Authors notes: Well, the first time we wrote this, it was pretty um...newbie-ish is the easiest put down I can think of ;; so, I decided after 2 years (yes, 2 years) that I would overhaul this and try to continue the story.
About the fic: The fic is started when Ramiel attacks. Weve decided to try to keep out of the Eva/Angel battles as much as possible - we cant do the fights justice that the series did, so were sticking to our "side" story.
PROLOGUE
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"AAAAAHHHHHHH!" Shinji screamed as the beam hit Unit 01, the LCL in the entry plug boiling all around him. Immense pain seared his body, causing him to writhe and kick at his controls in a futile attempt to free himself from having to endure this agony. As Shinji began to pass out, the bubbles from the boiling LCL cleared and a calmness came to the entry plug.
Shinji found himself lying on his back, on a green hillside. The pain was gone. Sitting up, Shinji looked around in amazement. The hill was little more than a sloping field, nestled in a long valley, but this was very, very different to where he had been. Am I dead? Did the Angel kill me? Is this Heaven? Wind was bristling through his short cut hair, the scent of grass and barley came to him. Thinking about what had just happened and where he was, Shinji realised that he wasnt in his plug suit, which seemed to have been replaced by tight breeches and a leather jerkin. However, this was just a minor point in the list of things that were very wrong at this moment. Firstly, he was in the middle of nowhere, with no recognisable landmarks or memory of getting there. Secondly, the Angel, Tokyo 3 and Unit-1 were nowhere to be seen and thirdly there was a large swirly, white thing coming towards him
'Wait, what?'
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Shinji awoke to a white ceiling and a hospital bed. Rei Ayanami, the reclusive and mysterious First Child was standing over him with a food cart at her side. She looked down at him curiously with her red eyes as if he was the strangest being she had seen.
"Ayanami?" Shinji asked still half asleep, his mind a little foggy, and now confused by the presence of the First Child. Rei had started to speak, ignoring Shinji's question as she recited from her ever present notebook.
"I'm here to inform you of the schedule of Operation Yashima. It will begin at 0:00, midnight. The two pilots, Ikari and Ayanami, will scramble at the cage at 17:30 today. At 18:00, ready Units One and Zero. At 18:05, launch. At 18:30, arrive at the Emergency Base on Mt. Futagoyama. Wait there for further instructions. When the day changes, the operation starts" she finished, reaching under the cart
"Here is the new one" she stated handing him a packaged plug suit.
Shinji looked at the package handed to him and thought about what he would have to do, about getting back into that monster and being hurt all over again. Before he could mouth any protest, a plastic covered plate with the words "meal" printed on a label, was put onto his lap. The thought of food and the coming battle helped Shinji decide he wasn't hungry.
"We will depart in 60 minutes", it was a command. Coming from The first child, it wasn't surprising, but unnerving. As Rei turned to leave, Shinji asked, "Do I really have to get into Eva again?" looking up, Shinji was greeted by the usual, neutral expression of the first child as she responded monotonously "Yes you do". Shinji watched as Rei opened the door and walked out, leaving him alone to his thoughts.
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Time 00:00, Mt. Futagoyama. It was time. Misato leaned in towards the monitors, slamming a fist down on the console. "Commence operation!"…
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The Angel's blast rocked the mobile command centre violently, knocking personnel off their feet and shattering windows. The Angel remained unharmed by the glancing shot from the massive rifle, continuing it's drilling into the Geofront and preparing a second blast. Unit 01 quickly replaced the enourmous fuse, readying for the next shot, however the angel was quicker, firing its purple energy beam directly at the prone figure of unit one. Rei's reflexes matched that of the Angel as she commanded her Unit 00 in front Unit 01, taking the brunt of the blast. Wielding the makeshift shield, Rei was protected for a time. But by standing directly in front of the Angel, she protected Shinji and the command centre from the deadly beam. Knowing the shield wouldn't last long Shinji hurried, almost screaming at the rifle to charge faster. Watching the crosshairs line up he fired a second shot directly across the angels own beam, cutting through the Angels AT field and penetrating it dead centre. The resulting explosion tore through the Angel, it fell slowly to the streets below, the ungodly shape crashed into buildings and parks, its form crippled, its life gone.
Shinji ejected his plug and rushed towards the bubbling mass that was Unit 00. In some mocking repetition of his father, Shinji clenched the searing hot release handles. Fighting the pain, he twisted the metal grips with all his strength. Steadily, the plug opened. Throwing the hatch aside, Shinji leapt inside, getting burned for his troubles, to see an almost unconscious Rei, lying in the super heated LCL. Looking up, Rei could see tears well up in the eyes of the Third child.
"Ayanami, are you all right? Ayanami! Don't say you have nothing else; don't say good-bye before a mission! Its too sad." Shinji sobbed.
"Why are you crying? I'm sorry, I don't know what to do or feel at a time like this"
"You could try smiling"
A curious expression took over the first's face as she contemplated Shinji's response and ever so slowly a small smile crept across her face.
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Chapter Notes:
I think that went rather well. As I said earlier, a complete overhaul of the original. Hopefully the chapters will get easier as I continue.