Amuro cursed under his breath as he eased back on the controls, attempting to slow his backward slide. This did not solve the problem quickly enough, as he hit the building behind him with a jolt that rattled the movement-stabilized cockpit. How could that thing move the way it does?

His target had once again slipped away into the smoke. It would repeatedly pop back out to throw some harassing fire his way, only to disappear again. Amuro was pretty sure this meant that it was engaging another contestant as well, adding another dimension to the already-difficult fight. Fighting two targets at once was not an option.

Should I fall back? No, the Newtype thought. I would lead this thing right back to the team, and if I can't beat it in a MS, they certainly couldn't help. I'll keep it distracted here. He glanced down at his radar display and saw the little dot skipping back and forth, closer and closer. Here it comes again!

He turned in the direction of the approaching foe and drew his shield. He then knelt, holding the massive metal wall ahead of him and readying his sword arm. The assailant emerged from the smoke- a blur of red and black steel. It rammed Amuro's shield for the second time, forcing the Mobile suit into the building again. Amuro pulled his beam saber from its storage on the Gundam's back and sliced downward, only to connect with his foe's own energy blade. Purple energies crackled from both of the non-physical swords.

"SCANNING TARGET," grated the computerized voice. "AC NOT RECOGNIZED."

Amuro's eyes flitted back and forth on his cockpit displays, looking for some weakness to exploit. There was a pod of missiles behind the right shoulder. If I can land a lucky hit on those, this thing will go up like a colony oxygen leak. He shoved forward on the controls, knocking the crimson robot back. Amuro sheathed the Gundam's sword and removed the beam rifle from the slot it had been stored in on the Mobile Suit's back.

"Hey, you!" Amuro called. The robot raised its pulse rifle and took aim.

"Sure. You can shoot me all you like," Amuro gritted his teeth. Here we go. The robot fired, and Amuro's world slowed to a crawl. He strained back on the controls, and the Gundam responded with the lightning speed it was famous for. All three of the red mech's shots sailed across Amuro's high-definition displays. He pulled back on the controls again, now bringing the Gundam's back to face the assailant. He now kept focused on the rear-view camera's screen.

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The mysterious foe was not stunned by this display of reflex and dexterity, and extended its purple energy sword. Its boosters flared to full power, sending the mech hurtling toward the Gundam's turned back. Perfect, thought the Newtype. Amuro tapped a joystick's button, and the Mobile Suit jumped skyward. As quickly as he went up, he dropped down- now the crimson mech's back squarely in his sights. He raised his beam rifle and fired.

The missile pod erupted with unparalleled force, knocking its owner to the ground.

"CORE DAMAGE CRITICAL. ASSESSING SYSTEM FUNCTIONALITY."

Despite the flames pouring from the robot's back, it rose to its feet. It turned toward the Gundam again.

"Why won't you just stay down?" groaned Amuro, who fired two more shots into the burning machine. Molten metal poured off of its broken frame. The weapon over its right shoulder lowered.

"TARGET VERIFIED. COMMENCING HOSTILITIES."

The weapon fired, the shot sailing far above the Gundam's head. I must have damaged its targeting abilities, thought Amuro, until he heard the report of the shot finding its mark just behind him. Amuro lowered his eyes to the rear-view camera's screen. Something huge stood just a few meters away. He turned the Gundam and had to tilt the head as far up as it would go to see the top of the behemoth. It was the largest Mobile weapon Amuro had ever seen.

With one stride, it stepped over the Gundam and crushed the red mech underfoot. It was easily twice as tall as the Mobile Suit, perhaps more. Its narrow head was dominated by beady yellow eyes and a massive horn. It looked down at the insignificant-by-comparison Gundam.

"Hello, again, Amuro!"

That voice! From yesterday! The Newtype remembered.

"Shinji, is it?"

"Yeah, you remembered!"

"So that's your Mobile weapon, huh?"

"Yes- Evangelion Unit One."

"Impressive," said Amuro, hoping that he could talk his way out of this fight.

"Mother, this is Amuro. I met him yesterday."

"Wait, who are you talking to? Your mother? Is she in there with you?"

"In a way."

Amuro was trying to wrap his head around this when the gargantuan machine lifted an arm to one of its comically tall shoulders. A knife slid out of the shoulder and into its hand, where it began to glow brightly.

"Now, come on, Amuro! Let's do this!"

Amuro put away the Mobile Suit's rifle and brought out its shield. This is going to be even more annoying, isn't it?