Chapter 10 - I see the angels, I'll lead them to your door, There is no escape now, No mercy no more
"God dammit." Shinji swore as he moved his Eva towards the shaft that led down to Terminal Dogma, "God dammit, why didn't I listen?!"
"Shinji." Misato voice, "Don't blame yourself. We couldn't have known."
"She knew!" Shinji shouted back, "And I didn't believe her!"
He looked down and spotted Unit 02 descending. He pulled out his prog knife and leaped after it.
With a loud crash, Unit 01 collided with Unit 02, sending both tumbling down the shaft. Kaworu looked on in amusement.
"Watch that first step!" he called out as he continued to float down after the two giant mecha.
"Kaworu!" Shinji shouted as he fought Unit 02. He took a moment to glance up at the Angel. "You don't have to do this!"
"Ah, but I do." Kaworu replied, "Father calls out to me and I must answer his call."
"It doesn't have to be this way!" Shinji shouted as he jabbed his progressive knife into Unit 02's side. Unit 02 responded by attacking Unit 01 with it's own prog knife.
"Arael lives in peace with us! Why can't you?"
"Arael no longer hears Father's call. It is up to me to fulfill that duty."
"No!" Shinji tried to grab Kaworu. A hexagonal shield flared into existence, keeping Shinji's hand away.
"AT-Field?!?!"
"That which you call the AT-Field, is the Light of my Soul, into which no one may intrude. Now if you'll pardon me….."
Kaworu suddenly dropped downward.
"Wait!' Shinji shouted, "Kaworu!!!" Shinji tried to lunge his Eva after the Angel, but was stopped by Unit 02.
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Kaworu floated before the massive door that led into Terminal Dogma. He glanced to the side and a panel flashed green. With a clack and a muted rumble, the massive doors slowly swung open to reveal the great white Angel on the cross, in the center of a room filled with LCL.
Kaworu floated out over the LCL towards the crucified Angel.
"And now father, we….." Kaworu blinked as he arrived near the head.
"What's this?" he asked out loud.
'You will find that you completely underestimate these mortals.' Arael's words repeated in his mind.
"This is Lilith!" he said in shock, floating backwards slightly. Then he felt it.
Another Light of the Soul, coming from somewhere above him, interfering with his control of Unit 02.
Kaworu turned, expecting to see Arael, and instead, finding Rei. The First Child stood on a platform far above the lake of LCL.
A loud crash came from behind him. Kaworu looked back to see Unit 02 laying on it's back in the LCL. defeated. Unit 01 raced forward and clamped it's right hand around Kaworu.
"It's over Kaworu." Shinji's voice came over the Eva's external speakers.
"Yes, it is." Kaworu agreed. "You must destroy me."
"What?!"
"Shinji, I am an Angel. I cannot rest until my task is completed, or I am dead. If I succeed, you will die. I would prefer you to live."
"But," Shinji stuttered, "….I…I..can't kill you. You're human!"
"Yes…and no…." Kaworu smiled, "It is my choice Shinji. I must die."
"But….."
"Tell Arael…..that she was right. Tell her….to be happy."
"I will."
"Good bye Shinji. May you live a long life……" Kaworu closed his eyes and waited.
Shinji closed his eyes. For several long moments he remained like that. Then, taking a deep breath, his hand twitched.
The Eva's fist closed with crushing force.
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Shinji sat on the overlook, staring out across Tokyo-3. Upon leaving the Eva, he'd gone straight to the changing room, then left NERV before Misato could find him.
That had been hours ago.
During that time, his cell phone had rung several times. He'd ignored each call.
He'd been forced to fight, killed several of the Angels, and nearly killed his best friend. The Angels' deaths hadn't really bothered him, mostly because of their monstrous forms. He'd tried to quit piloting after almost killing Touji, but he'd been unable to leave when the Fourteenth Angel attacked. Now though…… Kaworu had been an Angel, but he had also been human. As Shinji had left the Eva cage, the Techs were already spraying the hand clean of the red blood.
"Hey."
Shinji turned his head. Standing behind him was Arael. He glanced around, but saw no one else. He looked back to the Angel.
"How did you find me?" he asked.
Arael walked over and sat down beside Shinji. She looked out across the city.
"You took me here once." She said, "Albeit five hundred years later. Said it was your favorite spot in Tokyo 3."
"Where's everyone else?"
"Misato's been screaming at Section 2 for losing you, again." Arael began, "Rei has been trying to call your cell phone." Arael looked at Shinji curiously. "Make sure you call her. She looked rather pissed you weren't answering."
"Asuka?"
"Annoyed you aren't around to make her dinner."
Shinji chuckled.
"Same old Asuka."
"Yeah."
The two sat in silence.
"Why are you here?" Shinji finally asked.
"In case you needed someone to talk to, or even yell at." Arael smirked. "I'm a married woman so you can't really do much else."
"Always teasing."
"Misato's rubbed off on me." Arael replied, "So…..want to talk?"
"What's there to talk about?"
"Well there must be a reason you're up here, ignoring everyone."
Shinji sighed.
"I just wanted some time to myself."
"It's Kaworu isn't it?"
Shinji closed his eyes and bowed his head.
"You did nothing wrong Shinji." Arael said softly, placing her hand on his shoulder.
"I killed him."
"He chose his path." Arael replied, "Tabris was the Angel of Free Will. He chose to do this."
Shinji looked at Arael.
"He said he heard Adam's call and he was answering. Did he really have a choice?"
Arael went silent. She slowly looked out over the city.
"Did he really have a choice?" Shinji repeated, "Did you?"
"I knew of nothing else." Arael said softly, "I never spent time amongst mortals. When I awoke, all I knew was that Adam needed me to come to him." She looked back to Shinji. "Kaworu lived amongst mortals for sometime. He had a choice."
"He said you two were alike." Shinji said, "Because you both wouldn't tell us the whole truth."
"He was right. But he did so to hide his true self, I did so to protect you." Arael sighed, "It seems I failed miserably at it."
Shinji looked up at the sky. "What happens now?"
"Asuka asked me the same thing. I really don't know."
"What do you mean?"
"My Misato, Shinji, Asuka, Rei, even the Goddesses, they never really told me what happened after. I know there was a battle and stuff happened………" Arael looked up at the sky. "I thought about checking the main system, see what it could tell me, but……their faces……whenever I asked, they got this look in their faces that made me decide I didn't want to know." She looked down. "Sometimes the past is just the past and should be left alone."
"Oh." Shinji looked down at the ground.
"I do know what is going to happen in the next couple of minutes though."
Shinji looked back up. "What?"
"You are going to get up, escort me back to the apartment, where Misato will yell at you, followed by Asuka, and then Rei." Arael smirked, "Then Rei will get all kissy on you, and Asuka will get jealous, maybe join in…."
"THEY WILL NOT!!" Shinji shouted, rising to his feet.
"How do you know?" Arael asked, still smirking.
"You really have been hanging around Misato too much."
"How do you know I wasn't like this before?"
"Cuz you once told me you were like Rei."
"I did?" Arael frowned. "Hmm. Maybe it is the hormones then."
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Three days later.
"It not working!" the speaker spat out, "Why won't it work?!?"
Misato reached over and pressed a button beside the speaker.
"Just give it time Asuka." Misato's finger lifted off the button. "Time is all she needs right?"
Maya shrugged. She and the Major were standing in the control room, looking out over the Eva cage. Unit 02 was the only Eva present as Asuka was under going her second activation test in the past two days.
"We don't even know why her sync dropped in the first place." Maya said, "It may be hours, days, or even never."
"Don't let her hear that." Misato grumbled, "I'll never hear the end of it."
Maya chuckled, then looked out at the Eva.
"How did Asuka get put back on the Pilot roster anyway?"
"I told Commander Ikari that we needed a back-up pilot to Shinji and Rei." Misato replied, "With Shinji being the only one who can use Unit 01, and Rei still not back in fighting form…….." Misato shrugged, "I told him it was better to try a former pilot, then to possibly get another that was an Angel."
"You told him THAT!?!?!" Maya asked, shocked.
"Yep."
"What did he do?"
"I think his sunglasses actually shifted down his nose."
"Wow." Maya and Misato snickered a moment.
"I'm glad the commanders aren't here." Maya said, "We'd be in a whole lot of trouble."
"Only if it was Ikari." Misato replied, "Speaking of which, where are they?"
"Some kind of meeting." Maya replied, "Where are Shinji and Rei?"
"Off in the upper levels somewhere." Misato said, "Probably smooching."
"Really?"
"They'd better be."
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They were only partially right.
Rei and Shinji were sitting in an observation lounge, looking down on the Geo-Front.
And only talking.
"What was it like in her head?" Shinji asked.
"Different." Rei replied, "While her emotions seem to be in check, underneath, she is truly lost. She is constantly in fear of our rejection."
Shinji blinked, "Why would we reject her?"
"Partially because she is an Angel. She fears being thought of as a Monster." Rei explained, "In some ways, she is like me."
"You mean in being different from others."
Rei nodded. "Arael feels it to an extreme. She knows she is the only one left of her kind in her world. The Seventeenth affected her, though she hid it well."
"How did it affect her?"
Rei looked down at the table.
"Her Tabris was one of the few Angels she was close to. Though all were her brothers, Tabris was the one that took her under his wing as it were. When he was gone, she was lost." Rei looked back at Shinji. "She has since become close to you and your family, or at least that worlds version."
Shinji stared, "You saw my family?"
"Yes and I will not discuss it with you."
Shinji's head thudded on the table.
"Damn."
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"The promised time has come." SEELE 01 stated.
It, and eleven other monoliths circled a desk were Commander Ikari sat with Fuyutsuki behind him.
"Without the Lance of Longinus," SEELE 01 continued, "complementation using Lilith is impossible. Our only hope is to proceed with EVA-01, Lilith's sole clone."
"A change from the original scenario... " Gendo pointed out.
"There have been many changes now." SEELE 05 snapped back.
"We have no intention of giving up our human forms simply to enter the Ark called Eva." SEELE 09 said.
"It is merely a rite of passage..." SEELE 12 added, "To bring about the rebirth in those who are imprisoned."
"The fate of destruction is also the joy of rebirth." SEELE 05 said.
"A sacrament to unite God, humans, and all other life forms in death." SEELE 04 continued.
"Death gives birth to nothing." Ikari pointed out.
"Then death is what you shall have." SEELE 01 replied.
One by one, the black monoliths disappear, leaving only Fuyutsuki and Ikari.
"That's that then." Fuyutsuki said, "They'll attack us anytime now."
" I know Professor," Ikari replied, "I know. We must ready ourselves."
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Pen Pen peered from behind a chair. Arael was sitting on the couch, her eyes barely open as she watched TV. The penguin darted it's eyes to the TV. The show currently on was a game show from the early 80s. Pen darted his eyes back to the Angel. Her eyes closed, only to open a second later, then slowly drift shut.
Pen Pen smiled….well…a penguin smile. It would only be a matter of time before the TV would be his.
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"Yes sir." The Colonel in charge of the JSSDF replied as he listened to his orders over the headset. "Right away sir." He pulled off the headset and looked at his junior officers.
"Special Order A-801 has been issued." He stated, "For those of you who don't know, that just stripped NERV of all legal protection. They're ours now. All units proceed to attack positions!"
"Sir?" a Lieutenant asked, "What about those giant robots?"
"They'll be dealt with soon enough." He turned to another officer. "Alright Missile Command, put em in the dark!"
Within moments, a roar filled the air as rocket after rocket launched skyward from their launch vehicles. Each missile sought out a specific target programmed into his memory: the NERV sensor system.
Explosion after explosion echoed across Tokyo 3 as each of the missiles found it's mark.
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Pen Pen jumped as the first explosion went off. The windows rattled with each additional explosion. He started to run towards his refrigerator, his flippers still attached to the TV remote.
Only the remote didn't follow him.
He slowly turned to see Arael glaring at him.
"WARK!" Pen let go of the remote and raced off.
"DON'T THINK I WON'T FORGET THIS!!!!" Arael shouted at the retreating penguin. She then got up and walked to the window.
"So it begins…." She murmured. She turned her head slightly, just enough to catch several black uniformed armed men enter the building.
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"What was that?" Shinji asked as the sounds of explosions reached them.
"We are under attack." Rei replied.
"Angels?" Shinji asked.
"I do not know." Rei replied.
"I'm heading to my Eva." Shinji said, "You should go to Misato."
Rei nodded.
"Agreed."
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"What the hell is going on?" Misato asked as she and Maya entered the command room.
Hyuga turned to face her.
"Tokyo-2 has just issued Special Order A-801."
Misato blinked. "801?"
"The abolishment of special legal protection for NERV and transfer of all command to the government of Japan. The MAGI are currently being hacked. Things aren't looking good.
Aoba spoke up. "Dr. Akagi has just begun protective countermeasures."
Misato turned and looked at Aoba in surprise. "Ritsuko?"
"Yes. Only two-and-a-half more minutes until deployment of a primary firewall."
Overhead the Commanders watched.
"Hacking the MAGI is only the first skirmish. Their objective is the direct take-over of headquarters and the two remaining Eva units." said Fuyutsuki quietly.
"Yes. With not only Lilith, but even Adam in our hands..." said Ikari.
"No wonder the old men are so worried."
A quick flash, and the screen showing the hackers progress into the MAGI clears.
"Hacking against MAGI has been stopped." Maya called out from the terminal she was standing at. "External access is impossible for the next 62 hours."
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"Ikari has executed a Type-666 protection program on the MAGI system." SEELE 06 said, "It won't be easy to breach."
SEELE 07 seemed to sigh. "It appears that we will have to forego acquisition of the MAGI."
"I had hoped to solve this peacefully," SEELE 01 said, "but that is not possible now. Take over their Headquarters, immediately!"
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"Yes sir." The JSSDF Colonel replied. He pulled the headset off. "Alright boys! Hit'em!"
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Explosions rocked the entryway of NERV. Special Forces soldiers immediately poured through the breech, firing away with their machine guns. NERV guards fell under the barrage of bullets. The JSSDF soldiers charged forward into the base.
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"Hit it." The Captain ordered.
The private nodded, then pressed a button on a remote as the other three men pressed themselves against the wall.
The door to the Katsuragi apartment exploded inward. The four soldiers raced into the apartment, guns drawn.
"Spread out." The Captain said, "Intel indicated that at least one Pilot, and possibly a relation to a NERV Major are present here."
The other three men nodded and proceeded to move through the apartment. The Captain watched in silence. He had told them the truth, for the most part. What he didn't share was that the relation to the NERV Major was a suspected Angel.
"UGH!"
The Captain whirled about, raising his gun. He walked slowly toward the sound. It came in the direction of the bedrooms.
From two of the rooms soldiers stepped out. But the fourth was missing.
"Private Akang!" The Captain called out.
Silence.
"Private Mao." The Captain ordered, "Go check that room."
Mao gulped, but proceeded forward. He peered into the bedroom, then entered.
The Captain and his remaining man waited patiently. Minutes went by and they heard nothing.
"Mao!" the Captain called out.
Silence.
"Shit." The Captain looked at his remaining man. "Let's go. Together."
The remaining man nodded. The two walked slowly towards the last bedroom. The Captain paused as he felt a breeze move past him. He turned and looked back the way they came, and saw nothing.
"Sir?"
The Captain looked back to his man.
"Akang and Mao are dead."
The Captain blinked. "How?"
"I….. don't know."
"I do." Came a female voice.
Both men whirled about, their weapons up and ready. They looked around, but saw no one.
"What the hell is going on Captain?" the remaining soldier asked.
"I don't know Kaga." The Captain replied.
Then they heard a giggle.
"Captain……." Kaga said nervously.
But the Captain was already moving forward, gun out in front.
He reentered the living room and looked around. Nothing had changed from before. Then he felt the breeze again. He whirled around and looked back down the hallway. Kaga's eyes went wide.
"No! Don't sho…." Kaga was cut off as his body was suddenly flung through the air, crashing against the wall with a sickening thud. He landed on the floor in a heap, obvious to anyone he was dead.
The Captain backed away slowly from the hall.
"Ok." He said out loud, "I know you're here. And I know you have to be an Angel."
"Why do I have to be?" came the female voice again, this time to his left.
He turned to the left, but saw no one.
"Because only an Angel could do this." The Captain replied, "Though………none of this shit was in the briefing I got………"
"Maybe the briefing was wrong." The voice whispered in his right ear.
The Captain whirled about, but still saw nothing.
"Goddamnit." The Captain swore, "They never said anything about this shit!"
"Fine." The female voice replied, "Let's try the material covered in your 'briefing'."
The Captain was suddenly slammed against the wall by a glowing hexagonal field. He tried to raise his weapon, but his hands remained pined against his side. Before him stood a woman in a t-shirt and jeans, with dark purple hair and glowing red eyes. She was also pregnant.
"Hello." She said softly, "I don't believe we've met…… I'm the Angel."
"Release me you bitch!" the Captain growled.
"First things first." The Angel replied, "Why are you here? What was your mission?"
The Captain started to growl a reply when he felt pressure against part of his male anatomy.
"We were ordered to find and eliminate the pilots and anyone with them here." The Captain replied.
The Angel frowned.
"The pilots are children, barely teenagers."
"Didn't matter." The Captain replied, "They wanted them dead."
"'They' being SEELE." The Angel said. The look on the Captain's face confirmed it.
"Well I guess I'll just have to stop them."
"You can't!" the Captain shouted, "They control everything!"
The Angel leaned in close towards him, her eyes narrowing.
"They don't control me."
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Pen Pen had heard the door explode. He had even heard the men going through the apartment. But then everything had gone silent, until he heard a man speak in a scared voice. He also heard Arael speaking in low dangerous tones.
Then there was a scream and a strange squelching noise, and all was silent yet again.
Slowly opening the fridge door, Pen Pen peered out into the kitchen. Seeing nothing, he waddled slowly out into the living room. There he found Arael, staring at a large red stain that covered the wall and floor.
"Wark." He called out.
Arael turned and looked at him. Pen Pen was momentarily startled to see tears running down her cheeks.
"Wark?"
"I had to." She whispered, "To save humanity, I have to become the monster again."
She bowed her head and crossed her arms over her chest. With a clap of thunder she vanished.
Pen Pen blinked and stared at the spot she had once stood at. That was when he realized just what was on the walls……….
Blood.
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"Forces have invaded sector 4," Aoba called out, "Level 1 has been breached!"
"They'll be going after the Evas and the Pilots." Misato said, Get ahold of Shinji, have him go to Unit 01, find Rei, she'll be back-up. Launch Asuka to….."
Maya turned to look at Misato. "But….her sync level! She won't be able to pilot!!"
"She's safer in the Eva. Launch her into the lake, she'll be safe there."
"I can't find Shinji." Hyuga called out, as the room rumbled from the launching of Unit 02, "Rei either."
"Dammit." Misato swore, "Where is he?"
"Aren't you forgetting someone?"
Misato turned to see Ritsuko crawling out from under the Magi. She looked rather thin after her time in a cell.
"Who?" Misato asked.
"Your cousin."
Misato's eyes went wide.
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Shinji ducked into an alcove. Further up the hall, he could hear the JSSDF soldiers charging into NERV. Shinji waited for it to get quiet, then raced across the hall and pulled open a grating. He soon found himself in the same air ducts that he, Rei, and Asuka had gone through during the power outage.
"This sucks." He muttered.
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"There're sending an entire division against us." Fuyutsuki said as he stood next to Ikari, "We can only hold them for so long."
Commander Ikari stood and walked to his elevator.
"Professor," he said, "I have something I must take care of. Handle this for me."
Fuyutsuki smiled, "Of course. Say hello to Yui for me."
Ikari vanished into the floor.
"JSSDF have begun to invade Level 4!" shouted Aoba.
Fuyutsuki turned and looked down at the crew. "Begin to flood Level 4, sectors 2 thru 8 with Bakelite. Have our troops withdraw to sector 10."
An explosion rocks Central Dogma. JSSDF troops enter and began shooting towards the command tower. The bridge crew dove for cover. Hyuga opened a panel and passed around weapons. Maya looks at the weapon.
"But…..I can't shoot anyone!"
Aoba looks at her. "It's just like training. Only they shoot back."
"BUT I WASN'T SHOOTING PEOPLE THEN!!!!"
"They don't care what you think." Misato said as she cocked a gun, "If you want to live, shoot." She then looked around. "Hey! Where'd Ritsuko go?"
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Rei had been heading towards the Command deck, but she had to take repeated detours to avoid JSSDF. Then she felt an urge to go deeper. When she stopped running, she realized she now stood in the empty dummy plug room. Commander Ikari was waiting there.
Ikari smiled. "I knew you wouldn't stay away. The time has come. Let's go."
Rei didn't want to, but found her legs following the Commander out the door.
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"Block access to Terminal Dogma!! Make that your priority!!" ordered Fuyutsuki.
"They're destroying everything else. Why not the command area?" muttered Hyuga.
"Because we're sitting on the original Magi." answered Aoba.
"Do they really want the Magi that badly? Seems they could use BC weapons."
"Or N2 weapons." Misato added.
The entire command area rocked as a bomber, high above Tokyo-3, had dropped a N2 bomb, vaporizing the remains of the city, and opening a giant hole into the Geofront.
Aoba looked up at the ceiling. "Speak of the devil."
Fuyutsuki also looked up. "Well that was overdoing it a bit."
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Office of the Prime Minister of Japan, Tokyo-2
"The phones are dead."
"Yes sir. The warhead impacted just 3 minutes ago."
"This Instrumentality project that NERV was working on, Third Impact. It scares the hell out of me."
"Yes sir."
The minister stood up and looked out his window. People moved about their business, having no idea what was going on several miles away. He turned back to his aide.
"Take out their Headquarters. Level it."
"Sir, will we be bringing in anyone for redevelopment?"
The minister turned back to the window.
"I don't want people to be able to use it for 50 years."
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The JSSDF Colonel stood by his command tank, listening as his men moved through the NERV facility. An aide ran up to him.
"SIR! We have found the Red Unit!! It's at the bottom of that lake." He indicated the lake.
"The Pilot?"
"Unknown Sir."
"Very well. Assume it's manned. Take it out."
Several trucks moved to the edge of the lake. They began to fire charges into the water. Explosions and columns of water flew into the air as they went off.
At the bottom of the lake, Unit 02 rocked slightly as the charges detonated.
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"Launch me into the lake." Asuka grumbled as the plug rocked, "Brilliant plan."
Boom!
Asuka gripped the handles of her control yokes tighter.
"Dammit." She murmured, "I don't want to die."
Boom!
The explosions were getting closer.
"I don't want to die. I don't want to die."
'……….you don't have to……..'
"I don't want to die. I don't want to die."
Boom!
"I don't want to die. I don't want to die."
'……..you can live……'
"I don't want to die. I don't want to…."
A loud clank echoed throughout the plug as a charge bounced off of Unit 02's head.
"I DON'T WANT TO DIE!!!!!!!" Asuka screamed as the charge exploded.
Asuka suddenly felt warmth surround her. She looked over to see a woman with red hair walking towards her.
"Momma?" Asuka whispered.
The woman nodded.
"You were here all the time?" Asuka asked.
Again the woman nodded. She smiled and held out her hand.
"Momma!"
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"UNIT 02 IS ACTIVE!" Aoba shouted.
"What?!?!" Misato shouted, turning to face Aoba, "How?!"
"I don't know!" Aoba replied.
"She's syncing at seventy-five percent and rising!" Maya called out.
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"Momma!" Asuka called out as her Eva smashed a JSSDF VTOL, "You've been here all the time? Like Arael said?"
She felt a sudden warmth flow over her as if in confirmation.
"Alright Momma!" Asuka said, turning and looking around. "Let's show them they can't fuck with the Soryus!"
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Shinji crawled through the ducts, trying to remember exactly where the hell the Eva cages were.
Below and around him he could hear the sounds of gunfire.
"NERV is under attack." He muttered, "Rei is who knows where. People are dying, and I'm stuck in a stupid airshaft. What else can go wrong?"
A gurgling noise was then heard below and behind him.
"BAKALITE!!!" came a shout from below, "Move your asses or you'll be sealed in it!"
"I just had to ask." Shinji muttered, now crawling a bit quicker.
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"The loathsome Evangelion.…." SEELE 01 muttered as he watched a small display of Unit 02 picking up and tank and throwing it a few miles. "Do they stand in our way yet again?"
"It seems we must fight fire with fire." SEELE 03 replied.
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High above the remains of Toyko-3, nine large transports moved into formation for a drop. Underneath, humanoid forms ride in their bellies. Slim red plugs were inserted and hatches closed. As one, they released. The nine Production Evas, pure white and controlled by Dummy Plugs, opened their wings as one and begin to circle above NERV HQ and its lone defender.
Asuka looked up into the sky and watched them in shock.
"The Production Series? They've been completed?"
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Fuyutsuki stared at the main screen.
"They've deployed all 9 MP Evas with S2 engines? Isn't that a little overkill, unless….." Fuyutsuki eyes widened, "They intend to start it here!"
"Asuka!" Misato called out. "You have to destroy the MP Evas."
"What about Shinji?" Asuka asked.
"We're looking for him!" Misato replied.
"And Arael?"
Misato blinked. The bridge crew looked at her curiously.
"I don't know where she is." Misato replied.
"Right. When you find him, tell the Baka he'd better hurry up!"
Misato turned to Hyuga.
"Find Shinji or Rei NOW."
"Right." Hyuga replied.
"Major?" Misato looked over at Maya. The Lieutenant's eyes were narrow. "Who is Arael?"
"A friend." Misato replied. She then turned back to the main screen and watched as Asuka tore apart an attacking Mass Production EVA.
"One that I hope is still alive." Misato murmured.
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Gendo Ikari and Rei entered Terminal Dogma and approached the giant cross. A figure stepped out from behind it and onto the platform.
"I've been waiting for you Ikari." said Ritsuko, pointing her gun at Ikari. "I knew you'd come here." She gave Rei a glance. "I didn't expect you."
"Indeed." Commander Ikari replied, "She knows her place."
"I altered the MAGI's program earlier." She held out a small remote control. "I won't let you initiate the impact."
Rei tuned out the Doctor and the Commander. She felt something…….familiar…..here. Something that let her know she was safe…….
"A daughter's last wish," Ritsuko whispered, "to die with her mother."
She pressed the button. The click echoed throughout the chamber, but nothing else occurred.
"What!?" Ritsuko looked at the control. The display signaled the rejection of her signal.
"What! Mother! You'd choose him over me!?"
"Dr. Akagi." Ikari said quietly as he raised his gun. " I truly……"
Ritsuko gave a small smirk. "Liar."
Commander Ikari pulled the trigger.
Ritsuko started to close her eyes, preparing herself for death.
Instead she, Rei, and Ikari were treated to a brilliant light show as an orange hexagonal field briefly flashed before Ritsuko, blocking the bullet.
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"Huh?" Aoba said, looking at his terminal curiously.
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Commander Ikari stared at Ritsuko a moment. Had he seen what he thought he saw? He glanced at Rei. The girl was showing the same confusion. He turned back to the Doctor, taking aim…..
Something impacted with the side of his head, snapping his jaw painfully closed and causing him to take a step back.
Working his jaw, he looked around, but saw nothing.
Then he was hit again, then again. His head was jerked violently side to side as each hit landed. One final powerful blast jerked his head upward, sending him flying backwards to the floor.
Ikari lay there stunned for a moment. Ritsuko and Rei hadn't moved. They both looked at him in confusion.
Then Ikari noticed his gun, laying just within reach of his right hand. He started to reach for it, when something pressed down on his arm, pinning it to the floor and leaving a rather curious impression.
Ikari blinked in surprise as the impression slowly became opaque, and became a gray boot. He slowly followed the boot up until it vanished beneath a grey skirt with gold trim. His eyes continued upward. He now determined the skirt to be part of a rather elaborate outfit, robes perhaps?, of gray with gold trim. Then he saw the person's face. Glowing red eyes bored into his.
"Hello Rukobungi." Arael said with barely hidden hatred, "Did you miss me?"