superman ahem.
[Fac-IPA] Peleps Fals says, "What is a 'robot'?"
[Fac-IPA] Tio says, "Attacking the pilot is often difficult, and it may be unpiloted."
[Fac-IPA] Peleps Fals says, "Is it like the mechanical...thing that the bald man was riding?"
[Fac-IPA] Amuro Ray sounds like he's answered this question before. "A robot is a large, usually humanoid automation."
[Fac-IPA] Superman says, "The best way to take out a giant robot, Superboy, is with your fists. Use your heat vision to get the armor a little meltly, and just hammer away!"
[Fac-IPA] Peleps Fals says, "Oh."
[Fac-IPA] Tio says, "Yes. Please read available information files."
[Fac-IPA] Superboy! Conner Kent says, "Hmm.."
[Fac-IPA] Superman says, "The neatest part is when the evil scientist or crazy pilot or smaller robot body realizes you've torn off the thing's arm and are hitting it with said arm, and starts jumping up and down. Its like a little kid having a tantrum!"
[Fac-IPA] Peleps Fals says, "Automata tend to be very thick, but their joints are often good to target with piercing or magical attacks."
[Fac-IPA] Superboy! Conner Kent says, "Mister Smith! Do your.. uh.. super retard robots keep anything important inside the head?"
[Fac-IPA] Amuro Ray says, "The joints are the weakest points, yes, unless the machine is very well-constructed."
[Fac-IPA] Rei Ayanami says, "The pilot."
[Fac-IPA] Superman chuckles nostalgicly! "Good times..." Ahem. "Oh, and, um, be sure to watch for collateral damage." Pause. "And don't use 'retard', that's a mean word."
[Fac-IPA] Asuka Langley says, "So that kid is your kid for real?"
[Fac-IPA] Roger Smith says, "Since it's another Big... if it's in the same place as in Big O, it's in the neck, not the head."
[Fac-IPA] Thraskar Davidson says, "Aim for the jets, too."
[Fac-IPA] Thraskar Davidson says, "They're what's keeping that thing in the air, right?"
[Fac-IPA] Roger Smith says, "And just call me Roger."
[Fac-IPA] Superman shyly, "I'm, ah, not married. Superboy's my clone. But we figure its close enough."
[Fac-IPA] Naruto Uzumaki says, "I find using sharp, pointy, and explosive objects on the butt of the robot works well too."
[Fac-IPA] Tio says, "I was not aware marraige was essential."
[Fac-IPA] Superboy! Conner Kent says, "Think more important than that. Like will it still be operational if its head is broken?"
[Fac-IPA] Superman says, "-well, its not /really/, but...what I mean to say is, I'm a little young to...you know, its not that important. In the important way, yeah."
[Fac-IPA] Peleps Fals says, "Illegitimate children are frowned upon."
[Fac-IPA] Rei Ayanami says, "Eva requires the head components for proper operation. It is not an Eva."
[Fac-IPA] Roger Smith says, "Taking out the head will inflict a lot of damage, the same as destroying any other component... but I'm not sure it will cripple it."
[Fac-IPA] Roger Smith says, "It will make it easier to get to the cockpit."
[Fac-IPA] Superboy! Conner Kent says, "....."
[Fac-IPA] Superboy! Conner Kent says, "I'm stickin' with the retard in super retard robot, Pa."
[Fac-IPA] Tio says, "I do not understand. Why not? - I am not capable of functioning without my head for any length of time, but many machines are."
[Fac-IPA] Ryoji Kaji says, "Machines don't always keep their brains in the typical locations."
[Fac-IPA] Superman says, "Son, he said the cockpit's in the neck, its not that tricky."
[Fac-IPA] Peleps Fals says, "Automata don't /have/ brains."
[Fac-IPA] Roger Smith says, "I wouldn't be so sure about that..."
[Fac-IPA] Superboy! Conner Kent sigh. "Nevermind..."
[Fac-IPA] Peleps Fals says, "They have a seat of Essence to control them, but brains are organic."
[Fac-IPA] Amuro Ray says, "He means the operation system, or in some cases, the AI."
[Fac-IPA] Tio says, "Negative. I have a processor that is equivalent to a brain, and it is in my head."
[Fac-IPA] Peleps Fals says, "Of course, gods don't have brains, either. Brains aren't quite essential."
[Fac-IPA] Roger Smith says, "Big O has its own will, and its own memories. But I'm not sure where it's stored exactly. Norman and I understand how to maintain and repair Big O, but not how it operates."
[Fac-IPA] Ryoji Kaji says, "I see."
[Fac-IPA] Amuro Ray says, "Gundam is just a machine. Haro has an AI, though."
Rei looks up as the great flying Megadeus is attacked. It is astonishing, she thinks; it must be ten times the mass of an Evangelion and yet it is flying. How? It is wondrous. EVA-00 can cushion a landing with retro-rockets; that is the limits of what NERV can do.
Other words from the radio are listened to. She looks towards the tiny flying speck that she believes may be 'Superboy'. Her eyes widen.
She continues standing there, otherwise, and watches. She is probably too tiny to see easily.
[Fac-IPA] Peleps Fals says, "What do brains have to do with automata thinking? Thought is a function of the soul - after all, ants have brains, and ants don't /think/. If an automata can think, it must have a soul."
[Fac-IPA] Peleps Fals says, "...or more than one, I suppose, like demons..."
[Fac-IPA] Tio says, "...No, that is not correct."
[Fac-IPA] Peleps Fals says, "Yes it is. It is /written/."
[Fac-IPA] Peleps Fals says, "The soul is the seat of the mind."
[Fac-IPA] Tio says, "Where? I would like to see this writing."
[Fac-IPA] Peleps Fals says, "In the teachings of the Five Immaculate Dragons."
[Fac-IPA] Rei Ayanami says, "Our worlds are different."
[Fac-IPA] Ryoji Kaji says, "Those Dragons have never met an Evangelion, then."
[Fac-IPA] Roger Smith says, "I don't care how thought works, and I don't care what was written. All that matters is the here and now, and here and now there's another Big with a madman for a Dominus bombing the damn city."
[Fac-IPA] Peleps Fals says, "A soulless being cannot think! It is /obvious/. You see, all things that think have a soul for themselves. All things that /don't/ get a god to watch over them, because they have no soul."
[Fac-IPA] Asuka Langley makes that whistle noise usually reserved when referring to psychos.
[Fac-IPA] Ryoji Kaji says, "Yes, well. Be /that/ as it may... good luck, Mr. Smith."
Inside Evangelion Unit-01, Shinji Ikari sighs as he manages to miss the robot that's bigger than /his/ robot, which is apperently plus sized. He can't help but narrow his eyes a little at the Boy of Steel-a flush covers Shinji's face as he shakes his head, mentaly smacking himself upside it.
"Wrong time to get all-"
"-/any/ time's the wrong time to get all-"
"I know." Shinji mutters to himself, "I-oh no." Unit-01's eyes might widen, a tiny bit, as Unit-02 crashes into a building...and /yet more/ missles fly at it. Shinji grunts, pulling his machine upward...and crys out, a little, as a few of those twisting, drill-like missles hit his Eva's hide. Snarling, Shinji pours on the speed, mentaly apologizing to anyone he might hurt as Unit-01 pulls a baseball slide across the battlefield-
"How." Shinji says through the radio, focusing his mental energy, "Are you supposed to out do me if you don't stop letting the missles hit you?!" Ikari the Younger just hopes he can pull this off...the air in front of Unit-01 shimmers orange and red, as Shinji struggles with his tempermental ATField, trying to cover as broad a radius as he can-hopefuly enough to give Unit-02 time to recover, and prevent those missles from making swiss cheese of the immediate area.
Superboy huffs as he weaves around Big Duo's attempts to swat him away. Frustration stains his cheeks hot pink, as the hundred-odd answers that stream across the IPA broadband serve to aid him little. The Metropolis Kid will have to stick to his initial plan and quash Big Duo's flight-capabilities and ground it long enough for Roger Smith and the Big O to do its work ... if his teammates don't drive him nuts, first! He backs away, pressing his feet against the air ahead of him to speed him away from the length of Big Duo's arms. Energy still streams from his eyes, focused on that initial point to continually weaken the surface integrity of the afflicted shoulder unit..
Skirting fifty feet back, Superboy pauses in the air. His broad chest is heaving, propelling carbon dioxide from his lungs in heavy doses and drawing in similar amounts of oxygen. Sweat streaks his sun-kissed brow, his eyes straining and itchy from the constant outpour of heat. He blinks thrice over, batting away the irritation so that he can focus on the Big Duo without problem. Superboy breathes in, his chest expanding with breath. He shoots forward, becoming that familiar streak of black cotton and indigo denim again. His teeth gritted, fists held ahead to fashion his flying form into a spear of truth and justice. "Hnnnnh..." Brow narrowed, thick furrows of intense focus stretching across. "....NNNNNNAAAAGH!" In a mighty roar, the space behind Superboy's feet -pops-. The sun-less clouds echo with the localized sonic boom, created by Superboy to send him at the speed of sound right into -- and through -- Big Duo's shoulder!
Red warning lights snap on inside the Meteor's cockpit, and the lock-on alert starts wailing. The pilot quickly flicks a switch, activating the Meteor's jammers and shielding himself with a wall of electronic noise. The Meteor speeds upwards, right for the remains of the glass dome--but at the last second, it veers to the side, exiting through the hole the Big Duo made during its big entrance. The missiles detonate harmlessly against the 'umbrella', shattering glass and metal.
If Paradigm asks how that enormous hole got there, Thraskar is going to claim it was an accident.
[[Dominus... Deus?]] The starfighter does a hairpin turn in the sky above Paradigm, and dives down back through the ruined dome. The Lieutenant acquires lock once more, murmuring into his mic as he lines up another shot. [[Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus...]] He fires two more of those mass singularities, one after the other--the target is the arm opposite the one Superboy's attacking. [[Dominus Deus Sabaoth.]]
Hrm. "This isn't working." ]Correct, Sergeant.[ Sousuke looks up....and closes his eyes. Focuses. Trust the machine. It can do whatever you want, as long as you believe.
The shoulder and back pads on the Arbalest suddenly spring open, and heat radiation fins emerge. At the same time, a faint pink-blue light emerges from those same panels.
]Lambda Driver activation confirmed.[
"Let's go."
And Arbalest leaps up suddenly, dozens of meters into the air - far faster and higher than any machine of its kind should be capable of. And as it soars, it lashes out with its left hand, and a shot of long wire fires out, aiming at Big Duo. With any luck, this will catch on to the flying menace - and then Arbalest can climb aboard, and bring this fight to the enemy.
"Attempting to close in!" Sousuke calls into the radio. Is this guy crazy!? (yes)
Sousuke Sagara switches armor modes to Lambda Driver Arbalest.
Hey, closing in is how Big O does its stuff. Although it usually involves a lot less jumping since Big O is way too heavy.
Here comes another bombing run from Schwarzwald. Gatling missiles. Big O digs itself into the ground, lifting its two heavy arm shields up in front of its body. The blasts erupt around the shields, causing a thick plume of smoke which tmeporarily obscures the Big O - there were a lot of them. And it shows within the cockpit, as Roger looks at a readout of the Big O's body, with blinking arrows pointing at the arm shields - DAMAGE Lv3. "Damn it! So you're going to shock people into seeking knowledge by killing them, Schwarzwald. Some reporter you are..."
Roger grits his teeth, flipping a panel on the controls and flipping a number of switches. "I'm sorry, Big O. Looks like your friend up there has trusted itself to a madman... Truth is well and good, and perhaps this city would rest easier if we can unveil the mystery of forty years ago. But that doesn't justify murder! Big O! Action!"
As the smoke begins to clear from the Big O, one of its hip anchors launches into the air, anticipating another bombing run from the Big Duo and tracking its approach to fire at a position where it will be passing. Another anchor fires, and then a third, fourth, fifth, attempting to hook into Big Duo and, if they can, pull with all their might to bring the enemy Big down to the ground.
Asuka hears Shinji. "What the hell, I'm not letting it!" The EVA pulls up and throws out a hand, aiming to slap Shinji's EVA across the 'face' while the other hand steals its guns and opens fire at the Big Duo, aiming to also bring it down--in a way perhaps more old fashioned than the grappling hook technique. On the plus side, Shinji keeps her from getting hit by missiles with his AT field. Funny how her slap managed to break through, guess absolute terror fields aren't more absolute than Asuka.
"Why are you pissing me off all the time lately, what bug crawled in your butt?"
The Big Duo is apart of the forgotten, a truth of the city that has been forgotten due to fear by the populace, much like the megadeus that assault the city. The creation of them and their acceptance of their pilots, the dominus, is unknown. Perhaps just a memory of the city, as for how and why the Big Duo can do what it does.
Shinji has struck it but the size betrays its agility. It's large but for what it is, quite quick. As Shinji is focusing upon defense, the shield would absorb many a missile, depending on how strong the shield is from an Eva that had been in a fight the night before. It's a question of how much strength is has left.
The afflicted shoulder unit is hard pressed to stay up, and even bends a little under the pressure as Super Boy continues the assault through the eye lasers. The Big Duo spiralling once to distribute the laser damage so the shoulders doesn't fall off. Not yet. Not now! And then Super boy plummets quickly towards the Big Duo, not striking dead on as he slams towards the shoulder, Big Duo pulling up so he grabs the top of it, taking a bit of it with him but hardly anything vital. The Big is attempting to spread the damage, and there is alot of area to be spread over.
The arm gets shot towards once more, this time by Thraskar, but his luck runs dry this time. The singularities, shot one by one, evaded by finishing pulling up, and changing his direction. Thraskar has given too much time for the Big Duo to respond, the second arm unscathed for the moment.
The flying land based machine leaps into the air, suddenly, as the panels allows it to do so. The Big Duo is wrapped up by the wire, catching on and dragging it a big down. It's not that strong, to support another as well as itself, slowly losing altitude. Schwarzwald forces against it with the controls but he's already on.
And when Big O launches his own anchors against Big Duo, who was already weighted down by Sousuke, is caught by them, the rockets flaring as he attempts to pull away, the smoke thick as the Big Duo strains itself. "Those who will not seek are already dead, are just fearful creatures! If this will get another to seek the truth, I have no qualms. If one other does not fear what happened forty years ago I will have acommplished what I have set out to do. To show them the truth!" And then the Duo no longer is able to stay flying, the Big O having attached itself, combined with the damage it having already sustained, begins to bring the Big Duo down.
Right where the Big O wants it. The fire from Asuka catches one of the rockets, weakening it temporarily to malfunction, dragging it slowly down. The Big Duo changes courses, downwards, the propeller arm heading down towards the Big O. If he would be dragged down, he would use their force for his own gain!
[Fac-IPA] Superboy! Conner Kent says, "Looks like you got your wish, Mister Sm.. Roger!"
[Fac-IPA] Roger Smith says, "He may have another Big, but I've still got some tricks up my sleeve. Is everybody hanging in there?"
[Fac-IPA] Thraskar Davidson still sounds eerily calm, if a little annoyed. "I am undamaged, and the prey's been snared."
[Fac-IPA] Superboy! Conner Kent says, "Here. Let me make it easier for you.."
The Big O's anchors do not hit the building Rei is in. As light flashes, she watches, standing a few yards away from the edge of the building, which is about the only concession to safety she is making.
This one, she thinks, is wrapped in chains as well. A strange coincidence.
Okay, Shinji thinks, challanging her is /not/ a good way to motivate Asuka. Saved, stored, memorized! The ATField is, fortunately, more reliant on the pilot's ability to focus than the condition of the machine. In other words, its moderately plot powered-Shinji grunts at the strain all the same, feeling the faint reflection of the missle impact as he works to play tanker.
One or two get through, striking Unit-01 a heartbeat or two after that slap. In the cockpit, Shinji holds his face, trying not to feel too hurt. He kind of asked for it-"Hey, my gun!" And then more missles. He can't really complain about Asuka's aim, though.
Shinji Ikari decides, today, that he really hates missles. "I...I...I don't know! You flipped out when we found out about Toji and you just get pissed off when I try and be nice!" Shinji deflates, a little, "...sorry. I was worried, I guess?"
[Fac-IPA] Shinji Ikari grunt. "I /hate/ missles." A pause, then meak-as-usual, "B-but I'm okay. Sorry."
[Fac-IPA] Roger Smith says, "Hey, no need to apologize. Show a little confidence. I'm sick as hell of them myself right now."
[Fac-IPA] Thraskar Davidson says, "Thirded."
/Gotcha/. [[Good work, Squadron. Now keep him down,]] Lieutenant Davidson transmits. His tone still seems to be stuck in 'creepily calm', with a hint of amusement. And maybe a teeny bit of annoyance, too--something that big has no right to be that fast when it's equipped with that kind of propulsion.
As the Big Duo struggles to stay aloft, the Meteor continues to be an obnoxious, buzzing mosquito; it activates its ECM jammer once more, setting up a bubble of interference to try and ward off those missiles. It doesn't actually attack, though--Thraskar doesn't want to cut Sousuke's tether, or Roger's anchor-cords.
Superboy comes off with a chunk of the Big Duo, nothing he identifies as being particularly vital. "You've got to be kidding me!" He remarks to himself, staring in disbelief at the chunk of godmachine in his steel hands. His head shakes, indulging in a grunt lets him relieve some of the pent up frustration. "I have had just about enough of these super retarded robots and their super retarded durability!" With a snarl, Superboy hurls himself in a downward arc to rejoin the falling Big Duo. This time, he hurls the chunks of armor at the offensive forearm that houses the propeller unit. Pressing his feet back, he thrusts hard and slams his fists against it, trying to veer it away from damaging the Big O!
Reel reel reel hoist! Big Duo is falling, but Sousuke Sagara isn't letting go. The Lambda Driver gives him tremendous durability and his machine isn't going to release without a fight. So while Big Duo is dragged to the ground, Arbalest rapidly reels its cable in, bringing the machine down - in a hard kick aimed at the back of the Big Duo, to speed its descent.
If that doesn't work, Sousuke will start cutting things.
Asuka Langley shoots more at Big Duo, and after a moment's thought--having seen this on a television show--throws Shinji's gun at it too.
The chains begin retracting rapidly - a couple other anchors even fire into nearby buildings behind and to the sides, to anchor the Big O and dig it in, supporting its pull on Big Duo. The buildings begin to stress a bit, but the ease grows as Big Duo settles into the approach, and the others in the sky and on the ground begin to assist.
Roger Smith grimaces, watching Big Duo switch momentum. It's going to go for an attack when the collision occurs... so why not just deny him the collision that appears to be inevitable? Roger clicks the transmission to exclude Big Duo, and reports, "Uruz-Seven, anybody else around Big Duo, get clear of it now! Give it a wide berth!" The Big O lifts its fist, pointing at the incoming Big Duo, as Roger rears the stick back, and lets go. Big O flips the stick back down into the panel, sliding a more elaborate replacement stick with a prominent trigger in its place.
"Let me show you what I think of your Ultimate Truth, Schwarzwald!" Roger tenses and drives the stick forward, pushing the trigger. The wrist panels between Big O's enormous arm guard and its fist slide outward, revealing a number of wide-barreled gatling cannons surrounding the fist. The ring of cannons begins to revolve rapidly, settling into a blurred spin as each rapid-fires powerful blasts of energy at the incoming Big Duo. The rapidfire grows so quick that an enormous ring-shaped shockwave forms in front of the Big O's fist, slowly condensing and closing in on Big Duo. And when it collides, an enormous explosion rips into the opposing Big, at least as large as the Megadeus itself.
After throwing her--er, Shinji's--gun at the Big Duo, she finally answers Shinji, "Well it took me years of training to become a pilot, of course I'm upset that all you guys get the job after a few months!" The EVA crosses its arms defiantly, "And who would build giant robots with their own mind? Don't you think that's kind of silly?"
"Why is that so important to you?" Shinji probes, eyes afficed to the coming collision of the Bigs...for some reason, he's fairly sure there's going to be a pretty big explosion. For a brief, brief second-
"I toooolllldddd yyyooouuuuu~"
"Death in battle's a man's death! Be a man, sport! Oh-ho!"
"If I was worth something, dad wouldn't have left in the first place. ...why'd they let me get my hopes up?"
"Nah. I don't want to come out, right now. I think...I'm pretty sure we both know that I'm going to save it for when you really, really don't want to. Something /messy/. Keep pushing someone away, kid, and they might just stop trying. ...Hey, maybe both the girls'll be out, we can make it a party~"
Shinji closes his eyes, trying to focus on his ATField and not on the self doubt worming its way through his brain. He breaths, shallowly, muttering, "...I might...n-need some help with this..." as the Red-Orange field covering as far as Shinji's weakening ego can manage to cover starts to falter.
The Big Duo is plagued by the plaguye of mosquitoes! The smaller but still deadly mechs and and super boys have been wearing him down for a while. The missiles are no longer usable for the moment, the bubble of interference stopping such weaponry for at least the moment. There were far worse than those within the Big, and it wouldn't be wise to allow such a field to detonate it all.
Superboy chucks the chunks of armor towards the propeller unit, but the propeller .. catches it. The spinning stops, turning out to be one of the Big Duo's hands. It continues to spin after wards, now with extra force towards it's target.
The descent towards the ground caused by Sousuke helps him, it speeds him towards Roger. However, a large dent is created, armor breaking off and bending inwards from it. The gun may hit Sousuke. This is good. Or hit one of the cables, but with mixed success it does hit Big Duo, and bounces off, perhaps towards one of those nearby. The shots also ring true, him unable to move. The damage is really adding up, especially when the Big Duo is stuck. He still heads straight towards the Big O, fists heading down..
And then Big O raises his fist towards him. The arm guard and arm seperate as the wide barreled gatling gun cannons fire directly towards Big Duo, hitting each shot as Schwarzwald still continues his straight path.. and then the shockwave is created, Schwarzwald letting go of the control and screaming. Big O has him where he wants him
And the enormous explosion slams into Big Duo, consuming the entire Big for a moment in the gigantic blast, even the screams of Scwarzwald not heard for the moment... and when it is over, the big still stands, although it is not doing well at all. Chains having been blasted off as well as heavy damage to the entire big, a rocket or two sputtering, the gyro's mangled as well as the knees and legs, a few of the unused payloads falling from the form and pieces of the wing arms falling off, one of them nearly separated by Super Boy now even more so, the explosion welding a bit so that it still hangs by sheer coincidence, and the head broken apart, shattered but holding still. The Big Duo barely stands... and then the two rockets on each highly damaged arms begin to sputter, something seeping from the Big.
Thick black smoke begins to seep from the rockets as they sputter to life, the rotors beginning clunkily but in the end working. The rockets push off, the smoke seeping heavily now, attempting to break free of any chains that may be attached to him as well, smoke now being released from every available port, Big Duo heading straight up.
There is no crash, the smokescreen eventually consuming Big Duo, obscene amounts of thick black smoke being sent out. Before he disappears into it though, Schwarzwald calls out to Roger, the others as well who had interrupted his work. "Don't you find it odd Roger... that there is only one man in this whole city, who has the desire to find the truth? Even the desire to know the truth has withered.. It will be I who will restore the fruits of my labor to the entire world!"
And the red Megadeus is drawn into the smoke...
"Beacuse..." Asuka's EVA moves in the way of the missiles heading for Shinji. As usual, her AT field isn't so hot, but she manages to catches two incoming missiles flying for Shinji. "Piloting EVA...."
She twists them around and throws them as hard as she can for Big Duo with a creak of metal and a hiss of breath through her teeth. "...Is my life! That's why!"
Impact - and it's falling. "Affirmative!" Sousuke yells at Roger's command, and then the gun smashes into him - but there is a tremendous explosion of blue-white light, negating the blow entirely. It never strikes, although the kinetic force still applies, and Arbalest flies through the air, crashing through a building and landing in a shorter one beside it, the Lambda Driver's barrier protecting the machine from harm.
]We seem to have crashed.[ "That...seems to be the case." ]...Would you like some after-battle mood music? It is my understanding that such can greatly[ "CAN IT." ]Yessir.[
And now, this is Roger's hunt. The Meteor flies backwards, well away from the fight, as the Big O opens up on its prey. In the cockpit, Thraskar grits his teeth and looks away from the explosion; the plasteel canopy changes tint to block out most of the light, but it's still a bit too bright.
The fighter deactivates its jammers once the extent of the damage becomes apparent. It makes ready to start a circular patrol sweep when smoke starts billowing out of the Big Duo. Thraskar lets out a low hissing noise--frustration, or maybe anger--and then attempts to sweep the area with radar. Unfortunately, the Meteor is somewhat lacking in this respect, and its pilot knows it. Doesn't make him feel any better.
Shinji Ikari feels the bizarre urge to smirk a little as Sagara "lands". He blames his evil dad.
Steel against steel! Superboy drives his fists against the plating of the Big Duo, hammering massive blows without any sign of slowing down. The sound of the close-quarters impact blot out Roger's warning to steer clear -- not that it would bother the Boy of Steel much. The aggressive punching slows, though, the moment something glowing catches Kon-El's attention from out the corner of his eye. Something coming emitted from the Big O, an O-shape condensing down into something far more powerful. Instinctively, Superboy knows this will not end well for his clothing. "Aw, heck.." He sighs in reservation. His shoulders slump and his lips droop into a pout. It's awfully good he saved a lot of money on costume insurance!
The explosion that rocks the Big Duo sends Superboy careening off the Megadeus. His steely physique rides along the rim of the shockwave, its destructive energy shearing away his outfit in patches and ribbons. He flies through the air, hurtled a respectable distance until his nearly-naked body whizzes two feet past the standing Rei Ayanami. Superboy crashes against the roof and skids, cutting a wide swath of building material until he finally comes to a rest upon the doorway that leads into the building proper. Scraps of black cotton and indigo denim cling to his muscular, sweat-soaked and scuffed body. The five-sided diamond crest has been disintegrated, save for a few red bits. "..oogh. That tickled," Superboy murmurs, unaware of the tiny thread of crimson streaming from his nose. His head shakes and he huffs, coming to be aware of Rei's presence a few seconds later. "Hallooo.." Superboy waves half-heartedly, his greeting almost cheery.
The impact near her does get Rei's attention. She is not that oblivious. She does not move to dodge or to protect herself; instead, her head turns to track the small incoming object until it comes to a skidding halt.
At this point she realizes that it is not a missile, a moment from explosion and a swift death, nor is it a piece of shrapnel. Rather, it's that flying man. Superboy.
She steps closer, quickly. She lifts her voice slightly above the usual toneless quiet to ask, "Are you badly hurt?" as she looks at him. She seems faintly impressed.
Shinji Ikari's eyes widen as the missles streak in-and he lets out a breath, as Asuka saves the day. The Third breathes, a little, as the ATField does its level best to help keep the property damage down to a dull roar-as the explosions fade into smoke and sinister laughter, Eva-01's on its knees, arms crossed in front of its face, and almost seems to be panting along with his pilot. Ugh, how does Ayanami /do/ this so easily...
"T-thanks." Shinji mutters, concentrating on breathing. Asuka's admitted reason is...well...well, that's the same reason Gendo left, isn't it? Suddenly desperate, Shinji tries to think of some way to-he doesn't know, turn /down/ the whatever it is that Asuka's upset over. "...l-look I...can't say I know what its like to...you're...stable and I'm..." Shinji sighs, realizing he's probably ventured into the unspeakable territory again. "I'm sorry. Its been a bad month. ...I'll take over, um, dish duty for a while?"
"I'll live," Superboy says. His head leans forward, surveying the destruction wrought to his clothing. With a mournful sigh, his fingers flick over his chest and clear it of cement bits and dust. He looks up at Rei, brow raised and eyes inquisitive. "You alright?"
Rei looks rather strange, but unharmed beyond some stray dust from the battle. "Yes," she says, with a slight nod.
She looks at the doorway behind Superboy, then back at him. "Can you still fly," she asks after considering the probable state of the staircase.
Arbalest calms; the radiator fins retract, the pods close, and the Lambda Driver deactivates. Sousuke relaxes in his seat, closing his eyes.
"Uruz Seven to all units. Is everyone alright?"
Sousuke Sagara switches armor modes to Arbalest.
"Don't bother--" Asuka seems to realize this sounds ruder than she intends and adds, "I mean, you don't have to do anything like that just to make me feel better, I'm fine." A beat. "'Sides, you'd probably end up doing it anyway."
Badum ching!
Superboy follows Rei's eyes, tilting his head to glance back at the structure he's impacted to. "I think so." He says with a soft, confident smile -- like no matter what, everything will be alright. Pressing his foot on the floor of the roof, Superboy slowly uproots himself. Without showing it, fatigue slithers across his broad shoulders and down his thighs. Battling Big Duo has called upon his reserves and the sun-less sky of Paradigm City has done nothing to replenish them. Standing tall, Superboy shakes his head one last time at the remains of his shirt. He merely pulls the black shreds off his chest and throws them to the ground. "Sooner or later, I'm going to have to embrace the whole 'tights' thing, you know?" Kon-El looks back to Rei, his dour expression at the ultimate fate of his outfit softened for her sake. "Did you need a lift? Best ride in the city," he winks.
That's significant damage to the Big Duo... which appears to be... obscuring itself?
Escaping.
Roger Smith grits his teeth, the anchors retracting into Big O as it takes a few steps forward, swinging the one punch it can hope to get in before Big Duo passes out of range again. "The truth is precious to people. Memories give us a sense of who we are, and losing them leaves a hole in our hearts that we seek to fill. But we are made up of more than our memories. The fact is we have to live here, in the present and the future. To destroy the present in the name of the past is no truth worth anything, Schwarzwald!"
Roger Smith sighs, as Big O's radar scrambles, unable to track the movement of Big Duo past this. He flicks the radio back to allied chatter. "This is the Big O, Uruz Seven, we're alright. It... looks like I accidentally hit you with the O-Thunder, uh... Superboy. Are you still out there? You okay?"
[Fac-IPA] Shinji Ikari says, "Wow, Mister S-smith, do you practice those? Its really impressive!"
The punch skimming along the heavy feet. The missiles disappear into the smoke after Big Duo. Perhaps they hit.. but it is not apparent through all the smoke. And the Meteor chases after Big Duo, the smoke slowing him down as he switches to radar, which, for a few moments, does indeed pickup Big Duo. It's a large signal.
And then it disappears from the radar completely. Roger's radar would also read nothing once it eventually returns to normal. The Big Duo apparently gone. As quick as it came, it is gone, the smoke eventually blowing away to reveal nothing at all, Big Duo, gone, as the scanner had indicated.
Rei looks steadily at Superboy for a moment. This is strange to her. They said, clearly and outright, what he is and where he comes from. This is also strange to her; she understands what is generally the outcome of cloning as it exists in her world. He doesn't fit.
Her own expression is rather dour itself. She rests her left arm's elbow in her right hand and looks to the side of the building. "They aren't uncomfortable," she says, and then looks back at him. "Yes."
[Fac-IPA] Roger Smith smirks. You can almost hear it. "As a Negotiator, it's important to think calmly and clearly, and to express an argument in its purest form."
[Fac-IPA] Shinji Ikari oh. "So you're what Misato calls a bu-" pause. "Um, n-nevermind. I hope we helped a little."
[Fac-IPA] Roger Smith says, "Of course you did. I have a feeling that would have been a much bigger struggle if you guys didn't provide the assist like that."
[Fac-IPA] Thraskar Davidson now sounds coldly annoyed. "He's gone." Pause. Back to the usual smart-aleck tone. "God, I hate it when they do that."
[Fac-IPA] Rei Ayanami says, "Yes."
[Fac-IPA] Amuro Ray says, "How'd the battle go?"
[Fac-IPA] Thraskar Davidson says, "Lots of property damage, and Paradigm's going to have to fix their dome."
[Fac-IPA] Thraskar Davidson says, "We busted the enemy up good, though."
'Doesn't fit' is an understatement. The Boy of Steel is thankfully without the power of telepathy and cannot pick-up on the thoughts running through Rei's mind. Instead, he is caught up by the words spoken in his ear, through the IPA micro-transmitter lodged in it. He cranes his head low, placing his fingertip against his ear canal to speak. "Ah...." Kon-El's lips part, the words about to leave his throat when he catches himself. Rethinking his response, he chooses a word that causes him a bit of amusement. "..Swell, Roger. Thanks."
Superboy smiles at Rei. "I'll keep that in mind," he says in regards to her comment about tights. He holds his hands out, offering them with upward palms to Rei. He's offering for her to reach out. "Ready when you are."
The Meteor makes a single pass through the smoke before slowing to a halt. In the cockpit, Thraskar lets out another annoyed hiss...
And the Hunter punches the 'OUT' sign on his time-card. The Wingman punches 'IN'.
The pilot shakes his head. "Davidson here," he says to Sousuke, "All systems green."
Shinji Ikari sort of /wants/ to, but he realizes that when you try and help certain people with certain things, its best to just kind of /do/ it before they can get all uptight about it. He actualy laughs at the truth. "Well, I don't mind. I kind of like it, to be honest."
Shinji can't resist, and clicks on his wider radio. "Hey, Sagara. Good work out there." That part is genuine. And then Shinji smiles a tiny, tiny, tiny little smile. "Nice l-landing, too."
Then, out of the corner of Unit-01's camera-eyes, Shinji sees it. He blinks. He blinks again. "Am I crazy, or is that Ayanami flying off that b-building with a shirtless guy?" Shinji asks, filled with an odd, fraternaly volitle sort of calm.
"Nope, Ayanami has just been captured by a Superboy. Hope they use prot--hey, did you just jive at Sousuke?" Asuka comments.
Rei reaches out as well, and somewhat upwards. She is a great deal smaller than Superboy, after all.
And yes, she is actually there. What is more, she is wearing, for some reason, a red tracksuit.
"You have an advantage, fighting them," she says, rather quickly. She is expecting the flight to be fast, and thus loud.
"Um.. something like that." Superboy smiles again. He doesn't particularly catch the meaning behind her red tracksuit. "Although I'd call it more of a responsibility.." He takes her hands and brings her close, gently. An arm loops around her waist, ensuring she's well-secured to him as he begins to slowly ascend into the darkened heavens. "So, where did you need me to drop you off?"
Sousuke blinks owlishly at Shinji's face in his monitors. His cockpit is very dark, lit only by the light of his screens. "Thank you," he says, apparently completely oblivious to Shinji's sass. Al flashes the 'SASSY' part of Shinji's Sassy Rival tag, but Sousuke writes it off as the AI being insane again. "It was a difficult impact; being hit by weapons several times the size of the machine is hardly conducive to grace." Pause. "It's good to know you're all well. Did the city sustain much damage?"
Sousuke is still not used to this whole 'fighting in cities where people are used to massive property damage' thing yet.
Shinji Ikari wonders if this is somehow all Toji's fault, bizarrely. "Maybe she finally tried out for the track team. She's got a heck of an arm. If he doesn't I'm going to step on him." This is probably a joke, since Shinji usualy passes out at the thought of anything two healthy young adults would need protection for. And, come on, its Superman's kid. Clone. Whatever. Shinji blinks hedgehogishly back at Sousuke, and shrugs. "I'm n-not sure. I did my best...the ATField's actualy p-pretty good for that kind of stuff, once you get the hang of it."
"What, I can't jive?" Shinji asides, quietly.
"Yes," Rei says at the mention of responsibility. She doesn't object or react much at all to being picked up around the waist - however, on takeoff, she starts looking around. It's strange, and not unpleasant. Unlike helicopters, it's silent.
Her first thought is 'the street' but it looks wrecked. "The Gate," she says, looking up towards EVA-01. She raises one hand to wave at it.
Yes, the city sustained very much a lot of damage.
"Sorry about that, Superboy... I was hoping I'd provided enough warning." The greyscale, scanlined image of Roger Smith on the radio shakes his head. "A lot of it, between Beck and Schwarzwald, it looks like. But less than it would have if they had their run of it. Schwarzwald probably came to tear down the entire dome. Anyway, this is Alex Rosewater's dome. The reconstruction is up to him." And that serves him right. Alex Rosewater... the corporate master Schwarzwald accused Roger of serving, and Roger doesn't particularly care for the guy either. "I'm heading back to the mansion... the military police can handle this situation from here. Thanks for all the help, everybody."
The ground begins to rumble again, and once again, a heavy hole is torn in the pavement beneath the Big O. The subway mechanism platform rises up under it again, and then lowers Big O down into the hole, out of the light and out of sight, on its way back home.
The image on Roger's radio switches temporarily.
"Master Roger, I am terribly sorry, but the roast has grown cold in your absence. I will do my best to have something ready when you return."
"Thanks, Norman. Sorry about the delay, but it looks like I'm about done here now."
"Very good, sir. I will prepare Big O's repair bay."
Kon-El nods when Rei voices her destination. He cannot help but ask, "So.. find yourself on rooftops during giant robot fights often?"
"I am usually in one," Rei answers. "It is more comfortable."
EVA-01 waves back-the "animal" from before almost looks shy, perhaps a reflection of its growing synchronization ratio with its owner.
As for Shinji, he decides that a quick nap while the cleanup crews do their thing would be a good way to spent the next few hours. Man, crazy ATField wearing him out.
"Thank you," Rei says, lifting her hand to wave back, before passing through once again.
I should report on this, she thinks, before she appears in another universe.
ACT 1
ENEMY IS ANOTHER BIG
WE HAVE COME TO TERMS.
*Ring, ring.*
A mysterious voice on the other end of the line says, "Act 2: Electric Boogaloo."