EVANGELION: REWIRED
By Anguirus1955
Disclaimer: Neon Genesis Evangelion and all related characters therein are the intellectual property of Studio Gainax and Hideaki Anno.
This episode also marks the next stage of Shinji's development as a character. Episodes 1 - 5 were mostly Shinji's story as he was introduced to the Angel War and realized the weight of his responsibilities. After that, episodes 6 - 9 focused on Asuka and Mari as they joined Shinji and Rei. Episodes 10 - 13 focused on Mana as she was introduced and tried to fit in with the other pilots. In the background, from episode 9 onward, the growing relationship between Toji and Asuka has developed, as has the relationship between Shinji and Rei, along with the relationship between Misato and Makoto.
Finally, with this episode, Shinji becomes a major player once again, as Leliel makes its appearance. No, I will not be focusing on the psychological bullshit that made up half of the original episode featuring Leliel. Fuck that noise. Gentlemen, behold! I give you... Shinji continuing his character development! And some jokes about the space time continuum.
On one final note, everything that I have Ritsuko and Maya say regarding Leliel in this episode, aside from the details I gleamed from various Evangelion wikis, is pretty much made up on the spot for the sake of the plot. All of the technobabble I have Ritsuko spout is stuff I'm just stuff I'm pulling out of my ass, so don't go using this for any physics homework.
UPDATE AS OF 07/02/2018: I have made a few edits to grammar in some sections, and I have added a few more details to the remains of Second Branch found in Leliel's Dirac Sea, as well as a few more details to the final escape attempt.
Music I listened to while writing this episode includes Capricorn One Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1978) by Jerry Goldsmith, Red Planet: Music From The Motion Picture (2000) by Graeme Revell and Various Artists, Neon Genesis Evangelion OST 1 - 3 (1995 - 1997) by Shiro Sagisu, Evangelion S2 Works (1998) by Shiro Sagisu, Evangelion Wind Symphony (2009) by Shiro Sagisu and Yoichi Murata and Masamichi Amano, The End Of Evangelion (1997) by Shiro Sagisu, and Con Air Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1996) by Mark Mancina and Trevor Rabin.
Please note that listening to this music while reading the story is not a requirement. I simply provide this as a little something extra to help enhance the reading experience, if you the readers so wish to do so. Most of this music can be found and heard on YouTube or any number of anime soundtrack websites. However, for this episode, listening to the music in its listed order is highly recommended.
Sudden and Suspicious Disclaimer: I also advocate the purchasing and obtaining of official soundtracks through legal means.
Music From Evangelion S2 Works (1998): B-19 Friendship, B-9 Infantile Dependence, Adult Dependency, B-5 Requiem, Sorrow (The Soft Sound Of Bells), B-6 Anxiety, C-1 Pleasant Morning, A-11 Depression.
Music From NGE OST 1 - 3 (1995 - 1997): Infantile Dependence, Adult Dependency, Hostility Restrained, Ritsuko, The Heady Feeling Of Freedom, Good, or Don't Be, Depression, Introjection, The Sorrow of Losing The Object of One's Dependence, Background Music 1, Magmadiver, Normal Blood, Harbinger of Tragedy.
Music From Evangelion Wind Symphony (2009): F02 - Preview Of Next Time Take 1, A01 - Rei I, .
Music From Con Air (1996): Main Theme, Fire Truck Chase, Overture, .
Music From Red Planet (2000): Alone, A Thousand Years (by Sting), The Inferno (by Emma Shapplin and Graeme Revell), Canto XXX (by Emma Shapplin and Graeme Revell), Dante's Eternal Flame (by Melissa Kaplan and Graeme Revell), The Fifth Heaven (By Emma Shapplin and Graeme Revell), Mars Red Planet, The Tower That Ate People (by Peter Gabriel).
Music From Capricorn One (1978): Breakout, Kay's Theme, The Message, The Station, The Long Climb, The Snake, No Water, The Celebration.
Music From The End Of Evangelion (1997): False Regeneration (Itsuwari no Saisei), Vicarious Invasion, Expansion of the Blockade, The Passage of Emptiness.
Track Order Listing - All After Opening Theme And Before Ending Theme
01. The Sorrow Of Losing The Object Of One's Dependence (Pilots at the mall), 02. Magmadiver (Angel Alert/Pilots scrambled), 03. B-6 Anxiety (First Encounter), 04. B-5 Requiem, Sorrow (The Soft Sound of Bells) (Aftermath of encounter), 05. Depression (Floating in the Dirac Sea), 06. The Letter (The Committee's plan/Ticking Clock), 07. Infantile Dependence, Adult Dependency (Dark discovery), 08. Breakout (Unauthorized rescue operation), 09. Alone (Losing hope), 10. Normal Blood (Extension of A.T. Fields), 11. Con Air Main Theme (Final Push), 12. Kay's Theme (Reunion/Feeling Better).
Music After Ending Theme
13. Preview Of Next Time Take 1.
OPENING THEME: A Cruel Angel's Thesis A Capella Version, by the late Eri Kawai (Found on YouTube)
Episode 14: In The Depths Of Human Hearts
Ritsuko Akagi's Apartment, Tokyo-3, Sunday Evening, July 12
Stretching out her back on the bed, Ritsuko smiled as she looked over at Gendo, who was busy putting his glasses back on. When Gendo looked back at her, she smiled deeper. "I needed that," Ritsuko said appreciatively. Gendo gave her a small smile in return, although it disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, causing Ritsuko to wonder if perhaps she had imagined it.
With half-lidded eyes, Ritsuko leaned forward towards Gendo's face, only for the moment to be ruined when his cell phone rang. Rolling his eyes and groaning in frustration, Gendo reached over to the night stand and grabbed his phone, seeing that the number came from NERV HQ itself. "Hello?" Gendo asked into the phone.
His eyes widened as soon as he heard the news from the other end. "Are you certain? How long ago did it happen?" Gendo asked, his mask of calm collectedness falling away as he sat up in the bed. Ritsuko looked at him with a worried expression.
Gendo nodded his head as he listened to the person on the other end speaking. "I see. In that case... I want security around the Eva cages doubled, and two extra security agents assigned to each pilot starting tomorrow. We don't know if this was an accident or the work of something else just yet," Gendo said.
"Yes. Yes, inform the Vice Commander right away. I will attempt to contact R-Doctor Akagi to inform her and gain her input as soon as possible. Thank you, Major Katsuragi. Uh-huh... very well, please try to contact Inspector Kaji and ascertain the location of each pilot as soon as you are able. You have my utmost confidence, Major. No, that won't be necessary. I will contact Doctor Akagi myself. I know her number. Yes, good bye," Gendo said before hanging up.
Ritsuko raised an eyebrow at Gendo as he put the phone down and groaned while shaking his head. "What was that all about?" Ritsuko asked Gendo as she placed a hand on his shoulder. He looked at her with a worn expression on his face.
"I've just received word... that NERV Second Branch, along with the rest of Perfection Valley, was just wiped out in a massive explosion, with a recorded radius of eighty-nine kilometers," Gendo relayed to her. Ritsuko's jaw dropped in shock.
"Ritsuko... we'll need to put the rest of our evening plans on hold. We need to make our way to HQ to collect data. You can begin having the MAGI collect everything possible from the Second Branch's offsite storage locations, while I will be speaking with a certain inspector. Tomorrow, we'll have a meeting involving all top-level staff. I'll have Section Two drive us there in separate vehicles to avoid suspicion tonight," Gendo said. Ritsuko nodded her head in understanding as she got out of bed and began getting dressed.
Even without solid evidence, I have little doubt that SEELE was involved in this. It would seem that they found a way to get to you after all, Barnes. I just hope you were able to send us a few more tools to use against them than they realized, Gendo thought to himself as he began getting dressed.
The Tokyo-3 Mall, Friday, July 24, 2043
Sipping a soda in the food court, Kensuke Aida listened intently as Shinji and Toji talked about an upcoming sync test. Since none of them had school during the summer, they were all wearing casual clothes, including Rei. Shinji was wearing a pair of blue jeans and a white T-shirt he had purchased shortly after his birthday. Rei was wearing a pair of khaki pants and a yellow T-shirt. Kensuke was wearing slacks and a tan polo shirt, while Toji was wearing blue jeans and a black T-shirt. "Which means we'll probably have to stay the whole day, if that's what I think she's planning," Shinji finished with a frustrated sigh.
"Damn, man. I didn't think I'd get sick of being a pilot so quickly," Toji added as he leaned back in his chair. "I mean, I haven't even fought an Angel yet," he added.
"If you're lucky, you won't ever have to," Shinji said, memories of his previous battle coming to the forefront of his mind.
"Yes," Rei said in agreement. "Combat against an Angel can often be... painful," she added before she took a bite out of her vegetable kebab.
Kensuke finally let out a sigh. "Okay, are we just going to keep ignoring what happened to Kirishima-san?" Kensuke asked his friends. Sitting next to Shinji, Rei took a sip of her water.
"We have tried to help her emotionally, Aida, but she remains... troubled," Rei said with a frown on her face. Shortly after the destruction of NERV 2nd Branch, practically everyone in NERV Japan had been informed of the incident. Something had gone wrong with the activation of Unit 04-Alpha's S-2 engine, creating a Dirac Sea which consumed everything within an 89 kilometer radius. Of course, the part about the Dirac Sea had been kept secret from everyone except high-ranking personnel, leaving everyone else thinking that it had simply been an massive explosion.
"Guys, just give her time to breathe," Toji said. "I mean, she just lost her whole family and everyone else she knew at Second Branch. Dat ain't somethin' ya just get over in a few weeks. Dat kinda thing takes time," Toji said, speaking from experience. When his and Sakura's mother had died, it had taken months for their family to start pulling themselves back together, and even years after the fact, the death of Mrs. Suzuhara was still a sore spot for Toji's family.
"Yeah, but... seeing her this way is just... it just feels so wrong," Kensuke said mournfully. "I mean, she hasn't teased Asuka or cracked a single joke at anyone's expense at all, and she doesn't even smile anymore," Kensuke whined. He got along with Mana fairly well most of the time, and she was among the few people willing to listen to him when he went on his rambles about the newest military vehicle being developed.
"Dude, I just said that she needs time to pull herself together," Toji said. "She's all alone here, man. She's got no one but herself and her Eva," Toji said.
"Wait, she's got us," Kensuke retorted.
"Yeah, but she's only known us for a few months, Ken-man. All the people who were at NERV Second Branch? She'd known them all her life. And now? They're gone, man. I don't think anyone would be able to handle somethin' like dat without breaking down," Toji said.
"I hadn't thought of it that way," Kensuke said with a frown. "Is there anything we can do to cheer her up? Like, at all?" Kensuke asked his friends. Everyone, including Rei, frowned in dismay as they realized how dismal their chances were of cheering up the depressed girl.
"Short of bringing Second Branch back into existence? I don't think there is anything we can do at this point," Shinji said with a melancholy sigh. "All we can do right now is just let her know that we've got her back if she needs us," he added. "I mean, she'd do the same if it were one of us in that position, right?"
Deep Inside NERV HQ...
Ritsuko Akagi looked at the results of the latest sync test. "Hm... Sohryu and Makinami are performing as expected," Ritsuko said as she studied the lines of the graph. "Kirishima... is performing better than expected, all things considered," she said with a hint of surprise in her voice. Mana's sync rate was currently hovering above 57 percent.
Sitting in a chair next to her, Maya Ibuki nodded her head. "Yeah. She's down twenty points so far, but she's still well above the borderline," Maya said.
"Well, she can still pilot her Eva," Ritsuko noted. "If she drops any further, though, I suspect we'll need to dispatch Cadet Suzuhara sooner than anticipated," Ritsuko added.
Maya quietly nodded her head, before checking to make sure that the coms were turned off. "Sempai... if you don't mind, I'd like to ask you something," Maya started off nervously.
"Oh?" Ritsuko asked her.
"Well... I've heard rumors lately about what happened at Second Branch. Even with all of the data that's been collected so far, do we really know exactly what happened?" Maya asked Ritsuko. Ritsuko closed her eyes and let out a sigh.
"From what little data we were able to collect from the off-site storage location for the Second Branch MAGI, apparently the S-Two engine wasn't aligned properly inside the Eva before it was tested," Ritsuko lied. She had been informed by Gendo, Fuyutsuki, and even Kaji that the incident was a result of sabotage by SEELE. The dogmatic council had apparently decided to make sure that no other Evangelions could gain their own S-2 capabilities, since their interpretation of the Dead Sea Scrolls dictated that only one Eva was supposed to achieve that ability before the time of Third Impact was set to occur.
Their zealous dogma has forced them to do whatever they believe is necessary to ensure that only their interpretation of the Dead Sea Scrolls is allowed to become reality, Gendo had told her. Ritsuko felt sick at the thought that those men had deliberately committed mass murder just to further their own agenda. But, again, she also knew that they had done so before. SEELE had been responsible for allowing 2nd Impact to occur as well, by funding the Katsuragi expedition and then keeping their mouths shut when the time came to remove the Lance of Longinus from ADAM, silencing anyone who had tried to intervene.
So, what will they do now? They've already eliminated Evangelion Unit 04-Alpha. I suppose it's only a matter of time before they come after Four-Beta as well, Ritsuko pondered, not noticing that Maya was still talking to her.
"... guess that's all we can really do for the moment. I just wish we could figure out how it was supposed to have been aligned in the first place. All of that data... and all of those people. It's just too much to think about sometimes," Maya said sadly. Ritsuko nodded her head in half-hearted agreement with her subordinate, not having heard most of what she had said in the first place.
The Pilots Locker Room, An Hour Later...
Stepping out of the shower with a towel around her, Mana Kirishima stepped forward listlessly as she dried off, keeping her eyes downcast towards the floor with a melancholy expression on her face. Standing nearby, Asuka and Mari both noticed her disposition. Asuka frowned at Mana's depressing behavior, although she sympathized with the girl entirely, while Mari simply shook her head.
"Welcome to the club," Mari muttered quietly as she dried off and began slipping on her underwear and bra. Asuka shot Mari a glare, before her gaze softened as she realied what her sister-in-arms meant. Mari had lost her family as well at an early age, losing both of her parents shortly before being taken in by Kaji.
"You know... we should take her out somewhere," Mari said quietly to Asuka. Asuka glanced between Mari and Mana before shaking her head.
"No. Let her have some time to herself," Asuka said quietly in response.
"Come on, look at her," Mari hissed at Asuka. "She just lost her entire family in one fell swoop. She's about this close to slitting her fucking wrists," Mari hissed at Asuka, holding up her thumb and pointer finger less than an inch apart from each other.
Asuka sighed in frustration. "Okay. Fine. We'll do something tonight. Just... don't go overboard, please?" Asuka finally relented.
Mari smiled and nodded her head. "You got it. Just a simple trip to the arcade to boost her spirits, and then maybe a stop at the food court," Mari said. Asuka nodded her head in approval before walking over to Mana.
"Hey, Mana? We're gonna head over to mall, wanna come with us?" Asuka asked her. Mana looked at her lifelessly, her face almost devoid of expression.
"Not really. I'd rather just stay home," Mana replied softly, her voice just above a whisper. Asuka frowned in response.
"Too bad. You're coming with us. That's an order, Corporal," Asuka said firmly.
"Whatever," Mana said lifelessly as she finished getting dressed.
Hakone Mountain Range, Tuesday Morning, July 28, 2043
A small sphere slowly hovered over the tree tops of the forests below, its shadow covering them as it grew in size. The sphere had a twisted black and white stripped appearance to it as it slowly flew through the air, making its way toward Tokyo-3. Leliel could sense the presence of ADAM in the distance, as well as that of Lilith. ADAM was faint, but Lilith was much stronger, her presence carrying greater weight as a result of the Lilin that populated the landscape around her tomb.
When I reach them, I will no longer be alone. I will be one with Father, or one with Lilith. No matter who I choose, I will no longer be alone. I do not wish to be alone anymore. Father, Lilith, I am coming, Leliel thought to itself as it flew through the air.
NERV HQ Command Center...
Sitting at his desk, 2nd Lieutenant Makoto Hyuga sipped his water bottle as he monitored various lines of communication from different NERV sensor arrays located throughout Tokyo-3 and the rest of Japan. "Well... nothing unusual so far today. Guess it'll be another-" Makoto was cut off as the alarms blared.
"Blue Pattern detected!" 2nd Lieutenant Shigeru Aoba called out from his station, while 1st Lieutenant Maya Ibuki called Section 2. "It's heading this way!" Aoba called out again, while Misato Katsuragi stood behind Hyuga's chair, staring at the screen as aerial drones captured footage of the newest Angel.
"Target now classified as the Eleventh Angel!" Maya exclaimed.
"How long until it reaches Tokyo Three?" Misato asked.
"Less than an hour," Hyuga replied. Misato glared at the Angel on the screen.
"Section Two reports they have the pilots and are on their way!" Maya called out from her station. "ETA five minutes!" she added.
"Major, we have word from the JSSDF that they have Jet Alone standing by for deployment. What should I tell them?" Hyuga asked.
"Tell them to stand by and let us take the Angel first. They can send in Jet Alone if we require its assistance," Misato replied. Makoto nodded his head and relayed Misato's message to the JSSDF commander on the other line.
The Pilots Locker Room, Ten Minutes Later...
All six pilots hurriedly put on their plug suits. "Finally!" Mari exclaimed as she zipped up her plug suit. "We get to fight an Angel together instead of letting the military handle it," she added in relief.
Shinji rolled his eyes at Mari's enthusiasm. Asuka's right, Shinji thought to himself. That girl has an unhealthy affinity for this job. Shinji then looked over at Mana, who was already activating her yellow plug suit's body conforming feature. The girl had lacked her recent lifeless expression, instead replacing it with something akin to a lackluster grimace, as though she were forcing herself to show some kind of expression.
"Uh, hey? Kirishima-san? You okay?" Shinji asked Mana. Mana glanced over at him and nodded her head silently in response before she made her way out of the locker room and into the corridor that led to the Eva cages. Glancing around the room, Shinji noticed a concerned look on Rei's face. He shrugged his shoulders in response as he activated the body conforming feature of his own plug suit.
"Just let her be," Asuka said as she walked over to Shinji. "I'll talk to her on a private com channel once we get in the Evas," Asuka said, before turning to look at Toji. "Hey, Toji! If Mana is too out of sorts to pilot her Eva, I'm gonna need you to take her place. Understood?" Asuka barked at her boyfriend.
"Uh, y-yeah. Understood," Toji said nervously. "I, uh... I've synchronized with Unit Four. I-I can handle it," he said, nodding his head.
"If you're gonna stay jittery, maybe I'll just have both of ya stay back. I need pilots who can remain focused," Asuka said. Toji nodded his head in understanding.
Tokyo-3, Topside, One Hour Later...
Leliel slowly moved over the metallic forest that was Tokyo-3, its body gliding along the buildings along with its shadow. It stretched its senses outward, listening, feeling, sniffing for the exact location of ADAM or Lilith. Its A.T. Field rippled invisibly as it tried to search for a way to reach its father.
Soon enough, however, several miles apart, five large black boxes rose out of the city as multiple buildings were retracted into the city's frame. Multiple weapon boxes were also deployed nearby, and the large armored humanoids quickly spread themselves out, hiding behind large buildings as cover.
Inside the entry plug of Unit 02, Warrant Officer Asuka Langley Sohryu switched over to a private com channel. "Corporal Kirishima, status report," Asuka requested. "I have visual confirmation of the target. Awaiting further orders," Mana replied in monotone over the com, causing Asuka to frown before she switched to an open channel.
"All units, report your positions, over," Asuka ordered. "This is Corporal Ikari in Unit One, standing by near the, uh... I think its a grocery plaza or something," Shinji replied over the com. Asuka held in a chuckle at Shinji's unfamiliarity with the city that he had been living in for over a year. "Affirmative. Hold your position and await further orders," Asuka said.
"Corporal Ayanami, status report?" Asuka requested. "I am in position just west of the Blue Sky Gym and Recreation Center," Rei reported over the com. "Affirmative," Asuka said, happy that at least one pilot could do their job competently.
"Warrant Officer Makinami, status report, over?" Asuka asked. "This is Big Green standing by and ready to kick ass," Mari reported enthusiastically over the com. "Affirmative. What's your position, over?" Asuka asked Mari. "Uh... I think... I'm standing behind a large office building. I've already got my rifle trained on the Angel, and... I'm... awaiting further orders," Mari said reluctantly. Asuka could practically hear the frown on Mari's face as she spoke.
"All right. Corporal Kirishima, please report your position, over," Asuka asked. "I am holding position one hundred and thirty meters away from the target. I have my rifle loaded and ready to fire," Mana reported lifelessly over the com.
"A...Affirmative," Asuka said with a frown. Well... I suppose I could let her have the first shot at it. Sure, Mari might be pissed at not getting a shot, but Mana's just been so... alright, I'll throw her a bone, Asuka thought to herself.
"Corporal Kirishima, deploy your A.T. Field to neutralize that of the Angel, but do not open fire until I say so," Asuka ordered over the com. "Affirmative. Deploying A.T. Field now," Mana reported over the com.
Outside of the Evas, the strange black and white striped sphere began to change colors as its A.T. made contact with that of Unit 04-Beta, which had recently been renamed as simply Unit 04 due to the loss of Unit 04-Alpha. The Angel then moved with frightening speed over to Unit 04's location.
"Kirishima, get out of there! Your position's been compromised!" Asuka shouted over the com. Inside her entry plug, Mana's eyes narrowed and a frown formed on her face as she opened fire with her Eva's rifle, causing the bullets to pass right through the large sphere. The sphere began rising higher and higher into the sky, until Mana noticed the buildings rising with it as well.
"What the... hell?" Mana asked, until she realized that Unit 04 was sinking into the Angel's large dark shadow. "Oh shit! I need help!" Mana cried out over the com. She aimed the rifle down into the shadow and opened fire, only for the bullets to simply enter the dark mass without any effect. "Shit, someone help!" Mana cried out, just as she saw Unit 02 and Unit 01 rushing towards her, with Unit 01 reaching her first.
Unit 01 held out her right arm for Unit 04 to grab, only for the dark shadow to begin expanding underneath Unit 01 as well. "Ikari! Move your ass!" Asuka shouted over the com as she began climbing up a building, grabbing Unit 01 and dragging it along with her. "But! K-Kirishima-san! Sohryu, she's still trapped!" Shinji cried out over the com.
"And we'll be trapped too if we don't get off the ground! We can't help her if we get pulled in ourselves!" Asuka retorted as she pulled Unit 01 up onto the roof of a large building. "Shinji! Asuka! Rei! Someone, help! I don't wanna die like this! Please!" Mana cried out in fear as Unit 04 was sucked into the black disc below. Unit 01 reached out again, her fingers just touching the tips of Unit 04's own fingers, before the Eva was quickly pulled into the black disc and disappeared.
"No!" Shinji screamed in fear and anger. "No! Kirishima-san! Kirishima-san!" Shinji cried out as his friend disappeared. Unit 02 kept a tight grip on Unit 01 as it kept the purple Eva away from the dark shadow beneath them. "Ikari... there's nothing more we can do. We need to regroup with the others," Asuka said regretfully over the com.
"No! We can't leave Kirishima-san! We... we can't!" Shinji cried in desperation. "Corporal, this is not up for discussion. I'm giving you an order, now let's move!" Asuka barked at him over the com. "Makinami, Ayanami; get your Evas either off the ground or back int he deployment boxes. We need to regroup and strategize. Come in HQ, this is Eva Squad Leader Warrant Officer Sohryu, requesting permission to disengage from the enemy," Shinji heard Asuka say over the com.
"Affirmative, Sohryu. You guys make your way back to your deployment boxes. We'll deploy aerial drones to monitor the Angel in the mean time," Misato said over the com.
"But what about Kirishima-san!?" Shinji cried out. "Corporal, we have our orders. Now let's move!" Asuka barked at him over the com as she forced Unit 02 to drag Unit 01 alongside it to the nearest deployment box. "This... this isn't right, Sohryu. Leaving Kirishima-san like this just isn't right," Shinji muttered in dismay. "I know, Corporal. I know," Asuka replied solemnly over the com in agreement.
"But if we try to jump into that thing recklessly, we'll just end up making things worse for everyone. If we want to help Corporal Kirishima, then we're going to need to collect information on this Angel, and that means waiting for Doctor Akagi and the MAGI to study it as best they can. I'm sorry, but that's all we can do for now. When they find a solution, I promise you'll be the first person I choose for the rescue mission," Asuka said over the com in an effort to assuage Shinji's panic and concern.
NERV HQ, STRATEGY ROOM B-20, Four Hours Later...
In front of a large screen, Ritsuko Akagi paced back and forth as she waited for everyone to seat themselves at the conference table. Gendo, Kaji, and Fuyutsuki were already seated at the table, with Gendo sitting at the very end, his hands folded in front of his face in his usual pose, while Fuyutsuki held his hands under his chin. Kaji simply sat near the front with a tired and worried expression on his face. Misato stood at the doorway as the pilots all entered the room. As soon as the final pilot arrived and Misato took her seat, Ritsuko cleared her throat. "Okay, from what the MAGI have been able to determine, based on every possible scan that we've performed with the available equipment, the Eleventh Angel is not the large striped sphere in the air. It is, in fact, the shadow on the ground," Ritsuko said, causing everyone's eyes to widen.
Shinji quickly raised a hand. "Wait a minute. If the shadow on the ground is the Angel, then what's the sphere in the air?" Shinji asked Ritsuko. "Wait... is the sphere the Angel's shadow?" Shinji asked as he quickly put the puzzle piece together.
"Well... yes," Ritsuko replied bluntly.
"How is that even possible!?" Asuka asked incredulously.
"Well, from what the MAGI have discovered, the Angel posseses an inverted A.T. Field, meaning that everything can get sucked into it without harming the core. Because of this, the Angel's shadow is projected into the air as opposed to being the absence of light the way that normal shadows are created," Ritsuko explained. Shinji and the others stared at her in confusion.
"That... makes no sense to me," Asuka said bluntly. Sitting nearby, Toji nodded his head in agreement.
"Yeah, I'm with Sohryu-san. I don't understand how the Angel's inverted A.T. Field makes its shadow act dat way," Toji said, shaking his head. "I mean, it's got spots of darkness in it, right? Shouldn't an inverted shadow be, like, totally bright or somethin'?" Toji asked.
"Look, I'm just going off of what we've been able to observe," Ritsuko said, trying to reign in her temper.
Soon, Rei raised her hand. "Yes, Ayanami?" Ritsuko asked.
"Have the MAGI determined a way for us to rescue Corporal Kirishima, based on the available information?" Rei asked curiously.
"Well, they're still collating. Right now, I'm telling you all what we've been able to find out since the Angel appeared over the city. However, I haven't finished telling you everything yet," Ritsuko said, slightly annoyed.
"Doctor Akagi, please continue," Fuyutsuki said from where he was sitting. Ritsuko nodded her head in appreciation.
"All right. Now, the Angel's body is, according the MAGI, over six hundred and eighty meters wide, but only three nanometers thick," Ritsuko said.
Everyone at the table blinked at her in bewilderment. "N-Nanometers?" Mari asked in disbelief.
"Yes," Ritsuko said in confirmation. "The Angel actually exists in a pocket dimension, which I can only truly explain using higher-order Physics theories. Simply put, though, the Angel's body contains a Dirac Sea, from which nothing can escape, similar to a black hole in some ways," Ritsuko elaborated. Toji shook his head in dismay, while Asuka sighed in defeat.
With the slightest furrowing of his brow, Gendo Ikari finally spoke up. "Doctor Akagi, based on the available data, how strong would you say this Angel's A.T. Field is?" Gendo asked her.
"Well, being an inverted A.T. Field means that anything we throw at it won't really have an effect. All weapons would just pass through it and become lost in the Dirac Sea inside of it," Ritsuko said.
"This Dirac Sea; do its measurements match those of the Dirac Sea which formed during the destruction of NERV Second Branch?" Gendo asked, a slight hint of interest permeating his voice.
"Wait, what?" Shinji asked in confusion. "I thought that NERV Second Branch was destroyed by an explosion. What's this about some kind of... weird black hole dimension?" Shinji asked as his gaze flicked back and forth between Gendo and Ritsuko.
"When the S-Two engine activated improperly, the energy relased by it created a Dirac Sea, which consumed everything within an eighty-nine kilometer radius," Ritsuko explained. "We didn't realize that this was the case until after the MAGI had combed through the data sent to the off-site storage location for Second Branch's MAGI," she added.
"So... does that mean this Angel could be related to what happened in Nevada?" Misato asked curiously.
A thoughtful expression overcame Ritsuko's face. "Well... it's possible, but we can't really know for certain at this point," Ritsuko replied hesitantly.
"Doctor Akagi, in light of this information, what would be the most effective way of defeating this Angel?" Gendo asked bluntly, quickly changing the subject.
"Huh? W-Well... uh, let's see," Ritsuko said as she began wracking her brain. "Hm... Field is inverted, so... yes, that might work," she muttered as she paced back and forth. Finally, she turned to look at Gendo. "The most effective solution, based on the available data, would be to unleash a large amount of energy inside of the Angel, behind its A.T. Field, of course," Ritsuko said.
"Wait... you mean dropping some kind of bomb inside of that thing, don't you?" Asuka asked her.
"Well, if we were to detonate a bomb outside of the A.T. field, it would just absorb the energy. Detonating it inside, however, ensures that the energy released by the bomb would be enough to destroy the Angel's core by using the inverted A.T. Field to trap said energy in a location from which it cannot escape without tearing the Angel itself apart," Ritsuko explained.
"How great a yield would be necessary for this to work?" Gendo asked her.
"Um, you'll have to give me some time to collect more data on the strength of the Angel's A.T. Field," Ritsuko replied.
"Hold on a second!" Shinji exclaimed. "What about Kirishima-san? You can't just drop a bomb into the Angel with her still inside it!"
"Corporal Ikari, our top priority destroying the Angel," Gendo said coldly.
"Well, can't we at least find a way to rescue Kirishima-san first? What if the strength of the bomb is enough to destroy her Eva? She could die!" Shinji retorted fiercely.
"Corporal Ikari is correct, Commander," Rei said. "Corporal Kirishima could very well die if the strength of the weapon used is too great for her Eva's A.T. Field to withstand. It would be wise for us to consider another alternative, lest we kill a fellow pilot and destroy an Evangelion by accident," she concluded.
Gendo remained silent for a moment. "Your point does bear merit, Corporal Ayanami," Gendo said thoughtfully. "Doctor Akagi, please collect as much data as possible to ascertain the minimum yield necessary to destroy the Angel. At the same time, find out if Evangelion Unit Four is capable of producing an A.T. Field that can withstand this yield. When you have finished, I want a report waiting on my desk that I can give to the U.N. Oversight Committee," Gendo said.
"The Oversight Committee?" Kaji asked, finally speaking up.
"Yes. It would seem that the loss of both American Evas in such a short time has caught their interest, and they made a point to contact us shortly after learning of today's disastrous encounter," Gendo explained. "They also mentioned that the victory of Jet Alone over the previous Angel has caused them to begin questioning our worth, and this most recent event has... incensed them, so to speak," Gendo said.
"Hey, wait a minute here," Kaji said. "I think we've all been neglecting something. Kirishima's life support! How long can Unit Four last without its power cable again?" Kaji asked.
"About four hours and thirty-seven minutes at maximum usage. It can potentially last forty-eight hours if only used for basic life support and communication functions," Ritsuko replied.
"Well, we may not have forty-eight hours. Who knows what kind of effect that Angel's black hole dimension may have on the Eva's internal components?" Kaji said worriedly.
"Doctor Akagi, Inspector Kaji has brought up an interesting point. Do we know how the passage of time is affected inside the Dirac Sea?" Gendo asked her.
"Um... I'm not entirely sure," Ritsuko replied.
"In that case, I would suggest having that report ready soon," Gendo said calmly.
"I'll have a report ready in three hours," Ritsuko said.
"Very well," Gendo replied. "Until Doctor Akagi's report has been finished, everyone is dismissed. All Eva pilots are to remain on standby until further notice, however, the Evas themselves will remain under lock-down until a plan has been formed to deal with the newest Angel. All other personnel may return to their stations."
Inside Unit 04-Beta, Floating In The Dirac Sea...
Mana Kirishima swore as she once again failed to pick up any transmissions using her Eva's com system. "Dammit!" she spat angrily. She then began wincing as she felt the pressure between her legs return. Looking over at a compartment above her, she quickly opened it and pulled out an empty plastic container with a removable lid. "I was hoping I'd never have to do this," she muttered as she removed a small patch covering her plug suit's crotch region and opened the lid before pressing the container tightly against herself.
After a minute, Mana sighed in relief before quickly pulling the container away and snapping the lid shut. "I knew I should've gone before suiting up earlier," she muttered to herself before replacing the patch over her plug suit. She then made sure to put the container in a large plastic baggy before zipping it up and placing it in a compartment marked WASTE.
Returning to her seat, Mana closed her eyes and inhaled before opening them again. She quickly scooted back in surprise when she saw a mirror image of herself, albeit younger, standing in front of her. Furthermore, the younger version of her had dull gray eyes, and her hair was much more dull as well.
Mana tilted her head in confusion. "What the hell? Am I already starting to hallucinate?" she asked herself. She lifted herself up from her seat and stepped over to the younger version of herself before swiping her right hand through the younger girl's head. "Yep. I'm finally losing my mind," Mana said, rolling her eyes with a chortle.
The younger and duller Mana simply blinked at her and reached a hand out, touching Mana with a white glow, creating a physical sensation that Mana could feel. Mana's eyes widened and she fell back into her seat with a yelp. "Jesus Christ!" Mana swore in fright.
"W-What the fuck!? What are you!?" Mana asked in bewilderment and fright.
The apparition simply tilted its head in confusion. "I am I," the apparition replied simply, before a confused look appeared on its face. Mana closed her eyes and shook her head in bewilderment. "This ain't real. This ain't real!" Mana chanted before opening her eyes again to see that the apparition was gone.
She slowly looked around the interior of the entry plug for signs of the ghostly figure, only to find herself completely alone once more.
"Okay. I... I need to check the settings for the LCL filters. Maybe I need to draw from the reserve tanks so I can do a clean cycle," Mana said to herself. She accessed a menu using one of the keyboards nearby and accessed a program to scan the LCL. Soon, a blue light emanated from two thin columns located in the top of the entry plug, slowly sweeping forward.
After six back and forth sweeps of the lights, a series of numbers came up on a holographic screen, showing Mana how much of her LCL was used and needed to be filtered. "Only twenty-three percent? I guess that means the hallucination was caused by something else," Mana said to herself.
As she sat back in her seat, she brought up the main screen again and looked around at the darkness of the void around her Eva. "Where the hell am I?" she asked rhetorically as her Eva floated through the darkness, before switching the Eva's vision mode to another setting. A red filter soon came on the screen, showing the same thing. Mana switched to another vision mode, causing a blue filter to appear, this time with yellow outlines of various objects, most of which appeared to be pieces of rubble floating alongside the Eva, along with part of the power cable floating around.
"Well... shit."
NERV HQ, Strategy Room B-20, Three Hours Later...
Ritsuko sighed in hesitation as she prepared to lay out her plan to everyone. "After reviewing the available data, the MAGI have determined that the best solution to both destroying the Angel and forcing it to release Unit Four is to drop a payload of fifty N-Two mines into the Dirac Sea, with two Evas standing by to use their A.T. Fields to keep the energy contained as a way of minimizing collateral damage and increasing the internal pressure of the explosion against the interior of the Angel," Ritsuko said.
"Unit Four is capable of producing an A.T. Field with the strength to withstand at least sixty N-Two mines going off simultaneously, so there's very little risk of the Eva being damaged... except for the fact that Kirishima's sync rate has dropped significantly, meaning that she may not be able to fully extend or deploy her A.T. Field to the strength necessary to protect the Eva," Ritsuko said regretfully.
"Is this the only option?" Misato asked nervously. Ritsuko nodded her head reluctantly in response.
"I'm afraid so. It's the only option with a chance for success that's above fifteen percent," Ritsuko said.
"Fuck!" Mari swore indignantly.
"Warrant Officer Makinami, please restrain yourself," Gendo reprimanded calmly.
"The MAGI have run simulation after simulation based on the available data, and not just our MAGI, but also the MAGI from Berlin, Hamburg, Matsushiro, Beijing, and even Massachusetts," Ritsuko added. "This is the absolute best chance that we have at the moment," she said once more.
"Unfortunate, but it seems I will need to give this information to the Committee," Gendo said as he stood up. "I will let you know if they approve of the plan as soon as they get back to me. Everyone is dismissed," Gendo said brusquely.
As everyone else cleared the room, Gendo remained behind with Ritsuko and Fuyutsuki. Misato stood by the door for a moment to linger, before she stepped outside, closing the door behind her. With a sigh, Fuyutsuki shook his head in dismay. "Ikari, do you think it is wise to tell the Committee about this plan?" Fuyutsuki asked Gendo.
"It is our only option, Professor," Gendo replied tersely. "We know that SEELE sabotaged the S-Two engine used in Nevada, and now they have a perfect opportunity to rid themselves of Unit Four-Beta as well. It is quite likely that the other MAGI have already formulated this exact plan and presented it to their spies over in Berlin. If we do not inform them of this plan, they will ask us why we did not do so when we had the chance after they discover it for themselves, if they don't already know about it. With SEELE already directing members of the United Nations to begin reconsidering our funding due to Jet Alone's success, we need to be compliant with them until Unit Three is sent our way," Gendo said.
"I'll begin working on an alternative. I'll see if there's something we can do to retrieve Unit Four from the Angel," Ritsuko said. Gendo nodded his head in approval.
"Please do, Ritsuko. Despite SEELE's distaste for the Eva, I believe it will be quite useful to us in the future, given its currently unique capabilities. If we are forced to abandon any alternatives, however... please do not inform me until after you have discussed them with Major Katsuragi and have already attempted to put them into motion. I cannot say no to a plan that I have not been informed of. And so long as Katsuragi does not know that the Committee will want Plan A adhered to, we can claim that she was acting in ignorance when she inadvertently angers the Committee by rescuing Unit Four using whatever plan you have come up with," Gendo said.
Ritsuko nodded her head. "I understand. Gentlemen, if you'll excuse me," Ritsuko said as she walked away and exited the room.
Gendo Ikari's Office, Two Hours Later...
The lights in Ikari's office had just returned to normal when Misato came barging in, sweat pouring down her face and a look of furious anger spread across her features. "Major Katsuragi?" Gendo asked, raising an eyebrow. There was only one reason for Misato to be this angry, but Gendo knew that Ritsuko would never disobey an order from him, so who could have told her?
"Commander, I just got off the phone with the local JSSDF forces, and their commanding officer told me that the UN Oversight Committee has already approved and even ordered Ritsuko's plan into action! Not only that, but they've ordered that we increase the number of N-Two mines from fifty to eighty! They haven't even given us time to find an alternative!" Misato raged.
"Indeed, Major. I have just received the news as well, mere moments before you entered the office," Gendo said, technically telling the truth about receiving the news, although it had been through a holographic virtual conference with SEELE rather than by telephone.
"Isn't there anything we can do!?" Misato asked him.
"I'm afraid not, Major. The Committee has authority over us. Furthermore, as I have already mentioned, the success of Jet Alone has caused the Committee and the rest of the UN to begin reconsidering our funding. If we go against them from this point forward, they can easily make life very difficult for all of us," Gendo said.
Misato's face dropped in disbelief. "But... Kirishima's life is at stake! I was willing to hold my tongue at Ritsuko's initial proposal, but nearly doubling the number of N-Two mines!? Commander, that will completely destroy Eva Unit Four, not to mention kill Kirishima!" Misato shot back. Gendo remained outwardly impassive.
"I understand, Major. The loss of even one pilot is a major blow to the security of the world against the threat posed by the Angels," Gendo replied calmly with a tone of indifference. Misato very briefly considered slapping the man before reconsidering it.
He probably wouldn't even feel it anyway, she told herself mentally. "Commander, if Ritsuko can find another solution, can't we present that to the Committee and ask them to reconsider their position on this plan?" Misato asked Gendo.
"I actually asked them that very question myself, Major. And, this may surprise you, but the Committee is even less considerate of others than I am. You have my sympathies, Major, but at this point our hands are tied. The only possible alternative we can hope for is that Corporal Kirishima manages to free herself from the Angel before the JSSDF can begin their run. The run itself is scheduled for tomorrow at twelve o'clock noon," Gendo said.
Misato began to tremble and shake with rage as she processed Gendo's words. "I understand, Commander," she said through gritted teeth. "What do I tell the pilots?" she asked him.
"The truth," Gendo said simply.
"I see," Misato said, doing her best to restrain herself from yelling out in anger at the man in front of her for being so dispassionate. "This... this isn't right," Misato said, her voice hitching.
"I am aware, Major. You have my condolences," Gendo said without any emotion in his voice.
Misato nodded her head and then turned around, marching herself over to the door and exiting the room quietly.
Keeping his gloved hands fixed in front of his face, Gendo let out a sigh. "All we can do now, Professor, is wait and see what happens. If we go against the Committee, they will make things extremely difficult for us, and if we do not go against them, we will lose one of the most versatile weapons we have against them and the Angels," Gendo said, his brows furrowed in contemplation and annoyance.
The Dirac Sea...
Mana was curled up in her seat, lightly snoring as she tried to sleep so as to make things easier on her Eva's life support systems. She was soon woken up by the feeling of someone gently rubbing her shoulder. "Mmmng. Five more minutes," Mana said groggily.
"Mana... you need to wake up. You're in danger. Wake up," a familiar voice, one that Mana had not heard in years, said to her. "W-What?" Mana asked, opening her eyes to see a blurry image of a Japanese man standing in front of her, wearing a plug suit similar to her own, with a head of short-cropped red hair. "P-Papa?" Mana asked as she rubbed her eyes to clear her vision, wondering how her father's soul could manifest itself like this. She'd felt his presence in the entry plug with her on certain occasions before, but never like this.
"D-Dad? Dad, why can I see you?" Mana asked her father's soul. "Mana, don't let it trick you. No matter what form it takes, do not accept its words. See through it for what it really is," the soul of Takuya Kirishima said. Mana hesitantly reached out for the apparition of her father, trying to wrap her arms around him.
"D-Dad? Dad!?" Mana asked tearfully, paying her father's words no mind at all. She felt a slight thickness in the LCL when her hands made contact with him, and she recognized his presence when she did so. "Dad! I knew it! I knew you were in here!" Mana cried out as she leaned forward and tried to hug her father's soul.
"You said you'd always be with me, even if I couldn't see you!" Mana cried joyously as tears ran down her cheeks. Takuya looked at his daughter with regret. "Mana... Please. There isn't much time. You're still asleep, but you need to wake up so that you can fight back and survive. Mana, do you understand me?" Takuya asked his daughter.
"I... I guess so. But... will I see you like this when I'm awake?" Mana asked her father. Takuya shook his head. "The mind doesn't always see clearly with the eyes open, Mana. But remember, I'm still here with you. Even if you can't see me," Takuya said.
"Dad?" Mana asked her father. "I... I missed you," Mana said. Takuya nodded his head before leaning down to kiss his daughter on the forehead. "I know. I miss you too. But... Mana, you have to be strong. You need to be strong and survive. Now, please wake up. I'll still be here, just not in a way that you can see," Takuya said.
Mana reluctantly nodded her head. "Dad... I love you," Mana said with a tearful smile. "I love you too, Mana," Takuya said, before he disappeared.
And then Mana opened her eyes and looked around the entry plug. "Was that... a dream?" she asked herself before she stretched her limbs. She quickly activated the main screen of the entry plug again, before setting it back to the previous vision mode. She soon regretted her decision, as she saw yellow outlines of the remains of Unit 04-Alpha cocooned to a chuck of rock with some strange blue substance.
Half of Unit 04-Alpha's left arm was gone, while only its upper torso, neck, head, and right arm and hand remained fully intact. The area where the entry plug was located had been vaporized by whatever had exploded inside of it, while the only remains of its lower regions were its left foot and ankle, and part of its right calf, stuck to a large chunk of metal wall by some blue resin. The Eva's mouth and eyes were wide open, with its tongue hanging out of its mouth and its eyes rolled back into its head, evoking some kind of twisted agony that it had experienced during its final moments.
Turning the Eva's head, Mana saw more debris from Second Branch, all stuck together with a strange blue resin coating everything. Mana's eyes widened in horror and apprehension as she saw the charred remains of NERV personnel glued to each other and parts of debris by the strange resin, with no rhyme or reason as to who or what was coated. "W-What is this!? Where the hell am I!?" Mana screamed.
She kept turning the Eva's head, seeing more ghastly sights, including gnarled metal rails and computers mashed together with the gooey blue resin. It reminded her of the secreted resin of the alien hive in her favorite movie, but bright blue in color, and less biomechanical. "This can't be real," Mana whimpered to herself.
Security guards, technicians, and even various civilians who had been living in Perfection Valley were all glued to chunks of debris in the far distance beyond Second Branches remains, which Mana was solely focused on. Not even her worst nightmares had prepared her for what she was seeing now. Everyone and everything that she had ever known and loved had been transported into the Dirac Sea before being twisted and mangled by the Angel as it absorbed them all into itself.
"None of this can be real!" she screamed as she saw the unmistakable remains of Lieutenant Colonel Conrad Barnes glued together with the remains of other NERV personnel, including a hand with a familiar wedding ring on it. "M-Mom? Mom... no," Mana whimpered. "Dad... Dad, I need you!" Mana cried out.
Mana closed her eyes and squeezed them shut, hoping that she was merely hallucinating. And then she opened her eyes again and they widened once more in horror. All of the space around her Eva was a macabre quilt of nightmarish horrors.
Charred faces stuck out from swirling strands of blue tethers wrapped around bodies and metal plates. Intact faces showed expressions of horror and confusion, while some of them had blue tendrils invading their orifices, while some bodies appeared to be a mixture of machinery, blue resin, and human flesh. Tattered uniforms clung to half-vaporized torsos and limbs that were stuck to safety rails and shards of glass, while some bodies were curled and contorted unnaturally as a result of being pushed by the force of the explosion into whatever they had been partially melted into, with blue resin and tendrils melding everything together.
"Please, let this be a nightmare! I don't want this to be real! I-I want to get out of here! Please, Dad! Help me!" Mana cried out in fear and sorrow. "Please! I don't want to be here anymore!"
NERV HQ, 07:00 Wednesday Morning, July 29, 2043
Sitting in one of the conference rooms, the remaining pilots had all been gathered after waking up. At first, they were all under the impression that a new plan had been formulated to save Mana from the Angel, and as such they had all changed into new plug suits as quickly as possible before assembling in the conference room, only for Misato to tell them the horrible truth. "That's bullshit!" Shinji screamed indignantly after Misato finished relaying the news.
"I know, but there's nothing more we can do at this point," Misato said firmly, forcing herself to play her role as the dutiful superior officer.
"No! There has to be something else we can do! There has to be!" Shinji shot back, prompting Asuka to grab him by the arm.
"Corporal Ikari... restrain yourself," Asuka said with downcast eyes. "Misato's right. There's nothing more we can do at this point for Corporal Kirishima. We have our orders from higher up," Asuka said somberly.
Shinji looked at her aghast. "I don't believe this. Don't you care!?" Shinji asked her. "You're the one who ordered her to engage her A.T. Field and alert the Angel to her presence in the first place! Shouldn't you feel something over that!?" Shinji asked her incredulously.
"Of course I fucking do!" Asuka snapped at him, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. "Of course I feel responsible, but my chance to do anything about it has already been taken away! There's nothing any of us can do at this point!" Asuka yelled at him.
Meanwhile, Toji, Mari, and Rei sat silently as they listened to Shinji and Asuka argue, while Misato was on the verge of a breakdown herself. Finally, Shinji turned to face Misato. "Misato, can't you find some way to buy us more time to figure something out!?" Shinji begged of her.
"No," Misato said sternly. "I'm sorry, Shinji, but... w-we have our orders," Misato forced herself to say. She felt a small piece of her dying inside as soon as those words left her mouth.
Shinji's shoulders slumped. "I see. Following your orders is more important to you than doing what's right," Shinji said, causing Misato's eyes to widen.
"Shinji, do not even try to pull that with me," Misato said with a warning tone and a glare.
"It's fine. I need to get some air anyway," Shinji said as he walked over to the door, a scowl marring his face.
Rei got up from her seat and followed him out of the room, jogging to catch up with him in the hallway. As Shinji made his way down the corridor, with no particular destination in mind, he felt his breath hitch as tears stung his eyes. He soon stopped walking and slammed a fist against the wall.
"Fuck!" Shinji swore angrily.
"Shinji, that wall did nothing to deserve your wrath," Rei said in a worried voice. Shinji glanced over in her direction with a tired and worn expression, before turning himself and slumping back against the wall.
"I... I don't know what to do, Rei," Shinji said in a defeated tone of voice. "I just... I just know that this isn't the only option, but nobody wants to think otherwise!" Shinji whined. "It isn't right!" he snarled.
Rei walked up to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Shinji... we must review the facts and come to terms with our situation. I... I do not know how to give you the comfort that you need, for I need comfort as well. In the past, I have always told myself to review the facts before me and simply accept reality for what it was," Rei said solemnly. Her emotions had become far more pronounced in the time since Shinji had first met the blue-haired girl.
"Okay, let's go over the facts," Shinji said reluctantly. "The Angel has an inverted A.T. Field, meaning that only a tremendous release of energy will bring it down from the inside. Wait... inverted... from the inside?" Shinji muttered in contemplation.
Rei raised an eyebrow. "Shinji?" Rei asked him.
"Rei... I think I have an idea," Shinji said as a smile began to form on his lips. He turned to face Rei and grabbed her shoulders. "I have an idea, Rei! I've got a plan to save Mana!" Shinji exclaimed ecstatically. "But... I need to see Doctor Akagi, or even Lieutenant Ibuki first. Rei, let's go find them!" Shinji urged as he turned around and began jogging through the corridor, gesturing for Rei to follow him. Rei nodded her head and began jogging to catch up with him.
Doctor Akagi's Main Lab, Ten Minutes Later...
Ritsuko tiredly sipped her coffee as the door to her lab slid open, prompting Maya Ibuki to pause as she sipped her own coffee as well. "Pilot Ikari, Ayanami?" Ritsuko asked tiredly with a sigh as she propped an elbow on the table and rested her chin on her knuckles.
"Doctor Akagi, I have a plan to save Kirishima-san!" Shinji exclaimed, panting from jogging al the way to the lab.
"Shinji, please. The MAGI have already gone over every scenario we can think of. There's nothing else we can do, and the United Nations Oversight Committee has already ordered the plan to be put into action," Ritsuko said with regret in her voice.
"Are you sure? Can't you at least hear me out?" Shinji asked her. Ritsuko shook her head.
"I'm sorry, Shinji. But I'm tired, and..." Ritsuko trailed off after seeing Rei's pleading eyes, something she had only seen once before. "Okay, let's hear it," Ritsuko said.
"All right! Now, the Angel's A.T. Field is inverted, right?" Shinji asked her.
"Yeah, we've already established that," Ritsuko said grumpily.
"So, it can't be cancelled out by another A.T. Field from an outside direction going in, right?" Shinji asked her.
"Yes, Shinji. That's what it means!" Ritsuko replied in annoyance.
"But what about an A.T. Field engaging it from the inside? What if an Evangelion already inside the Angel were to extend its A.T. Field? Wouldn't it then begin neutralizing it the way they normally do?" Shinji asked. Maya's eyes widened at the young man's words.
"Hey, he's got a good idea, Sempai!" Maya chimed in.
"Shinji, that's nice, but we've already run the calculations through the MAGI. Unit 04's A.T. Field at maximum strength won't cut it, and especially not with Mana's sync rate being what it's been since the destruction of Second Branch. I don't think she'd even know to do that without someone telling her, and we can't communicate with her through the Dirac Sea," Ritsuko said solemnly.
Shinji's face fell as he absorbed Ritsuko's words. "What if there were two Evas in the Dirac Sea? Could two Evas extending their A.T. Fields at maximum strength be enough to neutralize the Angel's field and rip it apart from the inside?" Shinji asked her.
A thoughtful expression crossed Ritsuko's face as she gave Shinji's question some consideration. When she remembered the fact that Unit 01 was slowly developing its own S2 organ, thanks to the Angel it had eaten months earlier, she realized that the chances of success were actually well within Shinji's favor. "Well... theoretically, yes. But good luck getting the commander to agree to that," Ritsuko said with a sigh.
"Look, the bombing run doesn't start until noon, right? We've got plenty of time to try this! Besides, Kirishima-san would do the same thing if it were one of us in there instead of her!" Shinji pleaded.
"Look, Shinji... I'm sorry," Ritsuko said, before she saw Rei and Maya both looking at her with sad expressions. "Alright, let's go speak with Gen-I mean, Commander Ikari and see what he thinks of the plan," Ritsuko said, prompting Shinji and Rei to smile at her before they began following Ritsuko out of the lab and into the corridor, heading for an elevator to take them up to the level where Gendo's office was located.
Gendo Ikari's Office, Ten Minutes Later...
"No," Gendo said bluntly. Rei, Shinji, and Ritsuko stood there silently. Shinji glared at his father in anger, and Rei finally began to contemplate a question that Mana had asked her months earlier.
If you had to choose...
"But... Commander!" Shinji pleaded.
"I said no, Corporal. The Committee has already handed out its orders, and we cannot afford to disobey them at this time, despite the magnitude of the loss we may incur as a result of their admittedly less than ideal approach to the situation. Again, we have our orders," Gendo said, keeping his face hidden from view with his gloved hands in his usual posture.
"You're a heartless bastard," Shinji spat at his father. "I can't even begin to imagine what Mother ever saw in you. What would she think if she were here now to see you callously play with someone's life like this? I bet she wouldn't even recognize you," Shinji said while glaring at his father. Gendo visibly reacted by glaring back, even if his glare was hidden by his glasses.
"Corporal Ikari... you may leave this room whenever you like," Gendo said coldly, failing at hiding the anger building within him.
"Fine. I'll do that," Shinji said with an edge to his voice as he turned around and walked away, not once looking back in his father's direction.
Rei looked back and forth between Shinji and Gendo.
If you had to choose...
"Rei?" Gendo asked as he saw the confusion marking the girl's face. Rei turned to look at him with wide eyes.
The man who was given me a purpose... or the boy who has filled me with joy and life? The boy who has risked his life to protect mine, and has told me that my life is worth living, regardless of my origins? Or the man who has kept me on a leash like an animal for most of my existence? Who would have me... die... for his own selfishness? The boy who would risk his life to protect others, or the man who would sacrifice everyone for himself?
Rei looked at Gendo softly at first. "Commander, are you certain that we cannot make an attempt to save Corporal Kirishima's life?" Rei asked him, hoping for something positive to come from the man.
"I am certain," Gendo replied bluntly. His tone brokered no room for argument.
Rei's features hardened. "I have made my choice then," she said, causing Gendo, Fuyutsuki, and Ritsuko to each raise an eyebrow in confusion.
"Your... choice?" Ritsuko asked her. Gendo and Fuyutsuki both looked at Rei inquisitively.
"Yes. Some time ago, Corporal Kirishima asked me a very personal question. At the time, I did not have an answer for her. Now... I do," Rei said firmly as she turned around and began walking away, not once looking back at the confused adults behind her.
"What was that all about?" Ritsuko asked rhetorically as Rei exited the room.
Meanwhile, out in the hallway, Rei began running as she saw Shinji turn a corner in the distance. "Shinji!" Rei shouted as she tried to catch up with him. As she reached the corner, she saw Shinji standing in place, an odd look on his face.
"Rei? What are you doing?" Shinji asked her as she panted to catch her breath.
"Sh-Shinji! Where are you going right now?" Rei asked him.
"I'm going to see Lieutenant Ibuki about something important. You don't have to come along," Shinji replied.
"Shinji... what are you planning?" Rei asked him, as she was aware that Maya had the access codes to launch the Evangelions while also having technical knowledge similar to that of Ritsuko. "Shinji... Lieutenant Ibuki has the access codes to launch the Evas. Is that why you're going to see her?" Rei asked Shinji.
Shinji stopped walking and turned back to look at Rei, his face hardened with resolve. "Oh, really? I had no idea," Shinji responded sarcastically.
"Shinji, I know you are being facetious," Rei said in response, crossing her arms and striking a pose that Shinji knew Rei has seen Asuka do at some point.
"The Commander said no," Shinji said in a deadpan manner.
"Yes, he did. I am therefore joining you to save Kirishima anyway," Rei said, causing Shinji to widen his eyes.
"R-Rei? But... I thought you took everything my father said as law," he stammered.
"I did... at one point. However... recent events have brought certain things to light which I cannot ignore," Rei said vaguely. "I will follow your lead until the end, Shinji," Rei said sincerely. A small blush rose to Shinji's face, and Rei found it cute.
"Okay then. But... we should wait at least a little bit before we do anything. My father may expect me to try something right away, so he might have security on alert. We should still go see Lieutenant Ibuki right now, anyway, though, to start planning things out," Shinji said, not knowing if this was indeed true, but also not putting it past his father anyway. Rei nodded her head in agreement and followed him down the corridor, both of them unaware that Kaji had been watching them from the shadows, listening to every word.
Deep Inside NERV HQ, 11:00 AM...
Misato Katsuragi sighed in defeat as she looked at the clock on the wall of her office. She looked back down at her half-eaten sandwich, which Makoto had given to her for lunch while he helped her out with some paperwork. Makoto was still in the room with her, working on papers when a strange sound emanated from the door to the room.
"What was that?" Makoto asked as he looked around, only for Misato to gasp as she saw the red light above her door, indicating that had been locked from the outside.
"What the hell!?" Misato shrieked as she ran around her desk and pounded a fist against the door. "Hey, what's going on here!?" Misato asked as she tried to open the door. Meanwhile, the person who had locked the door strode away from it, whistling to himself.
Around this time Shinji and Rei were both making their way through the corridors of the base, jogging around corners as they made their way to the locker rooms, where they would have easy access to the Eva holding cages. "Think anyone's noticed that the security cameras are down yet?" Shinji asked Rei.
"We have about three minutes at the most before Security notices that the footage on their monitors is being looped," Rei said as she jogged alongside Shinji, both of them still clad in their plug suits.
The two pilots continued jogging through the corridors, doing their best to avoid security as Rei navigated them. "Are you sure this is the safest way there?" Shinji asked Rei as they made their way to a stairwell.
"Yes! If we use elevators, they will be shut down remotely to halt our progress," Rei replied, her eyes glancing back and forth for signs of trouble as she and Shinji made their way up the stairs until they reached their desired floor. After exiting the stairwell, the duo continued jogging down the corridor before turning another corner.
"What the!?" Shigeru Aoba cried out as Shinji knocked into him by accident. "Ow!" Aoba said with a wince as he fell back against the floor.
"Sorry!" Shinji apologized as Rei helped pull him up from the floor. The duo quickly resumed jogging, which soon turned into all out running as they heard the security alarms begin blaring.
"Dammit! They're onto us!" Shinji swore as he and Rei turned another corner as they made their way to the pilots locker room.
NERV HQ Command Center...
Maya Ibuki watched the monitor in front of her carefully as she saw Shinji and Rei make their way to the locker room. She nervously glanced over her shoulder to see if anyone was watching. Thankfully, no one was there. There were only a handful of people in the Command Center at the moment, and none of them were on her level.
However, with the security alarms blaring, she now began to feel the hairs on the back of her neck standing up ramrod straight. Every second that passed was an opportunity for her to get caught. And those chances only increased when she heard the sound of a door opening and saw Commander Ikari entering the Command Center on the very top level.
In The Eva Holding Cages...
"We're almost there!" Shinji exclaimed as he and Rei exited the entrance corridor and got onto the walkway. They quickly made their way down a set of stairs over toward some catwalks. "Rei! Use Unit Zero to buy me some time! I'll make the jump into the Angel!" Shinji shouted to her as she paused and looked at him. She quickly grabbed his wrist and squeezed it gently.
"Please... come back alive," Rei asked of him, her face expressing concern. Shinji nodded his head in response.
"Of course," he said, slightly confused, until he saw the blush on Rei's cheeks. There was an urge he wanted to give into right then and there, but he forced himself to remember their time limit. "I promise I'll come back alive," Shinji said with a confident smile as he put a hand on Rei's shoulder and squeezed it gently, before both of them parted ways and ran over to the entry plugs of their resepctive Evangelions.
As Shinji closed the hatch, he began the pre-launch auto-sequence. The Entry plug quickly slid into place in the Eva's torso, while the power cable was automatically attached to it by the machinery nearby. Shinji soon heard his father's voice over the Eva's com system. "Shinji, what do you think you're doing?" Gendo asked him with a hint of anger in his voice.
"What am I doing? I'm doing the right thing and saving Kirishima's life. Not that you'd know what it means to do the right thing," Shinji replied as he initiated the electrolyzing of LCL as it began flooding the entry plug.
"Shinji, if you do this... you may not ever be able to pilot the Eva again," Gendo warned.
"If I don't do this, I won't be able to live with myself. Standing by while doing nothing is just as bad as running away!" Shinji shot back over the com.
"Shinji, I order you to stand down and exit your Evangelion," Gendo said over the com.
"Uh-huh. I hear ya," Shinji said dismissively as he continued the pre-launch sequence, moving his Eva into place and waiting for Maya to launch the deployment boxes.
"Corporal Ikari, this is your last chance. Stand down, and I may give you a lenient punishment for your insubordination. You have your orders," Gendo said.
Shinji saw the image of his father appearing on the screen in a small window. He raised a fist and uncurled his middle finger. "Fuck your orders and FUCK YOU!" Shinji spat, years of resentment and anger finally boiling to the surface. He then closed the com channel and set it to private.
As soon as he was in position, he felt the deployment box lift up into the deployment shaft.
NERV HQ Command Center...
"Who unlocked the deployment shafts?" Gendo asked as he looked around the room.
Slowly, Maya Ibuki stood up from her seat and looked Gendo in the eyes. "I did, Sir," Maya said simply.
"Lieutenant Ibuki, would you mind telling me just why you risked your career like this?" Gendo asked her coldly.
"It's the right thing to do," Maya said simply.
"I see..." Gendo said. "For your sake, Lieutenant, Corporal Ikari's plan had better work. If it does not work, then you will find yourself without a job before the end of the night," he added with a glare and a frown. Maya nodded her head slowly in response.
"Commander, Unit Zero is also launching!" another bridge bunny reported from a different deck.
"Unit... Zero? Rei?" Gendo asked in disbelief. "Patch me through to her, now," he said.
"Commander Ikari," Rei stated. Her image was present on the main screen from inside the entry plug.
"Rei... are you attempting to apprehend Corporal Ikari?" Gendo asked her.
"Negative. I am assisting Corporal Ikari in his rescue effort. We have run the simulations through the MAGI, and Shinji's plan has a greater chance of success than the plan presented by Doctor Akagi and the Oversight Committee," Rei stated.
"Rei... we have our orders," Gendo said firmly, and begrudgingly.
"I am aware of that. I am also aware that some orders are not worth following. However, if I cannot receive any orders to begin with, then I cannot disobey them either," Rei said, just before she cut the communication feed.
"Rei?" Gendo asked as he looked at the blank screen.
"She's cut us off, sir," Maya said. Gendo's left eye began to twitch.
Tokyo-3, Topside...
Shinji braced himself as Unit 01 rocketed to the surface. As soon as he was clear, he pushed Unit 01 forward out of the box and ran towards the black shadow across the center of the city. In the distance, he saw Unit 00 making its way in their direction. "Rei! I need you to hold off anyone who tries to stop me, okay?" Shinji said as he started turning the Eva around and grabbing the power cable, twirling it around the Eva's waist before a sizable length was in Unit 01's hands.
"Okay. Rei... I'm coming back. I promise!" Shinji shouted before he forced Unit 01 to run over and leapt into the dark disc. He deployed Unit 01's A.T. Field, causing the Angel to react and pull him in. "Just hold on, Kirishima. I'm coming to get ya."
The Dirac Sea...
Inside the entry plug of Unit 04, Mana checked the instrument panel in front her before leaning back and letting out a soft whimper as she pulled her legs up to her chest. She looked across from her seat and saw the younger version of herself appear again. "What do you want?" Mana spat at the Angel.
"Why do you pilot Eva?" Leliel-Mana asked.
"If I don't, monsters like you will eradicate all Lilith-based life on this planet, and we wish to continue existing," Mana replied.
Leliel-Mana seemed taken back by this response.
"I wish to continue existing as well. But... if the only way for me to unite with Father and Lilith will cause you to cease being, then I am sorry. However... I do not intend to change my plans. I do not wish to be alone anymore. My siblings are dwindling. I do have company in the form of those who merged with me during my birth, but none of them are as you are. None of them can talk back," Leliel said, before it changed forms.
Mana's eyes widened as a large, barrel-chested black man with a mustache stood in front of her.
"They can't really do much. Sure, I can probe their brains and jump start some neurons to get information, but it's not the same as talking with you, Mana," Leliel-Barnes said.
Mana scowled at the Angel. "And what if I refuse to talk with you?" Mana asked Leliel.
Leliel changed shape again, this time taking on the form of Aoi Kirishima, causing Mana to frown. "I don't think you'll do that," Leliel said with a smile.
"You... you drop that form right now! RIGHT NOW!" Mana screamed at Leliel.
"The memories this one had... were full of you and another. This Lilin was quite fond of you. You came from her... and the other that she thought of," Leliel said.
"It's called sexual reproduction. It's the basis of all life on Earth," Mana spat. "It's integral to the evolution of all species on this planet," she added.
"Yes. That is how it is for all life seeded on each world chosen by our makers. After all, we are the seeds of life planted here by ADAM, and we are all different from one another. Even more so are those of us planted by other SEEDs on other worlds, for there are those who bear the Fruit of Knowledge, such as Lilith and her offspring, which would be you, those who bear the Fruit of Life, such as Father and myself, among others, and even those who bear the Fruit of Wisdom, such as those who made Father and Lilith," Leliel-Aoi said.
"Planted? Seeds of life? Fruit of Wisdom? What the hell is all of this Bible study bullshit?" Mana asked the Angel curiously.
"Didn't Lilith keep the texts intact for her offspring to read once they had evolved to the point that they could understand them?" Leliel-Aoi asked Mana.
"Texts? Do you mean... the Dead Sea Scrolls?" Mana asked Leliel, remembering what Kaji and Barnes had both told her in secret.
"I do not understand what that means. But if that is your terminology for the texts, so be it," Leliel said.
"Hold on, you said that Adam planted you and the other Angels here on Earth. Who was here first, Adam or Lilith?" Mana asked the Angel.
"ADAM came to Earth first, Lilin. We were all set to be planted, and one of us did get planted and awaken, just before Lilith crashed here by mistake. Her Spear of Longinus was either damaged or lost during the crash, and so ADAM put himself to sleep with his own Spear. It was promised to us that after Lilith's children had left this Earth, we could take it back for ourselves," Leliel said, her voice growing colder and more menacing with each word.
"If you're gonna get pissy, don't use my mother's form. Use something else," Mana demanded. Leliel-Aoi nodded her head in compliance, before changing to an equally aged Mana.
"Well... I guess that's better," Mana muttered tiredly.
"We! Were! Promised! When Father's Spear was removed, it was the signal for us to awaken! So, why have you not left the Earth!? Why do you linger and stop us from taking what is ours!?" Leliel-Mana shrieked at Mana with a scowl as she leaned forward, putting her face in front of Mana's face.
"I don't know! Okay!? I don't fucking know! Unless you mean Second Impact, which happened when Adamn's Lance was removed by accident!" Mana replied. "It was an accident, and we paid for it already with almost four billion of our own kind!" Mana continued.
"Our planet has been wrecked thanks to your father throwing a tantrum! And you want to reclaim it for yourselves!? Fuck you bitch!" Mana spat at the Angel with a scowl leaning forward, only for her head to pass through Leliel's head.
Mana then shook her head and sat back. "Oh god, I'm going crazy!" she whined. "I'm sitting here talking to myself while hallucinating," she moaned into her hands.
Leliel frowned at Mana before fading from view.
"I've lost it. Face it, Mana... you've lost," Mana said to herself. "I've lost... pretty much everything, haven't I? I've lost my family. I've lost my home. I've lost my friends. I've lost my sanity. Heh. I guess all that's left to lose is my life," Mana said tiredly. She looked over at the LCL filter monitor. "But... that shouldn't be too far away now," she said to herself.
"I wonder... if it'll be painful?" she asked herself. "I could always... no. That's the coward's way out," Mana said as she remembered the water-proof gun she had hidden in a compartment inside the entry plug.
"What difference does it make, though?" she asked herself solemnly as her hope began to fade. "I'm gonna die in here," she moaned. "I didn't wanna go out like this," she whimpered as she pulled up a holographic display of her filtered LCL. She had six hours left before her recently filtered LCL supply would need to be changed, and she had no extra backup supplies stored in Unit 04 anywhere.
"I tried, Dad. I really did, but... there's nothing I can do," Mana whispered in defeat as she hung her head, resting her chin on her knees. "This is it. It's over. This is Corporal Mana Kirishima, pilot of Evangelion Unit Four-Beta, signing off," Mana said to no one in particular as she closed her eyes.
"Who am I kidding? Who's gonna care anyway?" Mana asked herself as tears began falling. "What's it gonna matter if I die in here? I mean... at least I'll be with everyone else in here... right?" Mana asked herself. She then looked at her main screen again. Seeing the blue resin-covered remains of her friends and family quickly changed that notion in her head.
"No. No, this isn't okay! I don't wanna die like this! I-I don't! But what other option is there? No one's going to save me, and there's nothing I can do to get myself out of here... I'm dead no matter what happens," she said quietly to herself, the tears streaking down her face as she nearly lost all hope.
"There's... just no way out," she told herself. "Crying about it won't do me any good, but... what else can I do at this point?" she asked herself before she looked at the timer for her LCL levels.
"Maybe I can just... go to sleep. I'll let it happen in my sleep. Should be peaceful to go out that way," Mana said with a frown. "I mean, what do I have to lose at this point?" she asked herself morosely.
"Kirishima-san?"'
Mana raised her head up and looked at a small window in the corner of the entry plug screen, before tilting her head in confusion. "What the...?"
"Kirishima-san!? Can you hear me!?" a desperate voice called out over the com.
"Now I'm hallucinating that too?" Mana asked herself, before she noticed that the light above the com was blinking. She wasn't hallucinating.
"I...Ikari-kun?" Mana asked skeptically over the com.
"Kirishima-san! Kirishima-san!? Where are you!?" Shinji asked over the com.
"Uh... Purgatory, I think," Mana replied thoughtfully.
Mana slowly moved Unit 04 to grab some debris and stand on a large chunk of rock before turning itself around to look for signs of rescue. Switching over to the blue vision mode, Mana soon saw a yellow outline in the distance.
"I see you!" Mana gasped in shock. "I don't believe it! Ikari-kun, what the hell are you doing here!?" Mana asked as Unit 01 drifted closer to her position.
"I'm here to rescue you! Why else would I be here!?" Shinji replied over the com.
She soon saw that a long segment of power cable was wrapped around the Eva's waist.
"What happened to your power cable?" Mana asked Shinji over the com.
"It's part of my plan to get you out of here," Shinji replied over the com.
"Your plan? Ikari-kun, there's no way out of here. You were better off staying outside and just letting me die in here," Mana said with a sigh. "Besides, you've probably only got like a minute of power left in there with your cable cut," Mana added.
"Fuck that! There is a way out of here, Kirishima-san! It just takes two of us to make it work! And for the record, I actually have... eight minutes left. I'm sure it'll go down once I stop drifting and put my plan into action, though," Shinji replied confidently over the com, finally piquing Mana's interest.
"Okay... you sound pretty convinced of your own plan. Care to give me some details? I mean, since we're both stuck in here, and I've got about six hours of breathable LCL left," Mana replied.
"Actually, no, Kirishima-san, we don't have six hours to waste. At Twelve noon, the JSSDF is going to drop nearly eighty N-Two mines into the Angel to destroy it," Shinji explained.
"They're gonna do WHAT!?" Mana asked him in disbelief.
"Yeah. Look, the Angel has an inverted A.T. Field, so it behaves differently than the Angels we've fought before. You know that giant striped sphere we saw yesterday in the sky? That's the Angel's shadow!" Shinji explained.
Mana's jaw dropped. "You're shittin' me," Mana soon said in disbelief.
"No, I'm not. Listen, Kirishima-san, I need you to deactivate your A.T. Field, and then wrap part of this power cable around your Eva, back to back with mine. I've drawn back my own A.T. Field as well," Shinji said over the com.
"Hold on. You gotta explain this to me," Mana demanded over the com as Unit 01 drifted close enough for Unit 04 to reach out and grab its arm to pull it onto the rock. "Why do I need to deactivate my A.T. Field?" Mana asked.
"The Angel's A.T. Field is inverted. You had your Field deployed when you passed through it, so it won't do anything to it right now. BUT, if you deactivate it and redeploy it before extending it as far as you can go at full strength, while I do the same thing, we can neutralize the Angel's A.T. Field and rip it apart from the inside!" Shinji explained.
"How long did it take for Doctor Akagi to make you understand this?" Mana asked him.
"Actually, I was the one who came up with it," Shinji replied over the com.
Mana's eyes widened in response. "You're joking. I know you do okay in school, but I've never taken you to be the type to understand how all of the stuff involving the Evas worked," Mana replied.
"Well... it just seemed kind of obvious once I started thinking about it. And besides, it's better than the alternative, which is just dropping over eighty N-Two mines into the Angel and blasting it to pieces! It's the only other solution Doctor Akagi could come up with, because of the Angel's inverted A.T. Field. The UN Oversight Committe already ordered the JSSDF to go ahead with that plan by noon today! We have to hurry!" Shinji replied.
"So, tell me, Ikari-kun. If the JSSDF was already given the go ahead for that other plan, how did you get authorization for this one?" Mana asked over the com.
"I didn't," Shinji replied over the com. Mana's eyes widened.
"That doesn't seem like your style, Ikari-kun," Mana noted.
"Well, I may have picked up some bad habits from a certain someone over the past few months," Shinji replied over the com.
"Hm. I've taught you well. Okay, now, you're sure this will work?" Mana asked Shinji.
"I'm positive. Besides, I promised Rei that I'd come back alive," Shinji replied over the com.
Mana processed Shinji's words. "Ikari-kun... you are one crazy son of a bitch, you know that? Telling the girl you're rescuing that you promised to come back to a different girl? You've got balls, buddy," Mana said with a chuckle.
"Thanks," Shinji said over the com. "Now, grab some of this power cable and wrap it around us both. We're getting out of here together," Shinji said.
Mana did exactly as Shinji said and used Unit 04 to wrap the power cable around their Evas, both of which were now back to back with each other.
"Okay, preparing to deactivate A.T. Field," Mana said. "Same here. Okay... ready?" Shinji asked her over the com. "Just about... now. A.T. Field deactivated," Mana said. "Good. Now, on three, we both redeploy our Fields and extend them as far as possible, got it?" Shinji replied over the com. Mana soon saw Leliel-Mana appear in front of her again, frowning at her.
Mana simply smirked at the Angel in response. "I'm about to end your loneliness," Mana whispered, causing a confused look to appear on the Angel's face. "In just a few minutes," Mana whispered darkly.
"One... two... THREE!" Shinji shouted over the com. Man and Shinji both deployed their A.T. Fields again, sending them out as far as they could go and raising their strength as high as possible, creating a strange orange ripple in the vacuum around them as their Fields impacted that of the Angel. Orange hexagons flashed brightly all over the interior of the Dirac Sea in an outwards direction, each flash appearing further and further away as Shinji and Mana continued to raise the strength and distance of their Eva's A.T. Fields.
Inside Shinji's entry plug, a younger version of himself wearing a black and white striped shirt appeared in front of him. Shinji's eyes widened in confusion at this apparition. "Why do you pilot Eva?" it asked him. "What is the purpose of your actions?" the apparition asked him. Shinji began to feel his confidence lowering as this younger version of himself stared at him with dull gray eyes and a frown on its face.
"Hey, Mana!?" Shinji shouted over the com. "Yeah?" Mana replied.
"I think we need to push harder and faster! I'm starting to hallucinate in here!" Shinji cried out.
"That's just the Angel trying to fuck with you! Ignore it!" Mana replied over the com.
Inside Mana's entry plug, Leliel-Mana reappeared and glared at her before she suddenly clutched at her head in pain. She then looked at Mana with wide eyes. "No! No, not like this!" Leliel-Mana roared as she lunged for Mana, her hands phasing right through the girl. Leliel-Mana stepped back as a fearful expression came over her face. Mana simply smirked at her before giving her the finger.
"Sayonara sucker," Mana quipped.
Outside the entry plugs, the two Evas' eyes glowed as their A.T. Fields continued pushing against Leliel's, glowing orange and showing off hexagonal fields repeatedly as the Angel's Field began to crack. Orange flashes of light illuminated the Dirac Sea with every pulse of the A.T. Fields fighting against each other.
"It's working! Mana, keep it up!" Shinji exclaimed over the com. "You got it!" Mana replied enthusiastically, causing Shinji to smile in his entry plug at hearing her expressing emotions again. "I'm gettin' out outta here," Mana said with a grin. "I'm gonna live! I'm gonna LIVE!"
Tokyo-3, Topside...
A frazzled and angry Misato stepped outside into a tent that had been set up by the JSSDF several miles away from Leliel's position. Unit 00 was standing by with Unit 02 and Unit 05, although Rei had refused to open up her communications lines to anyone so far. Misato frowned at the yellow and gray Eva.
"The nerve of those two... pulling a stunt like this," Misato growled. But it's exactly the kind of thing I would have done in their position as well, she thought to herself. Standing nearby, Gendo Ikari held watched the giant floating sphere impassively, although inside he felt a torrent of different emotions running through him, emotions that he hadn't felt in years.
Misato checked her watch. "It's almost time," she said with resignation in her voice.
"Hey! Look at that!" someone cried out as they pointed to the sphere, which was starting to darken in color as the shadow beneath it began rising up into air and melding into it. Soon, it began to warp, and something began trying to push out of it. "What is that!?" someone else asked in confusion.
Standing next to Gendo, Ritsuko's eyes widened. "The Evas! They're escaping!" Ritsuko exclaimed excitedly. Gendo's eyes widened as he glanced between Ritsuko and the sphere.
Soon enough, a bloody hand shot through the now darkened Angel's body, as did three more, sending red blood falling onto the streets below. Soon, the hands began ripping apart the Angel from the inside, and the two giant humanoids fell forth from their vacuum-like womb onto the streets below, their power cable rope coming loose as blood and debris from Second Branch rained down onto the streets with them.
Red blood flooded the streets and painted the sides of buildings. Large chunks of debris fro Second Branch crushed cars and bikes parked along the roads, while other vehicles were swept away by the tides of Angel blood flooding the streets. Blue resin-coated chunks of computer terminals and corpses fell down onto the streets like nightmarish rain, while two monolithic giants stood head and shoulders above it all, looking down upon the streets beneath them with glowing eyes.
Misato and the others covered their mouths in horror at the sight of so much blood flooding the streets. And then, Unit 01's eyes darkened, and she fell forward, just before Unit 04 reached over to catch her. Misato looked over at the radio on the table nearby before rushing over to it. "Attention, JSSDF squadron, this is Major Misato Katsuragi of NERV ordering you to abort the operation! I say again, abort the operation! Abort!" Misato shouted into the radio.
"Affirmative, planes are turning around. We are... what the hell happened down there!?" came the voice of the squadron leader over the radio. Misato sighed and shook her head. "A miracle is what happened, sir. A fucking miracle."
Twenty Minutes Later...
Stepping down onto the ground below, Mana looked up at the bright blue sky above and inhaled, smiling as she took her first breath of fresh non-recycled air in nearly a day. "Kirishima-san!" Shinji called out as he raced over to her from his Eva. Mana smiled at him as he rushed over, before he slipped on something and she had to catch him.
"Easy there, Tiger," she said as she helped straighten him up. Looking over Shinji's shoulder, Mana could see someone with a white outfit and blue hair approaching them, jogging. Mana smiled at the sight of Rei as she soon managed to reach them.
"Well, it looks like you kept your promise to her after all," Mana said to a now blushing Shinji. Shinji smiled and rubbed the back of his head as Rei finally stepped up to him.
"You came back," Rei said, a trembling smile forming on her face.
"I promised, didn't I?" Shinji asked her in response. Rei nodded her head, before launching herself at Shinji and hugging him tightly. "R-Rei!" Shinji stammered.
Mana chuckled at the scene. "Well? Hug her back, Dummy!" Mana encouraged him. Shinji followed Mana's advice and wrapped his arms around Rei, bringing her in close. Mana could see the smile on Rei's face as Shinji hugged her back.
When the duo finally pulled apart from each other, Shinji looked at Mana. "So, Kirishima-san? How are you feeling?" Shinji asked her.
Mana looked up at the sky before focusing her gaze onto Shinji's face again. "Well... better than I have been recently," she replied.
"So... are you gonna be okay?" Shinji asked her.
Mana sighed. "I... I think I might. Not right away, but... I think I'll get there in time," Mana replied with a smile. "Thanks, though. For risking your ass to save mine," Mana added with a slight nod of her head.
"That's what friends do. Besides, you'd have done the same thing for one of us," Shinji replied.
"Yeah, I would," Mana said softly with a smile.
The trio slowly began making their way over to the large group of JSSDF and NERV personnel gathered around the area, where an ambulance was waiting as well. As the trio got closer to the group of NERV and military personnel, Shinji saw his father looking at him with an unusual expression on his face. For the briefest of moments, Shinji thought he saw pride on his father's face, before he quickly dismissed the thought.
"Hey, Shin-man! Ya did it!" Toji's voice cried out as the backup pilot stepped forward. "I knew you could do it, man!" Toji said with a grin, before he heard someone clearing their throat as they stepped up next to him. "Uh-oh," Toji muttered as Misato stepped forward.
"Misato," Shinji said, staring her in the eyes.
"Corporal Ikari," Misato replied. She then glanced over at Rei, before finally settling her focus on Mana. "Corporal Kirishima. How are you feeling?" Misato asked the girl.
Mana glanced between Shinji and Rei before looking back at Misato. "Well... better than the last couple weeks. A lot better."
ENDING THEME: Fly Me To The Moon (Aki Jungle Mix), by Aki.
PREVIEW OF NEXT EPISODE
On the next episode of EVANGELION: REWIRED, Shinji and the rest of NERV are questioned by the Oversight Committee regarding Shinji's unauthorized rescue operation. Meanwhile, a geological survey team near Mount Asama has discovered something unusual residing within the dormant volcano.
Author's Notes: This was episode 14, and holy shit! This episode was a whopper!
So, like I said, Shinji is now furthering his character development, as is Rei. Also, since Mana has been the focus of the past few episodes, the next one will center primarily on the other pilots, since I think I've given Mana more than enough screen time by this point.
Also, I originally planned to have a subplot concerning Mana attempting to commit suicide, only to be found and stopped by Kaji, but I removed it because it just left a bad taste in my mouth.
Also, as some of you may have noticed, Gendo is starting to... change.
And, as I mentinoned earlier, this episode does have a conspiracy vibe to it, as SEELE sees the use of excessive force to destroy Leliel as the perfect way to destroy Unit 04-Beta without exposing themselves. Meanwhile, Gendo actually wants to retrieve Unit 04-Beta intact for his own purposes, as the Eva gives him an ace to hold over SEELE.
Also, you may have noticed that I've switched the order of certain Angels, with Leliel appearing before Sandalphon, who will appear in the next episode.
As always, please be sure to let me know what you think of the episode and/or story so far in your reviews!