CHAPTER 9: Judgment
This log is being entered by Gendo Ikari, Director of X-COM. Today will be a day we will remember for the rest of this war, for better or for worse. It will be the fire from which we shall pass through, either as a reformed and reforged entity, or a pile of ashes. Of the two, I cannot say for certain which we will end as. It all started this morning, as I interviewed our newest member.
: Hhello.
: Hello. So you are Cultist-Chan, then.
: Yhess, hwee hwill be servhing yoo. And, of coarse, CHAOSS!
: If you shout like that again you will be shot. Now go to your bunk.
: Ohh, yoo're no fuhn!
I had no time to relax after that ordeal before the inevitable occurred.
The aliens had struck a major city. Beijing, China, and a vital trade center in this world, as I'm told. I was still waiting for more reinforcements to fill out our casualties; I had no choice but to send the prisoner on the trip, as was our deal. I could only hope he'd prove to be useful.
Night descended just before they landed.
: X-COM forces, check in. This is Stitch!
: Simon in the Lagann-Tank, ready!
: Asuka, ready for battle!
: Hee-hee, I'm here too! Let's
kick some alien ass!
: KHARN WILL BRING THE PAIN TO THE ALIEN MEMBRANE! (Kharn always wanted to say that)
: Sergeant Williams, standing by.
Hm! I'm ready too.
: Uriel, locked and loaded.
: Tarvish here. Let's blow shit up!
: Hwee are rheady too breeng CHAOSS!
??: ...
: Kharn is significantly confused by the new guy, and his lack of motivation. Who is he?
: (Wait a minute... is that..?--Never mind, no time to think about it) I'M HEADING OUT! I'VE SPOTTED O-- wha?
: W-what is that??
: (There's more than one type?) It's an alien, and that's all you need to know! Shoot it!
: Got him, heading out!
: Another one so quick??
: There he is. Someone shoot him!
: I've got it! *BANG*
: A-ah... it shrugged off the bullet like it was nothing!
: Relax, brother. We've got your back!
: We bring the hurt as a team!
: Kharn is touched by the sentimentality, let's kill this alien with the power of LOVE! AND DAKKA!
: While you do that, Uriel and I head northeast. The rest of you, northwest!
: Lheeding the way!
: All right then. Time to finish this bastard off! *BANG*
: ...Wha--*PCHOO*
:
LIZZY!!: Kharn can't look! *sob*
: ...wha...
: Bastard was gonna flank us while we were... distracted. Dead now.
: Asuka, taking aim.
*groooooag*
: That was him, sir. The one... got Lizzy.
: Not good enough. Kill the rest. But bring that one back to me. I have to see its face up close.
: Going to surch theese hallhways.
: Uh oh. I'm screwed, help!
: Get behind me, ma'am. I'll take care of 'em. *BANG*
: Now get back to the others. I'll hold off this one.
: Uriel, as your commanding officer I can't let you do th--
: Ma'am, one grunt's worth a hell of a lot less than you. Now get back to the ship so I can get back to my job.
: ... Good luck, Uriel.
: Lizzy, I--
: Shinji, get back in the fight.
: No! I'm sick of you ordering me around! You bastard, all you care about is
yourself! Lizzy just died, and all you can think about is--
: SHINJI!
: --huh?
: My own daughter just
died. Do you think I'm that heartless? But if I don't keep a level head, others are going to die too. I have to stay strong, for the sake of everyone depending on me. And you need to do that too.
: ...I...
: Can you do that, Shinji? Can you be strong?
: ...I will, dad.
: Hmph. You called me "dad". Go reap some heads, son.
: ALL RIGHT, TIME FOR KHARN TO BRING THE PAIN! COME ON SHINJI, WE'RE GOING TO CRACK SOME HEADS--
*KRAKOOM*: ...
..............: Shit, he's charging the alien! Firing rocket!
: I missed! Bastard's right up in Shinji's face.
*WHA-WHA-WHA-WHA*
: I can't move, I'm stuck!
: I'll save you!
: Fuck!
:
Rrrrrr, take THIS! *DRZZZZZ-WHRRRRRRR*groooooooaaaag*
: It's dead. I killed him.
: Guys? What the hell am I looking at?
: (Another new one? There could be hundreds of species we don't even know about...)
*BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG*
: Rgh, reloading!
: It's no good, our bullets aren't even penetrating from this distance. We need the Lagann's support!
: I'm on my way, Stitch. But first...
Simon stared down the stranger tailing him.
: Maybe you're him and maybe you're not. But whoever the hell you think you are, I want to know why you're following me!
: ...DAAAAAAAAHHH, I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!!
: Wait! I recognize that voice... Bro! It really IS you!
: Come here and give your Kamina a hug, Simon!
*Thunk, scream, scuffle*
: Eyaah, cut it out, Bro! There's not enough room in the Lagann-Tank for both of us!!
: HEY! Cut the family reunion and help us out, we're in danger of dying here!
: She's right, Simon. Get to piloting this thing and charge that behemoth!
: RIGHT!
----
: No! There's more flanking us!
: But at lheest thiss part iss cleear.
: Roger that, Cultist-Chan, moving around the perimeter to--urk!
: Uck... *thud*
: Damn it, another one. Finish them off fast, team, before you lose anyone else!
: (It missed...)
*KRAKOOM*: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA--
: Asuka?!
: ... That's it. Everyone, fall back to the Skyranger. You're pulling out.
: Wait, what?! No way! I'm not gonna let these floating freaks get away with killing my friends!
: Kamina, go with them.
: Simon?
: You all need to get to safety. Leave this to me.
: *sigh* All right, bro, you win. But I'm not leaving without you! *hiss, pop*
: What the-- come on, bro, put me down!
: Simon, you and I are partners to the end! I'm not gonna leave you behind to die! You can pilot the Lagann remotely, cantcha? Some come, we're getting back home!
: Can you at least put me down?! I can walk!
: Hit it again, nothing!
:
*LAGANN. MOVING TO ASSIST.*: Look out, another one's hopped down! *BANG BANG BANG*
: Ooh-rah, it's down!
: Good job. Now get back to the ship so we can take off.
: *
ENEMY THREAT -- ELIMINATED.*
: Come on back, Lagann. It's time to get going.
: Civilians are boarding ship, sir. We're bringing home the survivors.
: Ugh... almost there...
: Shinji, you're bleeding.
: Yeah *pant* but I can make it. I can... make... it... *thud*
: Don't worry, sir. I've got him.
: Good. All survivors are on board. Get yourselves home. You deserve some rest.
The fire's burning judgment has seared our flesh. The wounds of battle are now blackened scars on our skin. But it is not through with us, yet. We will be purged of all our impurities in the flame. We will be reforged; something good will arise from this suffering. We have already made our first step in defeating the alien menace.
Director Gendo Ikari, logging out. Next entry, I'll be sharing X-COM's latest victory. I'm certain of it.
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Topic: X-COM Genesis Evangelion -- A Poorly Thought-Out X-COM LP! (Read 85198 times)