The heart monitor's steady beep was the only sound in the world.

The hours immediately after Ramiel's death were a frantic hell. The exultation of a hard fought victory was completely forgotten the moment Shinji screamed. I could only watch as Rei was carted off and shuttled straight to the hospital within the Geofront, not really sure what to feel about her suffering. After all, Rei was effectively immortal. Should I really care about the pain she was going through with that in mind?

Not to mention my own body was in a fair amount of pain. My left arm was covered in bruises. My back ached and cracked whenever I moved it. I could even feel one of my teeth jostle a little bit when I ran my tongue over it. I had Ramiel to thank for all of that.

Typical, even when I'm not in an Eva, the Angels still found a way to hurt me.

People talked around me, saying empty words of worry, dismissal, or consolation, but I never heard any of it. I also heard a lot of big words, medical technobabble that I hadn't the foggiest clue of what they meant. However, the urgency behind the words and the panicked tone of those who spoke them got the message across well enough.

I lost track of myself during that time. Somehow, I ended up sitting in an uncomfortable metal folding chair outside her hospital room, which only made my back throb even more against the cold steel. Shinji never left her side until he was forcefully removed. He cast me a glare when I sat by him, but said nothing. I sat two seats away from him, for both our sakes. We sat in silence for most of the time.

The only time the quiet was broken between us was when Shinji had a coughing fit. He started hacking up orange phlegm, and I only just then realized he was still in his plugsuit and damp with LCL. I grabbed him some paper towels from the bathroom and offered them to him. He ignored me for a few more seconds, but he started having another fit and snatched the towels without a word.

Misato called Shinji shortly after. He didn't have his cell phone on him since he just came out of Unit 01, but instead he talked to her through a phone at the hospital floor's desk. I didn't hear Misato's end of the conversation, but I could guess well enough what it was about. Misato being too busy to visit, asking how Shinji was doing, stuff along those lines. A short while after he hung up, I got a text from Misato asking how I was doing.

You gotta love those little moments of favoritism. Still, for some reason that didn't bother me as much. I was more concerned with the blue-haired girl in critical condition. Not because I was worried about her necessarily; I knew that Rei would survive, even if it was as a new 'model', so to speak. It had more to do with what these new developments would mean in the long run.

What little I saw of Unit 00 was… well, to call it a 'barely recognizable pile of slag and bubbling meat' was putting it lightly. It could be months before it would be fit for duty, if it could be recovered at all. We would potentially be down one Eva already for most of the fighting, if the Angels still abided by their usual schedule.

And then there was Rei herself. Or rather, Shinji's reaction to her. What would happen if Rei II was dropped in favor of the healthier Rei III, for the sake of a quick and easy solution? Would Shinji slip and break even earlier than canon? I suppose it would depend on how Gendo and Ritsuko played it… Perhaps taking Rei II in for an 'experimental' operation and coming out with Rei III, claiming it's the original. That could work, without raising too many eyebrows. I wouldn't have put it past Gendo at all to do that.

Hell, I wouldn't have put it past me if I didn't have some sort of attachment to the poor girl.

The 'attachment' wasn't really that great; there were no strong emotional connections at all between the two of us. In fact, there wasn't really any connection between us as people at all. I decided it was because I favored Rei II over Rei III. Why? I wasn't entirely sure. Maybe it was because she was relatively familiar compared to Rei III. This was the Rei that Shinji would befriend, and therefore give him something to fight for, and that would (maybe) get actual character development that I could accurately predict.

But who was to say Shinji couldn't befriend Rei III? Even better if he never knew about the change, so he wouldn't freak out and shut himself off. Rei III could just as easily fill the same role as her predecessor…

I would've really, really liked for there to be another reason. One that involved seeing her as an individual and respecting her as such. But there simply wasn't. She was a tool to me. My stomach lurched when I realized I was becoming like Gendo, with that kind of thinking.

I shook myself of the thought. I wasn't doing this for the same reasons as Gendo. I was trying to save everyone, not damn them. So what if I was a little cold? I had to be practical if I was going to survive the insanity that was Tokyo-3, and make sure everyone else did, too. I had to be the calm and calculating mind, distanced and unattached, so that I could make the hard decisions that someone with my foreknowledge had to make. I knew that, beyond doubt.

At least, until I finally saw her on the hospital bed.

The doctor that was in-charge of Rei's treatment, a man with bags under his eyes and wrinkles on his face despite looking barely thirty, finally left her room and informed us that there was nothing more that could be done right now. He gave us permission to see Rei, but warned us that she'd be unconscious. Shinji ran into the room before the doctor could finish her sentence, followed hesitantly by me.

Most of her tiny body was covered by thin, sterile sheets and bandages. An IV drip snaked its way through her arm, stabbing into a tiny patch of open skin that looked stiff and paler than usual. Her mouth was covered by a respirator that fed her oxygen, and all of her face, save for one eye, was swathed in bandages. Her eye was closed and utterly still, not even fluttering. Whatever she was under gave her a dreamless sleep. The covers over her were rising and falling slowly, the only sign that she was even alive. What little skin that was visible had been ugly and ruined. I could see sickly green and reddish brown marks that seemed to go through her skin, revealing the layers of her body underneath.

Combined with the smell, which was a mix of sterile air and blood, and the ragged breaths I could hear rasping their way through the respirator, I gagged.

She looked so… weak. So small. At least, smaller than she'd been when we met. It reminded me of the last time I'd been to a hospital, in another life…

"I am so, so sorry…" wept a cracking voice that belonged to a younger me. The real me.

"Are you okay, hon?" she asked, her voice raspy and pained.

"She was screaming," breathed Shinji, pulling me back to the present, his voice lower than a whisper. "I've never seen anyone in so much pain…"

I knew he wasn't exactly talking to me, but my breath hitched regardless.

"I wanted to help… but what could I do?"

I was wringing hands that suddenly felt very cold and sweaty. My vision was beginning to fog up.

"She was… god… she was screaming so loudly…"

Shut up. Shut up!

"All because she saved me…"

Shinji started crying.

I did too.

Chapter 7: I See Your Star

I'm not entirely sure what happened after that. I was crying and for a while I forgot why. When I was finally able to regain my composure and wipe the snot and tears off my face, Shinji was staring at Rei, his body still save for the occasional sniffle.

It was the third time that I had to wipe my nose on the sleeve of my school uniform that I realized I was a wreck. There were bruises all over my body from Ramiel's attack, and something felt off with my left arm. My body was shaking, and I wasn't sure why.

A quick glance at my phone showed three texts from Toji ("hey where'd u go?", "is rei ok?", and "holy shit this broad is annoying"), one from Kensuke ("that was awesome! got any battle pics for me? just ones from your phone would be k"), one from Hikari ("Are Rei and Shinji okay? "), and another from an unknown number ("TEAM MEETING NOW"). That message was sent ten minutes ago.

I heard someone outside the door. Someone loud, foreign, and spitting out German. I'd only ever taken one class in German, so I was hardly the most qualified to point it out, but it sure sounded like German from what I could remember. And that meant…

Oh, sweet baby Jesus, no…

I bolted across the room, which wasn't exactly painless considering my body was still sore, and peered through the door window.

You ever see a celebrity or important person in real life, seeing them for the first time not through a screen, and be amazed at how small they actually were? I'd never experienced it myself before, but apparently it was pretty common and their supposedly big size was just some camera trick. Well, that was exactly what happened when I saw Asuka Langley Sohryu.

I had at least two inches on her, and I'd hardly call myself tall by any means. She was also extremely thin, which was easy to notice considering she was still in her plugsuit, more so than Rei even. I felt a pang of sympathy when I saw just how skinny she was, but that nearly faded when I looked at her face, the very embodiment of haughtiness and entitlement. She was loudly demanding the nurse to allow her into Rei's room. I saw a chance to get out of that room and gladly took it.

Well, not exactly gladly, considering who I was going to meet, but I just really, really wanted to get away from…

"You're just leaving?"

…him.

"I… yeah, I am," I feebly answered, "I'm going to go meet Unit 02's pilot, show her around."

"Huh. Guess I'll have to trust you on that," he spat, "You don't really care about her."

The truth was, I really wasn't sure why I'd come to see Rei. I knew full well that, regardless of the outcome, there would still be a Rei at the end of all this, so why had I even bothered to show up? Curiosity? Lack of better things to do? I could've stayed at Mt. Futago with Toji and the rest, but I hadn't. I practically scrambled to get the hospital, completely forgetting almost everything, including my own injuries.

Why did I do that?

"No, Shinji, I really do care," I tried to say with sincerity, "But there are things I have to do. I'm sorry."

The Third Child glared at me with harsh blue eyes, opening his mouth to say something, but then turned away. His voice became oddly monotone. "It doesn't really matter, does it? Whether or not you're here. Or if I'm here. Rei's still… like this." He choked a little at that last word. "I thought he'd be here… Because he actually cared about her…"

Gendo. Who else?

"It doesn't matter if you're here or not," he repeated, with steely resolve, "Or that he's here or not. Or me, for that matter. But I'll be here anyway."

I looked him over when he said that. His brown hair was becoming rigid where the LCL was beginning to harden. His plugsuit clung tightly to his frame, making him look lankier and thinner than he did out of it. But he wasn't trembling anymore. His shoulders were set and his hands balled into fists. I couldn't see his face, but I knew he wasn't crying.

"You're a better man than me, Shinji Ikari," I said slowly and softly. Perhaps too softly, since Shinji didn't respond.

I took a deep breath, stepped out of the room, and was instantly pounced upon.

The redhead turned over to me and strode over, arms folded and chin high. "Ah, finally someone I can speak to as an equal!" she declared, ignoring the annoyed nurse instantly. Before I could offer the woman so much as an apologetic glance, Asuka dominated my vision and offered me her hand, all smiles.

"I'm Asuka Langley Sohryu, Second Child and pilot of Evangelion Unit 02! Charmed, huh?" she said with a wink.

Are you charmed to meet me, or am I supposed to be charmed to meet you?

I blinked dumbly at her, off-put by her over-the-top politeness. Then it clicked. Right, she was always ridiculously nice to people she felt like could be useful.

Also, that wink got a reaction out of my body that I did not appreciate. I'd realized a while ago that my body would react that way to girls no matter what I did, regardless of how old I really was. Still, didn't mean I had to like it.

I took Asuka's hand, and introduced myself, albeit a little less confidently than I would've liked.

"Nice to meet ya! Now, the other two are in here, right?" She moved past me, not waiting for my answer, headed to the door.

I was hit by a strange sort of clarity, right then. When I'd looked into Asuka's eyes as she introduced herself, it was only for a few seconds, but it had felt like an eternity. I saw a little girl with a doll. A mother who gave herself to a monster, and left behind a husk that would torment her daughter forever. I saw all of the arguments and misunderstandings, the confusion and rage and depression, and all of the tragedy that would be her future.

Would be, if I didn't do anything to stop it.

The girl in front of me was passionate and alive, more so than anyone I'd met since coming to Tokyo-3. Maybe it was because Shinji's outburst and Rei's injuries had worn me too ragged , but I just couldn't view Asuka the same way I'd been viewing everyone else around here, like characters from a fictional universe.

"Hold on, miss," interjected the nurse Asuka had snubbed, "You can't just barge in there; only people cleared by Dr. Ryosuke are permitted in there."

"Oh yeah?" Asuka rounded on her, long hair whirling around like a fiery mane. "Then he can bring it up with Commander Ikari, since I am on official NERV business!"

Usually, dropping Gendo's name like that tended to cow most people. After all, even if you didn't know the kind of man he really was, which was terrifying enough, being the Commander of NERV tended to supersede damn near every authority on the planet.

Except those in the medical field, evidently. The nurse looked absolutely livid and ready to call security.

"I wouldn't go in there yet." I intervened, deciding that I should probably do what I could to defuse the situation and that Shinji was not in the right place to handle Asuka quite yet. "Those two are… uh… there's…"

The redhead cast the door a disgusted look. "Ugh, there's not some kind of infection or something, is there?"

"Um. Sure."

She shrugged. "Whatever. I'll see them soon enough, and besides I don't need to see them badly enough to get sick! I can't afford to, being the only active Eva pilot around here."

The nurse still didn't seem at ease, moving away from us to check a set of documents at her desk, but keeping a wary eye on Asuka. I couldn't blame her.

Still, her bravado was comforting, in a strange sort of way. It was a welcome change of pace from Shinji's uncertainty and Rei's apathy when it came to EVA. And life in general, come to think of it.

Asuka's eyes widened briefly, before a devilish smile, or at least her best attempt at one, crossed her face. "Follow me, Fifth," she said in a tone that I think was supposed to be husky. My body certainly thought it was.

Seriously, what the hell, man?! I know that she's an absolute mess in the head, that the whole sweet and flirtatious thing was just an act, and she's fourteen years old! I mean… Gah!

I did my best to keep up with her. That was no easy task, considering the way she speed-walked through the hospital hallways, almost bulldozing through the busy staff.

"Look, I'd love to go wherever it is you're taking me," I groused, already out of breath "But I've been up since six in the morning yesterday and I'd really like to get some sleep, so can this wait?" Jeez, I really needed to get in shape. Although I suppose fatigue and my battering from earlier had more to do with it. Yeah, that was definitely it. Not my lack of physical fitness. Another thought occurred to me. "Also, please don't call me 'Fifth'. Just call me Ken."

Despite my protests, I didn't really have that much of an issue with following her. Whatever gave me and Shinji some space.

Asuka didn't look back. "Oh, this won't take long at all!" she said cheerfully, but that was it.

Typical. In the long term, it probably wasn't a good idea to appease her commanding attitude like that, but really what else did I have to do? As much as I had complained about the lack of sleep, going to bed would inevitably bring about yet another confusing and no doubt painful dream about the Angels, that time with a vision of whatever the hell kind of life that could be based off of Ramiel.

I suppose I could've checked up on Toji or Misato, but knowing Toji he was probably fast asleep by then and Misato was neck-deep in dealing with Ramiel's fallout. So, begrudgingly, I followed Asuka down further into NERV HQ, and it didn't take me long to figure out what exactly she planned to do.

The trip was surprisingly quiet, although Asuka might as well have been screaming her excitement to the world with her body language. When I managed to get an equal pace with her, I could see that her chin was up and her chest was out, pale arms swinging freely at her sides. The grin that was plastered on her face was that of unrestrained joy and pride, which actually brought a smile to my own face. It reminded me of a girl I used to know, in another life.

Maybe that was where the attraction came from? Projecting a part of my old life on her?

Before I could bury myself in pleasant memories, we reached the Cages. Maintenance crews and techs were bustling about like ants (extremely well-qualified ants, at that), talking amongst themselves as they tended to the hulking giant and latest addition to NERV Headquarters. The smell of sweat was thick in the air, and I could also sniff out some coffee in the mix. These people had likely been up for longer than I'd been.

Asuka stopped when we reached the center of the Cage, right in front of the Eva's face, and spun around to face me, grin widening and hands on her hips.

"This is my pride and joy!" she boasted, giddiness filling her voice, "Evangelion Unit 02, the very best in modern engineering!"

It was dinged up a bit, with some scorch marks along its chest and hundred other minor cuts and scrapes along its crimson-plated surface, but those were all superficial. They did nothing to hamper its effect on me.

No matter how many times I saw an Evangelion, it always felt like my first. I felt insignificant looking at it, and that was just its head; the rest of Unit 02's body was below and around us, and the fact that I couldn't see all of it at once made my heart beat a little faster. The twin horns on its head made me think of a great samurai, a warrior from an era long gone. The harsh red of its armor only brought up thoughts of blood and how tons of it could flow at the barest of gestures by the titan.

But nothing unnerved me as much as the eyes. Four green emeralds bigger than my head stared at me, through me. I was beneath the notice of such a being.

I thought of the Beast, fangs bared and frothing with rage. I thought of Kyoko, the soul of that monster.

And Asuka wanted me to praise it.

"Pretty cool," I conceded. Understatement would have to do. As awe-inspiring as an Evangelion was, it was still a monster that was created by monstrous means for monstrous purposes.

"It's more than just 'pretty cool'!" Asuka sniped, finally showing some of the vitriol that she was infamous for. "It's the pinnacle of human technology. This is the Eva that will ensure victory over the Angels! And I'll be the one piloting it when it does."

"I believe you," I replied. Well, I believed that she believed it, at any rate. As usual in the case of Evangelion, the truth had been and most assuredly will be more complicated than that.

"Speaking of Angels, I have to say you did a great job fighting the Fourth," Asuka said appraisingly, her blue eyes beaming at me. Damn, whether she knew she was doing it or not, I couldn't help but feel a little queasy under them. What was it about this girl? Was it really some connection to someone in my past life? "Wrapping yourself around those tentacles and all that. They wouldn't tell me what your synch score was, but I'm sure it was high!" Careful, Asuka, that much sugary sweetness might get you diabetes. "What was your score, by the way?"

Ah. Subtle, Asuka.

But I knew that my answer to that question would color how she viewed me, very likely for the rest of the war, and any attempt I made to change that would be an uphill battle.

If I told her that I had a high score, she would instantly see as me as a rival and a target. Just talking to her, let alone trying to help her, would lead to confrontation after confrontation, building up resentment on both sides until something disastrous happened.

I remembered seeing her naked in that tub, surrounded by rubble and liquid that looked like blood…

The only positive I could think of to lying about my score would be that a rivalry with me would push her to be a better pilot, which would very likely be necessary in an Angel War that was only getting worse and worse.

If I told her the truth, that my score was abysmal, then she wouldn't feel a need to constantly browbeat and fight with me. I wouldn't be a threat to her superiority, so why would she? Asuka won't see me as her equal, but… that'd be fine. There was time for that later.

Besides, Shinji would end being her rival for EVA and Rei would end up her rival for Shinji's attention. The poor girl hardly needed another rival to deal with.

My decision was also not at all affected by the fact that she was really leaning in close, which didn't at all make my face feel really warm.

I. Hate. Hormones.

"It was… lower than twenty percent during the fight," I answered, and instantly I felt a little more at ease. After last night… it felt good to just tell the truth, I suppose. "I only won because Unit 00 went berserk."

"Hm. Less than twenty? Well, that's more realistic than the Third's ridiculously high first time," Asuka said, leaning away from me, something my mind was thankful for but my body was not. She threw a glance at Unit 02, then asked, "When's your Eva getting here?"

"Two days," I replied, but once I said the words the finality of them hit me. Two days. My own Eva.

I rubbed my sides, praying that it wouldn't lead to another Shamshel.

"Mm." Asuka mused, her narrow face scrunched in thought. After a few seconds, she nodded to herself and batted away some of her long hair that'd managed to cover her shoulder. "Well, when it does, I'll help you out! Consider it a favor for a friend."

A friend, huh? With no strings attached, naturally. I opened my mouth to ask what exactly she meant by "help"…

"Anyway," Asuka continued, shutting me down whether she realized it or not, "I've gotta go get my stuff at the airport, so I'll see ya tomorrow, ja?" With that and what I pray to god was not a flirtatious wink, she left.

I wilted when she was out of sight, almost leaning against the wall just to keep myself up. I let out a yawn and rubbed my eyes. She must've been the only thing keeping me awake and with her gone, fatigue was finally setting in.

Should I pick apart what just happened there?

I yawned again.

Later. Sleep now.

After sending a brief text to Misato telling her I was going home, my phone started to ring almost instantly. I answered it a little hesitantly and started to make my way out of NERV HQ.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Ken," came Misato's voice from the other end. She sounded more tired than I was. "I'm using you as an excuse to get out of work for five minutes."

I smiled a little at that. "Sound about right. How're you doing?"

There was an exasperated sigh, and I imagined her pinching the bridge of her nose when she groused, "Ugh, I don't wanna talk about it. I have to juggle the UN and the JSDF and all of the crews and oh god why did I accept this job?!" I opened my mouth to talk, but she kept going. "Not to mention recovering all the wounded and the Evas and someone didn't put any cream in my coffee so it tastes disgusting and… I'm talking about that, aren't I?"

"Afraid so," I supplied, "If it's any consolation, I don't really mind."

"No, no, it's all stupid and boring stuff," Misato grumbled. "How're you doing? Shinji said you left Rei's room awhile ago."

"Yeah, I got the feeling Shinji wanted to be alone," I said. "I ran into Asuka, though."

"Oh really?" Misato asked, voice suddenly filled interest. "And how was that?"

"She's a… Uh…" I struggled to find the word. "She's interesting."

Misato snorted. "To put it lightly. Well, I'm glad you two met, although I would've preferred it under better circumstances. You think you hit it off pretty well?"

I shrugged, before realizing the gesture was pointless. "I think so. She only insulted me a little bit, so that's gotta be something, right?"

"Yeah? Maybe there's something a little more there, huh?" Christ, I could hear the conspiratorial wink in that question.

I made a gagging noise. "No," I stated. "Not gonna happen."

"Aw, c'mon now, Kenny! Who knows what feelings arise in the heat of the moment! Don't wanna turn a shot at an exotic foreigner, do ya? There's nothin' like mortal danger and extremes of stress and emotion to get someone a liiiiiiiiiittle worked up…"

"No, no, no, no, no, and a big can of noooooooope," I persisted, feeling oddly defensive while doing so. "She's really not my type." Being, you know, fourteen and all. I may have been in the body of a fourteen-year-old, but I sure as hell didn't have the mind of one.

If I kept repeating that to myself, it'd eventually become true, wouldn't it?

"If you say soo~oo," she sing songed. Well, now I just knew I'd be hearing more on that topic later. "Anyway, gotta get back to the grind, see ya later! And feed Pen Pen for me, will ya?"

I assured her I would and hung up, somehow feeling even more exhausted after the conversation. Good thing I was already almost out of HQ. Just one more metro ride and I'll be home sweet-

The floor trembled slightly beneath me.

What.

It trembled again, a little more forcefully.

Oh no.

Klaxons blared and red lights flashed harshly through the hallways. The floor shook yet more violently, almost making me lose my balance.

Oh, sweet Jesus, no.

"ALERT! PATTERN: BLUE DETECTED!" cried the MAGI's automated response. "ALERT! PATTERN: BLUE DETECTED!"

All of my fatigue washed away under a tide of adrenaline. I felt my heartbeat increase drastically and my throat dry up. My hands somehow found a metal railing, which I gripped so tightly my fingers turned white.

Misato's voice took over the intercom, and she sounded much calmer than how I felt. "Battle stations, everyone. The Sixth Angel is here."

You have got to be SHITTING me!

The Angels have NEVER attacked so quickly before! I'm calling bullshit! You hear me, Tabris, or Adam, or Lilith, or Anno, or whoever the fuck is in charge here?! It took at least a month in canon, and now you cut it to a few fucking hours?! Why couldn't you at least wait until my Eva got here?!

Why was Gaghiel attacking NOW of all times?! Did it somehow know that we would be at our weakest after Ramiel's assault? How could it? In canon, it only showed up when Kaji practically dangled Adam in its home territory… Maybe Kaji was showing up earlier in the game like Asuka, with Adam in tow?

What if it wasn't Gaghiel at all? The way things had gone so far, I didn't think it wasn't too much of stretch that another Angel decided to show up out of order. No, that line of thinking was irrelevant right now. More pressing was the why. Somehow, this felt like something had actively planned for this to happen. Perhaps Tabris was directing things on the Angel's side this time around, actually commanding them instead of waiting until the end for his shot? Or was SEELE behind it? Doubtful; crippling NERV so badly so early in the game would hurt them, too, and besides they never showed or even claimed that they could control the Angels in canon.

Granted, all of this wondering would be pointless if I didn't survive the next hour or so. Which was looking less and less likely with every tremor that rocked the Geofront.

Time to figure out what exactly was going on. Central Dogma would be the best place to do just that.

I reached there to find it a pandemonium of flashing screens and shouting personnel. Most of the bridge crew was missing, save for Gendo, Fuyutsuki, and Aoba. I could only assume the rest were elsewhere.

On the big screen in front of everything, stood the image of the Sixth Angel. It was huge, easily longer than an aircraft carrier and twice as wide. It more resembled a Komodo dragon than a shark, albeit one without eyes, with clawed feet that rocked and tore apart the earth with every heavy stomp. Its hide was leathery and easily shrugged off what little remained of Tokyo-3's automated defenses. A mountain range of spines stretched down its immense back, reminding me of a Dimetrodon, an alpha predator from before the dinosaurs.

The little paleontologist in me giggled in excitement, but the rest of me told it to shut up.

Even if it actually was kinda cool-looking.

The Vice Commander was the first to notice me. He leaned forward and pressed a button. "The Fifth Child is accounted for," he said, probably informing anyone else of importance that wasn't present. "What is the status of Unit 02 and its pilot?"

Aoba answered him. "Both are ready and waiting. It's been equipped with the only weapons available on short notice: a pallet rifle and prog knife."

Well, I can tell just by looking at Gaghiel that those ain't doing shit to that monster.

Fuyutsuki sighed. "We have no other option. Unit 01 is too damaged and Unit 00 is a… non-factor." Well, that's a wee bit of understatement. "Deploy Unit 02 immediately within the city and have it engage the Angel at range, drawing it in. Its bulk will hinder itself in the tight space, which should give Unit 02 enough opportunity to kill it quickly and efficiently."

"Hopefully it won't flatten half the city in the process," I noted, then flinched when I realized I'd spoken again without thinking.

Thankfully, Fuyutsuki didn't appear offended by what could've been seen as me questioning his orders. "It's a risk we have to take, I'm afraid. Captain Katsuragi is indisposed at the moment, so I'm in charge until that changes."

Indisposed. My brow furrowed. What did that mean?

A feed opened up on the main screen, changing to a live video of Unit 02 exiting the lift on the surface. The red Eva strode through the streets, pallet rifle held in one hand leaning against its shoulder, and took cover behind a skyscraper.

The bestial form of Gaghiel loomed in the distance, its spines covering the valley outside Tokyo-3 in shadow. It shambled toward the city with missiles peppering its hide to no avail. I frowned when I couldn't see the tell-tale shimmering light of an AT-field.

What did that mean, I wondered. Perhaps it was too undeveloped to generate one yet? Could that have been the price it had to pay to attack so quickly?

Another barrage slammed into Gaghiel's reptilian face, causing fiery explosions to erupt across it, but the monster kept its pace, unperturbed.

Not that it needed the AT-field, at this rate.

A smaller feed appeared on the main screen, in the bottom-left corner, showing Asuka in the entry plug. She had an almost predatory grin. "The bigger they are…" she purred when she saw caught sight of Gaghiel.

"Focus, pilot," barked Fuyutsuki. "Once the Angel is in-range, fire a barrage at it until it attempts to engage you within the city limits. Then-"

"Tear it apart while it's busy being a dumb, clumsy beast," interrupted Asuka, "I heard you earlier. Engaging now!"

A brief glance at the Vice Commander showed that he was frowning slightly, but kept silent. The harsh bark of Unit 02's pallet rifle rang out, its muzzle flashing as it sent rounds the size of cars screaming toward the Angel. Most of the shells found their mark, although a few somehow missed their gargantuan target, ripping apart trees in the distance. Gaghiel froze when the rounds impacted its hide, bouncing almost harmlessly to the ground beneath it. It swayed its great head and the flaps underneath its neck began to rumble. A warbling sound echoed in Central Dogma, causing everyone to look around in confusion.

Gaghiel continued to sway its head and make that strange warbling, until its eyeless gaze rested on the crimson form of Unit 02 in the distance. It stopped warbling and stared. Well, as much as something without eyes could stare.

"The hell?" exclaimed Asuka, "Why isn't it-"

Gaghiel bellowed, a deep bass roar full of rage and bloodlust, and charged.

Asuka cursed and opened fire again, but she might as well have done nothing. The Roaring Beast of God ignored the bullets peppering it, covering the distance to the city in but a few seconds. It smashed through everything in its path, ripping up concrete, asphalt, and whatever else was unfortunate enough to be underfoot. With a scoff of frustration from Asuka, Unit 02 discarded the pallet rifle and drew its progressive knife as the Angel neared, smashing apart buildings as it went.

Finally, Gaghiel's advance seemed to have slowed when it reached the skyscrapers. At least, the ones that were put there specifically to cover the Eva.

Actually, that gave me an idea…

The Angel raged as it tried to navigate the relatively tight corners of the urban areas, swinging its bulk against buildings that almost reached above its spines to make room. Showers of glass and metal fell down all around it, almost shrouding the enormous monster completely in the debris. Gaghiel roared again, that time in what seemed like frustration.

"Well, there goes the bank district…" muttered one of the bridge crew.

When Gaghiel's pace slowed to a crawl, Unit 02 lowered itself to a crouch and, with a great push, leapt, knife gripped tightly downward. It soared over the Angel's snapping jaws and smashed on to its back, crushing a dozen of its spines with harsh snaps. The Eva immediately went to work, stabbing madly with a blade the size of a Greyhound bus into the monster's back. Gaghiel screeched and heaved with its mighty legs, crushing Unit 02 between the Angel and a skyscraper.

Asuka winced in pain, but she bit back anything else that would show weakness and grit her teeth.

"Wanna play rough, huh? Fine! How do you like this!" she shouted. A burst of light expanded between them and Gaghiel was sent hurtling away, ripping apart chunks of concrete and metal that flew into the air. It planted its claws into the ground, driving trenches deeper than a semi, slowing itself down.

Gaghiel came to a stop, looking much worse for wear. Most of the spines on its back were snapped and torn and a thick, red-black liquid oozed down its size, dripping down to the ground with meaty, wet thwaps. It hissed at Unit 02 and stomped, firmly lodging itself where it stood. It opened its massive maw, and a chorus rang out from within, a pulsating red glow accompanying it.

"AT-field detected!" shouted Aoba.

That was all the warning we received before a massive shockwave of noise burst forth from the Angel, an all-encompassing blast that would've easily ruined the ears of any living thing on the surface. As it was, the buildings nearest Gaghiel were unmade, scattered to the wind. Trees were uprooted like twigs, and cars were sent flying and hurtling further than they had any right to.

Asuka screamed in agony, clutching her eardrums even as her Eva was battered by the forces of Gaghiel's roar. Spewing a litany of what I could only assume were German curses, she shook her head and charged the Angel, knife still in-hand.

Gaghiel stomped again and kicked up concrete behind it. Its shoulders rose up, before the beast roared in challenge and charged the Eva.

"Pilot, retreat back into the city!" Fuyutsuki ordered.

"I've got this under control! I know what I'm doing!"

Fuyutsuki's eyes narrowed, but he did nothing else besides that.

There were only seconds until the two titans would crash into each other. Did Asuka really have a plan? Even if she did, could she really beat Gaghiel on her own? She was all on her own this time, unlike the original timeline… If Asuka died…

No. I won't let that happen. But how?

Oh, right, I had an idea from earlier.

"Wait, we have shifting barricades, don't we?" I asked, startling the rest of the bridge crew. Fuyutsuki stared back at me, expressionless, and I almost withered under his gaze. "We can raise some in the Angel's path, maybe that'll slow it down."

For a second that took too long, Fuyutsuki kept staring at me, before nodding. "It's better than nothing. Raise up any blast walls directly in the Angel's path immediately!"

"On it!" Aoba called, already pressing in commands on his console.

A metal wall as tall as an Eva slid up right before the Angel, but was immediately torn apart by Gaghiel's momentum. The monster continued, unperturbed. Another rose up, this time right under the Angel as it was passing it. The shield crashed into Gaghiel's belly, launching it skyward with a deafening impact that bent the barricade to an almost unrecognizable shape. The beast screeched in alarm and smashed into the earth on its back, crushing an apartment complex.

Asuka screamed and pounced on it while it was down, driving the knife down into Gaghiel's underbelly. However, it appeared to be as well-armored as the rest of its body, since the weapon simply skidded along the plated surface. There was no point in just attacking the Angel like this, unless…

"Go for the core!" I shouted, "It's inside the mouth!"

"How would you know that?" inquired Fuyutsuki behind me.

Panic briefly took hold of me, before I remembered a detail from earlier. "When it did that huge roar, its mouth was glowing red." I answered, praying that was enough to appease him. "Since the cores on Angels tend to be red, I figured…"

On screen, Gaghiel was beginning to right itself, shrugging Unit 02 off with ease. The red Eva dodged a swipe, barely, before moving so that it was face to face with the Angel. "I already know that!" Asuka growled. "I'm facing the damn thing, aren't I?!"

Gaghiel lunged at her faster than anything that size should be able to, jaws open wide. Thankfully, Asuka sidestepped the bite in time and slashed at the edge of the monster's mouth. The Angel screamed as the knife tore past and through its cheek, rending through muscle and tissue with ease.

Enraged, it slashed at Unit 02, which easily ducked away from the clumsy attack and backed away. Half of its lower jaw was hanging uselessly, massive tongue flopping out through rows of teeth. The bridge crew gasped when they saw Gaghiel was already starting to regenerate, with pulpy masses of flesh forming along its cheek to recover what was lost.

Asuka no doubt saw that as well, and attacked again before it regained control of its jaw muscles. Unit 02 decked the monster right in the mouth, sending chips of teeth larger than Misato's apartment flying, and thrust its knife into Gaghiel's throat. A thick torrent of blood gushed out, coating the red Eva.

"Damn this thing! It keeps growing shit around the core to cover it!" Asuka complained, continuing to hack at it as she did so.

Gaghiel made a thick gurgling sound in its chest, and the faint murmurings of an angelic chorus set the hairs on my neck on end. My eyes widened.

"It's gonna roar again!" I shouted.

"I can see that!" Asuka screamed.

Then, a sharp snap pierced through the chorus. Gaghiel's entire body froze up, before going completely slack.

Asuka put on a smug grin. "Situation cl-"

Gaghiel changed rapidly. Its form expanded, ballooning to almost twice its already-immense size as the pent-up energy of its roar found nowhere to go, before the entire thing exploded with a cataclysmic boom. A storm of blood, gibs, bits of bone, and scaly plates burst into existence, sending a shockwave that rocked Central Dogma and sent everyone who was standing sprawling to the floor. I cried out in pain when I slammed into the cold metal floor on my left arm.

Son of a bitch that stung.

Gritting my teeth through the pain, I pushed myself up and looked back at the screen.

It was raining blood. And in the unnatural downpour, rising slowly, was Unit 02. The explosion had cracked its chest armor, and its entire right arm was completely gone. It was absolutely drenched in the blood and gore of its fallen foe. Still, its four emerald eyes gleamed in the red haze, shining brightly.

Through Asuka's feed, we could hear her taking deep, deliberate breaths. Probably to fight through the pain of having, you know, your entire arm blown off. She opened her eyes, slowly, and smiled.

"…cleared." she finished.

Central Dogma rang with the cheers of the bridge crew and Fuyutsuki let out a sigh of relief. I gaped at her, eyes bulging. Then, unbidden, a smile started to slowly cross my face.

I looked at Unit 02, standing triumphant, and at Asuka, the embodiment of pride and confidence, and felt hope. We could win this war, I felt, and by more than just the skin of our teeth. We could win. We could win.