Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion, support official release.

"Commander, we are now ready to commence reactivation of Unit-00." Maya reports, to which Commander Ikari nods. He, as well as, Fuyutsuki, Ritsuko, Misato, Shinji and Adam are waiting in the observation platform across from Unit-00, where Rei was. Unit-00 was a very different model than what the boys were expecting. It has bright orange colors with white forearms and a single large red eye just below its helmet with no visible mouth to speak of.

"Rei, are you ready?" Gendo asks without hesitation. Every second wasted an Angel draws closer. They needed to be ready, most of all they needed Unit-00 as their second EVA.

"Yes."

"Initiate Primary Contacts." The commander pushes back his glasses. Immediately, Ritsuko and Maya begin working on their workstations as they begin the startup process.

"Main power contact?"

"Operational voltage critical point is cleared, senpai!"

"Good, shift format to phase 2!"

"Begin synchronization with Unit-00!"

"Pulse and harmonics are all normal!"

"All nerve links connected!"

"No abnormalities in CNS."

"List items 1-2590 are cleared."

Shinji stares at the orange EVA, remembering what happened back in the escalator. 'Rei… why did she react so violently towards my answer?' It doesn't make any sense, she asked him a question so why did she get so mad. 'It's weird, I'm not used to getting so uptight about this… am I jealous?' He shakes his head in denial. 'No, that can't be… there's nothing to be jealous ab-'

Shnji suddenly recollects the image of Rei and his father smiling at one another before Unit-00. He narrows his eyes at his father before turning to Unit-00, the EVA returning the glare through its single red optic.

"Border lines cleared, senpai!" Maya reports.

Unit-00 raises its head, though this time not so abruptly.

"Unit-00 has been reactivated. Now commencing linkage test."

All of a sudden, a phone from one of the computer terminals springs to life. Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki immediately picks it up before hanging and turning to the commander. "Ikari!" Fuyutsuki calls, looking at his colleague. "An unidentified object just touched down 5 miles east of Tokyo-03, and is heading this way. It's more than likely an Angel."

"I see." The commander replies, before turning back to Ritsuko and Maya. "Abort the test. All personnel are to go to Level 1 Yellow Alert!"

""Yes, sir.""

"And what of Unit-00? Will we be sending Rei out?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"No, it isn't ready yet." Gendo replies, exiting the observation platform with Ritsuko and the others.

"What about Unit-01?" Ritsuko asks, gesturing to Shinji and Adam. "We can have the EVA send up in 380 seconds."

"Granted." Ikari replies, entering the far elevator with Fuyutsuki. "Have the Third Child scramble immediately."

Ritsuko nods, before looking at the boys. "...well, what are you waiting for?" He asked, frustration rising in his voice. "Get going!"

"Yes sir…" 'He doesn't even bother to wish me luck.' Shinji thought as he headed towards the locker room.

Adam sends a glare at the commander as the elevator doors close. "Ass."

Gendo hears this and glares at the boy, and for a moment, he felt anger rising inside him. With his existence, the entire scenario is put into jeopardy. His ability to synchronize with Unit-01 and his relationship with the Third Child is a cause for concern, he could see how much influence he is having over the boy and it's only a matter of time before he acts on that influence.

One way or another, this wild card has to be dealt with.

Across the mountain terrain around Tokyo-03, a gigantic floating crystalline octahedron comes flying towards the city. It is sky blue and transparent reflecting all light and anything that meets its glass-like body. A barely formed halo flashes above its form before vanishing. A choral voice is heard singing a single F note repeatedly as it moves.

It is clear that the 6th Angel, Ramiel, was born with a calm and peaceful demeanor, but its objectives will reveal otherwise.

Central Dogma

Everyone stares in awe at the Angel's form, being completely different from the last two Angels.

"It's an octahedron…" Adam identified.

"The target just crossed past Lake Ashino and is now in on Tokyo-03!"

Right, prepare for launch!" Misato ordered.

"Misato wait." Adam said.

"What?"

"There's something wrong about this Angel. It hasn't attacked or done anything of the sort." He states. "Let's send a decoy for now and see what happens."

Misato narrows her eyes at her ward. "We don't have time, send Unit-01 to the surface immediately."

Adam's eyes widen in shock. "Misato!"

"EVA Unit-01, LAUNCH!"

The EVA is sent though the railway at high speeds at her command.

On the surface, the 6th Angel senses something on its way here and light begins to appear within the octahedron.

"Energy spike detected from the target!" Hyuga exclaims as his terminal detects the energy build up.

"Wait, what!?" Misato exclaims.

Unit-01 reaches the surface.

"Shinji, look out!" Misato screams in horror.

"Huh?" Shinji looks up to see the Angel's body shift and change into many shapes, with glimpses of its Core at its center. It settles for an hourglass form before a powerful beam of energy cuts through every tower in its way, passing through Unit-01 A.T. Field and makes contact with its chest armor.

"AAAAAHHHH!" Shinji screams as feels an intense pain coming from his chest. His plug suit glows in the exact same place the beam is hitting.

"It's too much for him. Lower his sync ratio." Ritsuko said.

"Deploy the blast shields, hurry!"

Several large metal shields rise from the ground, which causes Ramiel to halt its attack. Its form shift only again into that of a cross, with shapes and pieces spinning rapidly and fires an even more powerful particle beam.

The beam clashes with the blast shields splitting into two directions forming a cross. The blast shields are completely eviscerated leaving the EVA open for the blast.

"Abort! Execute emergency recovery of EVA Unit-01!" Misato orders.

"We can't! The catapult melted, it won't operate!" Makoto yells.

"What about the A.T. Field?" Ritsuko asks Maya.

"It's raised to maximum, it's just barely hanging on!" Maya reports.

"Goddammit!" Adam cries out.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH! IT BURNS, MAKE IT STOP!" Shinji screams inside the plug as he is boiled alive.

"That's it, scrap the mission. Prioritize pilot safety, eject the plug!" Misato states.

"No."

Misato and Adam turn to the commander.

"Cancel that."

"If we were to eject the pilot now, the EVA's A.T. Field will disappear and the unit will be defenseless. We'll be placing ourselves in a hopeless situation." Ritsuko states.

Misato clicks her tongue, unable to counter her colleague's argument.

Adam slams his hand into the console. "And what about Shinj!? Are you seriously suggesting we let him burn alive in there, just because you need your little toy!?"

Ritsuko whips her head at Adam. "The EVAs are our last line of defense, to lose even a single one will lead to disastrous consequences."

"So you're just going to let him die!?" Adam exclaims.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Shinji's screams can be heard throughout the command center.

Adam can do nothing but growl at his own powerlessness to help his friend and furious at the fact the adult would prioritize the safety of a thing over a living person.

"There's no other choice… forcible recovery of Unit-01, detonate explosive bolts!" Misato orders.

Multiple explosives are detonated as the entire city block where Unit-01 sinks to the ground. Seeing that the threat is gone, the 6th Angel shifts back into its "default" form.

"Target has ceased attack."

"Transfer Unit-01 to cage 9 for repairs."

"Medical teams standby!"

Unit-01 descends to the cages, its armor still boiling from the particle beam.

"Top priority goes to draining the LCL from his lungs!"

"I'm getting a pulse but it's faint."

"Maximize the life support system, cardiac massage." Ritsuko said.

Inside the plug, Shinji's body jolts as he is given a heart massage.

Heart monitors show a reaction. "Vitals stabilized."

"Good now force eject the plug!" Ritsuko yells. The plug is ejected from Unit-01. "LCL emergency release!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Maya replies.

"Where's Shinji!?" Adam demands as he rushes towards Maya's side.

"He has just been taken to the Hospital sector for surgery." Maya explains.

Adam sighs before turning to glare at Gendo and then at Misato. He says nothing and makes his way towards the exit.

On the surface, Ramiel's form comes to a sudden stop close to the center of Tokyo-03's inner remains. Its lower end point slowly spins, before it lowers and impales the ground with a calm drill-like formation.

NERV HQ Hospital Sector

Adam slams his fist at the wall, narrowly missing Misato's face. Rei is there as well, staring at the two fighting.

"What the hell was that!? I told you to send a decoy up there and what do you do!? You don't listen!" Adam yells.

Misato didn't say anything, instead opting to just let Adam vent out his frustrations.

"We know next to nothing about this Angel, oh wait, now we do because you almost let Shinji get killed!" Adam states. "Do you… do you honestly not think things through when you're fighting!? Do you just rush to the enemy without a goddamn plan!?"

"...I'm sorry."

"Oh wow, you're sorry. Well, sorry isn't going to help Shinji now is it?" Adam said. "You and that damn commander are so invested in saving that hunk of junk that you've purposely forgotten about the one driving the damn thing. I don't know whether I should be impressed or revolted at how backwards your priorities are!"

"The EVAs are humanity's last line of defense. Without them, the human race would perish." Rei states with a blank expression.

"So you should all be left to die!? Are you insane!?" Adam cries out.

"Our lives are expendable. If we die, there are replacements." Rei states.

*PUNCH*

Adam punches Rei in the face. "NO ONE IS IRREPLACEABLE!" He yells. "NO ONE SHOULD DIE FOR SOME TRINKET AND YOU SHOULDN'T BE SAYING THINGS LIKE THAT!"

Misato is taken back by his outburst. Rei looks at Adam in shock as she nurses her bruised cheek.

"People are different, lives are irreplaceable. No matter what, people will mourn for your absence in their lives. To say that they will be replaced is just spitting on their whole existence and I refuse to accept such a notion!" Adam says and sits on the far bench.

The trio remained silent for possibly hours or so until Misato decided to break the ice. "So, uh Adam… can you tell me a bit about yourself?" Hey eyes flinch at Adam's sudden change in mood from frustrated to a more pained, and yet solemn look in his eyes. "I was adopted… my old man took me in when I was 3 but after 2 years he sent me to a boarding school due to some complications with his job."

"Oh, um… do you know what happened to them? Your parents, I mean." She asked.

Adam lets out a sigh. "I don't know… my earliest memory was waking up in some kind of facility where my old man worked." A small smile forms on his face. "He would always have this smile on his face, even when things were bad."

"What was he working on?" Misato asks.

As Adam is about to tell them, the hospital door opens to reveal a doctor. "How is he doc?" Misato and Adam both ask while Rei walks past and down the linear hall.

The doctor takes his face mask off. "Well, he suffered 2nd degree burns, nothing close to 3rd or 4th degree." The doctor explains. "He's lucky he didn't need heart surgery, so for the moment he's resting."

Adam sighs in relief while Misato nods. "Thank God," Adam throws himself back onto the bench. "Shinji really is something else, isn't he?"

"Yes he is." The doctor leaves the pair as Misato's phone busses to life. She picks it up, "Katsuragi here… I see… right, I'll be there in a sec." Misato hangs up before turning to Adam. "Go check on Shinji for me. I have a meeting with Ritsuko and the others about our next strategy."

Adam nods before he enters the Hospital section. He walks past several empty rooms before coming across one with its windows open. Looking in, he sees Rei sitting down beside a resting Shinji, reading a book apparently. Adam walks in calmly before Rei looks up aware of his presence.

"Why are you here?" Rei asks calmly, closing her book.

"I can't come in and check on my friend."

"You are not part of NERV's personnel and as such you do not have permission to be here." Rei states.

"Yeah and so what? That still didn't stop me from piloting Unit-01 and saving your asses." Adam retorts sitting beside Rei.

"I see." Rei replies. The pair say nothing to each other before Rei spoke once more. "Why did Shinji say those things about the commander?"

Adam turns to Rei looking perplexed. "You really haven't noticed? He hates him." He states with a hint of venom in his voice. "He's been absent for most of his life and when he finally gets word from him it is to pilot a giant robot because he was a last-minute candidate. Honestly, I think I can relate a little since my dad was pretty much the same."

"..." Rei doesn't respond, but looks at Shinji and then at Adam. "I see."

"Why do you have faith in the commander, hm?" Adam asks. "You're asking us about faith, but what about you?"

"I have faith in Commander Ikari because he entrusted me to pilot Unit-00." Rei replies.

"Why do you pilot anyway?" Adam asked.

"It's my bond."

"Your bond?"

"My bond with everyone."

"..." Adam says nothing, trying to comprehend that answer. Rei really is alone, having only the commander to rely on for any sort of emotional comfort and believes Unit-00 is the only way she can form a connection.

"...it's wrong." Adam said.

"?"

"You don't need the EVA to form bonds, you can do that well on your own without an external force. Like right now, we are bonding not because of the EVA but because of our mutual concern over Shinji's well being." Adam explains.

Rei blinks a few times, realizing what Adam's implying. She looks away, a look of awe in her eyes. "I see…"

"Maybe if you try to talk to others, I'm sure you can form bonds with people in our class. I know a couple of them would be overjoyed to get to know you." Adam states. "I could even help you if you want."

Rei's head whips up at the proposition. "That… would be nice."

A small smile forms on her face.

War Room

The entire NERV staff, minus the commanders, alongside Misato are seen planning their next attack.

"The target has started its attack from directly above us, its drilling straight down towards the Geo-Front."

"So this one is looking to hit us where we live. It's coming straight for NERV HQ." Misato realized. "Okay people, analysis reports. Give me something."

One of the technicians takes a data chart. "Based on earlier target data, we have surmise that the target automatically eliminates all hostiles that approach within a certain range."

"Which means close-quarters combat is out of the question." Misato rationalized. "What about its A.T. Field?"

"Its still active. On top of that, it keeps its phase pattern constantly shifting that's why it changes shape." Maya states.

"According to MAGI's calculations, it is theoretically possible to neutralize the Angel's A.T. Field using a barrage of N2 missiles, however, a blast of that magnitude will destroy NERV HQ." Makoto reports.

"Yes. MAGI-02 and Matsushiro came to the same conclusion." Ritsuko confirms the report. "And it seems the Japanese government along with the U.N. are proposing attacks that will inevitably destroy NERV HQ."

Misato groans in annoyance. "That's ridiculous, they clearly don't know what's at stake here. If this place goes, then its all over for humanity."

"But ma'am, it may already be too late." Someone said. "By our latest reports, the target's drill has already penetrated Armor Level 2 with no signs of slowing down."

"There are twenty-two layers of armor plating between us and the surface. At present rate, penetration of all remaining levels is expected to occur tomorrow morning, in 6 minutes, 54 seconds past midnight." Hyuga reports. "Less than 10 hours."

"Unit-00 hasn't been calibrated yet, so its still not combat ready."

"And the earlier damage to Unit-01 it means it wouldn't be fully operational for quite some time." Ritsuko tells Misato.

Misato's left eye twitches. "So things aren't looking good for us at the moment…"

"What do you mean? We're completely out of options." Maya states.

"We could always send a white flag." Makoto quips.

Misato smirks. "Heh, there a thought. But before we do that, there's one little thing I wanna look into." She turns to Makoto. "Those secret JSSDF papers, intelligence still has them, right?"

Makoto blinks at the question.

A series of VTOLs fly through the red sea and towards a construction sight.

"I've got to hand it to you, this might just be your most ambitious plan yet." Ritsuko said as she and Misato walk through the construction sight.

"Its executable in 9 hours, and it gives us a fighting chance against the Angel. "

"Operation: Yashima. Your requesting electricity from all over Japan so that you can charge a high-powered self-propelled positron cannon, a top-secret prototype which you somehow commandeered from an JSSDF research facility." Ritsuko explains. "Its incomplete so to make up for its lack of a targeting system, your going to use the EVA as a precision sniper. I'm still amazed at how you managed to pull this off in record time."

"Well... they owned me a few favors." Misato said as the two looked on the horizon where the Angel is.

"Fight fire with fire, huh?"

Author Notes

I got nothing to say here. Leave a comment/review and tell me your thoughts.

Peace~