Part Two: 2015

GEHIRN hospital ward

Major Misato Katsuragi watched as the First Child slowly opened her eyes.

"Welcome back in the land of the living, Reika." she smiled. The poor girl hadn't been exactly in danger of death, but she could use some humor. God only knew how she needed it, after the battle with the Seventh Angel. If it hadn't been for her twin brother Shiro, the Second Child, she could have been killed. Luckily, she'd gotten away with just some broken bones and a few bruises.

The aforementioned brother was, as always, at his sister's side. He was sitting on a chair near her bed, while the Major was standing. She once again marvelled at how the two Ayanamis looked alike. They had the same blue hair, pale skin, and red eyes (they'd explained her it was all due to a rare form of albinism). The only difference, was that Shiro was a bit taller and thinner than Reika.

They were the first pilots recruited for the project, sons to an old acquaintance of Director Akagi, who was also their legal guardian since their parents were dead. They were both shy, very polite and tended to keep to themselves, but were generally well liked by all the personnel working at GEHIRN. Even she was fond of them.

Reika groaned and blinked a few times. "How long...was I out?" She had so many bandages that she almost looked like a mummy.

"Almost a whole day, nee-chan." answered Shiro. Although they were twins, she was a few seconds older than him.

"The Angel..."

"The Angel is dead, thanks to the both of you." said Misato. "Your Evas are quite damaged, but the repair operations have already started."

"Both Evas?!" exclaimed Reika. She tried to sit up, but failed.

"Reika, try to not move too abruptly." said her brother. "You're still recovering."

"But the Evas...what if another Angel arrives?" asked the girl worriedly.

"It will be a while before the next Angel." answered the purple haired woman. At least, that's what the Director had told her. Let's hope she's right, she thought touching the cross pendant hanging from her neck. "However, just to be safe, Director Akagi has authorized the transfer of the Third Child and Unit 02 from our German branch. She'll be here in a few days."

Shiro and Reika nodded approvingly. "Another pilot...that's a good thing." said the boy.

"This way, as soon as Reika gets back on track, you'll have even more chances against the Angels." said Misato. "I've already met the Third Child, some years ago. She's...a little difficult to deal with, but I'm sure you three will get along just fine once you get to know each other..."

XXXXXX

Some weeks later

The streets of Tokyo-3

Inside of Unit 02's Entry Plug, Asuka Langley Soryu clenched her teeth and waited. Waited for the order to attack the new Angel. The other two Children waited as well, somewhere behind nearby buildings.

She was seething with rage. Ever since she'd arrived in Japan, she'd been doing nothing but waiting and following orders. Do this, Asuka. Coordinate your actions with the other pilots, Asuka. Be kind to your fellow pilots, Asuka. All this coming from the Three Old Hags in charge of GEHIRN. Director Akagi, her daughter, and Major Katsuragi. The latter especially she disliked, because of the way her beloved Kaji sometimes looked at her. The Major kept on denying there was anything between them, but Asuka knew it was all just an act. She knew the purple haired woman was just waiting for the right time to take him away from her. Ugh! How she wished she would just disappear forever!

And the Ayanamis weren't any different. The boy at least was kind of cute, but the girl...she was insufferable! Always pretending to be humble, always following orders and trying to please the Director. Sometimes she almost sounded like a doll!

It was because of them that she hadn't had a chance yet to really prove her worth. It didn't matter that her synch rate was the highest of the three, or that her Eva was the best. She had to work with people who kept on overshadowing her.

She took a brief look at the still distant Angel. I could defeat it all by myself, she thought. And instead I have to wait for that stupid order!

But then a thought crept into her mind. Although...who says I have to wait for that order? I could charge that thing and kill it in a few seconds. The worst that could happen is the Director scolding me for disobedience. Then they'll all be forced to aknowledge my superiority as a pilot. Even those stupid twins.

Asuka took a deep breath and nodded to herself. Yes, that's what I'll do.

The German redhead willed her Eva to move, ignoring the shouts coming from the small screen on her right. Unit 02 started running toward the Angel, and in the meantime it drew the Prog Knife from its left shoulder pylon.

Asuka Langley Soryu smiled. She would show these Japanese who was the best pilot. She didn't need the other Children. They were just a nuisance. She would kill this new Angel all by herself.

She was almost near, only a few meters left. She took a good look at her enemy and chuckled. It doesn't look so threatening from here.

Seriously, a giant black and white striped sphere...how dangerous could it possibly be?

XXXXXX

Some hours later

An unspecified location

In a dark room, a meeting was in progress. There weren't people attending it, just twelve olographic projections. Each projection had the shape of a black monolith, with the words "SEELE" and "SOUND ONLY" on it, together with numbers going from 01 to 12.

"...what happened is to be attributed solely to the Third Child's own carelessness." said SEELE 01.

"Is it confirmed that the Twelfth Angel is dead?" asked SEELE 04.

"It is. The JSSDF's bombing took care of it, after the First and Second Children eliminated its A.T. Field."

"It's a miracle that Unit 02 and its pilot were recovered." said SEELE 03.

"Indeed, although the Third Child is now in a coma."

"And now, GEHIRN is short a pilot." pointed out SEELE 05. "They'll need a replacement."

"We could always send the boy..." suggested SEELE 10.

"No." said SEELE 01. "It's too soon. If we sent him to GEHIRN now, we would risk irredeemably ruining the scenario. For now, Nagisa will have to stay in our facilities. Another pilot shall be chosen among the available candidates."

"And luckily for us, there's no shortage of candidates..." said SEELE 03.

XXXXXX

Some time later

Matsushiro Secondary Experiment Facility

The screams of the people. The trembling of the walls. These were the sounds that filled Ryoji Kaji's ears as he lay on the ground of the facility. He was bleeding from a wound to his head, and he couldn't move his legs. They'd been crushed by a piece of the ceiling that had fallen on him soon after he'd fallen on the ground, courtesy of Evangelion Unit 03's efforts to break free of its restraints. The entire building was shaking, and pieces of concrete were raining everywhere.

If this goes on a little longer, the base will be destroyed, thought the spy clenching his teeth. The pain...it was like nothing he'd felt before.

Why the hell did I even decide to come? He should have stayed at the Geofront. He wasn't supposed to be here. Although, he knew the reason for his presence, just like he somehow knew that he was going to die...

"Misato..." he muttered. When it had been clear that something bad was going to happen, he'd tried to find her, to no avail. And then, he'd completely forgotten about the last step of the staircase. The rest was history.

His last thoughts were of Misato, of everything that had happened between them. The good things and the bad things. The words she had told him, and those he hadn't been able to tell her. So many things, so many regrets. He'd never found out the truth he'd been looking for. He'd never make peace with Misato. He'd never tell her that...

It all happened in a few seconds, but to him it looked like forever.

Then, all went black.

Finally, the testing facilities exploded.

And then, a few seconds later, Unit 03 came out of the ruins.

XXXXXX

Hours later

GEHIRN hospital ward

Toji's eyes opened to an unfamiliar ceiling.

Where am I? The last thing he remembered was putting on his plug suit and going into the Eva, and then...nothing. Absolutely nothing, not even an image or a sound.

He gave a look to his surroundings. The place he was in looked like a hospital room. Wait...if this is an hospital, why am I here?

He tried to sit up, but for some strange reason his body didn't move. Why can't I move? Did they anesthetize me? What the fuck is happening?!

And right then, almost as if he'd heard the boy's thoughts, a man Toji didn't know entered the room. A doctor, judging from the look.

The newcomer closed the door and looked at him. "Oh...you're awake. It's earlier than I'd expected." He cleared his throath. "I am Dr. Morisato. I've been tasked with taking care of you, Toji."

The Fourth Child stared at the doctor in confusion. "Taking care...why? What happened?"

"Hmm...what do you remember?" asked the doctor.

"The last thing I remember is entering the Eva. And then...then nothing. I woke up here, and you came soon after." He paused. "Doctor, I feel like...like I'd just woken up from a long sleep. One without dreams."

The doctor nodded. "You lost consciousness after the activation test begun."

"But why? What happened?"

"In short, Unit 03 was infected by the Thirteenth Angel, which then took control of it. Luckily, Evas 00 and 01 were able to destroy it. After, we extracted you from the Entry Plug and took you here."

The boy nodded. "And...did I have any kind of surgery?"

"No. Why are you asking?"

"Well, I can't seem to move my body, so I thought you'd given me some kind of anesthetic."

Dr. Morisato stared at him for a few seconds and sighed. "Actually...there's a reason for that. And it's not a good thing. I'm sorry I have to give you this news, Toji. But know that GEHIRN will do everything in its power to give you the best medical treatment available, just like with your sister."

"What do you mean, doctor?" Toji was seriously starting to worry. He had a feeling that he wasn't going to like what was coming next.

The doctor sighed. "I'm sorry, Toji, but...the destruction of the Entry Plug left you paralyzed from the neck down. You'll no longer be able to move on your own."

XXXXXX

Some time later

Deep in the bowels of GEHIRN HQ

Although Kensuke loved playing war and collecting anything that was even remotely military related, and even though he'd dreamed more than once to pilot one of the Evangelions, deep down he knew that he wasn't a real warrior. He knew that, in a real battlefield, he wouldn't last five minutes, if he was lucky.

That was why, when he'd been selected by GEHIRN as a new pilot, he didn't know what to think. He knew, however, why he'd been chosen. And it wasn't for some hidden quality of his. It was only because Toji couldn't move anymore and that hot German girl had died while in a coma.

But he hadn't let that knowledge discourage him. He'd done his best to do his job well, to earn his place among the Evangelion pilots. He and the Ayanami twins had formed a formidable trio. And it had worked...for a little while. Because as of now, he was the last surviving member of that trio. Both twins had died fighting an Angel.

And now...now he was about to follow in their footsteps.

"Kensuke, Kensuke...what did you think you were doing?" said Kaworu Nagisa, who'd come to GEHIRN as the Sixth Child but had later been found out to be the Final Angel.

There was a certain irony in that, reflected Kensuke as he lay into Unit 01's Entry Plug. The last of the Angels against the last of the Children. If the circumstances weren't so terrible, he would chuckle.

"Did you really think you could charge me like that? I swear, you Lilin are such fools sometimes..."

Kensuke sighed. "I don't know, it seemed a good idea at the time." An idea so good that now I'm with my ass on the ground. Eva 01 was, in fact, sitting on the ground after being not so gently repelled by Kaworu's A.T. Field. Meanwhile, Kaworu was floating in mid-air.

The military otaku cursed himself for his stupidity. Now he risked the death of mankind just for an act of desperation and bravado. He looked to his right and saw that he had little more than two minutes of energy left. He had to get up end this as soon as possible.

"I know what you're thinking." said the grey haired boy. "And it's not going to work. Please, Kensuke, I don't want you to suffer. Just let me accomplish my mission."

Like hell, thought the Fifth Child. "I don't think I can do it." Then, Unit 01 stood up, ready to fight again. "I, too, have a mission."

Kaworu nodded. "So be it."

Unit 01 took its Prog Knife and charged its enemy.

"Again..." sighed the Seventeenth Angel. "You're really..."

Before he could even finish that sentence, he was hit by Unit 01's A.T. Field.

"What..."

"Surprise!" said Kensuke. "I may not be the best pilot ever, but I learned something nonetheless."

Kaworu immediately activated his own A.T. Field, which soon began to repell the other one. "A point in your favor. But I'm afraid it will not help much." He paused. "And I have to say it, I'm growing rather tired of this fight." He willed his Field to corrode Eva 01's.

Kensuke began to panic and decided to strike. "Now or never." He raised his Eva's right arm...only to be stopped by an invisible force.

"Hey, what..."

"My A.T. Field is stronger than yours, Kensuke." said Kaworu. "Also, I know a few tricks." And just like that, Unit 01's A.T. Field vanished.

"Shit!" cursed the Japanese teenager before being violently thrown against the wall. The Prog Knife fell from the mecha's hand.

Kaworu approached his fallen enemy. "It'll be painless. This, at least, I can promise."

Kensuke felt chills running down his back. I'm going to die. Shit, I don't want to die. God, please, someone...please, help me!

His prayers were answered from an unexpected source. He felt a strange warmth enveloping him. He didn't know why, but it...it was almost like a mother's hug. He felt safe for the first time since entering the Eva that day.

"How...what is this?"

He never got an answer. Not that he cared anymore, now. Instead, he slowly began to lose consciousness. The last things he heard before closing his eyes were a bestial howl and Nagisa's panicked voice screaming: "No...stay away from me, you beast!"

XXXXXX

Meanwhile

Command Center's bridge level

"...synch rate at 400%!" said Shigeru Aoba.

"How's that even possible? He was at his normal rate just mere seconds ago!" replied Makoto Hyuga.

Maya Ibuki couldn't believe her ears. Synch rate at 400%...as far as she knew, such a thing had happened only once, during Eva 01's first activation test. And it hadn't gone well for the pilot. Her body had been absorbed by the Eva, and they'd never managed to bring her back.

And now, she thought, that poor boy is...

"Oh my God, what the hell is it doing?!" Aoba screamed.

Maya's attention went to the massive video screen from which she and her colleagues watched the operations. Her eyes widened as she froze in shock. For on the screen, there was something that she'd never even imagined. Something that prompted Makoto to put a hand on his mouth so as not to vomit.

The sight of Eva 01 gone berserk brutally maiming Nagisa's corpse.

Mercifully, at that point, Maya fainted.

AN: And here's part 2. Please, let me know what you think of it with a review, even if you just want to say how it sucks. Constructive criticism is always welcome.

Only one part left. Expect it to be posted in 10 or 12 days.