Disclaimer: A character named John may or may not appear, and if he does, he may or may not die at the end. You have been warned.
Author Note: Rei returns and a new threat arises. Let's do it.
The Reprint and Repackaging of Evangelion
Chapter 12 To Let Go, DESTROY YOU
by Marik Kurakashi
"My name... is Rei Ayanami. I am not the original Rei Ayanami, I am but the second of a series. Like a car, or maybe like the Evangelion themselves I suppose." Rei stood in front of ocean, looking upon it as she reflected on herself. Watching the tide was oddly soothing, despite how boring some people might call it.
"I am the result of an experiment, just a clone, not a person. Just a slave, not a woman. Just a tool, not a human. It used to drive me nuts to think about. To worry about stuff like if I had a soul, or if I was a real person. In retrospect, existentialism just isn't for me." She paused her monologue to laugh at her joke.
"That's not important, not at all. What is important is that I am the second Rei, the first was an incorrigible brat, spoiled rotten by a man thinking himself the puppeteer, but he couldn't see the strings that belonged to him. Many people are afraid of this man, some call him a monster, and rightfully so. But to me, he was the most wonderful man in the world." She smirked privately, as if relishing the story, as if she didn't already know it all.
"To me, that is. To the first Rei, he was just a means to an end, a convenient specter to hide behind when her bratty ass got into trouble. Except the time she decided to poke his favorite fuck stick with some harsh truth. What followed was almost as comical as it was horrifying, the woman strangled her stupid ass without a second thought. I don't know about you, but when I remember it, I laugh." She grew quiet now.
"You see, I have to laugh, or else I would cry. It would be a tragic reminder of how I died in the past, but to be honest, I'm like night to the First's day in comparison. But that's another topic, and I don't want to go into it right now. Anyways, I used to find it genuinely humorous when I was all detached and cold. Back when I thought I was nothing more than a doll, a living experiment gone wrong. Now, while I don't find it straight funny anymore, there's a certain perverse pleasure in knowing that the little bitch got hers." She snickered and crouched down, as if to give her legs a bit of a break somehow.
"But anyways, the Commander was a nice enough guy. I mean, okay, he isn't the text book definition of a nice guy, but nice guys are often dicks with a complex. But he was nice to me, at least, he didn't treat me like shit, like he treated everyone else. And he was nice to me, unlike all the other people who treated me like I'm made out of porcelain and would shatter with the first harsh word." She blew out a stiff breath and stood back up.
"It was an awkward time, meeting Dr. Akagi for the first time. I mean, I couldn't just go, 'hi, I'm Rei and your mother killed me.' you know? I was always nervous about it when she learned of the rest of me sitting down in the vat in terminal dogma. It always felt weird being around the daughter of the woman who killed the First, but it turned out that apprehension came from a different source entirely, which isn't even the point of this tangent. In any case, the Commander was ray of sunshine compared to the good doctor, which is really funny to think of him as some kind of bright and happy force when he's so damn dour." She stretched her back a bit before she blew out a big breath.
"Looking back, it was natural I'd become infatuated with the man. I mean, he was the only person that made me feel human, that made me feel like I could stand on my own two feet and be okay. To me, he was some form of super hero and god all rolled into one gruff and scruffy package. There was nothing sexual there, just a tiny crush that was a simple to understand thing. It wasn't ever going to be more than that, it wasn't ever going to move past that infant stage." She paused and pursed her lips, thinking of her next words.
"I guess I realized I was over him finally when I left. I have his son to thank for that, for tearing off that stupid mask and opening me back up for the world to see and laugh at, and with, as it oddly were. You see, while the Commander was nice to me, Shinji treated me as a person, as a human being, which was huge in a way. The dichotomy between father and son was an interesting split to see, and experience as I did." She laughed to herself and looked up to the sky.
"He was everything to me, the Commander that is, guiding me through my youth with a patient hand. He led me through the turbulence that came with being the Second, with being a doll, a tool with a single purpose. He was my personal deity, so far away, yet so close and tangible. He was real to me, there for the world to see and respect someone of his stature. I was loyal, like a dog, nearly blinded to everything wrong with what was my lot in life." She shook her head sadly for a moment, before she pressed on.
"Shinji, meanwhile, treated me like shit, insulting me to my face and talking down to me. Me! The one who stood above everyone else and was different from everyone else, was just a normal human being to him. I wasn't a special snowflake, I was just some crazy girl with blue hair who was encroaching on his turf and he told me off, which pissed me off royally. It goes without saying no one spoke to me like that, it goes even more without saying that I wasn't equipped to deal with it." She snorted and turned her head, spitting off to the side.
"You see, it opened my eyes again, to the truth of myself and my relation to everyone else. I was human, normal even, not special just because I had been made in a lab. If I wanted to be special, I needed to earn that distinction. I couldn't ride my relationship to the Commander anymore, since he outranked me by being his son. And thinking on it now, it really gets the old engine revving, if you catch my drift." She paused, picked up a rock, and tossed it.
"I guess, what I'm getting at, is that a part of me is inappropriately aroused by Shinji Ikari. A baser side of me, a side I didn't think existed in any capacity. Some might gag at the implications that I'm turned on by being treated like shit, but if that were the case, I'd have died from furiously humping everyone at NERV. But it isn't that he treats me like dirt that attracts me, it's the fact that he's just so real. So there and with it, as it were. That he doesn't pretend with people, that he says it like it is." Her features became feral for a second.
"That and he's a complete doormat when it comes to sex. For all his bluster, the idea of sexual attraction turns him from foul mouth sailor to shy schoolboy. It's cute in a way, especially when he gets caught staring. That little shameful puppy air he takes on just make me want to pinch his cheeks like a crazy aunt. Besides, after seeing him naked, he can only grow in a number of areas, including adding some padding in certain areas." She cackled at her own innuendo filled remark, serving the role of audience as well as speaker.
"What do I mean by that? Ah ah, that'd be telling now wouldn't it? Fufufufu, a good story teller never reveals all her secrets after all. Moving away from that ribald stuff, I suppose the point of all this gibbering is that I have something of a torch for Shinji. Regardless of the true depths of these feelings, whether friendly or romantic, the point is that they're there, and real. Maybe even spectacular, I don't know. Anyways, that brings me to here and now, a full two weeks after my forced vacation and why I'm standing here." Her features twisted into a nasty smirk.
"Little Angel, did you think you could escape my notice? Do you think yourself clever, timing your attack for the coming storm? That just because the power will be out, that you'll succeed where your fellow spawn of Adam have failed? You're a fool." She tossed her head back and laughed maniacally.
"Did you forget who I am? Can you not feel me, Little Angel? Allow me to introduce myself then, for the sake of our coming battle. I am Rei Ayanami, the Second of a series. I am made from the remains of a worthless whore who thought herself God and oh yeah, I am the vessel of the soul of Lilith. You are an insect to me, one I shall crush post haste. Come 00, we ride to war." Unit-00 appeared seemingly from thin air, carrying the chainsaw sword of Ron and attached to a power truck, one of NERV's experiments to ensure power to the Evangelion at all times.
"Wait for me Shinji, we'll be united again soon." And with that, Unit-00 dove into the ocean, even though it lacked D-type equipment.
/-\ /-\ /-\
"Man, this storm is nasty." Aoba muttered to himself as he tuned his bass, a prized Rickenbacker he won in a raffle the day before he was invited to join NERV.
"Do you have to do that while on duty?" Maya shook her head at her fellow bridge crew, wishing he'd slack off when they wouldn't be needed.
"Ah, leave him alone about it. Least he doesn't go to the bathroom for an hour or more and comes back indiscriminately rearranging his clothes." Hyuga would point out the hypocrisy of taking her attention off her own duties to yell at Shigeru about his, but he was too busy not giving a fuck and just trying to head off any potential argument.
"Tch, fine." Maya turned back to her console, deciding not to respond to Makoto's comment, not even making the traditional 'I'm not going to dignify that with a response' quip, knowing that saying that was a response.
"See, it's all good guys. We got time for this stuff right now, you know? So be cool and relax for once." Aoba started to play a small tune, which coincidentally also happened to be the time the power went out.
"Aoba! What did you do?" Hyuga cried, for purely comic reasons.
"It's the storm, not me!" Aoba used his bass a shield.
"Shut up and get the emergency radios and start working on fixing this shit." Maya jammed a radio into each of their hands and then pulled out a flashlight for herself. "I'm going to turn on the emergency generator, get in contact with the city power plant."
/-\ /-\ /-\
The massive form of Matariel rose from the ocean with a dramatic sting of music and a flash of lightning. Her body was that of a giant spider-like creature, with a distinct feature of eyes, lots and lots of fucking eyes. Hell, the eyes had eyes and this made the appearance of this Angel to be really fucking creepy, you know?
She fancied herself the smart one of the lot, Sachiel and Shamshel ran headlong into death. Ramiel did well until he stopped moving, and in hindsight, Gahgiel should have swallowed Unit-02. Israfel didn't do much better, even if he got even numbers, and Sandalphon just had terrible luck. But Matariel was the smart one, following the weather and hiding, waiting for the right moment to strike.
Which, unsurprisingly, was now, especially since Tokyo-3 was completely blacked out for now.
And that meant no Evangelion to stop her from marching in and getting to Lilith, kept snugly inside the Terminal Dogma nailed to a wall to keep her still. What Matariel wanted with the Second was a vague concept, but it couldn't be good for the people of Tokyo-3. Oh and the rest of the planet as well, naturally.
Her pace was slow and meticulous, movements precise to keep them from being detected by anyone out in this shitty weather. In her belly, a nasty acid was cooking itself to perfection, ready to burn through the layers down to the Geofront. The Angels' moment of triumph was here, no one could stop her now!
Unit-00 silently rose from the ocean behind Matariel, its color a brilliant blue.
The Angel didn't notice it at first, but did when Rei slammed a fist into one of the legs belonging to Matariel, which unsurprisingly snapped like a twig. The massive creature heaved a wail and skittered away, the injury fast regenerating, but that wasn't the concern. The Evangelion should be sleeping deep in NERV HQ right now!
"Greetings Little Angel." Unit-00 crossed its arms as Rei spoke to the Angel directly. "I am Rei Ayanami, your opponent this evening."
Leg fixed, Matariel came forward in a rush, but was sent flying back by the impossible flip kick performed by Unit-00.
"As impertinent as all of Adam's spawn I see. You must've thought yourself clever, attacking at this moment." Rei threw her head back and laughed. "Did you think we were so helpless? That the Evangelion were puppets on an electric string? You're hilarious, Little Angel."
The Angel didn't like Rei's tone and spat some of that awesome acid at her. Unit-00 nimbly dodged, coming forward like a specter across the water, slamming a forceful cross into the face of Matariel. The creature skipped across the surface of the water but remained perched, lightning flashing to frame the both in light.
"You thought this was your moment of glory, but as it turns out, it is simply the moment of your violent demise." The Evangelion came forward again and drove a knee into Matariel's face in time with the crash of thunder. Unit-00 followed this with a left and a right, before spinning into a right roundhouse kick that sent the Angel flipping across the ocean in a display of gymnastics that would move even the German judge to give a 10.
No rest for the wicked, even as Matariel came to a stop and started to rise back to her feet, Rei and her Evangelion were there to greet her with a volley of punches. Laughing maniacally, Unit-00 tore off one of the Angel's legs and then used it to stab out one of the many eyes all over Matariel's body. Not satisfied by the horrific shriek emitted by the Angel, Rei ripped the makeshift weapon out and did it again, to an ever more piercing shriek.
In a related story, all the dogs within a five mile radius began humping something violently all of a sudden.
But we're going off track here, so let's try to focus on what's important. Rei raised her makeshift spear for a third pass, but Matariel had the presence of mind to dodge away, avoiding losing another eye. Blood spewing from various wounds that were swiftly closing, the Angel howled at Unit-00 in a display of righteous fury.
"Oh please, don't tell me you're upset by that? I would have thought you lot would start developing a thicker skin by now." After all, the first two Angels died because they were the biggest pair of sissies ever conceived.
A spray of acid was the answer, but this too missed horribly.
"Well, I suppose that's all you can do huh?" Unit-00 pulled the chainsaw sword from the ocean, encased in an AT-field to keep it safe. "Time for the real show to begin." The Evangelion revved its weapon for effect as Rei laugh maniacally.
/-\ /-\ /-\
"Emergency power is online, booting up the MAGI and returning the operation center to working capacity." Aoba said, running through the various programs he had to use in seconds.
"Running security check... wait, Unit-00 is missing!" Hyuga nearly shat himself at that thought.
"Outside scanners now online, searching for Unit- blue signal detected, restoring external cameras!" Aoba was flying through stuff that he was libel to set fire to his keyboard.
"Unit-00 has engaged the Angel! Rei is back!" Hyuga calmed down and vowed to check his pants once he got the chance.
"So, is this your answer to everything Rei?" Misato, who had arrived during the storm, whispered to herself.
"We can get Shinji and Asuka out there for back up in twenty minutes." Aoba called, ready to get the prep underway.
"No, Rei has this well in hand." Misato could see the various wounds on the Angel, its blood everywhere even as the cuts closed with great rapidity. "I don't believe in that, 'this is her fight' stuff, and this isn't a situation where that applies. It'll be dead before Unit-01 and 02 get out there."
"Sure seems that way anyways." Aoba agreed, Hyuga quietly sneaking off to the bathroom.
/-\ /-\ /-\
"Having fun?" Rei asked in a cheeky tone, revving the chainsaw sword to clear it of blood.
Matariel did something that translated into flipping Unit-00 the bird.
"Ooh, naughty naughty, Little Angel." The Evangelion came forward, landing a three slash combo, before spinning and kicking it into the air, leaping after it to continue the beating, the blood of the Angel mingling with the rain. Unit-00 finished of the aerial display with a pointed kick that sent Matariel beneath the waves, the Evangelion itself landing gently on the surface of the water without a hint of difficulty.
Eight legs surged up from the ocean around Unit-00, which back flipped into the air and cut all the limbs off in one swing. The Evangelion came down with a mighty boot to the underside of Matariel, sending her further underwater. Rei spun to the side and stabbed into the water, catching the Angel right in the head. Unit-00 revved the blade again, sending a spray of gore into the air as she drug the blade down, bifurcating Matariel neatly down the middle.
And for this battle, that was all, the Angel giving a short gurgle as it died..
/-\ /-\ /-\
Sometime later, Unit-00 entered the Evangelion cages with an air of certain triumph. She was back baby, and nothing was going to be the same again. Her mind was clear and her head was in the right place, there was no more time bomb waiting to go off.
"Hey, Ayanami! Welcome back!" Shinji and Asuka had been called in during the interim it appeared.
"Shinji." She smiled at him. "Asuka." The smile dimmed a tad, but she did manage a nod of acknowledgment towards the Second Child.
"How was your vacation?" Asuka didn't react to the alleged cold shoulder.
"Relaxing, really let me put my mind at ease once and for all." Rei closed her eyes for a second.
"Well, it's good to have you back." Shinji said, a thin smile creasing his features.
"It's good to be back as well." Rei said, before coming forward to embrace Shinji tightly.
"A-Ayanami?" Oh, he was blushing now. It was the plug suit, wasn't? Had to feel like she was pressing her naked body against him right now.
"Shh... I missed you." She held him for a little while longer, before letting go. "I've been waiting for a week to do that."
"At least it's not more than that ja?" Asuka quipped, amused by Rei's behavior once more. "Yet anyways, I bet."
"Ms. Langley, I am scandalized by your accusation." Rei managed to finish that, before she broke down laughing.
"Things will certainly be lively from now on, eh Commander?" Fuyutsuki said to Gendo, the pair observing the pilots from a distance.
"I wouldn't have it any other way Sensei, and neither would Shinji." There was a certain, 'that's mah boi' tone in Gendo's voice. Which made it all the more weird to hear him say that.
"I bet he wouldn't." Fuyutsuki smiled as the kids ran off, images of times gone by flickering before his eyes. "Seeing them makes me feel my age sometimes."
"Mm. I suppose it would." The silence held for a few seconds, before Gendo filled it. "I haven't apologized properly to you have I?"
"Hmm?" Fuyutsuki didn't know what he was getting at, but didn't say it.
"About Second Impact, you lost a lot of students and colleagues in it right? A lot of people like family to you." If he were a lesser man, he would be biting his lip in fear. But he was Gendo fucking Ikari, so he just held his ground.
"Regrettably, yes." Old wounds hurt an old man more, they say. The state of the world, the lost splendor they had squandered were all very real pains. But they paled in comparison to the personal loses Fuyutsuki had to endure, Yui being the last of a very painful series.
"I can't expect to say I'm sorry and ask for your forgiveness, so I will try to work off this debt I owe you before either of our times are up. When we stop the Angels and SEELE, I will begin the restoration of the world." Gendo managed the tiniest fraction of a smile, which looked like his face had spasmed and locked up. "It's what the Geofront was made for after all."
"You plan to mass produce the Geofront tech?" To be fair to Fuyutsuki, he was only shocked that it was Gendo saying this. Hell, he planned to steal it from him long before he learned of the original Scenario. But anyways, cut the old guy a break, he's dealing with someone who isn't known for inspiring warm fuzzies with his every action.
"It's a start, but I figure it's the very least I can do to start my penance." Not that he really was into that whole redemption thing, Gendo at least understood that it'd help keep people on his side once they were done with their current workload.
"Yes, I suppose it is a start. Walk with me, Commander, and I'll be the student for once this time." Fuyutsuki turned on a heel, Gendo falling in beside him.
"One cannot know everything, but one can learn everything they have the means to." Gendo quoted what the old man said to him the first time they had met when he was in college. That seemed so bizarrely long ago now. "So how about I share my knowledge with you?" The two walked down the halls of NERV for a long time.
End Chapter 12
Teaser for Chapter 13: "Holding the Hand That Holds Me Down:"
The flow of time went on once more and suddenly, it was four weeks after Rei had returned and curbstomped Matariel into the dirt. But as is customary, the good times and halcyon days had to come to a stop in a sudden, jarring moment. In fact, NERV HQ was dealing with it at the moment.
"These images that were sent from one of our defense satellites. There is an unknown object floating above the Earth, positioned over China right now, drifting to Japan." Misato led the briefing, the pilots seated on the bridge in front of her looking at the screen.
A massive orange shape appeared on screen, its elongated shape twisting into a giant three toed foot, with three large eyes visible as well.
"Always with the eyes." Shinji muttered, having seen the footage of Matariel vs. Rei. At least it wasn't eyes on top of eyes this time.
"It looks stupid." Asuka put in, eyes roaming the picture as she frowned.
"But it's smart enough to hide in space, we can't reach it." Rei decided to get the bad news out of the way.
"Yet." That was all Misato said.
"Yet?" Shinji parroted, now fully intrigued.
"We're working on it."
Author note: And that's 12. Sorry for the anti-climax to Matariel, but when I realized she didn't stand a chance, I just offed her instead of dragging it out. See you for 13 and Sahaquiel
