2023-07-15: Death+Rebirth, or You Must (Not) Run.

• Log: Death+Rebirth, or You Must (Not) Run.
• Cast: Kaworu Nagisa, Shinji Ikari, Mari Makinami Illustrious, Asuka Shikinami Langley, Rei Ayanami, Liam 7-020, Gridman, Alouette Pommier, Lina Lombardi, Chloe, Takeshi Todo, Lucine Azul
• Where: Tokyo-3
• OOC - IC Date: July 15, 0097 (2023)
• Summary: NERV high command has decreed that Duma is too dangerous to be allowed to live. However, before they can track down the Tenth Angel to put a decisive end to it, it comes to them first to bring the peace of silence to Tokyo-3.

---

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        It's a normal day in Tokyo-3, inasmuch as any day can be considered normal in a fortress city that is prone to kaiju attacks. There has been an evacuation preparation warning that's been in place since the results of the investigation of the Tenth Angel. Considering that the city had to be completely evacuated during the Eleventh Angel's approach, some people have just stayed evacuated. Many others have tentatively returned. Hotels are expensive, and with the Orbital Ring having also been evacuated, there was a premium of space for a while. That's eased up since. Some people are willing to risk danger if it means they can sleep in their own beds.
        
        In the Geofront, operations continue as normal too, inasmuch as any operations can be considered normal while an Angel is at large. Tensions aren't as high as they were during the Eleventh Angel's approach, but there is still a certain nervousness to the air as searches for the Tenth Angel continue apace while deployments are still made for other kaiju. NERV had even sent out a couple of mechs and their pilots to the Orb Union in anticipation of an attack from the so-called Devil, Alexis Kerib--but that's since been taken care of. Right now, all of NERV Japan's Evangelions and Eva pilots are at headquarters, undergoing routine testing. For several of the Children, that means testing plug depth from an entry plug partially submerged in LCL; for Shinji Ikari and Kaworu Nagisa, recently assigned as paired pilots on the new dual-seat entry plug, the tests take place in Unit-01 herself. Their recent deployment in Orb went well, but the dual-seater is new technology, and Commander Ikari has greater ambitions still for the concept of two pilots in one Evangelion.
        
        And in the skies, sunny and clear without a single cloud--
        
        Kaworu turns a sharp look upwards, his usual faint smile vanishing.
        
        Warnings blare within the Geofront, the equivalent of the MAGI screaming.
        
        A glowing cloud suddenly unravels itself from a point in space...
        
        "Energy signature abruptly forming two hundred meters over Tokyo-3!" calls Lt. Shigeru Aoba. "It's--it's the Tenth Angel!!"
        
        "What did you say?!" Col. Misato Katsuragi demands.
        
        It's a matter of only seconds. Where once were clear skies, now a brilliant cloud, streaked through with limbs like lightning, looms over the city. Orders instantly go out to cancel the tests, to evacuate the city, to deploy the Evangelions, but Duma is already extending their A.T. Field. Using it akin to an instrument, they play a song of rests within radio snow.
        
        "No," Kaworu murmurs urgently from within Unit-01. "You mustn't...!"
        
        Through the topside of Tokyo-3, the city's denizens look up from where they've been going about their daily lives. The panic that had been crackling through them like a live wire... disippates. Everyone relaxes. Everyone becomes calm. Everyone politely stops or sets down what they've been doing to watch the Angel.
        
        Everyone does not evacuate. No matter how much the sirens blare.
        
        "The Angel's A.T. Field is spreading through the greater Tokyo-3 area and affecting the mental states of the citizenry! They've become unresponsive--they're awake, but they just won't--acknowledge the danger!" Lt. Ibuki reports, fingers flying over her keyboard as her eyes remain locked on the screen.
        
        "The A.T. Field's effects are spreading at a rapid rate! Topside personnel have stopped reporting in!" Lt. Makoto Hyuuga anounces. "The effects are reaching into the Geofront next! They're... they're..."
        
        His eyelids droop as his gaze goes out of focus. Busy hands begin to still throughout the Geofront. The deep undergroud and twenty-two layers of defensive plating slow some of the signals and thus their effects, but the Geofront has been taken off-guard--and it is perpetually connected to the outside. Many struggle for a moment, but the mental faculties of even the strongest-willed human will soon be overwhelmed by the Angel's song of silence. Even those who aren't Lilim aren't safe this time; the Tenth Angel has learned well from their mistakes. Commander Ikari grips the edge of his desk, defiance in his shaded eyes and grit teeth, but it will only be a matter of time before he too succumbs. For an instant, it might seem as though the Tenth Angel has defeated NERV in one fell, bloodless swoop.
        
        Until...
        
        "Shinji-kun, the A.T. Field," Kaworu says urgently to his co-pilot. "It will neutralize the Tenth Angel's signal."
        
        The ring of his voice somehow clears the growing fuzz on Shinji's thoughts. Shaking his head like a wet dog, he utters, "Wha--? Huh? Oh!! Right!" He grips his side of the controls, and Kaworu mirrors him at his back. Together, they chorus, "Deploying A.T. Field!"
        
        It radiates out from Unit-01 in a heartbeat. Shinji already has a high sync ratio with Unit-01, and with Kaworu there too, their souls resonate as closely as still-separate lifeforms can. Like a bell it tolls, and where it contacts the signal carried on Duma's A.T. Field, it resonates and neutralizes. Soon, the fog that had fallen lifts. It may take longer for some than others, but everyone within the Geofront will regain their faculties.
        
        The same is not true of those topside. The signal there is too strong--and Duma has not given up.
        
        It's now a race to see the light whose soul can outshine the other's.
        
        When coherence has been restored, Commander Ikari gives the order: "The pilots of Unit-01 will maintain defense of the Geofront. The pilot of Unit-02 will lead a counteroffensive against the Tenth Angel, supported by Unit-00 and Unit-04."
        
        "The people who've been hypnotized by the Tenth Angel aren't moving out of the way like they should," Col. Katsuragi adds grimly, "so everyone who deploys must be extremely careful about where they step."
        
        Dr. Akagi nods. "We don't know if this is intentional on the Angel's part or if it's a side effect of its mental assault, but the end result is the same."
        
        Col. Katsuragi continues, "The Tenth Angel probably isn't going to open up any over attacks, but it's not conveniently coming in range of melee weaponry either, so you'll all have to take potshots at it from afar to distract it and create an opening. Asuka, you'll take point on this and coordinate all attacks from every launching pilot. Rei, you'll keep an eye on the civilians underfoot--make sure they don't get harmed by any stray fire. Mari, you'll take up a sniper position and deploy Unit-04's A.T. Field from the surface to keep our pilots clear-headed. When the Angel's signals weaken enough and Shinji-kun and Kaworu-kun can erode its A.T. Field completely, Mari will finish it off with sniper fire. Understood? Then it's time to launch!"
        
        ...So it's been ordered. But there may be some who'd rather see Duma get away alive, despite all they're trying to do to rob the city of free will. How to do that will making sure the civilians stay unharmed, though?

<Pose Tracker> Mari Makinami Illustrious has posed.

Mari, you'll take up a sniper position and deploy Unit-04's A.T. Field from the surface to keep our pilots clear-headed.

"Rojah~."

The chirpy affirmation was given, true to form, with an airy sense of pleasantness despite the dire circumstances Geofront faces in the form of the Tenth Angel's quiescence. Mari was already ready to go, plug suit adorned and slipped pleasantly into the entry plug of the would-be Cursed Evangelion Unit-04; it's a happy coincidence that doesn't really merit much looking into when the entirety of Tokyo-3 is facing absolute pacification.

In the end, it just means that Mari Makinami Illustrious is in an ideal position to accomplish exactly what they need.

Right now, though? Right now, Eva-04 is a fair distance off from the epicenter of Duma and its siren song; trudging through the outskirts of Tokyo-3, AT Field deployed to its maximum, Evthe white Evangelion is carrying a long, black case in one hand as it maneuvers across buildings and along streets towards a slopping hill of green bordering the city proper.

As it moves, music fills the air, cheerily sung by the Child with No Designation, as if in direct defiance of Duma's sweet song of silence:

        o/` "A sudden kiss in the morning,
             a tender gaze in the evening~
             Beyond my range of comprehension
             until you brought to attention~
             Greetings always followed by sweet goodbyes,
             yes, all must meet its end~" o/`

"Yohp!"

One hand planting into the hill, Eva-04 vaults its way to its zenith. The ground quakes gently as it lands in a fluid crouch, umbilical cable whipping the ground behind it as it lays out that case, flips it open...

        o` "Baby, cant you just relax?" o`

... and sets about casually setting up the massive stand for its equally massive sniper rifle.

        o` "Don't look back, dont hurry~" o`

<Pose Tracker> Asuka Shikinami Langley has posed.

"Huh? Yeah I guess I'll participate." Asuka toweled the sweat off of her face, her phone on speaker in the otherwise empty girl's locker room. She'd just finished her daily workout, "I don't know, the Millympic games always felt like- indulging some rich girl's stupid fantasies."

Hikari Horaki answered on the other side, "Maybe so, but the prize money could really help out our school with its club budgets, Ms. Vice President." Asuka stopped toweling at her head to eye her phone in annoyance, "I hate it when you call me that."

A soft giggle, "Well it always gets you to sit up and pay attention-! Besides I- I- Oh." There's a sudden commotion over the speaker phone, even as the alarms around NERV base go off. Asuka at least knew the cadence of that alert meant an Angel. "Where are you!? You need to get to an evacuation point right now!" Hikari responded with a sedate, "... so pretty..."

All but tearing the locker door off, she grabs her plug suit, "Hikari!? What's going on!" Asuka could hear the alarms around the town going off over the phone, in contrast with the ones around the base, even as she suited up. But there was no response. "Hikari! HIKARI!"

As her plug suit compressed with a tap at her wrist, she threw her phone angrily into her locker- "DAMNIT!" -and started to tear off down the hall, almost reaching the cage.

And that's when she feels it. As her anger starts to calm, despite the incongruency of the matter, as her feelings start to change, as she wanted to just- just-

-gripping a wall, Asuka pressed a palm against her face with the other hand, remembering. Remembering- "... like... that... stupid... Kaiju." The instant replacement of everything important to her with other impulses. The gradual creep of apathy. Fingers curling upon the wall, she forced herself to get up.

But she couldn't take more than a step, before her legs tried to collapse beneath her, and her fingers went nerveless, flat on the ground, she tried to snarl- but...

... all that came out was a soft sigh. That is until the AT Field spread all over the Geo-Front from Unit-01. From that near blank, it all returned all at once.

She broke into a run into the Evangelion's cage.

-=-=-

It was not long before Evangelion Unit-02 was rising out of the Geofront. There's something terse about the way she responds to Misato, "<We'll get it done, Colonel.>" The sliding door of the tower retracts downward as the Red Evangelion steps out, it's Crossbow in hand.

Its limbs suddenly unfold, as an electromagnetic connection is formed. The moment she sees it, she begins to fire, her commands on edge. "<Flank the thing. We're hitting it from multiple sides so it spreads that field thin. Bring it down.>" The Eva fires multiple times, as bolt after bolt smashes against the AT Field. To Mari's cheerful tune over the radio, Asuka's annoyance this time almost sounds perfunctory, "<Hey Catty Four Eyes - that shot had BETTER NOT come late this time!"

Certainly she addressed her, but her annoyance is small against the great tide of her rage right now. The moment her mic was not hot she declared something, white knuckle upon the induction levers as her Eva continued its Salvo against its field, "Kill you. I'LL KILL YOU!"

It won't get the chance to do that again to anyone, if she has her way.

<Pose Tracker> Rei Ayanami has posed.

Rei Ayanami had been

Seas within seas.

doing something

An empty cup pours into an empty cup. The empty cup, set down, has something in it.

individually during the

A reflection through the air.
Who am I?
-- I am I. Not you.
Who?
Who?
Who?
Who?
Who?
Who?
Who?

period prior to the arrival of Duma; and when Duma's initial challenge has been overcome by the development of Evangelion Unit One's AT Field, Rei was quick to emerge, and to report to Eva-00.

Which is the last of the Evangelions to emerge.

Eva-00 is equipped with its shield component, as well as another firearm - one which should suffice to blast at the Angel. At Duma. To rip into whatever form its body takes; to reveal the core, for destruction, whether by the Second or by Mari. Perhaps even by she herself.

And yet -

Rei looks down.

Eva-00 steps away from the launch rack with incredible caution. The gun-wielding hand reaches backwards to grasp the umbilical cable. To support it upwards. Eva-00's head turns periodically to look towards Duma, then back down.

Rei breathes heavily. The cable is lifted - strung over the top of a reinforced eight story building. Rei walks - gingerly, oh, so terribly gingerly - into an apparently empty parking lot, half open air and half structure. A parked van is instantly flattened beneath the Evangelion's foot but there are no people there. Rei continues to lead the cord.

KTS: Lina Lombardi has deployed in MPMZ-17 Ichinana.

<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.

        Liam was one of those pilots assigned to intercept Alexis Kerib and his kaiju. (That he happened to be invited to Ruri Hoshino's birthday party was certainly a happy coincidence, and not a sign of sneaking around behind Gendo Ikari's back. Certainly.) He's in the process of typing out his report, having staked out a corner in one of the Geofront's open conference rooms with his work laptop and his 2-liter thermos of water. He certainly looks the epitome of professionalism, asking his eyewitness (Lucine Azul) questions about the incident, while typing.

        Then the warnings blare, and everything goes to hell.

        Liam stares at the little infobar displaying his new orders.

        "Duma," he breathes, and his blood turns to ice. "Duma's here." He meets Lucine's eyes, and he feels that fuzziness crawling through his brain, trying to turn off his engineered adrenal response. Liam's mind reels--he thinks of the hospital lights, being strapped to the gurney, anything to get himself afraid again.

        And then, suddenly, it stops. Liam takes a few deep breaths before he realizes what happened.

        "It's trying to pacify the city--" More orders come in. Liam's jaw tightens. "The Evas are holding it off. We need to get it out there and--and drive it off." The orders are to 'destroy it'. "But people haven't evacuated. We--we have to do this, Lu. Duma doesn't--it needs to know things can't go on like this...!"

        * * *

        

        The Neo Helios can do one thing the Evas can't: It can fly. It deploys from one of the smaller launch vents, and immediately takes to the air with slow, careful bursts, maneuvering so it's within Eva-00's coverage. "Right above you, Rei," Liam transmits. "Slow and steady. Remember what's at stake here. Lucine's here, too."

<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.

"Gridman. Duma has made their move." Max's voice rumbles. "I cannot say where exactly they are intending to go, but I believe we can all make a guess."

Golden eyes squeeze closed. "I wish we could've reached him."

Gridman is still, even as Max nods to Calibur. The Samurai begins collecting Junk and all its cables in his arms. Borr throws a handful of playing cards down onto the table, muttering something about how Vit was going to win anyway.

"Duma's a part of Tsutsujidai." Vit says, seriously -- though this doesn't keep him from snapping a picture of his winning hand with his phone. "We don't give up on people just because they make mistakes. Not here."

With a grim look on his face, Gridman nods.

---

"Duma!" Gridman calls, running through the streets of Tokyo-3 moments after the Cloud makes its apperance. "Duma, stop!"

But something, some kind of... song, echoes into Gridman's heart, and he stumbles. Vit scoops him into one arm before pulling back to lean against a building's wall, sighing.

"S--stay focused!" Calibur grits out. Even he is affected, knuckles turning white as he clings to Junk in an effort to stay aware. "W--we cannot allow this to stop us. NERV w--will..."

Voice trailing off, the samurai slowly goes down to one knee, then the other. It's an odd, stilted movement -- as if Calibur's body simply can't imagine why he was running so hard.

"You know. It's not that bad. I bet if it was like this, even Ennil..." Vit murmurs, setting Gridman safely back on his feet. "I bet that Dawn stuff wouldn't matter so much to her."

Blessedly, or perhaps otherwise, Duma's song is drowned out by something else. Gridman shakes his head, all at once grateful and annoyed by the static drowning out the Angel's song of peace.

"We can't let that happen again. Come on, get moving!" Gridman encourages his companions. "Sigma, are you alright?"

As soon as he's sure his brother is safe, Gridman leads his companions into a secluded alleyway -- still far enough from Duma that they should be safe from the battle to come. After a brief search for an outlet, Junk is plugged in. Gridman and Calibur line up before him. Vit will stay behind this time, to protect Takeshi and Junk both.

"Kaworu, Rei..." Gridman looks at his phone screen -- an image of the three teenagers posing before a movie poster. The screen is locked, turning black, as Gridman slips it back into his pocket. "I'm sorry. Access... Flash!"

As the Eva units line up against Duma, a familiar gleam of blue pixels breaks through the sky. Gridman, curling into an aerial somersault, lands in front of the Glow Cloud, placing himself between the Angel and their would-be attackers.

"Please, everyone, stop!" He cries, extending both his arms out wide, a protective gesture. "We don't have to fight each other! Duma doesn't want to hurt anyone, he wants to protect humanity, he just doesn't understand!"

Calibur hangs against Gridman's back, 'sheathed' for the moment. Gridman makes no attack, at least for now. But he's certainly not backing down -- directly putting himself between Duma and any who try to step forward against him.

Brilliant red-and-silver armor shines in the radiance of the sun, painting Gridman every bit as the hero he's trying to be. "We can learn from each other! At least, we can help Duma find a world where he can live in peace. No one has to get hurt! Please, listen to me!"

<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.

Alouette returning to business at normal with the Gutsy Global Guard means she's once again back to dealing with the quite abnormal. Such business brings her to the Geofront; after the Eleventh Angel's sound defeat and seemingly subsequent orders to subdue the Tenth next, she's here on behalf of 3G to discuss their own contributions to the attack.

Well - she wasn't expecting such things to escalate this soon, she thinks, as that all-so recognizable glowing cloud envelops Tokyo-3.

3G always has a certain way of setting up their battlefields. Evacuation comes before all else. What's the point of saving a city with nobody left to live in it? But any of those efforts are squashed when Duma sings their song of silence. Is this... Duma's way of stopping conflict? Like Asuka... she has conflicted feelings about this. It really is so much like Bujack...

These people, the people of Tokyo-3 have lost their courage... and perhaps Duma lost theirs long ago. It's enough of a reason for Alouette to want to fight. "NERV personnel - as a member of 3G, I'm extensively trained in rescue operations. I'll do whatever I can to help you save the people of Tokyo-3!" She requests, moving to the hangar.

Guardienne Aviaire isn't here... but even before she existed, Alouette had other ways. "My old friend... will you fight with me once more?" She requests, picking out a Long Dagger from the hangar, equipped with the Fortestra armour. "Ah, but as you are, you won't do." She adds, as she hacks directly into that Coordinator-Spec OS. "Installing digital Hyper Tool packaging... perfect." She smiles, very slightly.

The black and red mobile suit emerges from the Geofront. The Evangelions... even Gridman. Many hearts join her on this battlefield, and she knows she can at least trust Gridman with rescue efforts. "Administrator Kaworu, Shinji-kun, Catty-Four Eyes... I'm trusting in your efforts. But more importantly... I'm trusting in all of our courage together! Alouette Pommier, Long Dagger, launching!" Such a bulky machine is something she's not so used to anymore... but perhaps it will pay off. Despite the heavy frame, the Long Dagger lands with grace, carefully avoiding any citizenry spellbound by Duma. "Hyper Tool, EMISSION!" She calls. "CLEAVING COMPASS!" The ground shakes in a way that may be familiar with anyone acquainted with the Dividing Driver, but its effects are not quite the same, instead bisecting physical ground to form a wall, protecting the group of civilians inside from stray fire. And because of the state they're in... they don't even freak out about it! "Good, good. No issues with the data transfer... especially since it was such an impromptu idea." Well, she's not an idiot, she tested it first... but it's always a relief to know things work in live combat when lives are at stake.

She may not have opened fire just yet... but is it really a kaiju's destiny to die? Bujack had to die for what it did to her and so many others. Is that Duma's fate as well? Well... she said it herself all that time ago, when someone who became a good friend of hers asked. 3G would never turn away a heart with courage.

<Pose Tracker> Lina Lombardi has posed.

         Ergh, all of this tech stuff is hard without Ally...Lina wished under her breath that her trusty mechanic had followed her to GGG, but she felt like she had dragged her friend around enough over the last year. It definitely would have helped with the logistics of requisitioning her units, including a brand new Ichinana, colored just to her liking in greens, golds, and blues. She's just in the middle of complaining about having to redo another form (she had initialed in the wrong place), when an odd calm comes over her. It's almost enough to prevent the alarm blaring in the Geofront from rousing her out of her stupor, immediately being rushed into the Ichinana to deploy against...an Angel?! Hey wait, was this really okay for her first outing?!

         Article 5, Paragraph 12: A GGG member must, no matter how dangerous the situation, always keep humanity's future at heart.

         Yeah...yeah...Suppose she had to.

         The emerald suit launches from the Geofront, its pilot still unsure of her place on this battlefield. "Lina Lombardi, GGG Green, Ichinana! Launching!"

         Her brain is still a little bit foggy from Duma's effect, but if she focused really hard, she could push past it, shaking her head as she keeps to the skies to avoid as much collateral as possible and to give her plenty of room to acclimate to the movement of the new robot.

<Pose Tracker> Chloe has posed.

        "Are... You alright, Miss Coco?"

        "... Yes. I'm fine. Just a little tired. I must admit, I think these frequent trips are starting to wear me down."

        The duo of Coco and Chloe are once more within the Geofront, Coco's parents here on business. But these two are currently 'outside', having been enjoying a walk through some of the 'natural' landscape the underground biosphere has to offer.

        Looking in concern at Coco, Chloe suggests, "Perhaps we should return, so you may get some rest."

        Coco gives Chloe a smile saying, "No, I'm alright. Things have been hectic lately. I just want to enjoy the peace while I... can..." Coco trails off, her smile fading.

        Alarms sound throughout the Geofront. Chloe looks around in sudden alert, while Coco frowns a little, murmuring, "It's here..." Suddenly, the two are overcome with a strong force, eroding their mental capacities. Coco leans back in her wheelchair a little, going quiet.

        Chloe drops down to a knee. Something's wrong, she can feel it. But... It's not important, is it? Chloe turns her head to look at Coco... Her face. It doesn't look right. She tries to wrack her brain as to why. It takes several moment, but then it dawns on her.

        It's missing all emotion. That emotion that she gives out freely to the world. That's... Not... Coco!

        The AT Field rushes outwards to encompass the Geofront. Chloe begins to feel herself returning to normal. She reaches out a hand to the other girl, "Coco..."

        Coco too begins to feel herself returning as her head turns in Chloe's direction, "Chloe!" Then the orders to deploy come in over the NERV comms. Chloe wasn't included in the order... Yet. Chloe looks at Coco, feeling torn. Despite not being able to see her, Coco nonetheless already knows what is going through Chloe's head right now, so she urges, "Go! They'll need all the help they can get."

        Chloe nods firmly, "Right!"

        A short time later, a 'borrowed' car skids into a massive hangar on the surface. If it wasn't for the AT Field deployed by Unit 04, Chloe like would not have been able to make it here. She rushes past a couple of stupified transport pilots, suspecting that they're too far gone for the field to help them. She heads towards the massive aerial transport at the center of the hangar, below which her Makhia currently hangs.

        The Pallas Makhia soon walks out of the hangar, a large artillery cannon held in its hands. In the cockpit, Chloe frowns at some of the chatter over the radio, before adding her own, <"Time and again, this thing has shown it's a threat. This is just the next in a line of abuse of its power. We must do our job and stop it."

        The Makhia raises its large cannon towards the dangerous Angel, <"Or else we fail as humanity's protectors."> Chloe fires.

<Pose Tracker> Takeshi Todo has posed.

They're too late.

...

In a way, Sigma is glad for it. The anxiety was weighing on him during their entire trip back from orbit. Should he warn NERV and imperil Duma's survival? Or should he allow the angel to test humanity without intererence? No, not precisely without interference. They would be interfering, after all. Just...

Not in the usual way.

"...Reckless," he admonishes, unfolding from his seat. Whether he's talking to the distant Duma or to himself is not entirely clear, but: "There's still time to reach him, Gridman," Sigma says, gently. "We can hope... that they will relent upon realizing humanity's resolve. The question is whether Duma will learn in time... And whether mankind will allow him to leave."

But either way, they're needed. For one reason or another, they're needed.

And so they go.

---

Carrying an entire goddamn computer is a heck of a task, even for someone like Samurai Calibur. But it's not just due to fatigue that he's force to set it down. And it's not just Samurai Calibur who feels that awful, alien calm. Sigma staggers, bracing himself against a nearby wall as Duma's siren song reverberates through the airwaves. "What..." he murmurs, softly, unfamiliar quietude settling over his soul. "This is... Duma's attacking us too...?" If the Hyper Agents don't stand with them, then they are enemies... Is that it?

But a pulse of static interrupts the broadcast. Sigma staggers forward with a gasp. "...Yes. Go on ahead, brother. I'll catch up."

"Vit," he says, as Gridman and the others disappear into Junk. His own portable terminal is placed next to Junk's keyboard and connected through a daisy chain of serial, usb and uhdmi cable adaptors to a port at the larger computer's back. "Sorry, I'm going to need to go in, too. I can't leave them to fight alone. Not when... There are still things that only I can do." His hand rests against the ancient computer. He can't yet Access Flash, lacking an Acceptor as he is, but there are other ways he can be of service.

In a flash of light, Sigma disappears-- not into the gestalt that is Gridman, but...

Into the computer world within Junk.

<<I'm here, Gridman.>> Sigma's voice echoes in a place only his brother can hear. The other Hyper Agent adjusts meaningless glasses amid a space of circuitry and cyberlight. Junk's computer world is a miraculous thing, so much more than what its aged exterior would suggest. He takes in a breath, and sweeps his arm, accessing his linked computer terminal.

As all across Tokyo-3, computer networks that operate large scale radio transmitters are accessed with GGG operative-level clearance and coopted by the puppeteer at the controls.

It's not just a pair of AT Fields that pushe back against Duma, now. Dozens of radio transmitters all across the city come alive, pulsing with a signal that engages in destructive interference with Duma's own. Large scale jamming, courtesy of Gridman Sigma. And:

He appears, also, on monitors within the allied machines. "This is Agent Sigma. I will not ask you all to forgive Duma their recklessness... Only to understand- they're honestly doing what they believe is best for humanity... And in their alien mindset, they do not see the error of their ways. They do not understand what truly makes humanity special, and do not understand what they're doing is bringing so much harm, though they love all of you more than I could have thought possible. I do not know what might convince them at this juncture, but once again I ask that you send to me your thoughts and feelings, and I will do my best to convey them to Duma."

And...

Hopefully.

That will put a stop to all of this madness before it's too late.

<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.

        Sitting in a chair as Liam types his report, Lucine sighs. ".... I think that would be it... I think the Nadesico may be in inspections for a while to make sure we're not harboring kaiju.... I'm not sure how long it'll take, but Captain Misumaru will have her hands full..."

        Taking a sip from her water bottle, she coughs and sputters when the sirens go off. "An attack?!"

        Duma. Duma's here. ".... No.... It'll get killed! If we just find a way to establish a conn... ection...." Lucine slips into that peaceful, vague state far more quickly than she would've liked to boast; having been looking forward to how her day was blissfully open after this, there wasn't much resistance built up to Duma's gentle assault.

        ....

        ........

        ".... It's... gone?" Lucine rubs her face, as Liam explains. ".... So in order to fight back, we need to stay within range of the Evas, I take it..." The pained expression on Lucine's face intensifies as Liam reminds her of the scope. "... But trying to contact it mentally, if I can.... that'd be incredibly risky.... But if I don't, I'm not sure if I could even get it to listen once it's been attacked..." Possibly sacrifice herself for the faint chance of a peaceful end to the fight, or have no hope of it at all? "... I don't know what I should do..."

        --------

        Lucine still doesn't know what to do. Staring up at Duma through her display, Lucine listens to the other pilots as they take their spots.

        The choice has become even more simplified: risk her own mind for a small chance of Duma's understanding, or fight for a future where humanity survives, but a potential ally is lost. Not being a part of NERV, and not fully understanding the threat Angels are to humanity beyond what NERV has told in their open meetings, it feels like such a simple choice, that only she could make.

        Which is a mistake.

        Gridman appears between all of them and Duma, Lucine realizes her illogical framing.

        Then, Takeshi's voice. Lucine smiles, and opens her radio.

        < "It's.... a lack of understanding on how we as people work, something we are equally affected by... This may be the only chance to find an ally against other Angels. If they are truly solitary beings, and not connected like we are, our approach may not have to be the same. We have to bridge this disconnect." >

        Which gives her an idea.

        < "We need to convey to it that we need our ability to act to defend ourselves; if other Angels attack while we're like this, they won't hesitate to slaughter us. We can't ask it to fight against other Angels.... we need to be able to do it ourselves, or we'll never survive. But we also need to find a way to coexist." > Which may be a little much to ask, given how everyone was introduced to Duma's ability to subdue them easily.

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        Superficially, Shinji and Kaworu's job might seem like the easiest: all they have to do is project an A.T. Field and continually erode away at Duma's. But sometimes there's great effort in staying perfectly still. Shinji hears the terseness in Asuka's communications, and though she turns her mic off for her moment of wrath, he still can't help but remember the way she was in Tsutsujidai, under Bujack's influence. Getting hit like that again, this time by an Angel--despite his own mixed feelings on Duma, despite how opaque Asuka can be to him, he can easily imagine how angry she must be now.
        
        Duma might not mean to hurt anybody, and Shinji's reluctant to hurt it in return, but... it's not right, what it's doing...!
        
        "<Asuka... Are you okay?>" he transmits to her, cautious; he fully expects her to snap back a 'what are you, stupid?' or something similar. Alouette's words of faith reassure him a bit--he doesn't know her well, but he knows that she too was affected by Bujack. "<Thank you, Miss Pommier. We'll keep everyone safe!>"
        
        Kaworu doesn't say anything. He simply gazes out at the Eva's viewscreens, porting in a feed of the surface and the Angel floating over it--as if anticipating something. Sure enough, Gridman rises, interposing himself between NERV's forces and Duma. Sigma sends out a plea for clemency too, but it's Gridman who's actually physically there, and thus Gridman who Shinji fixates on.
        
        "<G-Gridman?!>" Shinji utters. "<You--you have to get out of the way! We can't let Duma do whatever it wants to everyone!>"
        
        "Shinji-kun," Kaworu says gently to his co-pilot. "We mustn't get distracted. We have our own role to perform."
        
        Shinji shoots a glance over his shoulder--but he knows Kaworu's right. And if he can stay calm, even though it's his boyfriend out there standing between them and the Angel... "...All right," he agrees, and returns his focus to the A.T. Field over the Geofront. He doesn't know exactly how Sigma's doing what he suggests he's going to do, but he holds a prayer in his heart that they can make Duma stand down.
        
        That, too, is something Kaworu supports and enhances.
        
---
        
        Meanwhile, Mari's distance from the active battlefield means she can only cover pilots--the civilians are still affected for the time being. Everyone's carefulness as they deploy is very important--no harm comes to anyone for the time being. This is true even when Gridman does an aerial flip to land in front of Duma and spreads his arms to defend them. Duma's colors pulse a bright, light blue, but their transmissions don't cease. Not even for Gridman himself.
        
        Several of the deploying units don't actually open fire on Duma, but Asuka and Chloe do. Spreading out is a good tactic; while Duma's A.T. Field defends against their shots with ease, rebounding off scintillating orange hexagons with ease, for those moments, their song lets up. It's not long enough to break the spell cast on the civilians of Tokyo-3, but there is a momentary stir among them. Sigma's interference with the actual physical transmitters that accept the snow that convey's the 'notes' of silence helps build on that--while it's more than a noise, and is arguably not actually noise at all, it combines with Unit-01 and Unit-04's A.T. Fields to start to return the populace to their senses. It'll ironically make it easier for attackers to focus and open fire on Duma--but they'll still have to watch their step.
        
        From within the Geofront, back on his seat of command, Commander Ikari listens to Gridman and Sigma's pleas with a stony expression. Lucine also trying to suggest they talk the Angel down doesn't get any softness out of him, either.
        
        "Denied. There is no room for clemency for a being that is actively attempting to subjugate the will of mankind as we speak. If you can't obey orders, stand down," he replies through the comms. To Asuka, Liam, Lina, Chloe, Rei, Alouette--though Sigma, Gridman, and Lucine will certainly hear too--he states, "Continue firing on the Angel. If anyone insists on interfering, consider them an enemy and react accordingly."

<Pose Tracker> Asuka Shikinami Langley has posed.

"<Fine. I'm fine! I've got this!>" She's not really snapping at Shinji, even if she is terse about it enough that one might think she absolutely is, "<Just keep it up until we can take care of this!>" She directs his way.

Asuka may feel a touch conflicted about someone else causing Mari a Catty Four-Eyes, but ultimately she decides to allow it with Curls.

"<Hit it! We need to overwhelm that AT Field as soon as possib->"

And then Gridman appears, blocking the path to the Angel, and Asuka's aim suddenly has to jerk, sending a bolt streaking by to strike the AT Field behind him, bolt stopping all momentum right beside his head.

Flicking on the loudspeakers, she shouts at Gridman, "<What are you, STUPID!? GET OUT OF OUR LINE OF FIRE!>"

But that's not all he has to say, and Gridman's at least earned enough trust that Asuka doesn't immediately start to fire through him, but the moment he puts forth his argument... her Eva breaks off into a run, trying to get a shot around him, firing as she goes. She can hear Sigma overhead, but, between the two of them talking about an Angel's love for humanity.

Before she can even respond, Commander Gendo Ikari weighs in, and the fact of the matter is that she didn't need his input to understand what was obvious.

"<Acknowledged>"

And with that, her Salvo continues. More and more bolts launching at the AT Field to try and force it to defend, to disrupt its song of silence, to try and slowly chip away and overwhelm.

"<MORONS! You can't REASON with an Angel! And even if you could? Are you really going to risk BILLIONS OF LIVES to what happens next when an Angel goes wild!?>

What does she mean? Why. An Impact Event of course. Though not everyone might realize that. And she's certainly not going to clarify it.

"<It has to die. I'm killing it, BEFORE THIS GETS WORSE! AND IT WILL! SO GET OUT OF MY WAY!>"

Some may recognize it as what it is, a final warning, before she carries out what the Commander ordered. The fact that she's giving a warning at all is something...

... but it won't stop what happens next unless they back down.

<Pose Tracker> Rei Ayanami has posed.

Rei answers Liam with even less inflection than is usual for her. In this case, at least, he knows exactly why: Focus. "Do not go far," Rei warns.

Something happens, then. A voice. A familiar and trustworthy voice. A voice who warms Rei's heart.

And the voice is speaking...

... for Duma.

Rei's lips purse slightly as she swallows involuntarily in the LCL, feeling it run momentarily down her throat. She breathes more quickly. Her pulse rate increases by approximately 12 beats per minute and remains there.

Others are coming forwards. The Pallas Makhia's pilot speaks against Duma. Radio transmitters are erupting outwards, the public address system used to - and there's Agent Sigma on the interior monitors of the Evangelion. Rei's heart rate elevates another 7 beats per minute.

Of course, characteristically, Rei does not speak anything other than that brief and terse comment to Liam. She has no reply to Sigma. Her eyes turn downwards. The Commander presents an instruction and Rei raises her head, heaving upwards the automatic weapon and bracing it against the ESV, leaning backwards against a heavy building as she --

She does take several moments to aim. Rei is not sure why. Her eyes, despite the apparent signs of albinism, are fine; Eva-00's optics are superlative in some ways. Perhaps Rei hopes that in the several seconds it takes her to target Duma's body, a miracle will happen.

Unfortunately for Rei Ayanami, miracles are contentious things, lately. Rei does speak, very quietly, under her breath but audible if not something that would necessarily scream to others hearing her: "Let them go." Then she fires, two three-round bursts. Careful. Precise.

Measured.

Why is this difficult?

<Pose Tracker> Lina Lombardi has posed.

         Lina swallows a lump in her throat as the Gridmen block the path to the Angel and Gendo gives the order. Why couldn't things just be cut and dry for once? The Ichinana's machine guns are cocked and ready, pointed towards Duma, and...her comrades.

         Gendo Ikari seemed like a real tightass and if she disobeyed orders on her first sortie, it probably wouldn't be the best look...

         "Gridman...Takeshi..."

         Article 5, Paragraph 14: A GGG member must, in a dire situation, make it through by supporting one's comrades.

         The hell with it.

         "Listen! I don't know much about all this Angel stuff, and if you think this thing can be reasoned with...by all means, we have a duty to try to resolve things peacefully, right? I'll give you a chance! But if things get dicey, I'm stepping in, okay?"

<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.

        Gridman. Sigma. Liam whiplashes through relief, and then terror as the Giant of Data takes the field, and Sigma backs him up. If anyone has a chance of getting through to Duma, it's them. But they all have their orders, and Liam knows what happens when they don't follow orders. He has no illusions about what kind of man Gendo Ikari is, and even if he did, he knows Hephaestus. His old handler's words have been branded into his mind.

        'You don't want to, eh? It's fine. If you won't, I'll just find someone who will.'

        The Neo Helios flies closer, staying at the very edge of Eva-00's envelope. He says nothing further to Rei, knowing they'd both be screwed if he disrupts her focus. But then--in response to impassioned pleas from the others--familiar, stone-cold voice trickles through the Neo Helios' comm, and Liam freezes. 'The will of mankind.' 'If you can't obey orders, stand down.'

        Thoughts flicker through Liam's mind, in rapid succession: Hephaestus would agree with that. He's scared. He wants his parents. Asuka screams, and Liam hears her pain, raw and fresh. He feels it, too, knows how scared he is of this turning into another Bujack. But...

        <"He's a cold little man, Lu,"> Liam says, and he sounds so small and scared through that tightbeam. <"Please. The kids--don't push him--">

        A streamer of brilliant plasma erupts from the Neo Helios' palm, winding upwards. Liam waves it back and forth as the Mobile Fighter edges upwards. It's not close enough to actually hurt Duma, but the heat is intense.

        And, incidentally, it's... almost mimicking how Duma reached out to Gridman, back in Tsutsujidai.

<Pose Tracker> Takeshi Todo has posed.

"It will, that's true," Sigma answers Asuka first. "Duma does not intend to limit its attack on Tokyo-3 alone. This is just its first step before it attempts to assert its will upon all of humanity." So why, why is he standing up for it? Risking billions, as Asuka says. Risking the very soul of humanity-- for an Angel. For something alien to them all.

Why?

Why?

"Commander Ikari," 'Agent Sigma's' voice reverberates. "I apologize, but according to the Article 5 of the GGG Charter, I cannot follow that order." What? How does that apply? WHY DOES THAT APPLY? "If Duma continues its attack, you will all surely kill it. Of that I have absolutely no doubt. But if Duma is convinced to retreat, and dialogue is proven possible with Angelic Life, then humanity will have gained an asset that cannot possibly be overlooked. Duma's actions in preventing the 'Vajra' from obliterating the earth sphere's forces in orbit are proof of how valuable their friendship can be! Therefore..."

"Article 5, Paragraph 12:" Sigma's voice echoes, this time forcefully, passionately, with a courage that even he had thought was long gone. "A GGG member must, no matter how dangerous the situation, always keep humanity's future at heart! Furthermore, Paragraph 125! A GGG member must, no matter the situation, never give up!"

In other words--

"Because of the possible benefit to mankind, I cannot stop attempting to bridge this gap! Your fears, your anger, they're key to this negotiation as well! But it has to come from you! Humanity, 'Lilim', are the only things that can truly convince Duma to stand down! You are the ones they love, and you are the ones whose voices can convince it of its errors! It believes that you are better without your will to fight, that conflict is nothing but a source of negativity! It believes that you can be returned to some 'original state,' not realizing how beautiful this version of you truly is! Lucine, your argument makes sense. Lina-- thank you for the chance you've given me."

"Angels, humanity... You are not so dissimilar from one another as you think...!"

<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.

"We're all threats!" Gridman replies to Chloe -- he recognizes her machine from a previous battle against an Angel, but he doesn't know her name, or her story. "Any one of us could go berserk and destroy a city. We're all in weapons capable of that! But nobody tries to put any of us down!"

Opponents line up against the Giant of Light, and Gridman, for the first time, realizes just how powerful his friends truly are. Will his strength truly be enough? Will his heart be enough? Can this be the right thing, if it requires him to go up against the people he loves?

"I can't accept that!" He shouts, banishing the thoughts. "Protecting humanity doesn't mean stomping everything else out! Otherwise -- otherwise --"

One enormous, armored hand comes in, clenched against Gridman's chest. "Why have you fought by my side all this time?!"

Back in the alleyway with Takeshi and Junk, Vit's blue eyes tear away from Gridman to look at his... brother? Uncle? Cousin? As Sigma speaks.

"Hey, no worries. I can handle this no problem." Vit gives the Hyper Agent an easy smile. "You're better at words than the rest of us put together. Do your best, Sigma."

And indeed, as Sigma's voice reaches his brother, Gridman startles in physical space. "Sigma? How--" That's not important. "I'm so glad you're here."

"Listen to my brother! Sigma's right! Even if we can't forgive Duma, that doesn't mean we have to kill him. This universe... It's wide enough for all of us! We all have a place here!" Gridman's voice, in turn, echoes in the radios of his companions. Forms of communication are connected to human hearts, after all.

Shinji's worried voice reaches Gridman, and he is certainly affected -- the fingers on his left hand twitching. "I'm sorry, Shinji. You're one of my best friends, but I can't stand by while something wrong happens. Do what you have to, I promise I won't be angry."

Gridman's words, as heartfelt and earnest as they are, cannot sway Commander Ikari. Hearing the man's voice directed at him for the the first time, Gridman shudders internally. There's something so cold about that man.

"Commander Ikari. With respect, Duma thinks humanity is lost and can do nothing but hurt each other. He's trying to save all of us. Just like--!"

He doesn't say it.

"It's a matter of understanding! If you can come to terms with Duma, imagine what you could gain from him. You could learn so much about Angels! Isn't that your goal, in the end!?"

Gridman doesn't know Gendo's goal. He's floundering, guessing, against a man whose solitary heart a Hyper Agent could never understand.

"Gridman!" Calibur shouts.

"Huh--ah!" Narrowly being spared Asuka's crossbow bolt, Gridman gasps in shock. Despite his resolve, he hadn't thought -- he really hadn't thought anyone would attack him. Not his own friends. Luminous golden eyes turn to look at her Eva, the Giant silent as Asuka shouts and rages.

Gridman brings his hand away from his heart and holds it out to his side. Calibur rushes into his palm, and Gridman takes a fighting stance.

"No. I won't move. Duma is a part of Tsutsujidai, and he's under my protection! I won't let anyone hurt him!"

As Asuka's Eva begins to run, Gridman watches her movement, sliding in front of her and angling Calibur to deflect at least a few of her shots.

"Stop it, Asuka! It doesn't have to be like this! We don't have to fight!" Gridman can't stop all the bolts. It's not possible -- and each one that gets by him chips away at his calm. "There are more choices than killing or being killed!"

So distracted by Asuka, Gridman barely notices Rei's machine raising her weapon. Another bolt is deflected by the Giant's sword, then another, until --

"AAH--!" Gridman shouts in pain. Rei's shots land squarely against his right shoulder, unseen and entirely undefended. Gridman momentarily sags, gripping his wound with his other hand. His gaze tracks up to where the burst came from -- something in his heart breaking ever so slightly as he realizes who pulled the trigger.

No. It's okay. He knew it'd be like this. Rei has never gone against orders. Gridman straightens up, lunging forward to close the distance between himself and Asuka.

"You have to stop this!" With all his strength, Gridman tries to grapple the red Evangelion, trying to raise her crossbow into the sky to prevent her from firing at Duma more.

Lina's voice reaches Gridman as he wrestles with Asuka, inspiring a burst of courage. "T--thank you. Please, try to reach Duma! Try to convince him he has to leave! Humanity will never give up and accept his peace!"

The Neo-Helios approaches, and Gridman turns his gaze to it. Struggling with Asuka, he can do little to prevent Liam's attack, but -- looking closer, Liam isn't really attacking, is he? If he just has to keep up appearances... Gridman can play that game.

"Get out of here, Liam! This isn't your fight!" The Giant of Light shouts, tossing Calibur in his palm to switch his grip on it. With a grunt of effor, he hurls the sword at the Neo-Helios.

If nothing goes wrong, Calibur's trajectory will bring him extremely close to Liam's machine, but not damage it. The sword has control of his own movements, after all. This allows Gridman the use of his other hand to try and stop Asuka.

Sigma's words, always so much more gracious than Gridman's own, echo across Tokyo-3. Gridman would smile, if his face could move in this state.

"Keep it up, Sigma." He murmurs, quiet enough only for those connected to Junk to hear. "We'll never reach Commander Ikari, but if we can reach enough people... Maybe their hearts combined can convince Duma to get out of here."

<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.

"Thank you, Shinji! We'll make sure you can keep doing what you're doing! Don't give up hope!" She urges him on. Thanks to their efforts, they're actually maintaining a defense against Duma... but even Alouette knows that keeping on like this is a losing battle.

Gridman the Hyper Agent, showing Duma his own will by standing in defense, and Gridman Sigma, his brother, offer another solution in tandem. "Offer up our feelings?" Alouette asks, of her coworker in 3G. "Do you really think they'll get through? It's worth a try..." She considers. And she begins typing in encrypted comms to the Hyper Agent... they are the extent of how she feels, in data.

"<<I don't suppose you remember that day in the park in Tsutsujidai, do you? It was beautiful, but didn't you notice? It was artificial, and it was a temporary solution. Even under the thrall of those like Bujack, courage always lies in wait. It's part of all of our hearts, no matter what you do.. so as long as you keep trying like this, you'll never win, and the people under your control will never thrive like you want them to. The decision is yours, Duma. But if you refuse to understand... I will not hesitate to fight for what I believe in.>>

"I'm not sure how talking to Angels, works..." Alouette admits to Sigma with her voice. "But if you could convey that to Duma in a way they will understand, I would appreciate it."

Still, Gendo has other orders, and Alouette can't ignore that. She doesn't directly answer to the man, but it's not like he's not her boss on some level. "As a member of 3G, I second Agent Sigma's suggestion." She adds, cordially and polite. "I'd like to prioritize relief and evacuation of the citizens while we're able to repel Duma's song. Furthermore, I believe this is the only chance we'll ever get to assess an Angel's mental state so close. I'm sure you're getting plenty of useful data as we speak! Besides, you really can't go wrong with Article 5~"

"Still... if we can't get through to Duma, we need to be prepared to fight. It's kind of a trick question, isn't it? If we don't show we have wills of our own, we'll never show Duma what we know is worth fighting for."

"That goes for you too, Gridman. Don't throw away your courage... and don't let the tragedy of Bujack ever repeat itself." She adds, rather stern.

<Pose Tracker> Chloe has posed.

        <"No.">

        That's Chloe's simple response to those who are trying argue against attacking the Angel. One that appears to match with the orders that come in from Gendo Ikari. Though not technically under his command, Chloe nonetheless responds, <"Understood, sir.">

        The Pallas Makhia continues moving to try and flank the Angel and spread its AT Field thin, as per the plan. It's a good thing it was stationed at the an airfield, as the large machine is not especially nimble and can use all the room it can get to maneuver. Though Chloe is still doing what she can to avoid stepping on anyone. Although the same can't be said for thing, as a sign along one of the runways is crushed underfoot.

        Another voice filters in through the comms to Chloe. Coco's voice. <"Chloe... Do you really want to kill it?">

        Chloe doesn't hesitate as she replies, <"It's not a matter of want. It's my purpose. To protect the here and now. This is the mission. I will complete it.">

        <"But if it doesn't understand... If it's like a child that doesn't know any better, we should be trying to help it to.">

        <"This is no child. It's a monster. A dangerous creature. When a wild animal attacks, you don't try to teach it, you deal with it">

        'We're all in weapons capable of that! But nobody tries to put any of us down!'

        <"You're wrong. That is exactly what war is. That is exactly what soldiers like us exist for. To stop the attacks that happen, to save the lives of those who cannot fight for themselves. Such as the lives of the people in this city.">

        <"This is a battlefield. We do not have the luxury of thinking about the future here, because we may not have one at all if we do not act. All we can do is to protect the present to ensure that there will be people around in order to have a future!">

        The Makhia's large cannon continues to fire towards the Angel in the distance, whether any of others fighting it try to get in the way or not.

<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.

        Out of all the possible things she was expecting to be an obstacle, Lucine didn't expect it to be from someone high up in NERV itself. Even if she generally distrusted NERV's higher positioned officials, this was more a default from living on Mars than something that came from past experience. Her trust was placed in the pilots, which in extension meant Kaworu was often placed in the position of being a face she trusted for official matters, for better or worse.

        < "..... ah...." > 'He's a cold little man, Lu.' Lucine recognized that tone, and can make some educated guesses where that tension stems from.

        It was easy to do this for Rita. It was easy to convince Liam to help her defend Rita. It was easy when it was a ghost with a face.

        ....

        Is she only able to decide when someone else decides for her, or is there something worthwhile she might have inherited from her father, no, scratch that, from *either* of her parents? Is she soft-hearted, or is she simply soft-willed?

        Her gloved hand rubs the spot where that ring is, the one bought at one of Sheryl Nome's concerts. Lucine's gaze softens.

        < ".... I'm glad you're thinking of them, Liam. It makes this easier." > Her pride in him shines in her tightbeam to Liam... even as she flies up, drawing her glaive.... and places herself at Gridman's side. < ".... This is something I have to do. Otherwise, I'll regret it." >

        Alouette's reasoning might work, if their disagreements are visual enough.

        She doesn't combat Liam directly, but she does switch her channels to Gridman and Takeshi, if possible. < ".... Gridman. Takeshi. I have no worth as a shield. ..... Moving to *get* hit... works against everything within me." >

        Lucine's face is locked in a grimace as she moves to try to intercept Makhia's beam with her glaive; all of this feels wrong, wrong, wrong. Nevermind parrying; a direct hit from any of them could down the Dianthus entirely. < "But.... It's better to be in hell and know you have done everything you could.... than to be in hell and regret you didn't try hard enough." >

        She places another tightbeam to Liam. < "... Liam, I do this because it's easier for me to do it than you. I'll be fine." > Even if Gendo decides to pit Liam against her, it's as simple as making sure Duma *sees* it.

        It can percieve. That may be the easiest language she can communicate in, as opposed to communicating directly, something now off the table as she concentrates on battle.
        
        < ".... Duma. Look at this, and understand. If you come again, and if you fight humanity, I'll fight you. We aren't just simple lilies in a field.... We have to be able to grow and change. Take that away from us, and we stagnate." > Her teeth still feel like they're rattling; she has to fight against her own abilities and instinct to even be halfway useful.

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        You're one of my best friends, Gridman tells Shinji, and the Third Child's cheeks color. He can't manage to pull together an answer--his father has made his orders crystal clear, and Shinji can't actually say he's wrong--but he doesn't think Gridman or Sigma are wrong, either. Unable to choose a correct answer, he can't answer him; he can only stammer to Alouette, "Th-thank you."
        
        But Kaworu does answer--and with a calm that belies the ocean of sadness beneath. "That's not true, Gridman. As long as Duma is trying to erase everyone's free will, we do need to fight. To lay down arms now would be to accept a future where Lilim no longer exist."
        
        As usual, Kaworu's words are opaque. Asuka's insinuations haven't gotten across either. And to be sure, Guy will be getting an official complaint about Sigma and Lina later. For now, though:
        
        "The Angels caused Second Impact," Commander Ikari tells Gridman, Sigma, and their supporters bluntly, laying out what Asuka and Kaworu hinted at. This isn't even a secret anymore, at least among this crowd--it was part of a briefing to NERV personnel that was put on last year by Kaworu and Mari. Video summaries of the briefing are currently available for viewing, even. But not everyone here was around for that, were they? "Even if your assumption is true and the Tenth Angel has positive regard for humanity, it's also shown itself unwilling fight its own kind. When the next Angel comes and mankind is unable to fight back, the world will end. Your ignorance is not sufficient excuse to take that risk."
        
        Col. Katsuragi slams a fist on a console. "Are you kidding me?! 'Always keep humanity's future at heart'?! How dare you say that after what the Angels have done! What this one is doing RIGHT NOW!" Gridman's impassionate pleas get her to thin her lips--but there's a glimmer of sympathy there, too. Misato also went up to Tsutsujidai to check out the Bujack situation; she knows what the city means to him, even if she doesn't agree with what he's doing now. Reigning in her anger, she says tightly, "Listen, Gridman--you've been a good ally to us up 'til now. But the Tenth Angel came here unprompted, of its own volition. It is attacking us, just like every other Angel before it. You can't tell us to say, 'okay, we'll choose peace,' while it's already brainwashed half the city! Didn't you take out that Bujack kaiju for doing the exact same thing?!"
        
        But Alouette does come in with a more reasonable angle in all this: they do still need to be mindful of the civilian lives in the city. Misato grits her teeth, then turns to look up at Commander Ikari. "Commander! We've been caught off guard and our forces are increasingly in disarray. If we do kill the Angel where it is now, its core fluid will end up flooding the city. For now, can we prioritize the civilians and say it's enough for now if we can drive off the Angel, then regroup?"
        
        "That won't solve the primary issue," Commander Ikari replies. "However, it's true that we're at a severe disadvantage as we are now. Accepted. Focus fire to redirect it from the city."
        
        Asuka and Rei both open fire on Duma--only for Gridman to rush in the way of their attacks. Duma's pale blue bleaches into a gossamer white, its lightning tendrils pulsing inwards towards its veiled core. Beyond that, it doesn't react. Liam's near-miss firing, not close enough to ping off Duma's A.T. Field, sails past them harmlessly--but also prompts them to float away from that fire closer to the edges of the metropolis, ironically as Commander Ikari had ordered.
        
        As Sigma continues to jam their signals through the physical radios of the city, their tendrils wobble and vibrate--and a counter-signal begins to vibrate towards the mechanisms around Sigma. If left as is, it could do severe damage not just to Sigma's tablet, but also to Junk. Chloe opens more cannon fire on Duma, though, and that delays the counter as they're forced to defend themselves. In that moment, their soul is left open to the message Sigma sends to them.
        
        It's a message of chaos, of course. There's a sharp disagreement here on what to do with the Angel. With some of them calling for peace and others calling for death, with friends fighting friends all because of them, the edges of Duma's form appear to sizzle, wavering like a fata morgana. Lucine's message in particular might be poignant--especially when it's carried along not just by Sigma's messaging but a certain kindred spirit.
        
        "She's right, Duma," Kaworu murmurs. "You must not rob Lilim of their free will. To try will only bring about more of the conflict you despise."
        
        It's not just that. There's one message in particular--
        
        It was beautiful, but didn't you notice? It was artificial, and it was a temporary solution.
        
        The lightning tendrils scramble inside the Angel's wispy, spreading form, and their pale white burns into an ugly mix of scarlet and pine green, each color streaking artlessly into the other. Their A.T. Field is starting to gutter, and their signal with it...

<Pose Tracker> Asuka Shikinami Langley has posed.

Sigma makes his argument, and some agree with him, Asuka finds herself utterly startled at something she considers so basic, anger rising in her as even Alouette agrees with him, as Lina - a new recruit with no knowledge of Angels tries to along.

Fortunately, Administrator Nagisa, Commander Ikari and Misato have their own answer, but Asuka still offers her own take. Because obviously she always considers her own opinion extroardinarily important, even when it's only a slight variation on the others being offered.

"<'Possible benefit to humanity'. What are you, STUPID? Just look around you! Don't cite some charter at me! You're playing roulette with every human life in Tokyo-3, on the entire Earthsphere right now out of some STUPID HUNCH that you can reach this thing!>"

Gridman tries to wrestle with Evangelion Unit-02, and the Red Eva is out of position for close quarters combat, so initially he gains the advantage grappling with her, as he starts to bend the Evangelion backwards.

"<More choices? Like what? Playing God with a decision that could KILL EVERYONE?>"

Snarling at him there's a sudden motion where Asuka suddenly uses the Crossbow like a bludgeon, as she smashes it against his shoulder. The moment of impact, the limbs snap up brutally to impact him from their prior taut position, even as the bolt flies wild.

"<Have it YOUR WAY!>"

Using that moment of distraction, a pylon opens, and she reaches for a knife. Brandishing it horizontally even as she casts aside the Crossbow.

The Prog Knife is segmented, just like a box cutter. Visual Reference: https:'cdn.discordapp.comattachments10224204984386969601129944268434325565ee77fa6600c78c2e388044b8eab2496c.png

Part of her only remembers what Akane did with a Boxcutter after in this moment. It was automatic that she drew it.

She won't back down all the same. Every single second she wastes is another second that Hikari could be getting worse.

"<I'll stop Gridman... drive the Tenth Angel away from the city... and take it down.>"

<Pose Tracker> Rei Ayanami has posed.

Others speak of the GGG Charter. These nuances are lost on Rei Ayanami, who has probably read that Charter but may not have been paying attention. In many ways she is quite a simple soul, after all.

Simple and --

-- Gridman screams.

Shooting Gridman is not like shooting a Mobile Suit. Rei would not wish to shoot a Mobile Suit, but there have been drills. It was queasy, but they are machines. The pilot would be in danger but the pilot is not the machine.

If she were to shoot Eva-02 -- simply for the sake of an example -- Eva-02 would be damaged, and the Second would be as well, but the sympathetic neuro-synchronizations would not truly *harm* her. She would live; perhaps with some psychosomatic injuries.

But Gridman is not 'wearing a suit'. Gridman is not 'in his armor'. Gridman is not 'piloting'. That IS Gridman, and Rei just shot him in the shoulder.

Rei's pulse rate increases another 19 beats per second as she stares ahead. Something vile curdles in the back of her throat.

Her vision swims. The Commander's voice...

Rei brings the weapon up and aims. It's not good at this range, Rei thinks. The fall of the shot could -

Rei thinks of a broken window in her own home.

Of other windows, and others looking out of them.

And so -- Rei aims but she does not fire; perhaps she is holding to cover Asuka's advance. It might help if she said something, but somehow in the vastness of this, words have escaped her.

<Pose Tracker> Lina Lombardi has posed.

         Keeping the future of humanity at heart...a pretty subjective paragraph of the charter, now that Lina thought about it. What was best for the future of humanity? To defend itself against the threat of annihilation? To work together with other life forms for a harmonious world? She didn't want to betray her comrades...But Ikari and Katsuragi had a point about Second Impact. She clenches her teeth, letting out a soft clicked breath.

         And then the two Evangelions make their move. She flinches as Gridman screams. That's right...they weren't robots, they were giants...Shooting a mobile suit is one thing, but to shoot a person...to shoot a friend...She stares down the sight of her rifle, trying to aim as such to be able to hit Duma and not the Gridmen.

         "...I want to believe in you, Takeshi. I really do! I need you to prove them wrong! I don't want to have to shoot you!"

<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.

        "<Lucine,>" Liam says, terror spilling into his voice as he tightbeams her back. Is this how he loses her? Not to the Angel directly, but to the chaos it's causing in NERV's ranks? "<What are you-->"

        His face goes pale as Gendo speaks again--Gendo did not speak up during Sahaquiel, or most of the other Angel operations. Why now? Is he just--

        Is this a test? A test to see who obeys him? A test to see if the kids he shoved into the Evas will do their jobs, even if it means fighting some of their friends and comrades?

        'Get out of here, Liam! This isn't your fight!'

        "We--we can't let it keep--" Did he really think he'd escaped? Has he finally hit his limit? Can he no longer afford the luxury of deluding himself that Angels are just bizarre kaiju, and there's nothing else going on here?

        Did it take him this long to realize that Kaworu could communicate with Duma, that Kaworu tried to--

        Gridman flings Calibur at him. Liam's eyes widen; the Neo Helios jets out of the way, flitting closer to Eva-00 like a clownfish darting into the safety of an anemone's tentacles. Bile rises in the back of his throat as he sees what Rei just did. "Rei," Liam chokes out. He's going to be sick. He can't even tell Chloe to let Lucine go because--

        He's frozen. Useless. Maybe that's the best thing he can be right now.

<Pose Tracker> Chloe has posed.

        The Pallas Makhia's large cannon falls to the ground, putting cracks into the pavement the heavy weapon lands on. The barrel is smoking from repeated fire, its ammo spent.

        And yet the Angel still looms there, its grip on the city barely affected. If they had all focused their efforts on it from the start, maybe it'd be finished by now. Instead lives still continue to be at risk.

        The information that the Angels caused the Second Impact was not known to Chloe, not surprising given she's only a NERV ally and not a particularly important one. She has no doubt that those at the top of Prometheus were aware. Probably even for longer than it had been revealed recently. But the information does reinforce her own beliefs. She cannot allow that to happen here. Now.

        And yet, what can she do? Are they even having an effect on this thing? Her Makhia isn't enough... Its weapons aren't enough. She needs something stronger. Yet she has nothing like that.

        What Chloe does have though, as a giant bazooka! Well technically it's an anti-Meteora rocket launcher. And technically this isn't a Meteora. But big explosions are big explosions regardless!

        As the Makhia reaches to take the large rocket launcher from its back, Coco's voice filters into Chloe's ears once more, <"Chloe... It's not just that it doesn't understand us. We don't understand it. You need to try. To reach out with your own feelings. There may come a time when everything will rely on your ability to do so.">

        That does give Chloe pause for a moment... So she replies, <"Coco... You know I'm... Not good with that kind of thing. This is who I am..."> The Makhia aims the rocket launcher, learning from the Angel's reaction to Liam's fire, it's aimed just to the side.

        <"You're the one, who can reach others. Even me. So I'll protect... You. So you can reach the world.">

        The Makhia fires, the large rocket blasting out of the tube. It streaks across the sky, to explode in proximity to the Angel to try and drive it further way from the city.

<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.

"War, life, the future... All those things are what we make them. If we choose to give up and accept things the way they are, then nothing will change for the better!" Gridman can't locate the Makhia at this point, locked in close-range with Unit-02. "I believe humanity is better than that! Don't you?!"

Chloe fires at Duma, and Gridman cries out in distress.

"If human beings can't help guide one lost, confused being, what is it we're all sacrificing for?" Gridman's voice is heavy with emotion. "If they don't have enough grace for this..!"

Lucine joins Gridman, Sigma, and Lina. Fear and hope intertwine in the Giant of Light's heart. "Lucine, please don't get hurt! I can do this! You don't have to be a shield, just -- please, open your heart to Duma and help him learn. That's all I can ask for!"

The fact that Lucine is forced to fight against Liam... This has all gone so wrong. Gridman's gaze stays on the Dianthus as it blocks one of Makhia's beams.

"Please, be safe..." Gridman turns his face back to Unit-02. "All we can do is the next right thing, and right now--!"

"Kaworu's right. Duma, what you're doing is wrong. My brother and I tried to tell you that much back home, but still... Can't you see how much this is hurting everyone? I can't support you in this." Gridman wishes he could face the Angel as he speaks. "I don't want you to die. I don't want anyone to die. Is forcing your will on all these people worth your life? Is it worth mine?"

Gridman doesn't know much about the history of the world, but even he knows about Second Impact. It'd be hard not to, with as much of a world traveler as the Giant of Light has become.

"It's not fair to ask Duma to fight his own kind." Gridman replies to Gendo, his voice quieting. "It should be enough that he wants to live in peace. If he'd just... If that could just be enough. But it isn't, is it? Not for Duma, and not for you, Commander Ikari."

Slowly, the Giant of Light starts to lose his grip on Asuka's machine. "I killed Bujack because it had no other way to live. I didn't want to. But it couldn't exist without hurting others. Duma... you have a choice."

Now, finally, Gridman glances back at the Glow CLoud, watching Duma's form waver and fade.

"Humanity... Everyone. All creatures deserve to choose how they live. Taking that away from anyone is wrong. Didn't you hate being told you couldn't do what you dreamed of, Duma?" Gridman's all-but pleading, now.

Unit-02 breaks away from Gridman, bludgeoning him with the Crossbow. He staggers back, collapsing into a building and knocking over a nearby car. As Asuka changes her weapon, Gridman bends over and rights the car.

Standing, again, radiant golden eyes land on Unit-02's knife. He stiffens, frozen, memory flashing through his mind. It's no surprise what Gridman's thinking of.

"I know Angels and humanity have so much reason to hate each other. I know -- I know everyone keeps hurting each other. We can't exist without it, can we?"

Calibur hovers in the air where he was flung. He's been silent, all this battle -- and he doesn't break his quiet now. Vit, watching from the ground, sucks in a breath between his teeth.

"The other choice is to say no." Gridman lowers his arms. No defensive stance. No attempt to protect himself. "To be the one who won't cause more harm."

Taking a step forward, Gridman places a hand on Unit-02's wrist. There's no strength behind it. He's simply accepting whatever she has to do next.

"Duma. The things you want are wrong for humanity." Looking into Unit-02's face, Gridman's metallic voice echoes over the city. "Please, leave this world, and search for one where you can be happy. I've done all I can for you, and I'm sorry it wasn't more."

Making choices for others, taking away their free will... It really is wrong. What Duma wants to do... Isn't Gridman already guilty of it? Even if it's on a smaller scale, is he really any more worthy of existence than Duma is?

Looking at the sectioned knife in Asuka's knife, the Giant of Light quietly waits. Maybe absolution will come, once again, at the end of a blade.

<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.

"A reasonable plan." Alouette agrees, mildly, at Commander Ikari's plan to redirect the Angel out of the city. "It's nice to be optimistic about these things, and I'd like to at least try... but logically speaking, it's true that every single other Angel has been a threat to humanity. If we can come to a conclusion once Tokyo-3 is out of harm, I'm satisfied with that much." She frowns. Duma resonated for just a moment, she noticed. Did they understand her words, if only a little bit? In the end, understanding was an opportunity that Duma had to choose to take, no matter how much courage it required.

"Gridman, Agent Sigma? I'd like to believe in your hunch, and I still do. But I don't think it's worth risking the people of Tokyo-3, as it is. If we can't even prove that humanity's worth fighting for, what's the point?"

The missile tubes of the Fortestra carefully aim at that incorporeal form of the Angel. She calculates the perfect arc of fire within seconds that would prevent striking Gridman's giant form and avoid levelling buildings. But the sight of Asuka's boxcutter gives her pause for a second... how could she ever forget? "I never want to feel like that ever again!" These are the thoughts and feelings that resonate with the giant missiles that soar towards Duma, their detonations once again forcing Duma to contend with the reality of what humanity truly thinks of their 'salvation'.

<Pose Tracker> Takeshi Todo has posed.

"Of course," Sigma answers Kaworu, "And I would never tell them to stop fighting. The light of will within humanity is why I love it so. I only asked for their feelings. Their emotions. The last time, I attempted to weave a harmonious song for Duma to interpret-- but this time..."

This time, it's different.

"Are all Angels the same, Commander Ikari? Are they the same, driven by a truly singular will?" His voice isn't full of doubt, it's-- something else. Surety of knowledge that the generalization is flawed from its foundations. "Are all humans the same, divided as they are by the walls of the soul? If individuals are defined among humanity, then so too it must be among Angels. If it is unwilling to fight the other Angels on humanity's behalf, then humanity will fight as it always has-- your scenario supposes that I'd have Duma rule over humankind as it intends, but I absolutely do not."

If humanity's will is truly at risk-- then he will join in the fight himself to save it, as best as he can. But until then--

He must act in his self-appointed role. As mediator. It's selfish, and utterly un-asked for, but--

"I will do my best not to disappoint, Lina," Sigma tells her, even as he senses Duma counteracting his own signal. Diminished as he is, he can't hope to defend against it, but still, even still, he must persist. He must endure. Courage...

Courage is about doing what you think is right, no matter how hard it is. Conflict naturally arises from courage, but that does not make it wrong.

The opposite. Courage is the means by which two hearts can truly connect with one another...!

"Yes, perhaps I am playing God today," he answers to Asuka with a self-effacing laugh, "I suppose in that way, I'm not so different from a Hyper Devil, attempting to influence humanity to fulfill my own goals. Or should I say, it seems I've become much more 'human' in my time on this world." Even her aggression, he weaves into-- not a song. Not really. A cacophonous orchestra, a mishmash of genres, a dozen different distinct voices woven into a dodialogue of song.

Lina's bravery and trust. Lucine's desire to reach across a seemingly impossible divide.

Even as Junk begins to spark and Sigma winces from the exertion, he continues weaving:

Liam's divided and uncertain will, Rei's hesitation to harm something that can truly feel pain.

<<"Duma, this is humanity. This is what I think you've missed in your pursuit,">> Sigma says, adding his own message to the discordant symphony. <<"Humanity... is not one monolithic whole. The one you encountered, that girl in the Banshee, was just one soul of many. They are individuals, each with their own hearts and desires. Not 'The Lilim.' They have names, they have lives. Liam and Asuka, Rei and Lucine.">>

Chloe's certitude-- but vulnerability to one who she loves. Coco's love for her, and the desire to see her grow beyond the battlefield.

Shinji's gentle, vulnerable, but impossibly strong heart.

Gendo's veiled emotions and desired, concealed behind an edifice unimaginably impenetrable.

Misato Katsuragi's passion, her desire to see humanity protected no matter the cost.

Alouette's desire to finally, finally live a life that is wholly her own, to let her intellect and grace shine on her own stage.

And of course, Gridman's urge to protect that which he's declared his to protect... And the potential that it represents.

<<"Their songs are myriad. There are so many, Duma. Each one resonates differently, at times they may come together. At other times they are at loggerheads. But they all press forward in their own ways, into the future in which they all live. If you take away their individuality, their free will, you do not save them. You destroy what makes them who they are. Of course they will fight you all they can. They will deny you until they destroy you. But it doesn't have to be this way, Duma.">>

<<"Even if you cannot live here as you are now... Then perhaps another place. Another world where humanity dwells, you can learn their names, become their friend. Perhaps you can learn to walk among them, still as an Angel, but...">> He places his hand meaningfully over his heart, "<<Also as another 'Person.' Not 'Lilim.' But 'Person.' If you do not stop this, then...>>"

As Gridman says, as the guns pointing at the Angel's heart attest. "<<...You will die, Duma. And that will truly be a shame. If that is what enough of these people choose to do, then it will be so. Please, Duma. For those who want to be your friend, do not destroy yourself like this.>>"

<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.

        Lucine can sense Liam's distress. Anxiety coils in her stomach, but she continues. Her bosses are not here to order her. She might get sanctioned, or hurt ties between Nergal and NERV, at the very worst, if all of this goes south.

        And that's assuming another Impact doesn't happen, on the furthest end of this scale of worst outcomes. But that might happen even if she were to swallow her doubts and fight Duma, Lucine tells herself. ".... That was due to another Angel. Not Duma..." Lucine's courage can only extend so far; these retorts fall to an audience of no one but her own cockpit and herself, trying to convince herself this is worthwhile.

        The subject of Bujack is brought up.

        < ".... Bujack was not an Angel." > This is as much for Gridman's sake as Col. Katsuragi's. < "..... If Bujack was an angel.... I'm not sure how things would have turned out, but it would have definitely been worse." >

        The Dianthus is sparking by now; it likely won't be able to do much. < ".... The Angels are getting stronger. I'm not arguing that we need to give Duma room to do what it wishes with humanity. If Duma had attacked the civilians... if Duma showed any instance of wanting anything other than peace... As long as this doubt remains, and the idea that we could convey what choice it's actually making for us, and its consequences.... then I will know if I'm fighting blindly. Right now... this is a fight we're taking to a stage it can see. Does it desire actual peace, or stagnation? What is more precious to it: us, or ? Can an Angel understand these things?" >

        < ".... We're standing at the moment it has to make that choice." > She can feel the alien energy conflict and contract within itself, as well the efforts to shift from a full on assault to a defensive one.

        She sighs, in resignation. < "And... I think.... maybe we're giving it the information it needs, for good or bad." >

        'Open your heart to Duma and help him learn!' Gridman encourages her. He's not a Newtype. He doesn't know how much it could mess her up. But.

        Her tightbeam switches to Gridman exclusively. < "I'm going to position the Dianthus behind you so I can concentrate." > Not directly behind, but close enough to use the Giant of Light's body as a shield from her fellow humans on the ground.

        ..... but foolishly, not from the Angel, she concedes. As a last resort, she messages Liam.

        < ".... Liam. This is my last chance. Take me into custody if things go south, okay? I'll likely have information they'll need, anyway. .... I'm getting the answer I need. .... I'll see you on the other end of this, Liam." > She mouths the three words she should say instead; 'I love you' would insinuate some sort of finality.

        Behind Gridman now, Lucine concentrates, closing her eyes and opening her mind instead, trying to reach to Duma.

         I placed myself here because you placed yourself out there for our sake. If I was under your spell... I would not be able to decide to do that.
                 What you see here is one part of us. We fight because we all have different hearts, and different minds. But we love in equal measure.
        
        It's hard to even project those thoughts; Takeshi's own input is an absolute godsend.

         .... Please listen to this person, Duma. For the sake of people who feel warmth towards you, and those who have protected us from the violence of other Angels with their own angry strength and strict commands. This is how we have survived. If we have to fight you, we will. But it will not be because we hate the peace you want us to have. We just work better when we achieve that peace on our own.

         ...... She should have asked Liam to give her painkillers after all this, earlier. Her head is already beginning to pound.

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        It was Gridman's call to Asuka that there's no need to fight that prompted Kaworu's words earlier. Even so, as Sigma speaks to him, he shuts his eyes. "I agree," he says simply.
        
        And therein is the tragedy none of them can know.
        
        "You're right. We humans don't have enough grace for this," Misato tells Gridman bluntly, cold to mask her own emotional tumult. "We're each of us just one person. We can't even agree right now what the right thing to do is." To Lucine, she says sharply, "That's exactly my point! Humanity's having enough trouble trying to survive in this world that's constantly on the verge of getting blown to hell by the next orbital bombardment or colony drop or Angel invasion. We don't have time to hand-hold a thing that's trying to enslave us and teach it right from wrong. And if it doesn't know right from wrong, I'm sure as hell not submitting anyone to its 'judgment'!"
        
        Commander Ikari doesn't respond to Gridman or Sigma. In his view, he's already argued with a child enough. Sigma might be an adult, but if he disagrees even after being informed of the stakes, then Gendo has nothing further to say.
        
        However, as the battle rages on aboveground, Asuka taking a prog knife to Gridman, Rei faltering after firing on the Giant of Light, Liam going still as Lina tries to take aim, as Sigma tries to reason with the Angel even now--all of the conflict, all of the arguments--Shinji grows paler and paler. Gridman and Sigma tried to talk to Duma already? Then why... "Why--why is it turning out like this? If you could end this by just going away, Duma, why won't you?" he says aloud. "Peace doesn't mean anything if you're forcing it on everybody! Asuka and Miss Pommier and Liam--they've all suffered enough, haven't they?! Just GO AWAY!"
        
        As he speaks, Chloe and Alouette open fire on the Tenth Angel, their bombardment once again causing them to shrink back and float away. It's Sigma's message--the overwhelming flood of the souls of the Lilim that he communicates to them, the psychic reach of Lucine's heart--that's the true final blow, though.
        
                                        REJECTION
        
        The clashing red-and-green merges into a vomit-like brownish-green. Duma doesn't speak in words, per se, but there is an anguished backwash, a powerful sentiment that flows back to Sigma and Lucine--and Kaworu. It goes something like this:
        
        >> You're wrong, all of you! I can fix the Lilim. I know I can! They aren't so different from Repli-Compoids--I can make them the same before they were ruined! Why is that bad because it comes from me? Why do you use your 'free will' to choose conflict?! WHY DO YOU WANT TO SUFFER SO BADLY!? <<
        
        Their A.T. Field weakens further as they communicate their frustration... and as their shadow lifts from Tokyo-3. The push-and-pull between them and Unit-01 finally ebbs in the Evangelion's favor. The lights of their hearts resonate, and then fall away from one another as Duma's is eroded. Their song-that's-not-a-song ends.
        
        And once it does... a new a capella lilts over everyone's communication bands.
        
                o/` "Still reminiscing the day when
             you left me all on my own, then~
             I walked away from any daylight,
             instead of dawn it was twilight~
             Underneath the disco ball
             breaks the spell that holds you in my mind~
             Though I used to dance with you,
             now we're through, I'm sorry!" o/`

Stars align. An opening presents itself. And when it does --

Within Evangelion Unit-04's entry plug, Mari Makinami Illustrious' song fades. There's a look of sympathy behind red-rimmed glasses as targeting algorithms lock on to the form of Duma with a low-pitched whine.

"Sorry. Your song's not the one we need."

... Before lips curl into a sly smile.

"Bingo~!" announces the unnumbered Child. "When I aim--"

Outside, Evangelion Unit-04 squeezes the trigger of its rifle and fires off a single shot for the Tenth Angel.

"--I don't miss!"
        
        And indeed she doesn't. Unit-04's energy beam erupts from the rifle's muzzle, cutting a straight-ish line through the air, over the city--
        
        --into and through the Angel--
        
        --but those veil-like cloudy layers aren't there just to look beautiful. They also disrupt sighting on Duma's core. What looked like it would be a clear shot straight through only nicks it, like a fired bullet merely scoring a line across someone's cheek.
        
        Duma screams. This is not a scream like a human screams--not even a scream like how Ramiel screamed. It's a pulse of anti-sound, a toll that pounds through Tokyo-3 and everyone within it.
        
        For that instant, all is still. Sound, light... blood.
        
        Then a relatively small wave of core fluid splatters up into the sky, but tellingly, no rainbow forms in its wake. All the same, the fight-that's-not-a-fight is over. Everyone will know it when Duma crumples in on themself like a piece of paper fated for the wastebin until they crunch down into a small point in space. It blinks out, leaving behind a four-pointed star of light; then, that light flickers and fades out.
        
        Duma is gone. Tokyo-3 is saved.
        
        But in the long run, the Tenth Angel may well have ended up causing more damage to the defenders of the world than any other modern Angel before it.
        
        And just because the citizens now stir back to their senses as they break from Duma's influence, doesn't mean Duma's influence is gone from the world entirely...

<Pose Tracker> Asuka Shikinami Langley has posed.

Gridman's question? It feels like it's a simple answer, does Asuka believe humanity is better than that.

"<I don't.>" Is perhaps her shocking answer, "<That's not my concern. Making humanity better? In what world did you ever think that was my mission?>"

Anger flares, as Gridman tells her that he would have let Bujack live. As he puts a hand on her wrist.

"<You're right. I do have a choice.>" Before her wrist turns, and she stabs the Prog Knife right down into Gridman's left thigh.

Without missing a beat, she suddenly grabs him, as the Red Evangelion tries to spin him around and put him in a choke hold, hooking her Eva's leg around his unstabbed right one. "<AND I'LL DO MY DUTY!>"

She always says it's the duty of the elite to protect the ignorant masses. And perhaps that's what she's doing right now.

By putting one of them to sleep before they get themselves killed.

Mari, takes the shot. And for once, Asuka does not find her timing wanting. As she holds Gridman for a time in that position, as Duma screams, at that small amount of Core Fluid.

There is a prolonged pause, and one might wonder if Asuka might keep holding on, but then- suddenly she lets go of her grip on Gridman's neck.

And then taking a step forward, she pulls the knife from the Giant of Light's thigh. "<Don't ever. EVER- presume to interfere in any operation with an Angel ever again!>"

And assuming he doesn't try to strike back at the Eva, she tells him, "<That Angel isn't dead. You have no idea what you might have cost us.>"

<Pose Tracker> Rei Ayanami has posed.

Rei breathes quickly. She does not hyperventilate. It is a near thing. Gridman is speaking eloquently and honestly about his feelings. The Commander is responding with a level of recognition that would surprise Rei if she were not in this distraught of a mental state.

Recognition, comprehension, response... and denial.

Rei's mind slips back, an unfamiliar journey. To laying in a bed in Tsutsujidai. To watch the shadows. To have heard the subtle song of -- of what? Of gravity? Oblivion? Of space itself? Rei had thought she had seen a secret there, the glimmer of something, but perhaps she had simply been starting to starve.

Sigma speaks a name connected to her and Rei returns.

They're arguing. That sick and nauseous feeling comes back to Rei. Her heart is still pounding. The Angel has not even *struck at them*, Rei thinks. Huddling behind her shield in this way feels obscurely despicable, a new and sophisticated emotion. She wishes she did not have it.

Rei turns her gaze back upwards --

-- the Second is moving --

Externally very little happens. The gun moves, perhaps to cover a different sector. It's a very big gun but Tokyo-3 is a very big place and a lot of people are doing a lot of things, but for several seconds the weapon is pivoted to point towards--

-- the dissociative moment ends two seconds later and Rei feels her stomach clench as she sees both Gridman held at bay and the knife in his thigh and the weapon turns upwards to momentarily --

Mari sings. The weapon speaks. So does Duma, and then disappears moments later.

Rei hunches over in the Entry Plug.

Mari Makinami Illustrious teleports in.
POT: Mari Makinami Illustrious is now set observer.

<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.

        There is no easy way out. Liam had gone to Kaworu months ago to tell him about how conflicted he felt about his role in the fight against Sandalphon's first form. Kaworu had told him that the bonds he'd made would help him become himself, and strengthen him.

        Now they're all pulling in different directions, and twisting around him like garrote wire. Every choice puts at least one of them in danger, or all of them, and he's doing nothing, he can't even bring himself to be wrong. All he can see is Duma getting worse--becoming like Bujack. Lucine--

        "<LUCINE, STOP IT!>" The Neo Helios suddenly moves, rising from the ground near Eva-00. "<STOP! DON'T LET IT IN!>"

        The Neo Helios isn't running very hot, which is a good thing, because Liam tries to grab the smaller machine, and pull it away, as if that could stop their communion. "<I WANTED THIS TO BE BETTER!"> Liam screams. "<IT CAN'T BE US OR THEM! IT CAN'T!>" He's sobbing.

        It can't be that, because those are the words Hephaestus used to get him to fight.

        'People fight and kill each other. That's just how they are. That's in you, too, kid. You think I don't know how much you hate the Zekes?'

        "I'm not," Liam says. He's speaking to a ghost, now. "That's not."

        Asuka goes for the quick takedown, and Liam switches the suit to auto-pilot long enough to bend over and dry-heave. The only upside is that Duma is alive, but even that might not be a positive.

        For the first time in a while, Liam wants to run, and hide.

<Pose Tracker> Lina Lombardi has posed.

         Lina shudders as the Angel screams, her head beginning to pound. Her aim wavers and her gun lowers as Duma escapes. She's dripping sweat under her helmet and normal suit. Was this...what fighting against an Angel was like?

         It takes a second for her to get her wits back about her, her eyes darting from person to person.

         "Sigma! Gridman! Are you two okay?! Oh God...I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.

Shinji's impassioned plea for Duma to leave it alone, combined with the battering of fire upon their angelic form, and finally Sigma's message explodes into rejection. Alouette doesn't hear the rejection in words, per se... but that tinnitus-like scream is enough to make her flinch, after Mari's counter-singing.

Regardless, Duma is gone. Tokyo-3 is free from their spell... and that's enough for a pyrrhic victory. The Long Dagger docks, now that the people of the city are once again free to do as they pleased. "You served me well, my friend." She says to the mobile suit. Her relationship with this one is surely different from any other... although she's not sure she'll need to pilot it ever again. In case she does, it'll always be waiting.

In another sense, the battle isn't quite over as two giants turned enemies continue to fight in the wake of Duma's disappearance. She can understand both Asuka's and Gridman's perspectives, as extreme as they are... but she can't help but remember going out for lunch with the two of them, even if that too was partially Bujack's influence.

"If you two plan on finishing up anytime soon... I hear there's a half-decent diner right around the corner." She offers. You can't go wrong with mediocre diner food, even if you're bitter enemies. "Was supposed to be my treat next, wasn't it?" Gridman and Asuka are both people Alouette considers herself to get along with, so it's worth a shot? Otherwise... she has a pretty dry after-action report to write up.

<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.

Time has run out. More guns than Gridman can block have their sights on Duma. Even if he had the heart to keep fighting, what could he do?

"Thank you, Lucine, Alouette." Gridman answers, squaring his shoulders to provide a better shield for the Dianthus. "Thank you for trying."

Misato's voice is familiar, and that makes her words all the more painful. "I guess I thought better of them." He admits, quietly.

Gridman doesn't have time to internalize this paradigm-shift (that will come later). Asuka grabs him, stabbing the Prog Knife deep into his armored thigh. It doesn't feel like stabbing into flesh -- there's the splintering of armor, the jagged noise of metal against metal. Once Unit-02 breaks through the outer surface, the interior is surprisingly delicate. Complicated, ephemeral wires and circuitry are broken from their electronic harmony.

Gridman cries out, again, his leg buckling under him. Instinctively, he tries to pull the knife out of his body, but Asuka has him in a choke hold. Though the Giant of Light does not need breath, his time inhabiting a human still makes him react with a desperate struggle against her.

Mari shoots. Duma screams. Gridman watches the Angel he fought for bleed, crumple, and vanish -- anguish echoing through the bond he shares with his comrades. Perhaps Takeshi feels it as well -- perhaps not. The bonds between Hyper Agents are unpredictable things.

Vit, still watching over Junk, swipes his hand across his eyes. "Damn it. Right when he was doing better."

Asuka releases Gridman, and the Giant of Light collapses to his knees, looking down. Brilliant blue washes over himself and Unit-02 as his lamp flashes urgently. After a moment -- as if he was catching his breath -- Gridman looks back up to Asuka.

"If that's what you want." He offers, softly.

No violence accompanies his words, and in a few more moments, the Giant of Light (and his distant sword) burst into blue pixels. Asuka's words accompany Gridman as he leaves the battlefield. If Duma's still alive... Maybe they really will leave. Maybe this will have been worth something after all.

Strobe-like light fills the alleyway Vit waits in, and the Hyper Agent hurries forward. One arm is braced under Gridman's, and his other hand claps Calibur on the shoulder. A look is exchanged between the two men -- no words are needed.

"We better get going." Vit says, once Takeshi joins them. "I have a feeling we're not exactly going to be given any medals. I'll text Miss Pommier and give her our regrets."

Gridman nods. He's steady on his feet, despite one hand that keeps fluttering down to touch his thigh. As Calibur packs up Junk, Gridman pulls out his squishy, creature-like phone.

VERTEX, group chat (Kaworu&Rei).

>im sorry
>i had to do what i thought was right
>i love you

<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.

        Truth is, Lucine doesn't have the perfect answer to Misato. All of this hinges on her own doubts, her want to see the universe as varied and colorful. For every Angel that tries to kill them, there has to be more varieties. It can't all be the same.

        ..... But this is not the reality that is given to her.

        Sight, sound, thought, touch, all is pain. Lucine curls up into a ball in her cockpit, squeezing her eyes shut.

        ......

        After a stressful silence, Lucine's sigh comes over the radio. She doesn't even try to restrict it to just Liam, this time. < "...... I'm back, Liam. I have my answer, so... you can take me in. ... I need containment, a hot shower, and a lot of people to rightfully get their turns in yelling at me." > Lucine's voice is flat. < ".... At least Jophiel didn't try to convince me it was for my own good that he ate me. This wasn't worth this migraine, not even for the information I got..." >

        She finally opens her eyes, expecting the painful blue of a sky. Instead.. what's blocking her view?

        < "...... Liam?" > She knows it's him. He's close. He's quiet.

        Gridman's gratitude redirects her attention. Lucine smiles. She has to thank the people who have literally taken a knife and several more. This, she sends over a tightbeam straight to him. < "...... Thank you, Gridman. I can fight with my whole heart, now. ... I'm sorry you had to take all of this... It seems that bridge is too wide for us to cross." >

        And then, to Chloe. < "...... If you want it, you get first dibs in punching or yelling at me." >

        And then, back to Liam. < "You made the right call. .... I know it was hard, for you." > A pause. < ".... I love you, Liam.' > This close, Lucine can feel Liam's fear, his anxiety. The sickness, throbbing in tandem with her oncoming migraine. < "..... Liam, it's okay...." > She fights to keep her brain clear from the pain. < "..... Liam...." > Did she hurt him this much? < "...... I'm so sorry, Liam.... I didn't mean to hurt you like this..." >

         Maybe she was her own worst enemy this entire time.

<Pose Tracker> Chloe has posed.

        Chloe takes in a deep breath as the Angel vanishes in defeat. They failed to kill it for good... But it's no longer threatening the city and the people in it. Not a complete victory, but a victory nonetheless.

        Remaining calm, a result of years of training for situations just like this one, Chloe radios, <"Mission complete. Returning."> She turns her Makhia, starting to head back towards where the transport is parked.

        On the way back, Lucine radios her and... Chloe is confused. Which is evident in her voice as she replies, <"... Why? I have no reason nor desire to punch or yell at you. Why would I?"> Besides, she has to get back to the Geofront...

        ... Coco's head is turned upwards towards the ceiling of the biodome. Of course her eyes are closed. Not that she could see anything other than the buildings hanging from above. But still, there is a concerned look on her face. She muses quietly to herself, "Still so much work to do... Yet not nearly enough time..." She moves a hand to hold her head. The Angel is gone. And she had been mostly protected from its effects by those two Evangelion pilots she had met. And yet... Things are still a little fuzzy...

<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.

        The Neo Helios has swept the much smaller Dianthus into its arms, and carries it back towards the Geofront, as if on remote. "<I know. I. God dammit, Lu, why did--why does it.>" Why does it have to be like this? He doesn't know.

        He needs to talk to Kaworu. And Guy. Maybe then the horrible break in his heart will go away.