Chapter 11: Declaring War On Heaven
The bespectacled Commander of Nerv stared impassively over his knuckles at the nine holographic monoliths filling his inner sanctum. They had a requested meeting to discuss the recent murder of James Argreas as well as the sudden drop in sync rate between Unit Zero One and its pilot. Gendo Ikari was under the impression that a third party was at work which though complicated things did not seem to threaten his scenario. The details of the British UN official's untimely death gave off the stink of meddlesome terrorists unhappy at the current state of their country at the behest of funding for Nerv. What stood out was the fact that no one else was killed in the assassination meaning the deed was targeting only the man, or the message was that Human Instrumentality Committee members were the ones that should be intimidated. It was safe to say most felt the latter was true considering the various accusations and calls for increased security of the Geofront. Keel Lorenz as SEELE 01 through modulated voice reigned in the heated debate of yielding to paranoia or showing strength through conservative action by giving an ultimatum to those concerned as well as the ever enigmatic Ikari.
"An increase in your personal security as well as for the heads of each department is in order Ikari," declared SEELE 01, "For your welfare and for sustaining of the ritual we will be keeping a much closer eye on what goes on within this base."
"As if I have a choice in the matter," replied Gendo sardonically.
"Careful with that sharp tongue," spoke another member harshly, "you might lose it."
"This meeting is over," stated Lorenz.
As the obelisks dissipated Gendo let out an irritated breath while closing his eyes to ponder the situation he would soon find himself. His hand gravitated toward his personal phone the same chrome black color as his desk. He requested Fuyutsuki to bring the Third Child as soon as possible. After nearly a half-hour of reading Nerv Intelligence reports the elevator light that informed the Commander that the lift had arrived began emitting a red hue in the corner of his glasses. The Vice Commander with hands behind his back and a blue-eyed boy in school uniform approached Gendo's desk with deliberate steps. The man sitting behind the desk flashed a cynical smile as he gazed at his subordinates. The boy emotionlessly looked into Ikari's eyes which did not surprise him.
"Fuyutsuki," said the bespectacled man with biting tenor, "did you really believe I would be fooled?"
"What are you talking about?" responded the elder officer.
"I'm talking about the fine job a plastic surgeon did of replicating my son's face."
"Now you have a son?"
"Yes, he's a pitiful coward that would never meet my gaze unless it was ordered."
"It's funny you say that Gendo."
"Oh and why is that old man?"
"Your son went AWOL two days ago after personally executing a member of Seele."
"I don't believe it," stated the Commander in accusatory tone.
"I don't have time to convince you now stand on your feet," instructed Fuyutsuki revealing a semiautomatic pistol in his right hand. He proceeded to point it at his superior.
"You wouldn't dare risk not seeing her aga-" began Gendo only to suffer a gunshot to the arm and a momentary deafening of his ears from the discharge. The boy visibly winced at the noise.
"The next one pierces your heart if you don't behave," declared Fuyutsuki severely, "Stand up and keep quiet we're going for a trip to the brig."
"Sorry Itou," muttered the older man to the boy that looked like Shinji Ikari, "I want you to keep your role until this is over got it?"
The boy nodded ineffectually then gulped as he turned to glance at the bleeding man now standing behind the desk. The mind of Gendo Ikari was pacing a thousand meters a minute on the betrayal of the man who up until just now had been under his thumb. The idea that his son was capable of murder and desertion seemed preposterous to the master manipulator. The talk of imprisonment gave the impression that an assault by human ground forces was imminent. Just what could Fuyutsuki be planning?
"Lieutenant Hyuga," spoke the Vice Commander into a flip-phone as the three approached the elevator, "It's time to initiate Operation Ark."
Deep within the clandestine lower precincts of Nerv Headquarters, England lied a chamber that resembled the inside of a nuclear reactor. In the center of the industrial zone was a crimson sphere the size of small house. Shinji Ikari, dressed in a stolen Nerv uniform, gazed in awe at the sphere he recognized as an S² Engine as Leliel who was similarly dressed led him down a boardwalk aimed at the center of the sphere. The Angel used the voice and visage of Argreas to board a Nerv VTOL transport eventually reaching the base in the English countryside. Once there disguises were attained with haste and knowing what the now dead Seele member knew the two infiltrators headed straight for their objective. Despite the rush it still took some time to reach the locker room as security was on high alert. The higher ranking officers within the facility within hours received the news that Argreas was dead leading to a manhunt for the imposter posing as him. Laying low cost the two teens nearly a day until a trick was cast on the guards in charge of watching cameras. The screens were shut off, but the mind of each sentry was duped into believing they were still on allowing use of the constantly monitored elevators.
"The Core of Shamshel," stated Leliel as she placed her hand on the gargantuan sphere causing it to activate and glow a dull red, "to think you mere humans were able to restore it."
"This will transport me to the moon?" inquired Shinji as he cautiously glanced from his lover to the orb.
"You must become one with it Shinji," answered the vermillion eyed girl calmly, "Once doing so you will be capable of breaking the Earth's atmosphere through self-propulsion."
"It's irreversible isn't it," asked the young man worriedly.
"A war is breaking out and will cause thousands to die just like Misato and Kaji," spoke Leliel fervently, "You and I both know that we can save those lives if we end this as soon as possible."
"I-," started the boy as he looked down at his open right hand then clenched it, "I'll do it for her, I'll kill them all."
"As you wish," murmured the Angel who grabbed her favorite human by the hand and placed it on the S² Engine.
The appendage disappeared as did eventually the rest of Shinji Ikari within the core which glowed brighter and brighter until it transitioned from red to a blinding white. Leliel turned away and waltzed to the other end of the boardwalk smiling to herself. She never lost balance despite the tremors spreading from the core as it shook vigorously. After an hour the quakes ceased as color drained from the sphere giving it an obsidian appearance. Suddenly cracks formed signaling the raven-haired girl to face the giant gemstone so she could witness it shattering into millions of fragments. The shards did not explode outward rather they fell away to the floor below leaving a floating shadowy figure in a crucified pose. The entity bore rounded pitch black armor with a bulbous full-face helmet that appeared to have two sets of teeth positioned in a permanent gnashed scowl. The Lance of Longinus,now the size of a pitchfork, could be seen held by the left hand. For several moments Leliel gazed into the visor for any signs of consciousness then the mouth of the creature opened slightly accompanied by a hiss. A triad of voices suddenly erupted forth in unison startling the girl.
"I am the Seneschal of the Black Moon," stated the voices which the Angel recognized to be a mix of Lilith, Shinji, and a deep male tenor, "My progenitor Shinji Ikari will now assume complete control."
"I'm happy to hear that," replied Leliel relieved that her love wasn't reduced to this automaton.
"AHHH-huh?" screamed the boy's voice as if he were plummeting to his death, "I'm back?"
"Yes, dear the process is complete."
"L-Lilith contacted me in t-there. She told about what I must do to take out the Seele Council."
"What did she say?"
"She said I'll need Unit One to defeat another Eva on the moon."
"Well then you better go now."
"What about you?"
"I will take the space shuttle Argreas planned to use once he grew tired of his Earthly desires."
"I see," stated Shinji while looking over his new armored form, "Before I go I wanted to thank you for taking me here."
"I'm deeply sorry about what happened to-," began the crimson eyed girl in a remorseful tone only to be interrupted by a light embrace.
"It was out of your hands," whispered the boy reborn into a killing machine, "I forgive you."
A full alert throughout Tokyo Three had spread directing everyone in town to join a mass exodus into the Geofront. Asuka knew this day would come and thanks to her fellow pilots she was ready. The day news reached her of what happened in Manchester something broke inside the usual spritely girl giving way to seeming endless internal anguish. Rei was the only one to stand by her to weather the storm of sorrow that threaten to push her off the deep end. Shinji's disappearance at first struck the Second Child as a betrayal resulting in her lashing out at anyone willing to defend him, but eventually the boy named Denji Itou, Shinji's body double, convinced her otherwise. He made a point that Lieutenant Aoba described Shinji as furious just like her. It was not grief nor fear that dominated the Third Child's mind, but rage to take vengeance on those that killed his loved ones. The question of whether she would do the same shattered Asuka's conceded conclusion and in turn open her eyes to the truth. She understood Shinji and should follow his example: Use the anger instead of letting it use you.
Approximately halfway into the evacuation armed forces began rolling into town. A tank battalion as well as several missile batteries were tactically positioned toward entrances to Nerv Headquarters. Companies of the Japanese Self-Defense Force invaded and interrogated citizens on the current situation. Confused by the sudden arrival of the military many said that highly lethal Angel was probably approaching warranting a retreat into the Geofront itself rather than the usual shelters. Eventually soldiers tried to enter as well firstly halted by Nerv Security and then by some kind of invisible barrier. Strangely enough only military personnel were barred entry by this unseen force.
As the last few civilians entered their new home and the sun began to set on Tokyo Three the reason behind the evacuation surfaced. All major international news broadcasting channels were simultaneously commandeered by live footage of a grey-haired man in a russet uniform sitting behind a wooden desk. Most of those watching quickly noticed a wide screen behind him. The UN would surely persecute this act, but the Vice Commander was well past caring as he cleared his throat to speak.
"Hello," began the man who was once a professor, "My name is Kozo Fuyutsuki, Vice Commander of Nerv Japan. I sit before you all to speak the truth behind the behemoths we call Angels that have been threatening humanity's existence for the past few months. I am here tell you the truth behind Second Impact and how those two subjects are connected. What you are about to hear is a secret kept by the highest echelons of United Nations and has been used to control us for the past twenty years."
Commander Akira Kurosawa in his fatigues intently watched the television in his command tent overlooking Tokyo Three. He was advised by his superiors that what was said on the broadcast was the crazed ramblings of man cracking under pressure due to fighting the colossal monstrosities known as Angels and should be avoided. The seasoned officer could see why they wanted him to think that as he watched the footage anyway. What this Fuyutsuki was saying actually made a bit of sense. Kurosawa was always under the impression that there were rulers at the top of the food chain, but he assumed they were disorganized, inept, and careless yet this history lesson spelled a worse concept: they were just downright evil. It was once the veteran started conjuring names of who was in on this cult bullshit when his irrationally loyal lieutenant burst in with new orders. It baffled the Commander that his boys were mobilized only to have them pull back for some special unit. That was until reports came in detailing one of those things called Evangelions emerging from city block sized hatches.
The midnight blue armor of Unit Three blended well with starry sky of early evening. The pilot of the Eva assumed he was first deployed because of this for his mission was reconnaissance. Toji wielding a pallet rifle scanned the hills surrounding his city spotting approximately three tank battalions rolling away and seven missile battery emplacements packing up. Hearing the noise of aircraft overhead the athlete spotted three large planes circling overhead most likely waiting for orders to let loose N² bombs. It saddened Toji who knew the truth that all these military men were tricked into mustering everything they had to assault Nerv. A callout from a woman on the bridge who Toji believed was named Ibuki entailed that irregularities appeared from scanning the aircraft. After a few moments it was confirmed that Evas without pilots were aboard the dropships. Unit Two and Zero deployed immediately after confirmation each armed with weapons the pilots chose. Asuka flexed her hands as her Eva held a glaive in a defensive stance. It would come in handy when she felt like splitting an enemy in half. Rei shouldered a Positron Rifle Type 20 zeroing in on the aircraft and awaiting orders to engage.
Seconds passed feeling like hours making the three pilots mix sweat in with the LCL bath they were taking. It happened quicker than the command staff on the bridge anticipated. Three thunderous crashes were suddenly heard sending out destructive shock waves throughout the city. One sounded nearly a few hundred meters from Toji making him tremble in anticipation. The others two units landed outside the city limits close together. An order rang out from the Vice Commander: Unit Three Engage!