Stage 38 - "Intercept"

Cover: Eva-03/Bardiel

Scene: Shinji and Kensuke on the school roof (continued from previous
stage) -- Shinji shouts into his cell-phone, Kensuke looks on in
surprise/shock
Shinji: An accident at Matsushiro!? Are Misato and the others okay!?
Maya: We haven't been able to establish contact yet.  At any rate, come
to Headquarters at once!!  (Maya sitting at HQ console)  We've detected
an unidentified moving object at the test site -- it's probably an
Angel!
(Shinji stares blankly in shock/trepidation)

Scene: NERV HQ Command Center
Fuyutsuki(?): And the extent of damage from the explosion?
Operator: Unknown.
Fuyutsuki(?): Dispatch a rescue team and the 3rd Corps at once!  Make
sure they take care of everything before the JSSDF intervenes!!
Fuyutsuki: What's the status of the unidentified moving object?
Shigeru: Closing directly on Headquarters!
Makoto: Pattern orange -- We're still unable to confirm if it's an
Angel!
Gendo: First Level Battle Stations!
Commands: General Quarters -- First Level Battle Stations!
    Prepare for ground-to-ground combat!
    Launch all Eva units!
(Eva-00, 01 and 02 are launched up linear rails and move through New
Tokyo-3)
Commands:
    All units deploy immediately to interception point!
    Link up with linear rail R132 at once!
Shinji (in entry plug/thinking): Misato, Ritsuko... and Touji!!
Shigeru (viewing monitor image/shouting): We have an image from Nobeyama
(Mt. Nobe) -- Switching to the main monitor!
(Main monitor shows Eva-03 walking through countryside -- NERV operators
stop in shock)
Shigeru: I... It's...
Maya: Eva...!?
Fuyutsuki: Just as we feared...
Gendo (raising voice for first time): Send the emergency deactivation
signal! Forcibly eject the entry plug!
(The entry plug cover on Eva-03's back blows off, but a sticky
fungus-like membrane prevents the plug from ejecting.)
Makoto: Negative! It won't recognize the stop signal or the plug
ejection code!
Fuyutsuki: What about the pilot?
Makoto: We have repiratory and cardiac signs, but...
Gendo: ..... As of now Evangelion unit 3 is officially abandonded and
the target is identified as the 8th Angel.
(All 3 operators stare up at Gendo in shock/disbelief)
Shigeru: Bu... but Commander!!
Gendo (decisively): Deploy the battle line at Nobeyama as scheduled and
destroy the target!

Scene: Peaceful view of countryside -- Eva-01 crouches silently and
Shinji waits tensely inside the entry plug
Shinji (thinking): It's coming...!
Radio: Target approaching. All units prepare for ground combat.
(In the distance, from out of the sun, appears Eva-03 -- Shinji stares
in shock)
Shinji: Target... That's the target? But it's... an Eva!
Gendo: Shinji, that is no longer an Eva. It is an Angel.
Shinji (shock): It can't be... An Angel can't have taken it over... the
pilot... (regains senses, talks to on-screen display of Asuka) Is there
a pilot in it? Asuka?
Asuka (tense/serious) I can't tell from here, but if there is a pilot
we've got to save him.
(Asuka/Eva-02 crouch behind a building with a bazooka/rocket launcher
and watch Eva-03 approach -- Eva-03 stops suddenly)
Asuka (surprised/thinking): It stopped!?
(The entry plug with Asuka in it shakes violently, Asuka shrieks, and
Shinji's on-screen display changes to static)
Asuka: Kyaa! Kyaaaaaaah!!
Shinji (shouting): Asuka!?
(Eva-02 falls to the ground face-up and motionless, smoke rising from
it's body. Eva-03 moves onward.)
Shigeru: Eva-02 has been completely silenced! The pilot has ejected and
the recovery team is en route!
Makoto: Target moving... toward Eva-00!
(Rei/Eva-00 hide behind an embankment holding a Palette gun and watch
Eva-03 pass)
Gendo: Rei, avoid close quarters combat, but stall the target.
Rei: Affirmative.
Gendo: Did you hear that, Shinji? Now move!!
Shinji: Ayanami! (Eva-01 starts running toward Eva-00/03) Don't fire
yet! Wait until I get there! Touji is inside Eva-03 -- The pilot is
Touji!
Rei (stops short/thinking): Touji... Suzuhara?
Gendo (dark expression): Rei! Fire!!
(Eva-00 aims the Palette gun but hesitates to pull the trigger - the
display/gun sight is centered on Eva-03's upper back)
Rei (thinking): He's in there... There's a person inside...
(Eva-03 plants its feet firmly and bends forward so far that it's
glowing eyes look straight at Rei/Eva-00, (Rei has a surprised look) and
then flings itself up and backwards and lands directly on top of Eva-00,
plunging Eva-00's head into the ground with one hand. Eva-03 grips
Eva-00's outstretched left arm with it's other hand and secretes a
viscous liquid from its arm onto Eva-00's left arm, which turns into
veins and starts penetrating and spreading up Eva-00's arm. Rei cries
out first in surprise and then in pain as she clutches her left arm.)
Rei: Ah...!? AAAAHH! AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!
Maya: The Angel has invaded Eva-00's left arm! The nerve ganglion (=
nerve knot) is being compromised!
Gendo: Sever Eva-00's left arm!
Maya: But... If we don't sever the neural connections first...!
Gendo: I don't care -- Do it!
(Eva-00's left arm blows off at the shoulder and flies away to smash a
house. Rei clutches her shoulder and screams)
Rei: KYAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!
Shinji (shouting): Ayanami!!
(Eva-01 arrives at the scene and faces off against Eva-03)

- End Stage 38