View source for 2022-05-08: The Island of Death 1: The Living Island

*'''Log: The Island of Death 1 (of 3): The Living Island'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Character :: Shinji Ikari]], [[Character :: Zoia Surovy]], [[Character :: Karma Sato]], [[Character :: Kaworu Nagisa]], [[Character :: Asuka Shikinami Langley]], [[Character :: Alloy Kaas]] (Alouette "Alloy" Kaas), [[Character :: Kallen Kozuki]], [[Character :: Sho Muramoto]], [[Character :: Misato Katsuragi]] (NPCed)
*'''Where:''' Off the coast of OCU Japan
*'''OOC - IC Date:''' (April 15) May 8th, 2022 (0096)
*'''Summary''': ''NERV and Build Base detect a strange lifeform that might be the Eighth Angel or might be a remnant of the Jama Empire. Each of them send out pilots to investigate and gather samples, and with each of them also eager to guard their respective organizational secrets, it leads to conflict.''

----

 <Pose Tracker> Shinji Ikari has posed.
<poem>
HMS Over the Rainbow, Brittanian Supercarrier. (Loaned to NERV under the Jericho Agreement).

"It's moving." Makoto Hyuga says, scowling at a headset. "Sonar confirms it. The lifeform's so vast it just looks stationary. Mobile Subs show a growth rate of-"

"Is it safe to land on?" Misato Katsuragi had an unusually harsh look in her eye; as a field commander, Misato tended to prefer a velvet glove over the steel fist she could employ. Her dire mood was palpable, a hunger on her eyes that drove away the pleasant demeanor she used to maintain control of whatever joke of a ready room NERV landed her in.

"No," Hyuga replied, the slight tension on his effortlessly professional tone the equivalent of a tossed brick from another officer. On a ship, even one as vast as Over The Rainbow, tension in the chain of command is felt by every living soul on board. Moments pass. "Let me show you what happened when a fishing drone herded a pod of whales into the area."

A screen is activated. The vast plane of the Kyushu Island, gray and waxen and unmistakably the color of flesh just as it starts to turn, wobbles in the ocean. Hairs grow, tiny indents in the mass, freckles fill with oil. The whales; cloned superorganisms themselves harvested from the timelost seas of Kyushu, are a small family of three being pushed by gentle, humane ultrasonic pressure emitted from a small fishing mobile suit operated remotely. The largest specimen gets a little too close, and the island moves with the awful inevitability of an avalanche.

"Integration in the biomass takes seconds." Hyuga says, adjusting his glasses slightly. "Note how the drone is left alone. If you really want to go through with this operation instead of our first suggestion, you need to make sure biological matter does not touch the island."

"So it will work." Katsuragi says, unflinching.

Another moment passes. "Ma'am." Shigeru Aboa finally says, "We're just outside of Kyushu. There's also the politics; even if it is an Angel, they're not going to jump to that conclusion."

The dam holding the vengeful rage of the last Katsuragi threatens to shatter as she takes a step forward, slapping a hand on the command board. "If those fossils want to get in the way of the defense of the Earth over politics, they can slice their bellies open. Gentlemen we need those samples. If this is what we suspect, an embryonic Angel kept in stasis because of the Kyushu Mists, it is our one chance of getting ahead of these things. Our one hope of an offensive. Of finding the source of these creatures and ending this war before it rips the planet in half! Be ready to sortie in fifteen, and that's an order!"

"You heard her, folks." The special inspector attached to NERV, Ryoji Kaji, smiled, tapping his own sonar gear. "Besides, after that mess there's no way we're keeping the press away from this."

</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Shinji Ikari has posed.
<poem>
Build Base Secret Submersible Extension: Construct-One.

"Codename Oniwaban confirms the data is legitimate." A masked technician speaks through a tube, tapping her headset in code, "General, the entity is Kyushu-based. They believe the Mists have altered one of their Angels..."

"Of course Katsuragi does." A stately older woman nearly completely covered in a thick combat trenchcoat says, standing grimly over Build Base's layout systems. "Finest student I'd ever had except for a fatal tunnel vision on matters of revenge. This will serve to our advantage."

Silence was her only complaining; Doctor Shiba was away, leaving Miwa Tamashiro in charge of humanity's last line of defense against the horrors beneath the earth. It was a duty she had given two husbands, three children and a granddaughter to; she wasn't about to balk at sacrificing an embittered pup of a commander. "She'll charge in, we'll play along. Serve as the visible antagonist these children so desperately need, and they will respond as children do."

"NERV." Miwa continued, as if speaking to an audience despite her staff already preparing a Sortie., "Is why Japan is soiled with Brittanian boots. The Federation would not endure Brittania's advances if not for the absolute need of NERV, or Brittanian money to fund it. Every piece of information we gain to undermine the lie that NERV's absolute control is needed to protect humanity from the monsters is a step closer to a truly safe world."

"One where men like Gendo Ikari are slain on the spot." Miwa's rigid posture shook for just a moment. "Call in our associates. They will see things through this lense, and they will be the best suited for the job of poking at NERV; and through NERV, whatever sick intrigue our true enemy has planned."

"So you think the Jama are involved, then?" An aide asks, sweating, "This isn't their style at all, have they changed tactics?"

"That is what we need to find out. Even if the cost is in blood. The Jama cannot be allowed free reign of the earth, or mankind will suffer a fate that makes extinction look like a luxury. See to it!" The former General snapped, turning to the screen and trying to imagine the face of her lifelong nemesis.

All she saw was the smile on the dragon queen of hell's perfect lips. Miwa's hand shook, slightly, at the thought of it.

Summary:

The Island: Massive half-underwater plane of slowly moving flesh crawling from the Kyushu Zone towards the Japanese mainland. Seemingly inert.

NERV:
Deploying from Brittanian Supercarrier Over the Rainbow, Misato Katsuragi in partial command. Will assume full command under the Vatican Treaty in case of Blood Pattern Blue confirmation.
Mission: Secure samples of alien entity. Confirm origin, damage enough to manifest ATField or confirm blood type. Defend NERV's secrets from anarchist elements.

Black Knights:
Deploying from underwater Build Base adjunct "Construct-Ocean", Miwa Tamashiro in command.
Mission: Secure samples of Jama entity. Confirm origin, keep NERV collaborators from appropriating dangerous technology. Gain insight and data on NERV's Jericho Agreement with Brittania.
</poem>

 KTS: Zoia Surovy has deployed in Evangelion Unit-Z2.
 KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley has deployed in Evangelion Unit-02.
 KTS: Karma Sato has deployed in Type-1R Burai Custom 'Longshot'.
 KTS: Shinji Ikari has deployed in Evangelion Unit-01 Test Type.
 KTS: Kallen Kozuki has deployed in Type-02 Guren Mk. II.
 KTS: Alouette Kaas has deployed in Evangelion Unit-Null-Sigma.
 KTS: Kaworu Nagisa has deployed as a Sub Pilot for Alouette Kaas!
 
 <Pose Tracker> Zoia Surovy has posed.
<poem>
"Something tells me that's not actually an island," Zoia murmurs as she pushes her glasses up her nose with a delicate tap.

Evangelion Unit-Z2 perches on the Over the Rainbow's flight deck in something resembling a gopnik squat. The lowest rungs of its huge Katyusha rocket launch system actually rest on the deck. Tucked safely(?) into the entry plug, a pensive Zoia takes stock of the situation as best she can despite the underlying tension of the situation.

It is hard not to be a little anxious. Islands do not normally look like mort flesh with hairs growing out of it. Nor do they absorb things within seconds. Integration into the biomass is a threat. A thought hangs in the back of Zoia's mind, but she can't fully articulate it.

She exhales and slides both hands into her grips, leaning forward and setting her jaw. "Command, this is Unit Z2. I'm ready to go."

As soon as clearance has been given, she's off. The heavy Evangelion bounds off the Over the Rainbow and crashes down into a landing on one knee, picking out a spot adjacent to what looks for all the world like a giant mole.

Zoia winces and looks down at what ought to be ground. "It feels squishy," she murmurs, before Unit-Z2 reaches under one of its shoulder spars.

What would normally hold a progressive knife has been repurposed today as a sample carrier. One of several translucent cylinders drops into Z2's hand. The big machine crouches to try and scrape off cell samples into the tube with the aid of the &#42;actual&#42; prog knife, which was in the other shoulder spar.

Zoia pauses in mid-collection to glance from side to side, then look out towards what passes for a horizon on this hideous fleshball. They're bound to be attacked by &#42;something.&#42; She's not sure if it will be a flesh horror or something more mundane, but the anxiety's real.
</poem>

 KTS: Karma Sato has deployed as a Rival.
 KTS: Kallen Kozuki has deployed as a Rival.
 
 <Pose Tracker> Karma Sato has posed.
<poem>

        Blurple, blurple, blurple.

Air bubbles rise up out the water before a submersible bubble breaks the water and under it is a Burai that looks like someone found it in the junkyard. The burai moves toward the beach and  the pilot inside is not the happiest camper."I tried to tell them three times that my Burai wasn't air tight, but noooo it'lll be fine." Karma sighs as he can feel the sea water in his boots. "I hate having my feet wet."

         The moment the Burai makes it onto land it drags the submersible bubble onto the beach and then begins to move in slowly.

Switching on his comms he reaches out to base, "This is Longshot, I am on location. Securing position then I will begin collecting samples, and in the meantime can someone explain why we want these samples that would be great." The beauty of being a free spirit and not actual military is that it gives him the right to question his orders.

</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
<poem>
        A reasonable distance away from Misato, Kaworu Nagisa too watches the video screen that displays the flesh-like island suck in the whales like the last few drops of a soda through a straw. His demeanor is significantly calmer than hers, and his hands are tucked (as they often are) into the pockets of his administrator uniform, though he lacks his usual smile. His gaze remains on the creature, even during that tense silence, even during Misato's outburst and subsequent order. Something of his eyebrows sink as she speaks of finding a source and ending the Angels, but that's all.
        
        "The simplest way to confirm this is indeed the Eighth Angel is to slice &#42;it&#42; open," he remarks aloud. "Besides the opportunity to gain samples, the threat will rouse its self-defense instincts and prompt it to manifest an A.T. Field. Once it does so, dealing with it will be officially NERV's jurisdiction. And if it doesn't... then the samples brought back will allow us to study it further and make an official assessment then."
        
        It's a straightforward, unemotional statement. It isn't quite an order--Misato is in charge of operations here--but it is, potentially, a clarification of what needs to be done. He turns his gaze at last--not towards Misato or the others, not towards the living island, but towards a spot deeper in the ocean--where Construct-One would be. "...Alouette, could you please situate yourself and Unit Null Sigma on the opposite end of the entity? I believe it would be best to keep it contained as much as possible."
</poem>

 KTS: Kaworu Nagisa has activated the Trust Spirit Command targeting Alouette Kaas
 KTS: Kaworu Nagisa targets Alouette Kaas, Zoia Surovy, and Shinji Ikari with Awe.
 KTS: Kaworu Nagisa inspires awe, increasing Zoia Surovy's Morale!
 
 <Pose Tracker> Shinji Ikari has posed.
<poem>
Shinji Ikari had a relapse this week and spent most of his time away from school or tests in his room, listening to music and wishing he could will himself to get out of the covers. There was no particular reason for this, no real logic to it; he just found himself so miserable the call of "Angel" was almost a relief. Until he saw it, at least.

The younger Ikari opens his mouth, looks at the pressure box the Over the Rainbow's bridge has become, and closes it, checking his specs for the tenth time. Unit-01 is still, and will always be, Unit-01. The sortie light flashes green and Shinji gets into position, feeling the familiar stomach flops of a catapult hurling him off of the Supercarrier's bridge, into the air, and onto the island with a horrible smushing sound.

He is standing, he realizes, in a freckle. At least it's not bleeding; instead the skin sort of sags around Unit-01's armored boots. Shinji swallows bile, not wanting to think about what this would do to LCL, and does a double take when his coms scratch.

"Third, attach your PT Cable, you're losing power." Ever efficent Makoto Hyuga says.

"Right." Shinji grabs for one of the massive cables extending from a pair of PT cruisers, armed with a functionally useless machine gun and the largest portable photon batteries known to humanity. Easy targets, these machines are only useful for exploration and rescue missions like this one: anything smart enough to shoot back is going to see them as sitting ducks. Shinji attaches the umbilical cable.

He wants to talk about how they may be fighting humans, instead of just the Angel, but he looks at that conference table again. No one wants to hear it. Unit-01 trudges forward, itself a potentially tempting target as its amature pilot tries to figure out the Evangelion sized sample jar. Kaworu's instructions make opening the damn thing easier, if not any less embarrassing.

"This is Construct-One." Miwa says over the secure line, "The samples are needed to combat the Jama Empire's latest scheme. If you do not want your corpse to be enlisted in the tireless armies of the Jama, serving the whims of the witch court until erosion finally reduces your enslaved bones to dust, invest in your present mission."
</poem>

 KTS: Kaworu Nagisa inspires awe, increasing Shinji Ikari's Morale!
 
 <Pose Tracker> Asuka Shikinami Langley has posed.
<poem>

Tethered to the Britannian Supercarrier, Unit-02's armored head tilts to look down at the mass of flesh stretching out over part of the ocean. "Tck.  If all we're doing is collecting samples - then there's no need for a full deployment." Asuka sounds annoyed by the fact that it is.  If it's an Angel she intends to defeat it by herself.  And if it isn't...  then it's just glorified field work in her opinion.

Once the command is given, she pushes the induction levers forward, right as Kaworu indicates the easiest way to confirm it's the Eighth Angel is to slice it open.  "Finally!  Unit-02.  Launching."

Sending her Eva into a run, it leaps high off the high off the deck, it whirrs into life as several limbs form.  Strings of electromagnetic energy seemingly forming from the limbs and connecting.  Seemingly without aiming too hard, she fires a single bolt - which zips by to imbed in the flesh.

Promptly, Eva-02 stretches out a foot fearlessly.

"Better be noone blocking my LZ.  Because I'm getting all the samples HQ will need-"

The foot of the Eva connects to the back of the bolt.  "-''RIGHT NOW''!"

The stake is driven in hard, puncturing and cavitating flesh into a small localized crater (And quite potentially showering Eva-02 and other nearby Evas with it...  depending).

Promptly as she rebalances on the squishy biomasses, she takes out her Prog Knife from a shoulder pylon and jabs it in, ripping further gouges in the puncture wound crater she made with the humming knife and starts scooping it out into another translucent cylinder that slides open.

"There's no need to act so ''delicate'' about this," Asuka says over the comms derisively as she has her Eva scoop in more and more samples.



</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Alouette Kaas has posed.
<poem>


Fingers splay and wrap around the controls, stretching the plug suit material each repeat. Alouette doesn't know when she developed this particular prelaunch ritual. Nor does she understand how it's medidative qualities help her. To Alouette it's just this thing she does, because there is a fascination with the feel of the material over her dermis that she forgets about except when she is here, inside a plug, waiting to begin.

        &#42;Blip&#42;        &#42;beeep&#42;

Visual alerts appear on screen. Then a timer which begins running. Countdown has started for launch. Alouette stretches and resttles in her seat, before rolling over menus and options with the controls in her hand. She does it faster than she thinks about it, and the Null-Sigma is ready.

Kaworu's message comes without interference from the water, satisfying the curiousity if the anomaly would be interfering. "Unit Null-Sigma, Heading to the rear of the anomaly."

Alouette confirms her EVA readiness to Kaworu, who is sub-piloting this Sortie with her. Heavy thunks as magnetic clamps disengage from beneath Over The Rainbow, and releases the Null-Sigma into the water. This Britannian Child is covering the NERV op from under the water's surface

</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Kallen Kozuki has posed.
<poem>
Technically speaking, Build Base operations don't fall under the specific purview of Zero Squad. And yet, the launch platforms on Construct-One today are stocked with one unmistakable red unit. Its pilot has spent the past few hours on crunch time, going over the info provided on their target while she downs another bottle of water in advance. Whatever thoughts she has, she's keeping to herself.

She's got her orders, and so the Guren spins into a landing; chunks of island-flesh flying up with an awful, stomach-churning squelch from the Knightmare's Landspinners grinding a pair of grooves into its surface. A Knightmare may be tiny compared to any given Eva... but so far as Kallen's concerned, that just puts her at an advantage. So long as she remembers to account for the height differences in close-quarters. "We'll be under your command today. Keep us appraised of the big-picture."
</poem>

 KTS: Sho Muramoto has deployed in eEXM-17FT Alto Flight Type.
 
 <Pose Tracker> Zoia Surovy has posed.
<poem>
There's always something that Zoia likes about Kaworu. He's strange, but more approachable than most of the others in her age bracket, despite defying her efforts to try and figure him out. She tilts her head as he speaks up. "Right, we'll be careful. We should stay within sight of each other as much as we can--"

Nope, Asuka's going into business for herself. Zoia lowers her eyelids just a shade and sighs, shoulders sagging.

She can't dwell on her thoughts about the Second right now. Something's gnawing at her consciousness and she's finding it incredibly difficult to place. She focuses on scraping particulate off the island with the edge of her prog knife, making her incisions as clinically and carefully as she can.

Scrape scrape scrape. Scrape scrape scrape.

Scraaaaape.

Knightmare Frames are sufficiently tiny that Unit-Z2 doesn't pick up their approach right away, particularly with Zoia's focus on ''unnatural'' threats rather than conventional arms - and on sample-gathering rather than usual tactical concerns. She does, at least, steal a look towards where Unit-01 comes trudging across the hairy fleshscape.

She flashes a faint smile; it comes across in her voice as she calls lightly, "Shinji, I've got your back, alright? Don't worry. Things will go fine."

I mean, someone in NERV has to be nice, right?
</poem>

 KTS: Zoia Surovy targets Shinji Ikari with Coordinate!
 KTS: Sho Muramoto has deployed in Type-1RCC Burai Close Combat Type.
 KTS: Kallen Kozuki has deployed in Type-02 Guren Mk. II.
 
 <Pose Tracker> Sho Muramoto has posed.
<poem>

Well, he's not exactly sure what is going on. Only that he has two different sets of orders. Vastly leaving him wondering just what is going on.

On the one hand was the Build Base that he was currently deploying with under a mostly masked identity and the callsign of 'Kendo' while on the other is one who supplied him a much better unit that would be suspicious to bring out now.

He wasn't quite sure what the Black Knights and Build Base wanted to do here, but he was there. Celestial Being, on the other hand, is wanting some samples if there is some sort of Jama Kingdom unit around.

To that end, Sho had decided to simply comandeer a Burai Close Combat unit and deployed with it.

Not long after the Guren lands comes his own that also leaves some gouges as well as having it's assault rifle ready just in case. Island chunks come up behind him as he tests traction on it before rolling to get in formation for the time being.

"This is Kendo. Looks typical so far." Sho states, making sure he has his helmet secure just in case.
</poem>

 <Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
<poem>
        Ironic that of every NERV pilot present, Asuka's the one who takes Kaworu's comments most to heart. He watches Shinji and Unit 01 struggle with the Eva-sized equivalent of a sample jar while Zoia carefully scrapes material off of the living island while Asuka gouges the entity, sending up a shower of gore, and stabs until she's got plenty of chunks to gather up.
        
        Alouette, meanwhile, focuses on reaching her ordered destination rather than gathering samples. She does so well; the water is her element, after all. "Once you're on site, keep an eye on potential enemy movements and ensure the entity stays in place as much as possible. Should the entity reveal itself to be the Eighth Angel, those gathering samples will likely need immediate back-up."
        
        He pauses, observing movements in the water and then on the living island; then he adds, "Keep an eye on the waters around you for outside units as well. Several have approached and landed on the entity, and as they haven't hailed our comms, it's likely they're here to interfere. Before dealing with the entity, you may first need to deal with them."

</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Karma Sato has posed.
<poem>

        Karma sits in his Burai and listens to the  woo-woo speech of Miwa and raises his eyebrow at the talk of becomign a part of the Jama Empire. "Got it. So the next question is why do we not simply destroy the island if its such a risk? "  Somewhere he is sure someone has the answers to these questions and if Miwa is going to humor him answering his questions he is going to ask them, thats just how karma goes in the end.

        Meanwhile the Burai's sensors are alerting to all the other non friendlies in the area. "Longshot has some targets, I am engaging as a distraction, someone else make sure to grab samples." His radar also shows a new Burai on site, maybe they could grab some samples.

         Either way he slings the large rifle over the Burai's shoulder and takes aim, the shots  are for two different targets, a purple and blue eva. The shots are so close together they almost overlap each other.  Ideally Karma thinks to himself,shame the one with the glaive isn't around, he wanted to pop it's other eye.
</poem>

 KTS: Karma Sato targets Shinji Ikari with Longshot Sniper Rifle Systems Targeting Shot!
 KTS: Karma Sato targets Zoia Surovy with Longshot Sniper Rifle Systems Targeting Shot!
 KTS: Karma Sato rattles Zoia Surovy, making her next maneuvers more difficult.
 KTS: Zoia Surovy blocks Karma Sato's Longshot Sniper Rifle Systems Targeting Shot, taking 1410 damage!
 KTS: [Lucky] Karma Sato's Beginner's Luck activates, and luck goes his way!
 KTS: Karma Sato rattles Shinji Ikari, making his next maneuvers more difficult.
 KTS: Shinji Ikari fails to evade Karma Sato's Longshot Sniper Rifle Systems Targeting Shot, taking 3260 damage!
 
 <Pose Tracker> Shinji Ikari has posed.
<poem>
Misato Katsuragi takes a slow, calming breath. "Asuka, if the biological samples touch your Evangelions, they're going to be useless. Please be a little more careful."

Shinji Ikari's Unit-01 is covered in what can only be described as some kind of gorey oil with bits of milky white pus. No blood, not yet, which means that magical check can't happen, and there's been no sign of an active ATField yet. Unit-01 somehow finds a way to look at Unit-02 like what happened just happened.

"This is why no one wants to partner with you in lab!" Shinji snaps, and hisses as he feels pock marks form on his skin. "Uh, command? I'm picking up weird marks on my armor. I think this stuff is trying to eat through the Eva."

"Well we learned something." Aboa says, leaning back and swigging a bottle of water in one gulp. "Thank God."

"So should I wash this off or put it in a jar?" Shinji asks, and then the Knightmare Frames just show up out of nowhere. Unit-01 takes a step back. "Uh, thanks Zoia? I'm wondering why anyone would want to stop us from killing a monster. It doesn't make any sense!"

"Be ready to engage anarchist elements." Misato's voice has that steel quality to it again.

Shinji opens his mouth to argue and then a Burai bursts out of nowhere to shoot him. His sample glass explodes and Shinji takes a shot directly to the chest, Unit-01 stumbling backwards and getting its leg stuck inside of a fold in the flesh-island. "Stuck!" Shinji shouts, trying to force the leg out and remembering, oh yeah, man with a gun.

Just like him.

Shinji looks at his rifle. "I don't understand." Shinji fires a spray of bullets at the Burai, hoping to scare what must be some sort of terrorist away.
</poem>

 KTS: Shinji Ikari targets Karma Sato with Type MM-99 209mm AU Assault Rifle Shot!
 KTS: Kaworu Nagisa inspires awe, increasing Alouette Kaas's Morale!
 KTS: Zoia Surovy coordinates maneuvers, raising Shinji Ikari's Piloting!
 
 <Pose Tracker> Zoia Surovy has posed.
<poem>
Zoia's knife scrapes over the surface of the biomass, collecting more cells and secretions. She's filled a few sample tubes at this point.

Until a shot comes out of nowhere and pegs Unit-Z2 in the bicep. The huge Eva fumbles its test cylinder; it hits the biomass and rolls off into a mess of hair or worse. With a gasp, Zoia sits bolt upright and looks out across the fleshy island, tensing at the spike of pain in her left arm.

"Where'd ''that'' come from," she murmurs, eyes narrowing as she squints through Unit-Z2's receptors, trying to trace the shot's trajectory. There's no immediate giant machine on the horizon; it can't be something on the scale of a mobile suit.

If nothing else, Shinji seems like he's got a bead on something. Zoia's a little farther away; it takes her an extra second to see what the Third is shooting at. Her eyebrows peak sharply. "Is that a ''Knightmare Frame?''"

Not for the first time, Zoia finds herself wishing she'd brought a Wanzer. An Evangelion is far, far too cumbersome to fight something scaled for smaller-mass urban theatres.

"I don't know what they want, but we should assume they're jerks," she answers Shinji as she rolls her shoulders forward. "If you want to step on it, I'll back you up!" Unit-Z2 responds with her, hunching and planting both hands on the flesh-island. A pair of long spars unfold from its calf armour to brace against the uneven biomass as best as possible.

''Good enough,'' she decides before she triangulates and lets rip.

Unit-Z2 is visibly distinct from the other Evas in that it is both a) built like a linebacker and b) decked with racks of rockets mounted to its shoulder spars. Those rockets begin to fire. The barrage isn't so much pinpoint as it is total. Zoia's attempting to deal with the size disparity by just saturating the area around the Burai with explosions and hoping the tiny KMF gets blown up in the fray.
</poem>

 KTS: Zoia Surovy targets Karma Sato with Katyusha Rocket Spread Fire!
 KTS: Karma Sato blocks Shinji Ikari's Type MM-99 209mm AU Assault Rifle Shot, taking 3190 damage!
 KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Shinji Ikari's Find The Core activates, causing Nullify!
 KTS: Karma Sato successfully evades Zoia Surovy's Katyusha Rocket Spread Fire
 
 <Pose Tracker> Kallen Kozuki has posed.
<poem>
The Guren's already been scooping up a couple samples from the chunks sent flying by its wheels, but those on their own won't be quite enough. But Kallen spots a distinct opportunity up ahead. One Eva in particular stands out amongst the crowd, one with colors that perfectly match her Guren. One which happens to be assertively tearing up samples and hurling them every which way. "Guren Mk-2, engaging the enemy."

She's taking advantage of the pilot's zeal, launching Harkens into a raised chunk of flesh to pull the Guren skyward. Strictly speaking this isn't necessary, but Kallen's judged it'll definitely be paying less attention to the sky, than the thing below it's been carving open. The Harkens retract quickly, leaving only a fierce, silver claw gleaming in the sunlight, as it stretches down to rake across the face of the Crimson Titan.
</poem>

 KTS: Kallen Kozuki has activated the Accel Spirit Command and Has Engaged with Asuka Shikinami Langley
 KTS: Kallen Kozuki targets Asuka Shikinami Langley with Iron Nail Slash!
 KTS: Kaworu Nagisa targets Alouette Kaas with Prospect!
 KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley has activated the Spirit Spirit Command.
 KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley has activated the Spirit Spirit Command.
 KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley's EN Barrier activates, negating 1500 base damage.
 KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley fails to Parry Kallen Kozuki's Iron Nail Slash, taking 4000 damage!
 KTS: Kallen Kozuki has engaged Asuka Shikinami Langley
 
 <Pose Tracker> Karma Sato has posed.
<poem>

        The problem with bullets from a giant robot that could step on you and crush you when you are already in your own robot the bullets are much bigger then your shield is rated for.  So the shield is now swiss cheese, and well the Burai is less water proof then it was already.  However at least the rockets are still slow enough for him to dash out of the way so he has that going for him which is nice.

          Moving backwards the Burai begins taking quick shots with the rifle, and well one really could barely call it aiming even.  Even the carrier may find some of the random shooting from the Burai making waves for them, accidental waves but waves none the less. However his opponents are the size of barns, so it should help in the fact that as long as his rifle is in the direction of the Eva's he will hit something.
</poem>

 KTS: Karma Sato targets Shinji Ikari with Longshot Sniper Rifle Quick Shot!
 KTS: Karma Sato targets Zoia Surovy with Longshot Sniper Rifle Quick Shot!
 KTS: Zoia Surovy's Will Barrier activates, negating 500 base damage.
 KTS: Zoia Surovy blocks Karma Sato's Longshot Sniper Rifle Quick Shot, taking 1900 damage!
 KTS: Kaworu Nagisa assesses Alouette Kaas's prospects, increasing her SP!

 <Pose Tracker> Asuka Shikinami Langley has posed.
<poem>

"That's only a concern if I have an armor breach." Asuka replies to Misato, as she cuts out more sample goo with a Prog Knife and stuffs it into the container. "And that won't happen."

Eva Unit-02 looks like she's just going to focus on the samples, but an image of Asuka glaring at Shinji appears in his cockpit, "As if I needed a lab partner anyway for that kind of kid's stuff.  I handled far more advanced labs than that by myself years ago."

'Be ready to engage Anarchist Elements.' "They'd have to be a special kind of stupid to engage us in our Evas-" The crack of a sniper rifle firing immediately causes her to pause, followed by the return fire.  She suddenly stashes the Prog Knife back in the pylon  "...Guess we're dealing with ''real'' Geniuses"

Asuka pivots her Evangelion to return fire - but as she does she sees a quick movement out of her periphery.  And instead drops her Crossbow, as the Giant grips the Prog Knife back out of its sheath as she tries to wield it blindly at the perceived attack.

The Guren is small enough that with its grapple maneuver it manages to slip over her Prog Knife's blind attempt at defense.  At the last second before the Iron Nail would scrape off its face, the head jerks out of the way as the giant's other massive hand comes up - a hexagonal barrier unfolding out of mid-air in a ripple to blunt the impact somewhat; yet Unit-02 suffers for it, as its footing slides and its immediately put on the back foot.

"You're ''kidding'' me." Asuka says as she finally gets a good glimpse at the much smaller Guren, a wicked grin on her face. "Hey ''Tiny''." She sends over the open channel, "Are you sure this is really a fight you wanna pick?  You'd better not-"

With a quick motion the much larger Evangelion stabs downward towards the Guren's position.  Presumably though, it's too quick for that, so as it makes contact with the flesh, she suddenly pulls it out of the flesh, twisting the direction as she lashes out in a long line with her superior reach to try and catch the Guren up in that change of motion with its humming blade

"-REGRET IT!" With another hand she sends a message to Over the Rainbow, "Hangar Crew.  Requesting Portable Ordnance - Thunder Spear.  Send the package my direction on my mark...  MARK!" In the distance - something launches in their direction.


</poem>
 KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley targets Kallen Kozuki with Progressive Knife Twist!
 KTS: Shinji Ikari's Will Barrier activates, negating 500 base damage.
 KTS: Shinji Ikari blocks Karma Sato's Longshot Sniper Rifle Quick Shot, taking 1260 damage!
 KTS: Kallen Kozuki fails to rush.
 KTS: Kallen Kozuki fails to react to Asuka Shikinami Langley's Progressive Knife Twist, taking 4900 damage!
 KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley has engaged Kallen Kozuki
 
 <Pose Tracker> Alouette Kaas has posed.
<poem>

Evangelion Unit Null-Sigma glides through the water with speed that seems impossible for it's size. While it's origins may lie with certain familiae, she moves like an a member of the Crocodillia familiae. Elegant and swift in no time she reaches the flank of the island.

No sooner had Alouette arrived to watch the rear, than combat had broken out. The hard impacts onto the Island signaled something was going on before comms started blowing up with the chaos of combat.

The fibers, the strands that make up the muscles in her body, twist tighter as Alouette readies, swaps macros and settings, runs checks for transition from medium and does an optical scan of the anomaly from under the water while she comms directly to Kaworu.

        "Nagisa! This is Unit Null-Sigma. I am breaking station and engaging!"

Alouette growls as she begins to really pilot her Eva, thrusting herself into the controls and sync with Null-Sigma. The bulk of the unit gives it inertia as Alouette drives it in something like a roller coaster, using it's final momentum to launch it from the water. Through the air it flies arcing over as much of the island until it lands running.

        "AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH" Alouette screams as her tentacles unfold from around her, four appendages menacing appart from the Arms and Legs of the Evangelion, heading straight for the Burai.

As the distance between them closes the tentacle like appendages slash at the Burai, as Alouette spins her unit, like a pirouette. The limbs just beat and slash in the spin striking out at the disruption.
</poem>

 KTS: Alouette Kaas has activated the Spirit Spirit Command.
 KTS: Alouette Kaas has activated the Spirit Spirit Command.
 KTS: Alouette Kaas targets Sho Muramoto with Spines of Raking!
 
 <Pose Tracker> Zoia Surovy has posed.
<poem>
The problem with &#42;being&#42; a giant robot is that you can't hit small things easily. The problem with being a &#42;small&#42; robot is that you can hit the big things easily, but it doesn't do a lot.

At this point Zoia's tracking the Burai even as it goes skating away from the rocket fire. She wets her lips and begins to orient towards the smaller machine, until another rifle shot barks out.

There's an orange flash in the air as the bullet slams into a wall of outwardly-radiating octagons. The first bullet is completely deflected away, a second one making it through but with significantly reduced momentum to ping against Unit-Z2's massive torso armour. The big machine lurches and begins to rise from its crouched position.

Zoia winces and rubs at the upper right part of her chest. That stung.

Catching her lower lip in a gentle bite, she spares a glance to her side, trying to single out where her escaped sample tube went. She can't find it in the heat of things. "Bother," she mutters, making sure the rest of the cylinders are secure in Z2's left spar before turning her attention back to the pesky Burai.

"Is that one of those terrorist pilots?" she murmurs. "What are they doing here? Surely they can't be behind this."

She coaxes Unit-Z2 forward. The pale blue Evangelion moves into position behind Unit-01 and off to one side, clear enough to provide supporting fire. This time it doesn't go into a crouch before beginning to fire off rockets. They come in stages, spewing first from the tubes higher up Z2's shoulder spars, then on down the rack to form a steady, percussive wave that's focused on plotting a trajectory just in front of where she's convinced the Burai will move.

Hitting it will be a challenge. Small targets are a nightmare. But she might be able to herd it in the right direction.
</poem>

 KTS: Zoia Surovy has activated the Strike Spirit Command.
 KTS: Zoia Surovy targets Karma Sato with Katyusha Rocket Concentration!
 KTS: Sho Muramoto has activated the Wall Spirit Command.
 KTS: Sho Muramoto fails to rush.
 KTS: Sho Muramoto fails to react to Alouette Kaas's Spines of Raking, taking 5220 damage!
 KTS: Alouette Kaas has engaged Sho Muramoto
 
 <Pose Tracker> Kallen Kozuki has posed.
<poem>
The Guren's fast and agile, that's true. For the initial stab, the Knightmare darts in closer to get beneath the swing's range. The knife being so quick to pull back and attack again though, that was unexpected. And so the follow-up catches the Guren across its back, scoring a reasonably deep gash... and yet not as deep as Asuka might have hoped. Clearly this tiny thing is better armored than its speed might suggest.

Kallen's actually surprised when the pilot speaks to her. She'd assumed they'd want no part of a conversation, and... huh. Is the pilot younger than her? It sounds a little bit like that. Well, she won't leave the girl hanging that way. Though her voice is scrambled a bit, to mask recognition just in case. "You're not bad, but you're still SORELY underestimating this Knightmare! Be careful that cocky attitude isn't what takes you down."

The pilot's clearly got no end of confidence... She might be able to use that, actually. But there's no way she'd be able to talk this girl down, or make her question her allegiances. No matter how much of a blow that might be to NERV and Britannia. The Guren spins in a tight circle, snatching up some of the launched samples right out of the air. But it can fulfill all the objectives together, no problem. So in the same fluid motion as its flesh-capture, the Guren swings low, targeting the Red Eva's left knee with a blunt impact.
</poem>

 KTS: Kallen Kozuki has activated the Spirit Spirit Command.
 KTS: Kallen Kozuki targets Asuka Shikinami Langley with Iron Nail Strike!
 KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley has activated the Focus Spirit Command.
 KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley's EN Barrier activates, negating 1500 base damage.
 KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley fails to Parry Kallen Kozuki's Iron Nail Strike, taking 2460 damage!
 KTS: Kallen Kozuki has engaged Asuka Shikinami Langley
 KTS: Karma Sato fails to evade Zoia Surovy's Katyusha Rocket Concentration, taking 5200 damage!
 
 <Pose Tracker> Shinji Ikari has posed.
<poem>
Shinji makes a friendly gesture at Asuka's glaring image.

This isn't him. He has no idea why this impossible woman makes him act like an eight year old, but it feels damn good while his skin is melting and he's being shot by the world's bravest Knightmare Frame. Is that what is is? A Knightmare Frame?

"Do you know anything about these machines, Zoia?" Shinji asks, as he rips his leg out of the ground, cracking his neck. "Is there a weak point I can, uh, aim at?" Shinji is a notiriously poor shot, let's be honest here. More fire incoming; Shinji extends his ATField, and the bullets impact on hard armor and the strange bioorganic material at the core of the Evangelion, only staggering it a little.

The carrier shakes. Shinji looks over, distracted. "Misato-!"

"We're fine, this thing can take an N2 Mine!" Misato says, gilding the truth a little. "Focus on the mission Shinji!"

Unit-01's baleful scarred face turns to glare down at Karma's little machine. Shinji grabs a hair for balance, and just fires a wild spray of pellet rifle shots, looking to force the Frame into the ocean or reduce it to melted slag. His hands shake, squeezing open and closed as if making a fist. Or something.

The ground starts to shift, slightly, under everyone's feet. Fluids bubble up and there's a faint feeling of the beginnings of an earthquake.

Miwa scowls looking at readings. "A storm's coming. Damn it. Scramble the Build Angels! They're going to need air cover-immediately!"
</poem>

 KTS: Shinji Ikari has activated the Strike Spirit Command.
 KTS: Shinji Ikari targets Karma Sato with Type MM-99 209mm AU Assault Rifle Spray!
 
 <Pose Tracker> Sho Muramoto has posed.
<poem>

Looking up from his skirting along the edge of combat insistent on at least getting one of the objectives before having to engage well... an Evangelion if he is seeing that right.

He was about to start assisting with pot shots to distract at least until he hears... well... something big.

"Uh, guys, there's--" That's about as far as he gets before his unit is slashed and beat on like some kid throwing a tantrum on their toy that just broke.

"Kendo engaging!"

He says into his radio, then @emit
Looking up from his skirting along the edge of combat insistent on at least getting one of the objectives before having to engage well... an Evangelion if he is seeing that right.

He was about to start assisting with pot shots to distract at least until he hears... well... something big.

"Uh, guys, there's--" That's about as far as he gets before his unit is slashed and beat on like some kid throwing a tantrum on their toy that just broke.

"Kendo engaging!"

He says into his radio, then takes a hand off of the assault rifle to reach out and slap back one of the tentacles. This is followed by a second. The spinning Evangelion is definitely an odd side... but what about a tripped one?

Understandably, Sho goes for something he probably shouldn't against a much larger opponent. But size matters not when you have someone who probably is just hitting buttons or something at him.

Sho waits for the next tentacle flailing before grabbing at the offending tentacle, stepping in, and actually aiming to kick the hell out of the Evangelion's leg to throw it off balance, followed by an open hand palm at the other as he tries to bring it down with martial arts it looks like.
</poem>

 KTS: Sho Muramoto targets Alouette Kaas with Muramoto Form Kata!
 KTS: Alouette Kaas's Will Barrier activates, negating 500 base damage.
 KTS: Sho Muramoto rattles Alouette Kaas, making her next maneuvers more difficult.
 KTS: Alouette Kaas blocks Sho Muramoto's Muramoto Form Kata, taking 2450 damage!
 KTS: Sho Muramoto has engaged Alouette Kaas
 KTS: Karma Sato fails to evade Shinji Ikari's Type MM-99 209mm AU Assault Rifle Spray, taking 6110 damage!
 KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Shinji Ikari's Find The Core activates, causing Nullify!
 
 <Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
<poem>
        The non-NERV units--fairly upgradable to 'enemy units' at this point--attack the Evas fearlessly, despite the significant size difference. Kaworu's lips thin as one in particular opens fire on Units 01 and Z2. A few shots whistle towards the carrier itself, and Misato claims it can take an N2 mine. He side-eyes her for that one, but doesn't contradict her.
        
        Instead, he transmits, "It's all right, Shinji--you needn't worry about us. Focus on encouraging your opponent to retreat. Surovy can focus on the entity and retrieving samples. I'm counting on both of you to protect each other."
        
        He doesn't have any similarly encouraging messages for Asuka. She wouldn't take them well, anyway.
        
        For now, he focuses on Alouette, who bursts from the water to hurl herself into battle against one of the Knightmare Frames. She gives it a good hit, and in return, it grabs one of her Eva's arms and attempts to kick it off-balance. Whether that works or not, well--the KMF pilot probably wasn't anticipating an A.T. Field.
        
        "Alouette, there's no need to eliminate your opponent. Our primary goal is retrieving samples from the entity. Do just enough damage to force them to retreat," he instructs her. To everyone, he adds, "These aren't Angels any of you are fighting, after all. We must be careful."
</poem>

 KTS: Kaworu Nagisa has activated the Enable Spirit Command targeting Alouette Kaas
 KTS: Kaworu Nagisa targets Alouette Kaas with Prospect!
 KTS: Kaworu Nagisa assesses Alouette Kaas's prospects, increasing her SP!
 
 <Pose Tracker> Asuka Shikinami Langley has posed.
<poem>

"And you think you're ''not'' underestimating my Eva right now?" Asuka says with a certain intensity, "Talk about hypocrisy.  What are you even supposed to be?" As she's using a Knightmare frame and called it as such, Asuka makes an educated guess, "One of those 'Black Knights'?"

Yet instead the Guren charges in low, and manages to yank her sample cylinder - which causes Asuka to growl in frustration as she slices downward with her Prog Knife, too late to prevent the Guren from swinging up towards its knee joint.  It impacts, though it feels like even that impact is blunted somewhat by that strange barrier the Evangelion is using. "Moron.  What exactly do you think interfering with an official NERV operation is gonna do for your cause?"

The Evangelion suddenly lurches upward to grab something out of mid-air as it sails her way, righting it in her arms.  It looks like a rifle, albeit a large one - a thin translucent bayonet unfolding like a long switch blade.

"Even if you somehow managed to beat us all - which is really unlikely - all that'd happen is you'd do is set everyone up to get killed the next time an Angel descends!"

Rather than try to stab her with the Bayonet however, Asuka simply turns it over and swings it down in a wide blunt sweep in order to try and manage to compensate for its superior mobility.

"Now - ''give'' ''that'' ''back''!

Sparing one hand, the Eva reaches out to try and take the cylinder back.



</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Karma Sato has posed.
<poem>

        Yes lets encourage your opponent to retreat. That is exactly what bullets the size of a guys arm would possibly lead to as the Longshot tries to dash around avoiding them.  Instead he seems to be running directly into every bullet that the purple Eva has fired and yet somehow he is still functioning.  One can not say they don't build the Burai sturdy at least.

Karma frowns as he looks at the Purple Eva, "I really hate these things, they are just monsters and the moment Britannia finishes taking over they will just be new level of opressors." Slamming what is left of the slagged shield into the ground and creating a brace for himself he lays his rifle on  brace and takes aim. The moment he sees the things eye he fires, all the while saying to himself "Damn monsters."
</poem>

 KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley targets Kallen Kozuki with Thunder Spear Buttstroke!
 KTS: Karma Sato has activated the Strike Spirit Command.
 KTS: Kallen Kozuki parries Asuka Shikinami Langley's Thunder Spear Buttstroke, taking 585 damage!
 KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Asuka Shikinami Langley's Sole Shikinami activates, causing Insight L1!
 KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley has engaged Kallen Kozuki
 Karma Sato uses Hyper Reloader

 KTS: Karma Sato targets Shinji Ikari with Longshot Sniper Rifle Perfect Shot!
 KTS: Shinji Ikari's Will Barrier activates, negating 500 base damage.
 KTS: Shinji Ikari fails to evade Karma Sato's Longshot Sniper Rifle Perfect Shot, taking 6350 damage!
 KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Karma Sato's Smart Guy activates, causing Designate L1!
 KTS: Alouette Kaas has activated the Strike Spirit Command.
 
 <Pose Tracker> Alouette Kaas has posed.
<poem>

Alouette isn't inexperienced, she has seen combat in a Britannian combat theater. Colonialism leaves those never lacking. The less familiar is the competency and better still, talent, of the pilot she is facing.

The pilot opposite her made skilled use of the small relative size of the Burai, to put themselves in the path of the fewest strikes that would place them prime positioning for some counterbalancing offensive kinetics.

Where it would have been met by Alouette's ATField the surface of the Anomaly contact with the Evangelion gives the Burai purchase to sweep one of the Unit's legs, bringing Null-Sigma to a knee. A burn, smokes along the leg where contact is made, and Alouette growls, pushing herself back to her feet.

        "Nagisa..." Alouette breathes heavy from the pain and annoyance.

        "Understood. No fatalities. Null-Sigma copies and engaging."

Alouette makes a few quick adjustments to systems, grips the controls tightly, and rushes forward.

        "Mobile Suit Pilot. Leave this area. Abandon any materials." There were no or else, or if's. Just the direction, and Alouette trying to take the Burai off the Anomaly, her tentacles wave, as a visual distraction while she circles one side, before rushing in to grab the enemy.
</poem>

 KTS: Alouette Kaas targets Sho Muramoto with Hug From The Abyss!
 
 <Pose Tracker> Kallen Kozuki has posed.
<poem>
It's pretty funny, actually. This girl asks an all-important question. What DO they think they're doing?  And who is the pilot? "You think those Angels are the only monsters that attack people? And that only NERV can fight them? Laughable on both counts... NERV doesn't value its own pilots any more than it valued everyone it supported the genocide of at Britannia's hands. At least we're fighting to protect people from ALL tyranny, source be damned." ...Does she sound a little like Zero right now? ...No, she's not dramatic and grandiose enough for that. Not remotely.

When the bayonet rifle swings down, Kallen flips a small, tuning-fork esque knife into one hand, to catch the sweep and twist with a minimal grazing across the arm's grenade-launcher. But that leaves free its silver arm, which begins whirring and grinding ominously. "Diverting power to Surger... I'll avoid the pilot, going for a low-angle shot!" The silver arm extends on a hinge, Wave Cartridge cycling as a burst of heat rips out from the palm. It doesn't take any kind of genius to know this looks PARTICULARLY bad, with the hand beginning to radiate a deep red as it reaches for a leg. To pin it against the ground and melt the both together. Asuka definitely has an opening to grab the cylinder. But how well can she hold onto it, in the face of Rakshata's Ultimate Experimental Weapon?
</poem>

 KTS: Kallen Kozuki targets Asuka Shikinami Langley with Wave Surger Eruption!
 KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley has activated the Focus Spirit Command.
 KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley fails to Parry Kallen Kozuki's Wave Surger Eruption, taking 6903 damage!
 KTS: Kallen Kozuki has engaged Asuka Shikinami Langley

 <Pose Tracker> Shinji Ikari has posed.
<poem>
The Build Angels take flight!

Elite fighter pilots, the Build Angels move in breathtaking formation, positioning themselves to threaten Over the Rainbow. Alarms scream, and sailors take general quarters in anticipation of this going directly to hell.

The storm gets worse, thick black clouds rolling in like the climax of some grim opera where everyone dies and the devil wins. The lightning charge starts interfering with instruments on all sides.

Kaworu gives Shinji some advice. "Yeah." Shinji gets his head on straight, standing between the retreating Zoia and the terrorist. Someone somewhere is screaming about Brittanians but Shinji's enemy doesn't broadcast anything but silent contempt.

And a bullet directly through Unit-01's eye. Shinji's head whips back in sympathetic agony, his own eye getting red and puffy as if someone'd bashed it in with a pair of brass knuckles. Unit-01 covers its eye as a massive spray of LCL explodes from the destroyed organ, landing on the ground in a hideous splatter. The purple monster stumbles, even as its blood is sucked greedily into the ground.

The rumbling increases. Little holes start ripping into the flesh of the island, some full of air, or muscle, or teeth. Some start to bite. "We are getting a spike." Hyuga shouts, tapping away on his keyboard. "Something's going on, it's reacting to the LCL." Flesh parts, and rips, the terrain going from strange to outright deadly.

Shinji Ikari doesn't care right now; Unit-01 moves with nightmarish speed, simply leaping into the air and landing with a horrible thud, tearing through the flesh-ground as though it were nothing, ATField gleaming the same color orange you see in hell as it reaches for Karma's Burai!
</poem>

 KTS: Shinji Ikari has activated the Valor Spirit Command.
 KTS: Shinji Ikari targets Karma Sato with Rip and Tear!

 <Pose Tracker> Asuka Shikinami Langley has posed.
<poem>

The other pilot speaks, and to whatever small credit might be given to Asuka, she listens - but her reply immediately after is just as derisive...

"What are you stupid?  You think ''this'' is fighting Britannian tyranny?  You think ''this'' is avenging Genocide?  You're just some zealot that's so absorbed in their own ideals that you can't see the forest from the trees."

The rifle strike is deflected, and Asuka's anxiety grows somewhat as she sees the arm start to charge.  If not for the LCL, she'd be sweating...

...  as is though, the silver arm reaches for the leg.  And Asuka jukes the bayonet down to try and catch it.

She misses.

The arm grabs the leg of her armor, and as it starts to melt there's a blood curdling scream over the radio as Asuka fails to lower her Synch rate in time.Maya calls out over the radio, "Asuka - disengage!  Disengage now!  She's almost through!  Your restraint armor is nearly compromised!"

Evangelion Unit-02's hand lurches forward to try and grab the sample cylinder regardless of orders.  The Eva pilots breath panting - over and over raggedly.  "Absolutely...  not." One handed, Unit-02 points the nozzle of the Thunder Spear right down at the Guren, the Wave Surger already causing the tip of the bayonet to melt.

"I've...  got this." The Eva squeezes the trigger and suddenly there's a wide conical spray of electrical arcs that spray out over the Guren even as the nozzle starts to warp from mere proximity, it's center as bright as ball lightning as those arcs try to rip across the Knightmare Frame.  "Always do."


</poem>
 KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley has activated the Valor Spirit Command.
 KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley targets Kallen Kozuki with Thunder Spear Electric Pulse!
 KTS: Kallen Kozuki has activated the Wall Spirit Command.
 KTS: Kallen Kozuki fails to parry Asuka Shikinami Langley's Thunder Spear Electric Pulse, taking 6720 damage!
 KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Asuka Shikinami Langley's Sole Shikinami activates, causing Insight L1!
 KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley has engaged Kallen Kozuki
 KTS: Karma Sato fails to evade Shinji Ikari's Rip and Tear, taking 8280 damage!
 KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Shinji Ikari's Find The Core activates, causing Nullify!
 KTS: Shinji Ikari has engaged Karma Sato
 KTS: Alouette Kaas anchors Sho Muramoto, forcing it into close range.
 KTS: Sho Muramoto blocks Alouette Kaas's Hug From The Abyss, taking 3162 damage!
 KTS: Alouette Kaas has engaged Sho Muramoto
 KTS: Alouette Kaas begins a Formation attack!
 
 <Pose Tracker> Karma Sato has posed.
<poem>

        The Burai known as Longshot is lifted up by the hand of the Eva and it is only because he was trying to retreat that he slips through it's grasp but the front armor on it is completely gone. In fact in a way Shinji finds the core, if one looks through one of those bullet holes  with the armor now off and such you could almost make out the red headed Karma sitting in the pilot seat.

         Karma is breathing heavy as he hits the ground and begins to rapidly input commands into the Burai's computer  while at the same time getting it back up to it's feet. He begins to rapidly circle the Eva staying in arms length, but abandoning the heavy rifle. Instead it prouces a small machine gun  from the Burai's back.

         Almost in touching distance the Burai stretches it's arms out and begins to unleash a spray of bullets into the Eva as he continues to circle hopefully keeping out of arms length for a few more minutes.

Meanwhile on private comms, "This is the Longshot, not going to last much longer, but I certainly pissed this Eva off. On a  side note at least this Eva isn't throwing a massive spear at me after I shot it in the eye."
</poem>

 KTS: Karma Sato targets Shinji Ikari with Glasgow MG Point Blank Shot!
 KTS: Shinji Ikari has activated the Trust Spirit Command.
 KTS: Shinji Ikari rushes into the attack!
 KTS: Shinji Ikari successfully avoids Karma Sato's Glasgow MG Point Blank Shot

 <Pose Tracker> Sho Muramoto has posed.
<poem>

Sho actually uses the knuckle shields to punch the tentacles away and give his Burai room to slide under the last one.

Inside the Burai, Sho actually raises an eyebrow at what he's doing. "Huh..."

And then he moves the Burai again, the smaller speed seemingly dancing among the tentacles trying to hug the small unit against the larger Eva.

At least until the Burai does a hop, twist, and a right hook at the larger Eva. Which it somehow used momentum to get at least closer towards it's face.

Sho lands heavily and transmits to his allies, "Likewise. I may have to abandon my Burai if this one gets another good hit in. Definitely one of the Evangelions."
</poem>

 KTS: Sho Muramoto targets Alouette Kaas with Knuckle Shield Hook Punch!
 
 <Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
<poem>
        The living island is rumbling in the most organic way possible--growing pieces in a deeply worrying way as LCL bleeds all over it. Kaworu observes this, but he also observes the fighter pilots, the Build Angels, closing in on the Over the Rainbow. As concerned as he is for his fellow Evangelion pilots, they need a place to return to. Therefore, his next action is clear.
        
        "Alouette, whether you fend off your opponent or not, be prepared to withdraw and take Units 01 and 02 with you," he instructs. "That's all for now. Stay alive." After all, staying &#42;safe&#42; is not really an option, nor was it ever. Not for any of them.
        
        After that, he nods to Misato. "Lt. Col. Katsuragi, I'm off to deploy in Unit 04 to defend the ship. I'll leave the operation to you." After an acknowledgement, he makes his exit. At speed, even; those fighter planes are almost upon them, and he needs to at least be &#42;inside&#42; the Evangelion for plausible deniability's sake.
        
Once he &#42;is&#42; inside, though... it doesn't matter what the Build Angels unleash on the HMS Over the Rainbow, or what fury descends from the gathering thunderheads above. As he settles in serenely on the carrier's deck, Unit-04's arms and legs folded in a clear sign of non-aggression, the air around the ship takes on a shimmering, crystalline quality.
        
        However thickly the storms converge, both in the clouds and of it, no hostility will make it past the light of his heart.
</poem>

 KTS: Kaworu Nagisa targets Sho Muramoto with Pass!
 KTS: Alouette Kaas has activated the Daunt Spirit Command targeting Sho Muramoto
 KTS: Alouette Kaas has activated the Daunt Spirit Command targeting Sho Muramoto
 KTS: Alouette Kaas's Will Barrier activates, negating 500 base damage.
 KTS: Alouette Kaas blocks Sho Muramoto's Knuckle Shield Hook Punch, taking 2500 damage!
 KTS: Sho Muramoto has engaged Alouette Kaas
 
 <Pose Tracker> Kallen Kozuki has posed.
<poem>
There's an awful shriek from the Guren's spinners as it strains to push forward against the electricity. To bring up the knife in an attempt at catching the end of the gun. But too little too late, as alarms and warning lights flash all around Kallen in the cockpit. It feels like she's roasting alive... and whatever happens here she's going to have to pull back after this. The cylinder is firmly in the Eva's hands yet again. "Ghhh... y'know, you aren't WRONG. Defeating you won't stop Britannia. But I have a question. What happens after these Angels? If they seem to stop coming. What does NERV do with you pilots, or your units then? Does it start fighting other threats to humanity? Or does it lease them out to its closest ally, as a military force? Sending those things out as the spear of an invasion. ...I'd rather we be allies, fighting for everyone's sake. So give that a thought later."

Smoke and sparks fly every which way off the Guren. But surprisingly, certainly to the girl who unleashed such a destructive blast, the red Knightmare is still moving. Its claw is stained all manner of awful shades, but as the pilot moves to retreat, she'll take one parting swipe at Unit-02. One last attempt to tear into its arm, and make it drop the objective into the gorge that's been carved into her machine. An improvised carrying case, of a sort. Never let it be said Kallen isn't devoted to her job.
</poem>

 KTS: Kallen Kozuki has activated the Alert Spirit Command.
 KTS: Kallen Kozuki targets Asuka Shikinami Langley with Iron Nail 'Drill' Slash!
 KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley fails to react to Kallen Kozuki's Iron Nail 'Drill' Slash, taking 4425 damage!
 KTS: Asuka Shikinami Langley's Evangelion Unit-02 has been disabled.

 <Pose Tracker> Alouette Kaas has posed.
<poem>

A dance. That's the only way to describe the way Evangelion Unit Null-Sigma moves in relation to the Burai piloted opposite her. It's beautiful, the small mobile suit, fighting with offensive martial arts techniques, met by a giant with a flowing, flower petal lightness of step. Each contat punctuated by a flash of the Eva unit's ATField.

Finally the two stare "Face to face" as Null-Sigma takes a brise to turn a splay low and ready to strike again, while making as little contact with the surface as possible.

        "Null-Sigma, I copy."

A quick control change and Alouette is broadcasting outside on exteral PA.

        "EVA Unit's retrieve samples and egress." Alouette already told the mobile suits no warnings. Alouette and Null-Sigma bursts forward. An Arabesque and a tentacle swings from high, then a punch, but both are a destraction from the two coming in from the sides to deliver a quick crush. Is this pilot fast enough to dodge to latteral attacks?
</poem>

 KTS: Alouette Kaas targets Sho Muramoto with Hug From The Abyss!
 KTS: Kaworu Nagisa has activated the Enable Spirit Command targeting Alouette Kaas
 KTS: Sho Muramoto has activated the Wall Spirit Command.
 KTS: Sho Muramoto has activated the Wall Spirit Command.
 KTS: Sho Muramoto blocks Kaworu Nagisa's Pass, taking 0 damage!
 KTS: Alouette Kaas anchors Sho Muramoto, forcing it into close range.
 KTS: Sho Muramoto blocks Alouette Kaas's Hug From The Abyss, taking 3162 damage!
 KTS: Alouette Kaas has engaged Sho Muramoto
 KTS: Alouette Kaas continues a Formation attack!
 KTS: Sho Muramoto has activated the Alert Spirit Command.
 KTS: Sho Muramoto has activated the Trick Spirit Command.
 KTS: Sho Muramoto has activated the Trick Spirit Command.

 <Pose Tracker> Asuka Shikinami Langley has posed.
<poem>

What happens to her after all the Angels are destroyed?  It's a question she thinks she knows the answer to already.  It doesn't end well for her.

However...  isn't that fine?  That's just NERV's mandate after all.

"It's none...  of your...  CONCERN...  what happens to me AFTER!" Asuka growls out at her opponent.   She's obviously hurting, and it may seem strange to Kallen why that might be.  After all she's avoided the 'cockpit' so thoroughly. "You're out of your...  MIND betting it all... on your fear of a....   MAYBE!"

The Thunder Spear's nozzle fully melts, and it sparks in an alarming way, as Asuka casts it aside.  The whole thing detonating in a small electrical explosion.  However, as she grasps the sample and tries to jerk it back and backpeddle across the strange skin of the being, the arm of the Guren manages to drive a hole into the arm.

Asuka makes a pained noise in her entry plug as her arm spasms in agony and she clamps down.

The giant Eva drops the sample cylinder, which is an easy catch for the Guren at this moment.

Maya calls out at her again, seemingly trying to plead with her. "Asuka!  Unit-02's restraint armor is compromised in multiple places!  Raise your AT Field and ''retreat immediately''!"

It's easy to see what Maya is talking about at a glance. Unit-02's restraint armor is melted ominously on one of its legs, even with it solidifying after being melted, there are strange holes showing something greyish and shadowed beyond...  the arm of its restraint armor now sporting a deep gouge at one of the joints. Enraged beyond belief, she tries to make one last grab with the Eva's arm that won't quite seem to obey her. "...Da...DAMN...  YOU!"



</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Sho Muramoto has posed.
<poem>

Sho is meanwhile dancing around tentacles again. This time with them trying to hug him, he resorts to martial arts trickery again. And some timely Slash Harkens into the very ground to propel himself upwards and over said tentacles.

When he comes back down, however, he rushes forward and actually seems to stop for an instant.

Inside the Burai, Sho takes a breath as his unit seems to about to stab a hand into the Evangelion before suddenly closing it's fist and a burst of movement causes... well... something very, very abnormal for something the size of a Burai. It's like a freaking cannon goes off from where the fist is supposed to meet that is definitely not on the Burai's arm at all. In it, on it, or around it.

Sho afterwards quickly tries to send the landspinners in reverse to get away afterwards and assess whether THAT did anything to the Evangelion. Everything else seems to be not working so well, after all.
</poem>

 KTS: Sho Muramoto targets Alouette Kaas with One Inch Punch!
 KTS: Alouette Kaas has activated the Wall Spirit Command.
 KTS: Alouette Kaas's Will Barrier activates, negating 500 base damage.
 KTS: Alouette Kaas blocks Sho Muramoto's One Inch Punch, taking 5508 damage!
 KTS: Sho Muramoto has engaged Alouette Kaas
 
 <Pose Tracker> Asuka Shikinami Langley has posed.
<poem>

The ground, in all of its greyish hues and creepy structures which look so like human skin - yet not...  suddenly quivers under Unit-02 and the Guren, the hairs on the skin nearby sticking up as if it just received a goose pimple like stimulus.  Kallen will see it as the skin rippling under her Guren, which may shift her further away from Unit-02...  but ultimately the Guren.

Instead the skin dips downward as if a giant thumb had been pressed it deeply into its own non-existent bones.  The greyish skin suddenly bulges downward in a concave crater, the Evangelion unit stumbling as it loses its footing on its damaged leg.  It might seem like the Evangelion's weight was suddenly pushing down upon it, like the damage of the battle had finally damaged the tissue beneath it.

It then opens up as it takes on the appearance of one giant toothless maw.

... The Red Giant and its pilot are immediately swallowed whole, Asuka's abrupt scream over the comms becoming crackling static - then nothing at all.



</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Shinji Ikari has posed.
<poem>
Squeeze it.

It's just a robot.

You're protecting them all.

They need you.

They're counting on you.

Unit-01's hand twitches as its ATField fully projects, simply walking through the Longshot's rain of bullets as though they didn't exist. The monster looks up.

The sky parts, lighting screaming towards the ground. Karowu's magnificent ATField saves the Over the Rainbow, absorbing two massive lightning bolts effortlessly. One of the PT battery boats is incinerated in an instant. The Build Angels change formation, firing at the cloud?! Something inhuman laughs; there's a man. A man in the clouds, riding a cloud, surrounded by strange clay figures that float through the air.

"Haniwa Gods!" Miwu says, taking a step back in horror, "It's the Jama Duke of Lighting, Ikima!"

Ikima, one of humanity's oldest and cruelist foes, stands taller than a proper Zentraedi and could easily match most Wanzers, Arm Slaves and Knightmare Frames. The man was blue skin, pointed ears, and dresses like an ancient warrior from the furthest days of Japan, wearing a straight sword, an armored shirt, and broach bound cape. Most notable is the general's bushy yellow beard, as he laughs at the pitiful humans beneath him.

"Behold the human race. You find the scraps and leavings of your superiors and your first instinct is to murder each other over the pieces. We do not just have a right to replace you daylanders." Ikima booms in the stilted cadence of the oldest factions of the Jama, "We have the duty!"

"You have the duty to DIE, WITCH!" Mitsuko Yagyuu, Captain of the Build Angels and one eyed ace screams, flying her modified fighter directly at the general, "Fifty years of AGONY because of YOU-"

Ikima gestures and a blast of lightning strikes the Build Angel directly. The ship falls in a steaming, melted heap, slamming on the ground The hungry ground. It parts, teeth gnawing at the metal, and you can hear Captain Yagyuu's screams as she's drawn in.

Hyuga looks up, pale. "Core detected. Blood pattern Blue. I-"

"They have control of it." Misato Katsuragi says, well and truly horrified.

WARNING: BLOOD PATTERN BLUE DETECTED.
XENOMATERIAL CONFIMRMED ATFIELD CONFIRMED HYPOTHESIZED AS THE 8TH ANGEL
CODENAME: JOPHIEL

WARNING: FOREIGN CONTAMINANTS DETECTED. SUSPECTED JAMA INTERFERENCE.

BEHOLD: PHANTOM ANGEL.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdhPl1McB8M

Ikima directs his sword at the ground, and the mass of flesh expands, faster than before. Things start to rise from it, the size of Wanzers or Arm Slaves. Skeletons, dozens, hundreds of skeletons pressed together into mobile suit sized threats, pulling the flesh faster towards the shore!

The monster doesn't care. Unit-01 can kill the Jama, it thinks. Unit-01 can kill the Angel. It can kill them all. It wants this little GNAT first, and it reaches closer.

"Fall back." Misato Katsuragi doesn't sound invincible anymore. A hand is on the ship's window as she watches that strange, angry girl be dragged away. "All units, fall back, regroup. Someone get the Knights on the phone, all hostilities halted until we can kill the Angel.

The monster looks at the Longshot. "Get out of here." Shinji Ikari's voice goes through the speaker; its plug detaches, and Five Minutes starts to count down. Unit-01 charges across the field on all fours like an animal, cutting through the ground, a shudder in the air as the sound barrier breaks. Shinji Ikari reaches down to grab Asuka Langley, his ATField tearing through flesh even as he digs into the leathery, seeping skin. Hands hold.

Flesh moves, and with a disgusting VOIP Shinji and Unit-01 are dragged in after.

"All of Japan under threat from the Phantom Angel!"

"Black Knight and Eva Pilot alike trapped inside the belly of Jophiel the Wise!"

"How can the humans survive against a two pronged attack from monsters born of their most primal fears? Is hope lost? Can this battle at sea be won, or will the Jama and their Phantom Angel inherit the earth? Find out!"

Queen Himika looks up, a mona lisa smile on her blood red lips. "And I'll give you a little service, too~"
</poem>

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Phase 1]]
[[Category:Phase 1, Turn 1]]