Chapter 21
Between Moons of Black and White
Disclaimer: I don't own this series or any other series. I am just floating an idea. I am making no money, nor plan to, off this venture. If you think of suing me over this, then grow up.
I would like to first personally thank all of those reviewing my stories. I enjoy reading your comments, and try to correct the grammatical errors I miss with my final read-through as well as my spell checkers. The suggestions you all make will help make this story better for everyone to enjoy, as well as allow my to fix some plot holes I may unintentionally leave. If you find any, let me know, and I will correct them and repost the chapters.
There were some things not meant for the eyes and hands of mortal men and women.
The power of the S2 organ—or the S2 engine for the pre-constructed types—is such an item.
Their power is both immense and unlimited, having no end in sight as long as it has something ... anything, with which to convert to energy for the organism in a 1:1 ratio.
The most startling proof of this was in the Pacific Testing Grounds for the reconstructed S2 engine that had once been the S2 core and organ of the Fourth Angel; Shamshel. When activated, a deviation in its design was immediately made clear, as a large section of the area was immediately converted into energy, until the S2 engine turned on itself.
An island ... gone.
Seventy eight scientists and four ships, including one UN battle cruiser were lost.
No bodies...
No wreckage...
It reminds me of the largest fault of those in power now: they assume their power is absolute, their knowledge infinite and perfect. They willingly dabble in forces not fully under their control, trying to force and shape the world, mold it into their own image of what reality should be.
A self-fulfilling prophecy... That's what we are in now. They disturbed Adam, seeing him as their dreams given form. They had no knowledge or care that the failsafe was in place, that activating it would damage Lilith for a second time.
Life was not supposed to take four billion years to form on any world a Seed fell on. But each Seed has access only to so much energy with which to start genesis, with that amount determining the speed of genesis.
The activation of the failsafe drained that energy, and thus it took Lilith four billion years to make Earth habitable enough for a sentient species to thrive.
Adam was barely tapping into his own energy to start genesis on the world that slammed into Earth to create the moon; Luna. When the failsafe was tampered with, the Giant of Light was able to try and redo his genesis, doing what he and Lilith were each programmed to do in their very base nature: create life.
Antarctica; now a sea of LCL and spires of ice; set for the primordial soup that the Seed would use to start life. It's interruption causing Adam to release fifteen seeds of light, which would become the fifteen Angels we are to face.
How did they know? How did the writers of the Dead Sea Scrolls know of this? How did they know of the fifteen seeds? How did they know of what we face today?
Was it planned?
Was this part of a program beyond the Seeds, beyond any of us; a remnant of the Gods that created the Angels in the first place?
Whether destiny or free will, fate or random chance, it has occurred. Despite the signs, those wishing for power to reshape the world ignored the obvious warnings of a self fulfilling prophecy and took us into this war.
Now Lilith's connection to Earth is fading, Adam's own connection is slowly fading into the ether as well.
My own connection?
I am a Grey Seed; neither a child wholly of the Black Moon or that of the White Moon.
Oddity...
Abnormality...
Anomaly...
Why am I different? Is my purpose an error?
I don't know.
I don't care.
I know what I want and what I need to do.
I will protect my friends with my life.
Grey Moon ... Grey Seed ... enemy of the Angels, yet an Angel myself.
But then what?
What will happen if we win?
Will they all die out? Can I save them all?
Nearly changing the small area centered around Tokyo-3 nearly killed me. Changing people into Children of the Grey was not a conscious action, more of a reaction, a sign of the power that I now possessed.
But do I possess the power, or am I merely a tool for a will greater than my own.
I really need to stop watching theology debates.
A Seed will only remain on a world until the life it creates no longer needs its support. This is why Lilith was still here. If humanity had evolved to a point where she was no longer needed to support their souls, she would have moved on. After that, even Adam would not have been able to begin genesis on this world. Once a world reaches that point, genesis can not be undertaken, and he too would leave.
Does this mean when I have achieved all I can, when they need me no more to stand on their own ... that I too will be forced to leave?
Can I still stay if I want to? What would I be seen as?
I hate this. I hate being different, I hate having this power ... and I hate being put into a position where I have no choice but to accept it all.
Life sucks ... and then you are supposed to die.
Unless you believe in reincarnation, then you get to repeat this fucked up cycle until a higher or lower power decides the journey of your soul is ended.
Rei...
Asuka...
Toji...
Kaoru...
Mana...
Kensuke...
Misato...
Ritsuko...
Maya...
Naoko...
Mother...
Kyoko...
Azrael...
Hoshoni...
My friends... My family...
They don't know this ... they can't know this! This is my burden and my burden alone!
If they knew ... they'd worry. They'd spend time trying to find out if I would be forced to leave ... and try to find a way for me to stay.
We have other things to worry about. There are still three Angels left, and I have yet to see the one that will side with us.
Even then, there is no guarantee that they will stay as such.
The Grey will be torn between the two moons...
The shadows of the fallen shall strike back...
Hints of what lie ahead. I don't know what they mean.
My luck, it will mean I will see that familiar ceiling again in the regeneration chamber.
I hate familiar ceilings.
It wouldn't be so bad ... if they just repairs those damned cracked tiles ... and maybe give you some entertainment inside the tube.
Floating for hours on end with nothing to distract you...
And I thought our teacher was boring...
"May I enquire the reason for this outing?" asked Kaoru.
Shinji nodded his head towards a bench on the other side of the clearing. "What do you see over there?"
Kaoru looked towards the bench, spotting a girl sitting. She was reading a book, round glasses on her nose, and long black-purple hair flowing down her back. "It appears to be the new transfer student to our class; Miss Mayumi Yamagishi, if I recall."
Shinji nodded. "Bit of a bookworm, friendly girl, and very much like you."
"Me?" asked Kaoru, startled.
Shinji nodded. "Since she's a transfer student, she wasn't ascended, but she's close. She also has a heavy crush on you, according to the local gossip."
Kaoru nodded, stunned at such a revelation. "If she has such desires of me, why has she not pursued them?"
"She's shy," said Shinji. "Combined with low self-confidence, she's unsure of herself."
"May I ask why you are informing me of this?" asked Kaoru.
"Simple, you need to date. I know your old guardians neglected a lot of your social training, but I think you two would be good for each other."
"I ... see," said Kaoru. He was unsure of what to make of this development. He had long been hoping that by keeping a distance, it would hurt them less in the long run if he had to follow the path he was originally born for.
But this girl also saw value in him; more than the others, as hers was of a romantic nature.
It was a position Kaoru was unfamiliar with, having only watched Shinji's escapades from a distance. A Lilim finds me ... attractive. This is most odd.
But now, he had another opportunity to spend time as the Lilim do, and that included the ability to seek out a mate.
Not that he expected it to be easy. His earlier observations of the courtship rituals of Lilim seemed to mirror several in the Animal Kingdom, from bright colors, strutting, smells, and even attempts to highlight desirable attributes.
However, since this girl seemed not to fit into those standardized social situations, Kaoru was at a loss of what to do.
Sighing, Shinji walked closer to him. "Go over to her and strike up a conversation. Some say the best way to win a person's heart is to win over their mind."
"But I have no desire to rewrite her personality."
Seeing that Kaoru's face neither betrayed if he was serious or joking, Shinji elaborated. "No; go over and talk with her. Have a normal discussion, and see whether or not your personalities mesh well to the point that her mind stimulates more interest in her."
"Oh," said Kaoru, smiling. "Very well, Shinji-kun; I shall make this endeavor."
Shaking his head, Shinji stayed nearby in case Kaoru needed another pep talk. Man, this is more proof someone is out to get me, and not in an Earthly manner.
"Hello."
Mayumi blinked, looking up from her book to the source of the sound of the interrupting voice. "K-K-Kaoru!"
"Yes," he said, smiling, even as his senses were telling him there was something extremely different about this girl. "I was perhaps wondering if you were busy, or if I may accompany you for a bit."
"O-of course," she stuttered, scooting over on the bench.
"May I enquire as to what you are reading?"
"Oh," she said, startled. "This is a book on the History of Mozart."
"An interesting choice; is there any particular reason why you chose to read this tome?"
"Well, you might think this is weird, but I'd never read it before, so that just makes me want to read it."
"Ah," said Kaoru.
Now he thinks I'm a freak.
"It is a noble ambition."
"Huh?"
Kaoru nodded, still smiling. "It is very rare to meet a person who wishes to expand their knowledge in an area simply because they find the opportunity, and not due to some need for that particular area. You simply wish to pursue knowledge because it is there to be taken."
Mayumi blinked. "I just thought it was because I was a bookworm."
Chuckling a bit, Kaoru nodded. "But do not bookworms enjoy reading the books they do merely to experience them."
"I ... guess so. I just know I love books and love to read."
"They are neither mutually exclusive ideas."
"I guess not," said Mayumi, smiling. He really is a great guy!
"Mayumi, would you like to go for a walk with me? We can discuss whatever you wish."
Her eyes opened wide. Oh my; he asked me out! "Um ... okay."
Standing up, Kaoru offered her his hand. "Then shall we be off?"
Smiling, she took his hand, staring at it.
And thus, she missed as his eyes momentarily dilated, before returning to normal.
"It was a dangerous move to send her in," said SEELE 01. "We were barely able to control it in the lab. But to send them now..."
"Perhaps," said SEELE 03, "but we are fast approaching a point of no return. If we do not use everything at our disposal to either weaken or remove the anomaly, then we shall quickly find our scenario worthless."
"You do realize it is just as powerful as any other of them," said SEELE 02. "If it discovers the truth..."
"It neither has access to this supposed commonality that the other Angels have access to, nor can it send data to it."
"As far as you know," said SEELE 04. "These are areas we have little data on."
"Be that is it may," said SEELE 02, "it should upset Ikari's plans at the least, since it is not mentioned within the Scrolls. If we can create uncertainty in the least, or even give the appearance of power we do not have, it may be a deciding factor in things to come."
"And what of our former bell?" asked SEELE 03.
"Let him be for now," said SEELE 01. "At the moment, he is of no threat to either us or the plan."
"Are you certain?" asked SEELE 04.
"We shall see," said SEELE 01, as both he and the others faded from their room.
I can sense it even now, more clearly than I ever had before.
And all I can see in it is a sadness and a longing beyond what I can help at this time.
Illusion. That is what it is; an Angel of Illusion, nested in her heart.
I cannot sense a name, an identity with which to call it. It may not have a name yet, no understanding of its own nature and possible paths before it.
It cries in pain.
It is of my first family, brought into this world for a purpose not ordained by the All-Father. It was brought into this world for their purpose, the purpose of my former task-masters.
Can it be helped as I was? Surely, it is close enough to influence; the core of its very being resting inside its Lilim Avatar.
They have done a dangerous venture.
But I do not find my loyalties divided with them. No; my plans never included allowing them their wishes.
My loyalties are divided now between my life among the Lilim and what my life as a Child of the All-Father entails.
And once again, a new issue has crept into play that divides me even more: Mayumi.
Shinji-kun was quite correct. I find that her interactions with me have produced a enjoyable response. I find now that our evening is over and I have dropped her off at her apartment—which I am certain was also part of SEELE's plan due to it also residing in the same apartment building as Shinji-kun and the rest of us—I find myself desiring her company once again.
Very strange ... yet a very enjoyable experience.
So this is the life of the Lilim.
No matter what, I shall cherish that I was able to at least experience this.
"They've started construction on all the Evas up to Unit 13?" asked Misato, astounded. "And at seven different locations around the world?"
"Yeah; the information comes from Shanghai, so it is definitely on the level," said Makoto, leaning against the back of a bench.
Currently, he and Misato were outside the Pyramid, which was still undergoing reconstruction. She was facing the large site, as he was facing the area that was to be the internal base for the Jet Alone project, consisting of mostly repair facilities and a launch platform for the Icarus-Class JAs to the surface.
"But it makes no sense," said Misato. "We know from Shinji that there are only three Angels left. Why would they speed up the construction process now?"
"Well, we do have four heavily damaged Evas," suggested Makoto. "Add to that the fact it taken more than a month to even get to over ninety percent completion on the repairs for the Goliath and the Icarus Jet Alones to be repaired. They may be trying to create a reserve force."
"Perhaps, but we've been receiving spare parts from Germany that were originally intended for Units 05 and 06, as well as from America for Units 11 and 12. They've been spending an awful lot of money lately."
"And that's after they doubled the budget," added Makoto. "Not that we touch it much considering what the developed technologies bring in. But it's obvious the executives are being driven by something."
"Most likely our formerly generous backers," said Misato.
"Do you think they might be doing this in anticipation that the next Angels might attack in a group?" asked Makoto. "We know they have the old data, and they have been becoming more difficult to defeat with our current forces."
"Maybe, but there's no reason for them to be doing this so much outside the official channels."
"There is one possibility," said Makoto.
"And that is?"
"That the other Evas aren't being ready for us."
Misato nodded, not wanting to voice the conclusion to Makoto's argument.
That the other Evas were being readied quicker to be used against them.
It was a quiet dinner at the Katsuragi Home. Shinji was eating with his usual enthusiasm, as was Rei, with Asuka delivering random glances at him.
Misato just observed them as she usually did, not feeling like teasing at the moment. She could tell the girls were still a little protective of Shinji at the moment, having been but a few days since his return from the core of Unit 01. She had already found Rei clutching him once again while she slept, afraid her light would go.
The same could almost be said for Asuka, the girl's eyes showing signs of lack of sleep; more likely the result of her split attention between the worry for the boy she would finally admit to respecting, and the worry of the ongoing repairs to the current container of her mother's soul; Unit 02.
Rei was being her usual hard to read self, but had yet to show her odd sense of humor that day.
And finally, it came to Shinji. "Would you all quit doing that?"
"Doing what?" asked Misato.
"Hovering around me," he said. "You guys act like I'm about to be abducted into thin air at any moment."
"Stop complaining, Fairy Boy," growled Asuka, her lack of sleep making her a bit edgier than usual, added with it being ... the time for her period.
Sighing, Shinji grabbed both his plate and any empty dishes on the table, before retreating to the kitchen. "But you all act like I'll die without one of you watching me."
"You almost did die, Shinji," said Misato. "You even admitted that yourself."
He paused for a bit. "No, what happened to me was both far better and far worse than that."
"How would you know; you can't remember much of it," added Asuka.
He looked at her, feeling understanding and ... something more, something he had been feeling a lot as he looked upon the faces of his fellow pilots. "It's just something I know."
"Your wishes for us to cease such actions will not curtail them," said Rei. "You are an important person, and thus will be watched and looked upon with care. This is the price you have been made to pay for being as you have been, and having faced what you have."
"A deep thought from Wondergirl without a joke," chuckled Asuka. "Misato, check the weather outside, I believe Hell finally froze over."
"It could not," said Rei, "or your father would have instructed you and your two siblings to prepare for a snow battle."
Before anyone could respond, the phone began to ring, eliciting a loud giggle from Misato. "Spoke too soon, Rei. That might be him now."
Shinji smiled as a fight of words broke out, as he went to answer the phone. It had been too long since he had experienced a moment like this, where they could be viewed as family as well as friends.
But that did little to ease the angry pain within his core, wondering how much longer such events would be possible.
Let alone, how long before such events might no longer include him.
Asuka walked gingerly around NERV HQ, her cramps worse than usual. "Why do I have to suffer through this?" she asked.
"I was aware that a menstrual cycle was part of a healthy female biologic process," said Rei.
"What, you act like cramps aren't a problem."
"Compared to the pains endured piloting EVA, they are not," said Rei. "The failed activation experiment I endured before Shinji-kun's arrival was a more painful event then this ... period ... I am currently experiencing."
Asuka just growled. "Then as ascended, shouldn't we be beyond such faulty biologic processes?"
Rei paused a bit, putting her hand to her chin. "I believe this is what they mean by 'An honest man can feel no pleasure in the exercise of power over his fellow citizens'."
"Excuse me?"
"It is a quote from Thomas Jefferson, the Third American President."
"And how does it apply to me."
"You exercise your popularity and thus your power on a regular basis, thus this pain is the result."
"So what, I should be like you?" growled out Asuka.
"Perhaps; I know I do not suffer extreme pain as you do."
"Well then," said Asuka, cracking her knuckles. "You just confirmed a quote of Harlan Ellison."
"Which is?"
"He said that 'The two most common elements in the universe are Hydrogen and stupidity', and by picking a fight with me when I have cramps, you just proved it!"
Shinji sighed as he rode in the elevator with Toji, who was currently holding an ice pack to his chin. "Asuka caught you, didn't she?"
He nodded.
"Was Rei involved?"
He nodded.
"She left you to take the beating?"
He shook his head.
"Oh, you said something to turn her attention onto you?"
He nodded.
Shinji shook his head. "God, I didn't think anyone was stupid enough to pick on Asuka right now."
The elevator opened, showing Kensuke with a similar ice pack on his eye.
"Asuka?" asked Shinji.
"Yeah," muttered Kensuke.
Sighing, Shinji shook his head. "Be glad you heal quicker now; that's all I'm going to say until they release the 'all clear' signal."
Rara was rubbing his chin. "May I ask why you did that?"
Sanada just shrugged. "It was either you or me after Rei did that, and I have a family to take care of."
"So do I!"
"Well, you survived."
"Whatever," muttered Rara. "Damn German female, mean right hook, I tell you."
Passing by, Maya just smiled. "Maybe it is a female ascended thing."
The two men paled, each having daughters who had already started puberty.
As she passed them, she was stopped by Ritsuko.
The bottle blond smiled, nodding at her assistant. "I have taught you well."
"We have visual confirmation on the Angel; maximum magnification."
The screen changed, showing a creature of pure light, glowing in space, stretched out almost like a bird of prey.
Makoto was busy at his station, correlating the incoming information. "Its orbit is just outside our defense envelop."
"And it's maintaining a constant distance from us," said Shigeru.
"So is it looking for a nice spot to land or will it destroy us from up there?" asked Misato.
"We can't attack it from this distance," said Makoto.
"Even the Icarus units couldn't get it," said Rara. "Their particle cannons aren't meant for such an assault, and the beam would disperse too much to breech an AT Field."
Sanada sighed. "Same problem with the Goliath series."
"What about overcharging the main cannons in the defense grid?" suggested Maya.
"Our biggest problem would be gravity," said Ritsuko. "That defense envelop is also the area a shell would be able to impact."
"It looks like there isn't much we can do unless it comes into our range," said Misato.
Shigeru shrugged. "It looks like they just took the next approach. They must have devised this around the stolen data."
"Do we have anything designed to combat an enemy still in orbit?" asked Misato.
"Maybe," muttered Sanada. "Rara, come here for a moment."
Misato looked at the two scientists. "Anything we can do while you two talk?"
Sanada nodded. "Well, we could use an idea how strong of an AT Field this thing can throw up."
Nodding, she turned to Ritsuko. "What Units do we have available?"
"We have Units 00 through 02. Units 03 and 04 are only at seventy-nine percent repaired," answered Ritsuko.
"Okay then," said Misato. "Asuka, Rei, I want you two to take point. Once on the surface, grab the enhanced positron rifles and plug them in directly to the old umbilical cables."
"What will that do?" asked Asuka.
"Give them one hell of a kick."
"That is unwise," said Rei. "Such an action would cause irreparable damage to the system. There is also a chance it would cause the guns to explode after the first shot."
"I know," said Misato, her voice slightly lower. "But it's our best option at the moment."
"What's the matter, Wondergirl; no balls for this sort of action?"
"I am female, and thus do not have testicles, Pilot Soryu."
Asuka growled. "Damn it; Unit 02, LAUNCH!"
"Ma'am," said Maya, "what about Unit 01?"
"Um," spoke Rara, "we might need it for our idea."
"Fine then," said Misato.
Ritsuko stood near her friend. "You do realize this will probably blow out the energy conduits for that whole section of Tokyo-3, if not for the whole umbilical network."
"We needed to remove them anyway," Misato causally explained. "This way, we have a legitimate excuse to upgrade things."
Ritsuko nodded.
The two EVA Units stood in the pouring rain, waiting for their weapons to arrive.
"Pilot Soryu?"
"What is it, Wondergirl?"
"I am sending you two more codes to further remove the safeties on the positron laser cannons."
Asuka blinked. "May I ask why you are being so generous?"
"If we fail, only Shinji-kun will be left to engage this Angel. Since he stated that this Angel would tear the Grey between the Black and White Moons. If he is brought out, then it is conceivable that this Angel would perhaps kill him."
Asuka paused in her response. "You're worried about him."
"As are you."
Sighing, Asuka input the codes into the control system for managing the rifle. "You better be right, Wondergirl."
"We shall discover when we fight the Angel."
"Wondergirl ... good luck."
Nodding, Rei closed the private channel, leaving Asuka with only her thoughts.
"You wish to protect him as she does, my daughter."
"So?"
"I am proud you have discovered someone you wish to act that way for."
Smiling, Asuka gripped the rifle as it shot out of the ground. "Thanks, Mama."
The two trained their weapons on the Angel, their own AT Fields up to full power in case it went badly and the Angel did not enjoy the attention.
Mostly, it was to protect themselves when and if the particle beam rifles exploded in their hands.
Sadly, the Angel stayed far enough away for the targeting software to have trouble locking on.
And then ... it decided to strike first.
"A particle beam weapon!" cried out Misato.
"No thermal emissions detected!" yelled out Makoto.
"Ma'am," yelled out Maya, "abnormal readings on their psycho-graphs! Mental contamination eminent!"
"The Angel's attacking the Ego-border!" yelled out an astonished Ritsuko. "They understand human psychology that much?"
Over the communications lines, the screams of Asuka and Rei could be heard as the beam stayed on them.
"Quick," yelled Misato, "activate the blast barricades!" She prayed they were still strong enough to hold off whatever the Angel was attacking with.
Before each of the Evangelions, a large metal door rose from the ground, knocking the rifles from their hands, as the shielded them from the light.
"Asuka, Rei; report!" yelled out Misato.
"Unit 00 is still ... functional," weakly replied Rei.
"Asuka?" asked Misato.
"It was ... it was trying to rape my mind," she replied, before she fell silent.
"Asuka!"
"She's unconscious, ma'am," said Maya.
"Can we pull them in?" asked Misato worriedly.
"Not without re-exposing them to that neural attack," said Shigeru.
"We can't wait long," said Ritsuko. "Those blast doors may be working now, but if the Angel changes its position..."
"Then those barriers are worthless," finished Misato.
"You want to what?" yelled out Misato. "Do you know what that will do to him?"
"Hear us out," said Sanada.
Sitting back down in her chair, Misato nodded for them to continue. Already, the Angel was beginning to show signs it might be preparing to change it's location to continue the attack. It was still keeping two separate beams on the locations of each EVA.
Taking a deep breath, Sanada continued. "Now, we know from the last battle that we have two weapons that can cut through an AT Field as if it wasn't even there.
"One is these bullets recovered from the assault on Shinji."
"And the other?" asked Misato impatiently.
"The other is the swords created by Unit 01 in the battle with the Fourteenth," said Rara. "We've checked, and their almost identical in molecular composition."
"And how do you propose we use them?" asked Misato. "That thing's launched a separate beam assault when we tried to send Units 03 and 04 to attack, and they didn't even have a chance to activate their AT Fields. It's only because we set the system to lower them quickly that they never received an attack."
Rara nodded. "We place Unit 01 on the Icarus launch rails, load him with spare boosters we use for the Icaruses to make high altitude flights, and he can achieve orbit."
"If Shinji can modulate his AT Field like the previous Angel in space did to change his trajectory, then he can intercept the target and eliminate it."
"And what about protection from the Angel's weapon?" asked Misato. "And of course, how does he return to Earth? Do you have those answers?"
Sanada nodded. "The attack is still an energy form, which means an AT Field can block it."
"Only in theory," said Ritsuko. "Even then, we can't be certain how long it would last."
"And the return?"
"Shinji's the best person who knows how to fly. Besides, an AT Field will protect him during reentry just as it did the Angel that tried to flatten us."
"I'll do it."
The group turned towards the Third Child, who was looking at them from the console beside them, still inside his EVA. "Shinji," said Misato.
"Misato, it's the only way. If we don't do something soon, it will start attacking them again."
"Proceed with the operation, Mr. Sanada," said Gendo.
He turned to leave, before turning his head back to the console. "Pilot Ikari; I expect both you and your EVA back here in one piece."
Blinking, Shinji just shut off the feed.
Smiling, Gendo turned back to his desk and resumed his approach. He knew his son wouldn't believe it.
Even Gendo wasn't sure if he believed it. But the man wanted Shinji to succeed. He was unsure what the results would be; but he knew what Yui would think if he did nothing.
And as of now, he didn't want her any madder at him than she already was.
"Unit 01 Launch will be in T-one minute."
Shinji looked upward as the rest of the boosters were hurriedly attached. The window for a successful intercept was shrinking, and even now, it would be a small chance of intercept.
And an even smaller chance of return.
Rei...
Asuka...
They were counting on him.
And he would not fail.
Working in quick moves, he held the twin swords close to his body as he could, his wings wrapping around him to give a more streamlined appearance, almost as if the EVA was cocooned within them.
"Shinji?"
He looked at his display, seeing the worried face of Mana on it. "Yeah, Mana."
"I wish I could help."
Smiling, he nodded. "Want to trade."
"Yes."
He shook his head. "I'll make it back."
"Promise?"
"I promise," he said. We do have that date after all."
"Just keep the promise," she said, tears lightly now dotting her face.
Smiling, Shinji cut the connection, as he stared up at the still closed doors of the launch apparatus. "We'll make it."
"We cannot be stopped, my son."
"I know, Mother. We will win."
"Capacitors for the launch sled now at one hundred and five percent and climbing," said Rara.
The plan was simple at this stage. To give Shinji as much thrust as possible before igniting the boosters, they would ramp up the speed of the sled to the surface as much as possible.
"One hundred and fifty eight."
"The capacitors are showing signs of instability."
The door would be opened as soon as he passed the halfway point; since they had no idea if that would alert the Angel to their presence. They had no idea how long an AT Field could stop the mental assault. But it was safe to say it would be shorter than the time needed to intercept the Angel. One wrong calculation or execution after launch, and Shinji could either hit the atmosphere and reenter, or continue past possible recovery. He needed to be clear-headed for as long as possible until intercept.
"Two hundred and seven percent!"
"We're losing them!"
"Unit 01 LAUNCH!" yelled Misato, as he took off.
Shinji felt the increased G-forces assault him as he took off along the rails at more than twice the recommended safety speed, sure that if had had been a normal human, he would have either suffered immediate unconsciousness or had his bones broken.
"Let the battle begin," he croaked out.
"Status?" asked Fuyutsuki.
"The rails are warped," said Sanada. "But they did their job. He's got good velocity."
"Activating the boosters now," said Rara, as the image of Unit 01 flared as the light from the booster engines appeared, giving the rising Unit a comet-like tail.
"The enemy's weapon has targeted and begun its assault on Unit 01!" yelled out Shigeru.
"The modified AT Field is holding steady!" yelled out Maya. "There is little change in the psycho-graph."
Ritsuko looked at the energy readings. "Misato, he'll be exposed to the weapon for at least ten seconds before impact."
Misato paled a bit. The damn thing had overwhelmed Asuka's mind in more than double that and rendered her out cold. Rei had been ordered to sleep, in hopes it would help her recover quicker. "How bad?"
"The effect at the range will be much stronger than what hit Asuka and Rei."
"We cannot do anything about that now," said Gendo, surprising all involved. "Unless we have a satellite that may provide some cover for him."
Makoto shook his head. "Nothing that could be there in time, or even provide sufficient cover."
"Then it is all up to Shinji now," said Gendo, surprising many of the assembled people, as he had referred to the Third Child by his given name.
Kaoru sat beside Mayumi, having brought the girl straight here after the Angel Alarm had sounded. He knew she was safe to have here, the Angel core within her too young to know what to even look for, or even know that it should be looking at all.
Even if it did, his presence kept it dormant, he was certain of that much, as Mayumi had said she always felt better when he was around.
I wonder if she even knows.
He found himself drawn to the Avatar of the newborn Angel, almost as much for that fact as he was for her mind. She truly was a unique individual in his eyes, and seemed to genuinely care for him. Kaoru wanted to protect her, and perhaps save both her and the newborn Angel.
He himself had been made into a Child of the Grey Moon, proving an Angel could become such. He was even his own Avatar, ensuring a more powerful combination.
Could the same be done for her? When she ascended, would she and the Angel become one as a Child of the Grey Moon? Would they become two people, considering the fusion between them was unnatural, even by his own standards?
Would she die?
I do not desire such an outcome. I wish for her to survive and continue existing.
He knew if he acted when the Call reached him, and if he somehow succeeded, then all would be wiped ... save for those already ascended.
And he was certain she would ascend before such a time would arise. He was certain his remaining sibling after this one would wait a while before approaching.
But how much time?
And if she died, would he even care when his time came?
"You think he'll make it?" asked Mayumi, looking at the closed circuit display showing Shinji's movement.
"He will," said Kaoru with absolute confidence. Because Shinji-kun is not about to die when he has still our battle to face.
Shinji stared at the Angel as he approached the being of light, swords at the ready, as his AT Field surged to generate momentum towards the target, his eyes focused on any changes he would have to make.
If it didn't move when he made it, he would plow through with enough momentum to reenter the atmosphere.
Hopefully, his Mother could control their descent.
"Almost there," he muttered.
"Son, the protection will fail in ten seconds."
"Mother, take care if I pass out. Get us back to Earth safely."
"I will, son. Be careful."
Smiling, Shinji bathed once more in his mother's love ... before the Hell of the Angel's weapon hit him.
"Mama, I made it Mama! I'm an EVA Pilot"
"Why would he desire an Old Hag like you?"
"Daddy, where's Mommy?"
Shinji clutched his head as the assault tore through his own AT Field like wet paper, ripping into his mind as he screamed. Doors locked by the All Soul of the EVA Core opened wide, allowing the buried memories to flood through his mind once again.
Love.
Hatred.
Betrayal.
Hope.
Pain.
All emotions of all those involved in his former epiphany came racing back at once, forcing him to relive those hells once again in a time span of seconds.
To him, it might as well have been days, as the sheer volume overwhelmed his mind.
He gave one last cry in pain, before it went away.
In space, Unit 01 roared, a sound only able to be heard inside the giant unit as the AT Field kept the vacuum of space from killing it, as the twin swords struck the AT Field of the Angel, twisting and warping it around themselves; before they plunged into the Angel's core.
Unit 01 kicked off the energy remaining from the AT Field, sending it back towards the Earth as the Angel exploded, the shockwave further accelerating it.
One job was done.
Now getting back home was all that remained.
"Target is silent!" yelled Makoto.
"Status of Unit 01?" asked Fuyutsuki.
"Unknown," said Shigeru. "The EMP from the explosion is knocking out and sensor readings from the area.
"Okay," said Misato. "Continue to try and locate Unit 01. Have recovery teams get the EVA units back inside. Wake them up and see if they can do it."
Rei awoke to a blinding headache, as she tried to focus. You can return us to the lifts. I am too tired.
"Still weak, aren't you."
"I did not see you reacting to having your mind assaulted," said Rei tiredly.
"Whatever, little girl."
"Units 00 and 02 are being lowered for decontamination," said Shigeru.
"Ma'am," said Makoto, "we've located Unit 01. It's in an uncontrolled fall into the middle of the Pacific!"
"Get the pilot on the channel!" yelled Misato.
"Shinji?"
Tired...
Sore...
Sleepy...
"Shinji, wake up."
"Mother..."
"Shinji, you need to hang on and take control."
"Take ... control?"
"The explosion created some damage. I can't control our descent. You have to take control. I can only guide us back to Tokyo-3; you have to do most of the work keeping us airborne."
"Have to ... have to maintain control ... have to stay awake."
"Yes, my son; you must keep fighting. We can't rest at the moment. I know you can do it!"
Slowly reaching out, he grabbed the control yokes, trying to focus his thoughts and will, trying to force the memories that had returned away from the forefront of his mind.
Must ... take ... control!
"Sir," said Makoto, "Unit 01 is starting to recover from freefall."
They watched the screen show the current radar information on Unit 01. Only the sounds of the machinery were heard as a real-time representation graph showed the current altitude of the EVA as all eight wings worked hard to correct the fall.
Soon, it looked almost as if it was too late, as the Unit seemed to pull up just enough to skim over the ocean surface as it steadily climbed.
"YES!" cried the control staff, as they cheered the mecha's performance of a near splashdown, only to not even fully graze the waves.
"Speed?" asked Rara.
"Fast!" said Shigeru. "I'm reading at least Mach Fifteen, maybe even higher!"
"Time till he reaches the coast?" asked Gendo.
"Less than ten minutes," said Maya, "assuming the air resistance begins to slow him down. If not, he might overshoot us, or be unable to land without being ripped apart by the impact!"
"Um," added Sanada, "how do we stop him when he gets here?"
"This is bad," muttered Ritsuko, as Shinji was finally able to be visually tracked with a functional satellite, as they came back online from the EMP of the Angel's death.
"His wings," muttered Shigeru, watching the overhead view.
The EVA was now less than three minutes from shore, another minute from Tokyo-3 airspace. It wobbled a bit, attempting to keep level, making them believe that Shinji must either be exhausted or injured.
The latter seemed more likely, as the EVA was missing chunks of its armor.
But what was an even worse sign of how badly it was just managing to hold on, was the fact that feathers were falling off.
And before their eyes, his former set of eight wings—having been reduced to six when they first had a visual lock on him—had now been reduced to four, and the arches of those wings faded from sight.
Things grew tense, as they had even been unable to make contact with Shinji.
"At the rate his wings are falling apart, he'll have at best one chance to land in Tokyo-3. After that ... I'm not certain what would happen to him at these speeds, even if he can maintain a partial AT Field."
Misato turned from Ritsuko. Looking at Rara, she nodded. "Are they there yet?"
He pointed to two dots that were quickly making their way to Unit 01, its speed now reduced to barely Mach 8. "Trident and Dante will intercept in thirty seconds. If he can grab onto them, they can stabilize his flight and land him safely."
"If not?" asked Fuyutsuki.
"Then Shinji will rip right through downtown Tokyo-3 like a meteorite," said Sanada, lighting a cigarette.
"Come on, Shinji," yelled Mana into her communications window, "please respond!"
But the window stayed filled with only static.
"Damn it," she growled.
"Don't worry, Mana," said Kensuke, "we can do this."
"I hope so," she prayed. "Dante, ready?"
"Always, little sister," said the mecha.
"I am ready as well, if anyone cared to ask," said Dante.
Kensuke just ignored the AI. "All you do is bitch and moan. It's like riding with Toji."
The two crafts approached the EVA on either side, gasping as they saw the second pair of wings begin to fall apart as well. "We better hurry," said Mana.
The two crafts began to maneuver, trying to "pinch" Unit 01 between them, their own defensive screens up to prevent Unit 01's AT Field from both dissipating as well as provide a "locking mechanism" to keep it between them.
"BREAK OFF!" yelled the reply over the radio, forcing the two Icarus-class units away from their maneuver.
"What the hell!" yelled Kensuke.
"HQ we almost had him. Explain!" yelled Mana.
Ritsuko's face appeared on the display. "He's close enough for us to receive systems data. The AT Field is fluctuating too wildly, as if the will to keep it going it unstable. Your maneuver would collapse it."
"FUCK!" screamed Mana, looking as Unit 01 continued to lose feathers. "What do we do?" she pleaded.
Kensuke looked, trying to figure something out. This is my chance at redemption for getting my ass kicked against the Thirteenth. Come on, genius; think!
And then it hit him, as he threw the engines into full drive.
"Kensuke, where the hell are you going?" yelled Mana.
"I got me a plan!" he yelled.
"What?" screamed Mana, catching up to him.
"Mana, we're about to play the catch with the biggest version of American football there is!"
Her eyes went wide. "You want to catch him as he hits land!"
"Nope, he'll still be too high in the air. We need him at ground level, and that is at the outskirts of Tokyo-3!"
"This is insane!" yelled Misato. "Can they really catch him at those speeds?"
"He will be going close to Mach 1," said Sanada, lighting another cigarette. "But it is possible."
"And with the other EVAs damaged or their pilots out of commission at the moment, we can't use them."
"But they're sentient," said Rara.
"They still need the pilots inside and somewhat healthy," said Ritsuko. "We don't have the time to reset the entry plugs for Toji and Kaoru."
"You guys need to have faith," said Sanada. "When have they ever failed before?"
"I know that," said Misato. "But we're trusting Kensuke."
"The channel's still open, you know," said Kensuke over the communications line.
The doubters were thoroughly embarrassed enough to remain quiet with any further objections.
"Here he comes," said Mana, as both Icarus types were now in humanoid form, crotched, and braced, waiting for the rushing missile known as Unit 01.
"We've got one shot," said Kensuke, "and just so you know, this is really going to hurt like hell."
"I vote for a new plan," said Dante.
"Why?"
"This one is something you came up with, therefore it will no doubt be painful for me while you claim full credit."
"You just don't like it because he came up with it," said Trident.
"True."
"HEY!"
"Focus you three," growled Mana.
Soon, a purple dot could be seen.
"Let's do this," growled Kensuke, as he leaned into the oncoming assault.
Both pilots began to scream as they psyched themselves up, but the sound ended quickly as Unit 01 slammed into them doing a good portion of Mach speed.
As the momentum hit them, their units slid back along the street, buildings still standing from the emergency and not withdrawn into the Geo-front shook from the physical strike of the boom, windows shattering. The pavement gave way, breaking apart as they were pushed back. The two pilots grunted as they tried to maintain their positions. If they gave any ground, they might be knocked over by the momentum, or even be ripped through.
Kensuke was growling, even as he could hear the whining of the metal of his Jet Alone, even as displays lit up with systems that were starting to fail.
In his mind, he could still see the Angel coming at him, still see Shinji fighting it, fighting the next one, fighting even the Fourth, where he had damn near wet himself.
And then came a memory unbidden, when Kensuke had been selected as the new pilot in the Jet Alone program.
"Shinji, why do you pilot anyway?"
Shinji chuckled. "Simple. I pilot to protect everyone."
"You enjoy the hero-worship?" Kensuke asked, chuckling.
"A hero is just someone who does the right thing at the right time, and is seen by the right people. "I do all of this, because I want to, because there are people who can't fight the Angels, and who need people like me to fight for them.
"Don't try and be a hero, Kensuke, if that's why you're doing this. If so, get out now. Do this because you want to protect something. That is the smallest reason to do this."
Kensuke growled harder. I protect my family, my friends. THAT IS WHAT I PROTECT!
With a final push, they slowed down even more, before the two units toppled.
"What is the current status?" asked Gendo, staring at the feed from the field.
"A large area was rendered damaged by the saving of Unit 01," said Kozo, looking at the reports.
"Just more damage we can have repaired," said Gendo. "That used to be Rei's old neighborhood, if I recall."
"Yes," said Kozo, "so there won't be too many people put out because of it."
"The neighborhood needed restoration anyway. This just gives the publicity department a new PR campaign. Anything else?"
"Some damage to the Units, several power subsystems will need to be replaced in the Icaruses, as well as inside Unit 01. But ..."
"But?"
"But something else occurred to Shinji."
The scene on the viewing monitor changed to Shinji being pulled from his entry plug.
"I see," said Gendo. "The Grey shall be torn between the Black Moon and the White Moon. I do look forward to seeing how my son will handle this."
Kozo said nothing about what Gendo spoke, as he too witnessed Shinji again, being removed from the plug.
The wings on his left side were pure white, while the wings on his right side were pure black.
And neither man truly knowing what, if anything, this meant for the future of their world.