2023-08-22: +Revolution: Wolf Hunt

• Cast: Alouette Pommier, Mari Makinami Illustrious
• Where: PLANT - The Ruins of Junius Seven
• Date: U.C. 0097 08 12
• Summary: Following orders from Colonel Misato Katsuragi, Alouette chases down the mysterious assailant in the Wolfpack Evangelion to retrieve Duma's core. Knowing she's outmatched, Alouette agrees to have a 'chat' with the unknown. Discussion about the nature of Angels, Evangelions, and humans themselves follows.

• OOC Note: This scene directly follows 2023-08-12: +Revolution.! As such, it takes place IC on August 12, 0097.

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<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.

"Get that core! Don't let the unknown escape with it!"

These were Colonel Misato Katsuragi's orders for Alouette, with the rest of NERV's fighting force utterly exhausted by the battle with Duma.

Thanks to a combination of GGG, BioNet, and PLANT technology, Guardienne Aviaire is an absurdly fast machine, with endurance to match. But when she stares down the Wolfpack Evangelion, several many times larger, displaying capabilities that could even disable a Giant of Light in one blow... Alouette wonders if she can really do this, gritting her teeth at the sight of the quadruped monstrosity.

In the moment, though, it doesn't matter... they almost killed Kaworu - and she can't trust this assailant with the core of such a powerful Angel. So Guardienne Aviaire speeds ahead, against the odds laid out against her.

"NERV's enemy, huh..." Alouette muses to the unknown pilot. It strikes odd to her just a little bit. Kaworu, as much as she likes him, is just a branch administrator. He doesn't actually hold much power in the organization as a whole. If it was her aiming to strike a crippling blow against NERV, she'd go for Gendo for sure. "You certainly aren't bad at making an enemy out of yourself."

Continuing to pursue, her sensors are trained on Duma's core. She doesn't need to do anymore than retrieve it. "What are you planning to do with that thing, anyway?" She can't help but ask. "In the end, even Duma recognized that power like his... shouldn't exist at all." A weapon like that's been turned on her before... perhaps it's no surprise she immediately concludes this assailant intends to turn Duma's power into a weapon, against NERV or otherwise. "If you can't understand that, then...

She turns her own weapons upon the Wolfpack. "BROKEN MAGNUM!" The clawed fist of Guardienne Aviaire soars towards the Wolfpack, aiming to strike at the limbs, to separate the core. If it's a miss, then her machine is left wide open...

<Pose Tracker> Mari Makinami Illustrious has posed.

<"A good villain ought to steal the scene.">

This is the distorted, modulated answer to Alouette's initial observation as her quarry all but literally vaults through space. Four-legged once more, every pound of clawed hands and feet into what should be the emptiness of space ignites shimmering blooms of prismatic geometry beneath it; whenever it seems like it is going off-course, an A.T. Field blooms directly in its path for it to use as an anchor point to abruptly pivote against -- literally creating winding, transient hallways through space.

But to where?

The answer won't come for the pilot of the Guardienne Aviaire immediately as she follows in hot pursuit of the massive, lupine-like Evangelion (?) and its mysterious pilot; but soon enough, the sight of the husk of an abandoned, unfinished colony comes into view. Away from the site of Duma's final fight -- away from any possibility of support.

... Or potential, civilian bystanders.

It's only when the Wolfpack begins to close in on that colony that it abruptly stops; A.T. Fields beneath its feet provide friction in space as the massive beast squeals across them, coming to a too-fluid stop for something so immense -- in space, no less. Its head turns -- and, faceplate shattered, the sight of that core clenched between what is undoubtedly a vast valley of fangs and nestled against the bed of a tongue is all too clear as burning eyes focus upon the Guardienne Aviaire.

Alouette speaks. And for a moment, there is silence in response. The Wolfpack lowers itself towards a bracing motion, as if in preparation.

<"So does Dumas, too, not deserve to exist?">

It waits --

        BROKEN MAGNUM!

And then -leaps-.

The clawed fist of the Guardienne Aviaire soars -just- beneath the Wolfpack; an A.T. Field blossoms beneath and between the beast and that fist, creating both shield and springboard as that blow just barely misses its mark. It hops again.

<"Maybe we should figure that out together.">

And pounces upon Aviaire, shifting towards its bipedal mode to last out with one great, clawed hand to try to -seize- Alouette's machine--

--and attempt to hurl it, rather than hurt it, looking to direct that throw further towards the colonial husk before them.

It doesn't try to push any offensive at all beyond that. It just follows after, Duma's core still caught in its maw.

<"Je demande une detante. Let's have a chat.">

<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.

"It's good that you know what you are," Alouette shoots back at that assertion that a good villain steals the scene. In a weird way, it makes her respect the pilot of the Wolfpack just a little more... She likes people who are honest about themselves.

As the Wolfpack uses AT Field to pivot across space itself, Alouette releases the limiters of the Pseudo GS-Ride, willpower alone letting her just barely reach the barren colony the Wolfpack leads her to.

Does Duma deserve to exist? She has to consider it for a moment. "Humanity and Angels don't seem to want to co-exist. You know that..." She answers between breaths. "...And if Duma wouldn't give up, neither could we. As sad as that is for people like Gridman."

The shimmer of the core meets her eyes through sensors again. "But that state between living and dead you've left them in? Even an Angel like Duma deserves a dignified death." She concludes, remembering how Guy told her they 'sealed' Duma in their moment of death.

"Ugh..." The AT Field, of course... how was she expecting to get past that? The Broken Phantom limply bouncing off the AT Field, Guardienne Aviaire is totally vulnerable while retrieving the fist, for just a split half-a-second.

Which, for the Wolfpack Evangelion, is more than enough time to pounce its prey. Fear washes over Alouette for however Brave she is... until she is simply hurled towards the dead colony.

"You're not going to... you're not going to kill me?" She asks the pilot, who clearly had her dead to rights.

"...Alright." She agrees, shutting down her weaponry, as the pilot requests for a talk. "Then I'll start. Do you have a name for me? 'NERV's enemy' is certainly one way to introduce yourself... but I can't really call you that, no?'"

"And..." She looks towards the horizon, as they get closer and closer to the colony. "What are you trying to show me? It's totally empty there, isn't it?" Perhaps that's the point.

<Pose Tracker> Mari Makinami Illustrious has posed.

You're not going to... you're not going to kill me?

<"Why?"> wonders the Wolfpack's operator, Kaworu's attempted assassin. Their voice tapers lower before pitching suddenly higher.

<"The Gutsy Global Guard's no enemy of mine.">

Strangely straightforward. But if organizations under NERV's umbrella don't count -- who or what exactly are they targeting? Kaworu--? Or...

<"A name? Hm."> The voice of the Wolfpack's pilot seems, past its warbling artificiality, to muse on this for a while. And then: <"Call me Aumurei, Ms. Pommier. Amurei should do fine.">

It's only once they've said this that the Wolfpack falls down to all fours once more; beneath that inert core, the strange, Evangelion-like thing's tongue lolls out past its teeth. It's a strange sight, especially in light of that all-too-Evangelion silhouette, as the Wolfpack approaches the colony in a bizarrely leisurely prowl through space.

<"That's right. There's no one here. Even as far as the Lilim have come, there are still so many places like this, empty and untouched.">

The beast's head turns, towards the colony, even as that modulated voice continues on with smooth ease. Despite all this activity, despite all this time, there's no sense the Wolfpack is lapsing in power like the Evangelions and their time limits. Another difference?

<"'The Angels, humanity's enemy, must die.' That is NERV's creed. Duma wanted to save humanity, but would have killed them trying. Co-existence is impossible. But does that mean it shouldn't exist at all?">

The Wolfpack stops in its stroll. The Eva's head turns, until those bright, disturbing eyes and fanged maw are tilted sidelong at Alouette and her Guardienne Aviaire.

<"If I give you this core, the Tenth Angel won't ever be able to find the answer to that question. It won't have a dignified death."> A second passes.

<"I doubt it'll have the luxury of any kind of death at all.">

<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.

"I suppose not..." Alouette nods slightly, at that straightforward mercy. As she wracks her brain a little at what the pilot is trying to tell her, she finds there's one thing she knows of that makes Kaworu special.

"It's the Evangelions, isn't it? Even the Gutsy Global Guard barely knows a thing about them... yet he can pilot any one he pleases. They call him a mere 'reserve pilot'... but I guess in the case of Evangelions, that's a pretty unique thing to be."

"It raises the question of how you came to pilot your own... a unique design that no one's ever seen before." She sees the tongue begin to roll out, though. Even being raised as a weapons designer and being exposed to the worst BioNet had to offer... she's always found Evangelions unsettling - this one doubly so.

But even more unsettling than that, the pilot introduces themselves by a certain name, eyes widening. "Aumurei?! N-no way, you aren't... you can't be." She begins to sink in her seat, just slightly. "You have a heart like a kaiju, don't you?" It's a better train of thought to focus on.

"Many Coordinators died here." Alouette says flatly, as she observes those ruins. "The Bloody Valentine War must've taught a lot of people that if even two different types of people can't co-exist, then we definitely can't co-exist with the Angels." She's always had complicated emotions about that line of thinking. "Maybe I can't answer that question on my own... I just couldn't bear the thought of having to live like that again. It's selfish, isn't it?" She frowns, continuing to stare at that core, unflinching even as that gaze and those teeth are levelled her way.

The Tenth Angel is still a living being like them, though. But can they find the answer they're so desperate for without hurting people?

"It's true... even if I took that core back, it's likely NERV would have no idea what to do with it. I doubt even Mamoru or Ikumi would know how to purify it. So you're saying you know better, huh..." But the more she looks at those all-so-sinister looking eyes, those teeth that shouldn't be there... "You tried to assassinate one of my friends... and you show up without a second thought and refuse to explain yourself. There's no way I could trust a person like you, Aumurei." The name is said, hushed. "But if your enemy really is just NERV... even if you leave with that core, can you promise me that you won't let any ordinary people get caught up in your.. work?" And there's a genuine plea there, as if it's the thing she's most worried about, in regards to Duma's "survival". "I probably can't stop you from interfering with NERV's affairs... but I can warn you that they won't show you any mercy now that what you tried to do to Kaworu's come to light."

<Pose Tracker> Mari Makinami Illustrious has posed.

<"How is he able to do that? That's one of the questions you should ask yourself.">

<"But the first one should be, 'what are the qualifications to pilot an Evangelion to begin with?'">

Just what -is- an Evangelion?

And just what are the Children who are so exclusively able to make them work?

It's a question that can also easily be turned on whoever is inside the Wolfpack, and the Wolfpack itself. And when Alouette does turn the lens upon them, the pilot's answer is a brief, warbled laugh. The tone is hard to tell with all those fluctuating layers of pitch and modulation, but it sounds like there are glimpses of genuine amusement there.

<"That's also a good question, isn't it?">

The name 'Aumurei' seems to strike something in Alouette -- and in response, the massive Evangelion cocks its head as if echoing a gesture of curiosity on the part of the pilot. The whole effect has the look of a dog's curious headtilt; considering the size and the... everything monstrous about this thing, it's a slightly discordant look.

But when Alouette presses on, instead, to ask about their heart, the pilot seems to consider. Within that entry plug, they look back toward that gutted colony -- a lonely vestige of what was once the potential of life, before others rejected it.

<"Hmm. What makes a human heart, and what makes a kaiju heart? To me, the dividing line is something as small as it is vast."> The Evangelion's head turns, looking out towards that gutted colony. Towards the PLANTs and all they suffered... and the suffering they inflicted in turn.

<"It wasn't a kaiju's heart that did this.">

This... this is something only human hearts could truly be capable of.

It, perhaps, isn't an answer to Alouette's question. But the pilot calling themself 'Aumurei' seems to have no hesitation in speaking their opinion on the matter openly, or even...

<"I think that's very human of you, Ms. Pommier. There's nothing wrong with some selfishness, now and then.">

... offer what sounds distinctly like praise and affirmation.

<"There's not much point to a self if you don't focus on it from time to time.">

But that strangely comfortable, casual musing comes to an end when Alouette gets down to the very literal core of the issue.

<"There is nothing to purify. There's few things purer in this existence than a lifeform spawned from the Fruit of Life. The Tenth Angel will remain sealed until the seal is lifted. In NERV's hands, they'd only see an opportunity to know their enemy better; like the Third Angel before it, the rest of Duma's life would be defined by slow, relentless disassembly and analysis until its usefulness finally ran its course.">

Dissect. Analyze. Better learn how to counter the problem of the Angels. It's a logical thing to do, and one could hardly blame NERV for it when humanity's fate is on the line.

But it's not much of a dignified end, is it?

Alouette can't trust them; it's understandable. But as she asks that question -- as she makes that plea -- the Evangelion's head tilts again. A moment of silence passes by in the vacuum of space. And then:

<"That earnestness of yours is very human, too.">

Slowly, the Wolfpack shifts towards a standing, bipedal position. It towers over the other weapon -- but all it does is raise one massive, clawed hand until it is resting over the plated, armor coverings of its chest.

<"I don't have any intention of involving anyone who doesn't choose to be involved,"> is their simple promise. <"And I have no intention of unsealing Duma until they can find the ending they deserve. 'All Angels must be eliminated.' My selfish wish is to see if that's really true.">

It's inevitable, that NERV's attention will turn on them. For what they tried to do to Kaworu - for having an unsanctioned weapon like this under their control - for taking Duma's core.

<"The brighter the spotlight, the better,"> is their thought on the matter. After all, a good villain...

<"So. Will you try to take it from me? Or would you like to find the answer to that question, too?">

<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.

"Aumurei"'s questions do seem to elicit some pondering in Alouette. What is an Evangelion, and what makes an Evangelion pilot? Her thoughts bring her back to Bujack, Asuka terrified of what NERV would do to her when her usefulness is at an end. Once that conditioning was gone, she's just as enthusiastic in serving her purpose in slaying the Angels as before.

She thinks to around the same time, Kaworu saying he's 'like her'. If Kaworu knows her background, being raised in a lab like she was, then it's not a statement to be taken lightly.

"I'm certain they were chosen somehow. Probably before they were even born." Is her answer. She finds she'd rather not pry into Asuka or Kaworu's backgrounds for more, or even look to 'Aumurei' for validation of her answer. She'd rather be proven wrong.

What does make a kaiju heart differ from a human's? She's known people with the experiences of both - Knight, and even Akane. But her attention is instead turned to the ruined PLANT. "When the Federation fired that weapon, I don't even think they saw their targets as human..." She frowns. Nor did Patrick Zala and Rau Le Creuset, when they turned GENESIS on Earth. "To dehumanise... is also unfortunately very human. While kaiju don't tend to discriminate in their methods of destruction... unless they were designed to."

"I know a lot of people who ought to be more selfish." Alouette agrees, with the statement about how it's also important to focus on the self. It is pretty comfortable to talk so casually like this, but she does not quickly forget what this pilot is capable of.

Perhaps she understands just a little, though. Would Duma really be subject to suffering like that? Misato, who gave her that order hates the Angels... but she does not strike Alouette as the type to partake in that. Gendo Ikari and other high-ranking NERV officials, though, she feels less certain. "I wonder if you tried to assassinate Kaworu-kun because you thought it would be kinder for him." She shakes her head.

The Wolfpack arises, and although Alouette's instincts are defensive, it... positions its hand like a vow. After their discussion, she does not chide them for being selfish. Truthfully, she's interested in the answer too... even if she'll probably end up fighting the Angels again.

"I agree with your terms," Alouette decides. "It's not like I could take the core by force even if I tried... and I did try." And indeed, she is displaying the GGG charter by not giving up on her life here. That's important too! "It was interesting speaking with you. If you really want the spotlight as badly as you say... we'll probably not have a chance like this the next time we see each other." Her gaze slowly leaves the core, and return to the lupine Evangelion. "Just don't forget... when you have a thesis, you better be prepared to be proven wrong."

Placing her own claw on her chest, as much as you can actually do that in a remote-controlled unit, Alouette prepares to return to Orbit Base. She'll report the failure to retrieve the core to Misato and let them know the Wolfpack will likely be back, almost definitely to interfere in any future anti-Angel operations. To develop tactics against it ASAP from what she gleamed during their brief fight.

Later on, she'll find that as much as the matching Aumurei name unsettled her, Akane Shinjo herself had a perfect alibi during the incident. One thing is certain: they aren't like anyone else she's ever met before.