A viewing of Tokyo 3.
the steel and glass towers of the worlds last hope, and largest trap; shone brightly on the unseasonably hot day. Tokyo-3 was beautiful from the air, and in its other guise, deadly from any approach.
The cities main architect and the man holding the strings for the three most powerful dolls in existence seated himself quietly at an outside table.
Ikari Gendo;scientist, meta-philosopher and the worlds most accomplished Xeno-biologist -
(Seraphologist, Yui had always claimed it should be; one with knowledge of angels, not one who studies alien life)
- he positioned himself overlooking the grand square in the centre of the city, it was one of his few visits to the surface not driven by necessity and he found viewing those he had caused to be here scurrying about his purpose to be... soothing. An affirmation that humanity was simply another ant farm, anyone with the right signals could redesign, re-purpose the whole meaningless lot.
He glanced up and smiled mechanically at the young girl who brought his order, a simple cup of black coffee – even if it was very high quality coffee – and a sweet bun he had become fond of in his time at NERV Germany years previously. Exhaling, he actually found himself relaxing; this had actually been a very good idea of his vice-commanders. For a few quiet minutes, no thoughts disturbed the man, and he was simply that. A man. For a bare two minutes the master manipulator and pretender to the birthright of Gabriel- the herald of the apocalypse, was absent, and a man in his late forties found the sun easing his shoulders of tension he hadn't realised settled there.
Sipping his bitter drink he smiled to himself, he had never been fond of stimulants, or anything addictive, they forced a pattern onto someone; made them predictable. Yui had hooked him on coffee as he visited her in college, her studies differed from his own, and involved late night runs on instruments the faculty used during the day, so one of their most frequent habits was a cup of coffee, drank quietly in the light of a sunset, his day finished, hers starting, both silent, since they knew what the other was thinking anyway.
'Yui...'
the man glanced down into his cup, frowning slightly at the rush of unpleasant thoughts that always swamped him as he thought of his dearly departed wife. The only human to ever prove worthy of life. Smiling bitterly Gendo remembered a long ago admission in her arms, he had never truly considered himself human, unsure if he was something more or less, just knowing he was else.
She had smiled and held him, telling him that his humanity was not important, she loved him as an individual regardless. It was the first time he truly acknowledged how much she really meant; how much her opinion could sway the normally implacable way he lived.
Seven years later his life's work killed her.
After that trauma, he knew. He was definitely more than those around him. Many closed ranks about him, supposedly the brightest and best in the world and they mentioned how they shared his loss.
Loss?!.
He was Gendo fucking Ikari and death would flinch and retreat from him like every enemy ever to cross his path. The cream of humanity all gave up, shrugged and accepted a limit they hadn't even tested. He refused to be counted amongst their filthy breed. He nodded and smiled, shook hands and thanked people. Then he began the long work of altering the designed third impact, far from lifting humanity to a blessed existence; he would climb into his wife's arms on the battered corpses of all human-kind. For her sake, for her love he had cold-bloodedly designed and begun the acts that would deify the whole species. now, he would reunite himself with her instead.
And if humanity was worth saving it would recognise the devil in its midst and kill him, proving itself worth saving by saving itself.
Gendo doubted that turn of events would happen, even if he allowed it.
And, if some few proved strong, proved to be something other than a mewling waste of planetary resources; then during third impact, they would be able to shift the world around themselves in a small way, he thought it was fitting. Only those with vision and iron will could stop him, but those were the same people who could forge their own personal paradises from the wreckage of humanity.
he realised his cup was empty, his plate was clean, and the sun was setting. He stood, and approached the counter, passing his NERV ID to the girl who had served him she smiled and thanked him for his service, then paled as she swiped it to deduct the bill from his account. She had just seen his title flash by. Shaking herself, she finished the job and handed him a card and receipt.
Gendo placed his card in his pocket as he strode to the train back to the Geosphere. This small step out of his routine had allowed his vision to refocus. Not on the day to day, but on the goal.
The woman who had taught him to appreciate a beautiful day well spent; who had made clear that she knew he was a monster, and that she loved him.
Compared to her return to his side, he would happily end every other life on earth,
in fact he would do so in fifty seven days, give or take six hours.
It was time to return to work.
The command staff all stiffened as a dark figure moved to the high desk overlooking them all.
Even though he didn't make any noise, each of them could feel his desire to succeed, to destroy the angels, he inspired success in all of them.
After all, with someone who had designed the method of mankind's salvation at the helm, what could go wrong?.