Episode Four – You Can't Go Home Again

"Did you hear about the pilot of Unit 01?"

"Yeah, do you think he'll come back?"

"For his sake, I hope not."

Commander Gillian sat at his helm in a controlling silence. With his elbows on his desk and his fingers intertwined he held his chin suggesting to the loyal technicians that he was in thought. He'd recently lost an important figure in his crusade and a son. Gillian knew not why, or perhaps he wished not to acknowledge why David ran away. Perhaps he feared his own assumptions of his moral character.

"Sir, we've picked up a reading off the east coast," declared a technician from his screen-illuminated seat. "It appears to have an AT field."

Gillian did not respond.

"Is it an angel?" asked the young beauty Captain Emily Harrison.

"We're looking into it now."

The crew gathered around the monitor as the screen flashed "Blue."

"It's a Pattern Blue. It's an angel," said the technician.

"Dammit! Just when we need that boy, he's gone," grunted the captain.

"In times of emergency, there is no need for a coward."

The room turned their attention to the words of the Commander as he stood from his desk. With devoted loyalty, they did not question his words, despite them being against his own son.

The Commander spoke again. "The enemy is only a few hours away. Captain Harrison and Dr. Oliver, come with me and we shall formulate a plan to terminate the angel."

Commander stepped from his helm and walked toward the door and the women followed him closely.

"Commander Gillian," said Emily, "how can we defeat the angel without Unit 01 and its pilot?"

Gillian did not flinch in the face of the youth's question.

"Simple, Captain, we send in the other Unit and its pilot," stated the Commander.

"What do you mean 'the other Unit?' Are you telling me there's another Evangelion here? And another pilot?"

The young captain stopped in her tracks, forcing the other two to follow suit. The Commander simply turned his head to the beautiful doctor at his other side.

"Dr. Oliver, do you mind telling Ms. Harrison of Unit 00?"

Emily turned to her colleague with a look of confusion. She thought about what she had been told and that what she had been told was the whole truth. Now that she'd found that to be a lie she wondered what else the Commander and the doctor were hiding from her.

"Kate, what's going on?"

"Emily, indeed there is one Evangelion. That is Unit 01. But we also house a weapon similar. It is the prototype for Unit 01, Unit 00. The Commander is suggesting we use it instead."

"How can we use it without a pilot?"

"There is a pilot. In fact, she's been waiting for this day for a long time."

The doctor turned to her leader and the two continued down the long hallway to the elevator.

"She?" mumbled the captain.

The captain remained silent for the rest of walk as she could not pick a single question out of the many that were bubbling in her head. The Commander and Dr. Oliver left her standing idly by a sliding metal door while they went to retrieve the pilot. Minutes passed and Emily was suddenly startled by the wisp of the door. Out stepped Dr. Oliver.

"Captain Harrison," said the doctor, "meet the pilot of Unit 00, Anne Raye."

Emily turned her curious eyes toward the door and they were witness to the mysterious girl. She stood in the doorway with her hands held in front. She was a fair-skinned, filling out teenager with wavy, light brown hair. The feature that disturbed Emily, though, was Anne's large eyes that were haunted by a discomforting red hue. Despite Emily's unsettled feeling, the girl looked at her with a welcoming smile.

"Hello, captain," said the girl, holding out her hand. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

The captain tried to laugh to make her self feel comfortable.

"You've heard of me?"

"Oh, yes, I've heard about many of your accomplishments and it's an honor to be under your jurisdiction."

Emily nervously extended her hand and grabbed Anne's.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Anne. I'm sure you know of the mission."

"Oh, yes, and I am excited. Where is Unit 00?"

Oliver then gently placed her hand on Anne's shoulder. "Follow us, Anne."

"Where is the Commander?" asked the captain.

"Attending to personal business," answered Kate. "He'll be along momentarily."

Somewhere deep within the darkness of NERV headquarters stood Commander Gillian staring into unsettled crimson waters that reflected across his face. He said not a word.

"I'm ready to go," said the joyful young Anne sitting in her entry plug.

"Filling entry plug with LCL," stated a technician.

Anne's entry plug then began to fill with a yellow-orange liquid. Despite the possibility of drowning, Anne smiled and looked forward to the battle that awaited her.

"Does she even know what awaits her?" thought Capt. Harrison. Emily looked out the window of the observation deck at the giant green EVA. It wasn't as big Unit 01 and as the prototype she could assume that it wasn't as strong either. Still the young, innocent looked unmoved by worry or doubt.

Anne breathed the liquid called LCL into her lungs and it did not affect her. She inhaled it like fresh air. "I'm ready," she said.

A loud clatter was heard and the EVA began to rumble.

"Preparing Unit 01 for launch," yelled the technician.

The platform on which the Evangelion stood shifted backward toward an overhead shaft. When it reached that wall it stopped.

"Launch will be in 5!" yelled the technician.

"Good luck, Anne," said the captain.

"4"

"Thank you, Captain," replied the girl.

"3! 2! 1! Launch!"

Another clatter was heard and the crew watched as Unit 00 shot upward into the shaft. Outside the geo-front, on the surface, the shaft opened. The EVA then rose from the inside of the Earth and stood before its enemy, a primitive crustacean-looking beast. Unit 01 stepped forward and threw a punch, but monster unleashed its main weapon, laser-like tentacles. The whips lashed at Unit 00 at knocked onto its side. The monster used its tentacles to try and whip the EVA, but Anne managed to roll out of the way.

From a rooftop in the evacuated part of York-3 sat the scared little boy known as David Gillian. He was without a home and without a friend to turn for help. He curled his body and hid his crying eyes away from the invisible eyes surrounding him. He heard a thunder in the distance and looked up to see the angel trekking over the hills. He suddenly realized that his home, whether they wished for his presence or not, was in danger and that he must do what needed be done. Then he saw Unit 00. His heart sank as he realized that his existence as pilot was truly expendable. Unit 00 grabbed the angel by the head and pulled back into the valley. Behind the wall of rolling hills the angel wrapped its tentacles around the Unit 00's right arm as it rained on the angel. The angel then used the other tentacle to wrap the EVA's waist. The angel lifted the titan overhead and David saw it was in danger. He stood at the edge of the rooftop and leaped onto the fire escape and descended to the ground. David then ran with all his determination to reach NERV headquarters in the hopes they would allow him save Unit 00.

"Come on, Anne!" screamed Capt. Harrison. "You can beat him."

Anne grunted as she tried to twist her way out of the hold. Then she felt a rush of force when the beast hurled her across the battlefield and into the hillside. The EVA crashed into the hill and NERV's communication was swiped.

"Anne! Anne! Are you okay?" yelled Emily vainly into her intercom.

There was no answer.

"Anne, can you hear me?"

The crew became silent in anticipation of the girl's answer if there were to be one. Then they heard the sound of a new girl.

"Bastard!" cursed the grizzly valkyrie.

Anne heaved a breath and what once was an innocent girl became an enraged beast herself. The Evangelion roared of vengeance, but the angel used its tentacles to restrain the weapon's hands against the wall.

"Anne, are you there?"

Anne screamed a primal cry of fury and vengeance that blasted through the NERV observation and knocked many to the floor. The EVA roared again and the angel used its tentacles to generate an electrical current to shock the EVA. Anne and her EVA screamed in pain.

"You will die, demon bastard!" screamed the girl.

The EVA roared and its hands fought the angel's restraints. The angel continued to electrocute the beast, but Unit 00 refused to give and grabbed the angel's tentacle. Anne screamed for the EVA's pain. Unit 00 smashed its forearm into the angel's head. The angel staggered away, but Anne used its still wrapped tentacle to reel it back into a punch. The angel fell to the ground and Unit 00 pounced upon it. The angel braced itself with its tentacle and generated a powerful blast that threw Unit 00 through the air. As Unit 00 crawled to its feet it reached into its shoulder pack to take out the progressive knife. The angel stood and prepared for the final blow. It crept slowly toward the wounded EVA. It waved its tentacles of high voltage energy in the air and prepared for the final shock. The angel attempted to blanket its self over Unit 00, but Anne turned over and thrust the knife into the enemy's exposed heart. The angel wrapped its deadly arms around the Evangelion in a last ditch effort to defeat it. Anne screamed in pain as she continued to thrust her knife into the beast's insides.

The crew distressed as technician began to cry that Anne's vitals were erratic and they would cease momentarily. The girl heard none of it as she grunted and cursed at her enemy. Anne heaved as her body began to go numb and then the angel's crimson heart faded to black. The surge of energy ceased and the angel fell.

"The angel has been defeated," yelled the technician. He leaped out of his seat and danced.

"How are Unit 00 and its pilot?" asked the captain.

"Unit 00 is fine, and the pilot is fine as long as she gets to the infirmary."

"Well, get her there stat!"

Inside Unit 00 laid the unconscious, but at least she smiled in her dreams.

David leaped over the barricade and ran steadfast toward the surface entrance to NERV headquarters.

"Let me in! I've got to help!" he yelled while pounding on the door.

The door opened and David dove to the side as a crew of mobile infantries exited the inner sanctum of NERV. The soldiers ignored the trespasser as they hopped in their jeep and sped away to retrieve Unit 00's pilot. David backed up against the wall as he wondered what was happening.

"Welcome back, David."

David turned worriedly to the female voice over his head. It was Emily.

"What's going on, Captain Harrison?" asked the boy.

"There was an angel attack, but Unit 00 took care of it."

"You mean the angel's been defeated already?"

"Yes."

The boy turned away to the floor. His attempts to help proved worthless and he was once again alone and without a purpose.

"I thought there was only one Evangelion."

"That's what I thought too. Do you need to see your father?"

"No, I can't face him now. I'm a coward. I ran away when the world depended on me. I don't deserve to be his son."

"David, he's your father."

"He kicked me out of the home. I can't go back."

"I see. Well, David, if you've got no where to go and you don't feel like facing your father yet, I guess you could stay with me for a while."

David heard the words of sympathy and kindness and felt as if he were hearing them for the first time.

"Really?"

"Of course, Davy. I've got an extra room that fits a teenage boy just fine. Just go now and I'll see you there later."

"Alright!" The boy sprung to his feet and darted toward the town. He suddenly stopped and ran back to the amused woman. "Where do you live?"

"215 Pear Avneue. I leave a spare key under the welcome mat."

The boy nodded and ran away again. This time he had a smile on his face as he thought about finally living with someone he didn't view as his father.

The entrance to NERV shut and Emily turned inside and took out her phone.

"Yes, Kate. I've found him. David's back."