Disclaimer: Tumbling down, T-t-tumbling down
The Reprint and Repackaging of Evangelion
Chapter 27 I Can Always Show My Everything To You
By Marik Kurakashi
The Humanity finally touched back down at NERV HQ, the space mission to exterminate Arael had finally come to an end. Asuka and Shinji departed together, accompanied by Misato to head home. Kaworu filed off on his, seemingly in a daze about something. But that wasn't what on the mind of Gendo Ikari at the moment as he walked with Ritsuko and-
"Rei, are you certain this is what you want?" He asked, as gently as a gruff ogre like him ever could. He had always been somewhat inhuman which made it that much harder to deal with tender situations.
"It's how it should have been for a while now." Rei said, flexing her fingers in a nervous tic. "The others have no purpose since I am no longer disposable."
"You never were," Gendo admitted with a small smile. Reaching up, he pulled off his ever present shades to fully face this situation. "I was frustrated after what Lilith revealed to me and I tried again and again. 'Use this much, no that much! Use this, not that!'." It hadn't mattered except to fracture her. Leave her broken into pieces, but at the time it hadn't mattered.
It did now, however. "I am relieved to hear it Commander," Rei said, smiling a bit. "But more to the point, what are we to do with them otherwise? There are over a hundred of me, it's going to be hard sell that a human being could give birth to that many children and none of them die in the process."
"Mental reconditioning would be the likely avenue if we must do something." Ritsuko decided she could participate to keep this from getting too strange. "But in that sense it'd be no different than killing you a hundred times over."
"They'd still have a part of me but be different." Rei said with a soft, determined tone. "Not me but carrying my soul. To wander away from me... but the only time I am ever free of doubts to my existence is when I am near them."
"So you would merge together again huh?" Gendo asked, replacing his shades and giving a grumbling hum. "Hmph, that would be the best right now."
"Indeed, but there is one more thing I must do before I merge with them." Rei said, trying to contain a little amusement.
"Oh?" Ritsuko asked.
"Souls are indeed an observable phenomenon are they not?" Rei asked, mostly rhetorical. "The First never passed on fully and my own distaste for her behavior has left her out of the fold. I must forgive her, even if no one else will. I am she, she is I, we are Rei Ayanami."
"To my office first then." Gendo decided. "Akagi, go ahead and prep the Aquarium."
"Of course." Ritsuko bowed her head a little. "If you'll excuse me."
"Are you sure about this?" Gendo asked.
"I've never been comfortable with this situation to begin with." Rei admitted, leading the way back to Gendo's office. "I feel restless, everything muted and distant. Ever since I came in contact with Lilith's soul, I understood why I felt so lacking."
"I suppose it would be like being shattered into a hundred pieces but not being dead." Gendo said, pausing for a moment. "Is that how you see it?"
"More or less." Rei agreed. "The extreme volatility of my emotions is partly because of them being pulled towards the others."
"Ah, certainly possible." Gendo allowed. "I suppose I can't really understand it since I never got fractured like you."
Rei smiled as they entered Gendo's office. "It is not something you need to understand, just accept that I have made this choice after a large amount of soul searching."
Gendo gave a shrug. "I just want to be sure you aren't rushing into this for reasons you only think are your own."
"Lilith's consciousness has already fled to the unseen horizon." Rei revealed. "I am not being led into this by jealousy or a foolish wish to be seen as whole. I have been thinking on this since I escaped the tank."
"I shouldn't be surprised, the First's death taught you to speak when spoken to." Gendo said, accepting it. "So all you have to do is get her back into the fold entirely to kick this off?"
"Basically, but it is less her and more myself." Rei said as she strode confidently over to the desk. "I resisted the idea that we could be alike in any way because I was enamored with the idea that while we looked alike, we were different people on a deeper level."
"Here is where the lack of understanding is actually crucial." Gendo commented, standing watch. "I don't know how I'd deal with a hundred plus people all having my face too."
Rei wasn't paying attention as she crawled under the desk. "Hello, First. You are here, as you always are."
A smaller, shorter version of Rei-though transparent-appeared, her hair settled into twin tails and dressed in what could be charitably called a bedsheet. "Oh, so you finally lowered yourself to speak to me." She was also noticeably shorter too.
"As if you would have had anything useful to say." Rei gleefully sniped right back. "I'm not going to bow and scrape and apologize, especially since you got yourself killed like an idiot."
"Tch, as if I would accept that from you, you dummy!" Rei I snapped back. "You think you can just barge in here now of all times?"
"Of course, because the time we are separate is coming to an end." Rei II said with a small satisfied smirk. "You refusing to return to the aquarium is precisely why you didn't overwrite me to begin with. So sorry you messed up your respawn."
"What? You're just going to absorb us all then?" Rei I asked, trying to sound cocky but it came off as something else. "You think you get to make that call?"
"Is being alone under the desk really all that great?" Rei II asked with a casual lilt to her voice. She stopped being glib however with her next salvo. "The others have already conceded to the possibility of joining with me. You're the only one left outside of everything."
"Because you refused to acknowledge me as anything but a failed version of you! You cast me down, scorn me for mistakes you wish you could have made and now I'm supposed to just waltz into your arms?!" Rei I shouted, shaking the desk from a pulse of psychokinetic energy.
"This world already rejected you." Rei II wasn't impressed or even moved by the anger. "From the moment you were complete, the world knew you could not be the face of Rei Ayanami. You were greedy, capricious and careless, a vain little runt of spite. Even now, you cling to that young doll look of yours because you want to be treated as both a small helpless child and an adult."
Rei I just glared at her living counterpart, darkness radiating off her.
"Oh come now," Rei II dismissed this. "You had plenty of time to try and assert yourself, I've been in here enough for you to lash out at me. Once more, you are a petulant runt, wanting to scare people with the idea of your wrath... yet you postured too much and died. How sad."
"Get to your point." Rei I said, this time devoid of any emotion. In fact, it echoed Rei II's own tone for the longest time.
"My point is that for all your faults... you are still me." Rei II said, humming a little. "I am just as ugly and unsightly as you, but I have learned to deal with it better than trying to get people in trouble. You never tried to live, that is the sin the world will never absolve you from."
Rei I's choked sob was the only indication this was heard.
"I am the only one in this world who can truly forgive you. I am your only absolution in this Base Earth." Rei II continued, smiling to herself. "We are but part of the same soul, the same light, and the same darkness. You refused to come back solely because you didn't want to admit you were wrong."
Rei I sobbed fully, tears streaking down her face. "Maybe so."
"Don't cry you stupid idiot." Rei II snapped without any real harshness. It was almost fond in a way. "I am often wrong myself, which means you are fine to be wrong too. If you had been willing to correct that oversight of yours sooner you might not be dead right now."
"Might?" Rei I asked.
"Naoko Akagi was kinda nuts." Gendo said from the side. "She was obsessed with the MAGI and the Evangelion, so it all unraveled for her in short succession there."
"Just making sure to note the possibility of her killing you through no fault of your own." Rei II translated. "Aren't you tired of being the failure? The one who screwed up and had to watch all the things you could have had pass you by?"
"Dummy, I don't know what you're talking about." The ghost smiled despite the rebuke. "But it can't helped huh? I can't cling to this world anymore."
"Because we should be as one, right?" Rei II asked. "The barriers that separate me and you are our own creation. You are Rei Ayanami and so am I. Is that not enough?"
"Maybe all we've ever wanted was one of us to say that out loud." Rei I said, as she began to glow. "I guess this is goodbye for me, the independent me anyways. However temporary it ends up being... I'm sorry Commander... I should have.. known... better..."
"...no, I should have taught you better." Gendo said, his voice low to show respect.
The light that made up the soul and remaining emotions of the first Rei Ayanami slowly floated over and was drawn into the second Rei. Soon before long, the light show came to an end and Rei was left standing there by herself. Silently, she seemed to weep in equal parts sorrow and joy.
"You gonna be okay?" Gendo asked after three minutes of fast silence.
"It's a weird feeling, to feel like I have finally come home while also knowing I never went anywhere." Rei giggled. "Dehihi~ Sorry, it's a little weird now that I'm a little more complete than before. She's here but gone yet here in other ways. It's a lovely melancholy."
"If you say so." Gendo said. "Wanna go finish this?"
"Yes, let's."
/-\ /-\ /-\
Maybe this whole thing was pointless now, but doing pointless things was one of Armisael's favorite pastimes. In fact, due to the effectiveness of his siblings, he never really had to fight so hey, first for everything. Sure the consciousness of Adam and everyone else had left for the unseen horizon but that was no reason not to at least try this thing out.
He preferred solitary existence anyways, and if he ended up the last thing on this base Earth, well... he wasn't going to hate it. The others never understood him, thinking him strange even among their numbers. Especially that jerkass Zeruel and he went and died like a chump!
Oh how shameful, big brother!
The ring of light that usually represented the body of Armisael stretched and warped into something vaguely similar to Unit-01, but with two horns and a pair of tusks. This was the ideal form Armisael had always pictured for himself, all regal like as his flesh settled into a mix of silver and gold. His eyes were varnished rubies, burning an intelligent and smokey crimson.
"The throne has been abandoned as I foresaw five worlds ago." Armisael intoned, his voice quaking the surroundings. "The others have left the road to it bare, either dead or traitors. So it falls to I, Armisael, to ascend to the King of Angels."
Arms unfold from his body as he threw back his head and roared in anticipation.
"I have attained Reason. I am the Law made manifest." Armisael shouted towards the empty sky above. "I have descended to this Base Earth to bring the true light of God back to the non-believers. This battle may not need to happen, victory may seem impossible for me."
Deep from within boiled a derisive snort.
"But I, Armisael, am he who finds Reason in all things. This battle still has a purpose for me." He said, finally wrapping up this speech. "O Humanity, o woeful lambs! Come, I will show my Reason for existence!"
It was good to say it outloud, this moment he saw so many ages ago. On that second world, he stood under a star not unlike the sun, feeling the warmth of the atmosphere that gave a sense of nostalgia. That world had been something, but it was gone now, unable to best Adam's game. So many had failed and yet...
"Yes, these humans are special." Armisael said, chuckling to himself. "Indeed, indeed! They are not just the latest permutation of Lilim, they are the crystallization of that potential! Of what could truly be done when we left them alone long enough." This blood soaked sojourn through the stars, from planet to planet, seeing so many unreal things.
"Home... this is where we will rest, living or dead." Armisael decided, not at all displeased by it. "We have wandered, we have despaired but we have finally arrived where we were meant to be."
Mm, a final battle, a final moment under this sun. The anticipation of it all made the King of Angels shake with a hardly contained glee. Zeruel or Arael thought they'd be the ones to be the final line, the last guard before they left again.
Pity, if only they had listened to him way back when...
/-\ /-\ /-\
Back at NERV HQ, something else was happening that wasn't tied to their usual duties of finding an Angel and killing it. Mainly prep for other operations and future plans, as outlined in the small amount of the next by op they had been let in on. To that end, we found Sergeant Yoko Littner on the phone with someone, well rather, about to be on the phone with someone considering all she has done is dialed the number.
It range twice before it was picked up. "Yes, this is Major Adai speaking."
"They still haven't given you a secretary yet huh, Rossiu?" Yoko asked, in lieu of a greeting.
"M-Major Littner?!" Old habits die hard, she took a huge rank demerit to join NERV. Still Rossiu wasn't expecting to hear from her so soon. Or even ever, since anyone involved in NERV just clammed up.
"It's technically Sergeant now," Yoko corrected with cheer. "Hey listen, I got some good news for you: NERV wants to work directly with the JSSDF in the near future."
"You mean we weren't after they nabbed tons of our best soldiers?" Rossiu asked, mentally tallying that he was talking to one such theft.
"Well we're actually going to let you take part in things and get some of the credit instead of thanking you for staying out of the way." Yoko said, keeping a chipper tone. "Besides, I have like five other calls to make if this falls through so I'd rather get your cooperation and get back to my other work."
"Is that why you're calling?" Rossiu said, feeling a little disappointed.
"Saving the world comes before reestablishing old friendships." Yoko said. "Or would you rather die instead?"
"Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to sound disappointed." Rossiu said with a flat tone, he didn't really mean it nor did he need to. She was just rubbing his own corny bullshit back in his face from when he revealed he was joining the JSSDF. "What does this entail?"
"If you say yes, you'll be getting your hands on one of NERV's hypersonic transports. Only catch is you'll only be free to use it after Operation Death and Rebirth." Yoko explained.
"Wait, you guys are willing to part with that?" Rossiu was kind of alarmed.
"Dispersal of NERV tech to the armed forces was part of the plan from the outset." Yoko didn't exactly lie, this is what the Commander told her before ordering her to make this call. "So how about it? Get yourself a leg up on the competition and score your base a free Hypersonic transport."
"Well I'd be stupid to turn it down, but any reason you chose to call me? You had more friends in other bases from your time as base commander here." Rossiu asked, more or less just curious.
"Honestly?" Yoko said, to give her space to think it through. "You were only one who would not want to bitch at the Commander because of everything that has gone on. The smoother this goes, the better for things on our end."
"Ah... well..." Rossiu didn't know how he was supposed to respond to that. "I wouldn't want to put you guys into a bind, especially if it will help save the world."
"If that means you agree, great." Yoko said, deciding to leave it open. "You'll likely to get a call either from someone within NERV or a proxy, depending on the next stage of the plan."
"For the record, yes I do agree." Rossiu said. "Anyone to watch out for?"
"Major Katsuragi or Doctor Akagi." Yoko hummed. "But it might be a surprise, depending on how the next leg of the plan goes after this."
"Okay then, I'll get ready to receive your package then." Rossiu said, before a thought occurred to him and he felt he had to broach the topic. "Any reason for such a gift?"
"Well, if not use for rescue, what do we transport with such things?" Yoko giggled. "Now now! Don't let on that I've spoiled the surprise, just keep it between us. Thanks a bunch, Rossiu."
"No problem, Sergeant Littner." Rossiu said, humming a little. "Keep out of trouble if you can."
"I will... but no promises!" Yoko hung up with that.
"No promises huh?" Rossiu sat in his office, feeling strangely nostalgic for another five minutes before moving with a purpose.
/-\ /-\ /-\
"Blue sign detected!" Aoba called, in the command center of NERV. "No mystery here, he's signed it as Armisael!"
"Keh, the final boss is here." Hyuuga griped.
"He's done nothing so far, he is waiting for us." Maya finished the reporting.
"So," Gendo looked to Bardiel and Leliel. "Your opinions?"
"Armisael never really fights, not since our second world." Leliel said after a moment. "He often kept to himself, though he liked to converse with Tabris or myself."
"I won't be needed," Bardiel said after Leliel finished. "He's shown himself so he just wants to brawl it out a bit. You might even talk him down, depending on how the fight goes."
"Really?" Fuyutsuki asked.
"Adam and everyone already left for the unseen horizon." Leliel explained. "He mostly only directly manifested in a dream for Rei, but he did send all of us the message."
"Armi already knows win or lose, everything is mostly pointless." Bardiel furthered the conversation on. "He mostly wants to rumble for fun, it's why he's being all flashy and such."
"He's giving himself proper titling for the final boss." Leliel added on. "He has probably foreseen this moment years ago, whether in a dream or not."
"Well that's a little scary." Gendo said, turning to look at Misato. "Major, your opinion?"
"Rei is still in the lab with Ritsuko?" Misato asked.
"Will be for another hour, at least." Fuyutsuki confirmed.
"Shinji, Asuka and Kaworu can jostle with him." Misato rubbed her chin. "He'll probably want to brawl with Rei too, so when she's able, we'll send her out to him."
"Begin battle preparations at once," Gendo ordered. "There isn't a need to rush but let's not have him get it into his head that we're keeping him waiting and are afraid."
"Roger." Misato turned away from him and added her own orders. "Launch Unit-01 and 02 from Tunnel 5! After a minute, Unit-04 will approach from tunnel 7! Let's not bum rush right into a surprise attack."
"Shinji and Asuka can protect one another and distract him," Gendo reasoned. "And Kaworu won't need help with that because they'll have engaged him by the time he gets there."
"Major!" Yoko called from the foot of the command center. "The Fatherland is secure, I repeat the Fatherland is secure."
"Good!" Misato looked at Bardiel. "Go and wait for Ritsuko in the lab. She'll be taking you into the city."
"At once!" Bardiel saluted and ran off.
"Preparing for the mission after this one while in the middle of it." Leliel mused. "Daring, which would infuriate Zeruel to no end."
"Cowards hate those who dare." Fuyutsuki quipped.
"And that's all we do here." Gendo turned to the bridge. "Status!"
"Unit-01 and 02 are loaded and being aligned to tunnel 5!" Maya announced.
"Unit-04 is loaded and aligned to Tunnel 7!" Hyuuga added.
"Weapons for all three are being readied, we'll be able to help them swap as the fight goes!" Aoba rounded us out.
"Excellent!" Gendo shouted, giving a bombastic wave of his hand. "It's time for the final battle to begin!"
/-\ /-\ /-\
Unit-01 rocketed towards the battle alongside Unit-02, both pilots contemplative of the looming encounter. Normally, they'd be determined to brutalize and kill the Angel that appeared. Even more this one because he's the Last one but...
"It's weird." Shinji said, keeping his hands on his controls. "It's almost like we're being invited over to wrestle or something."
"Yeah, he doesn't seem like an enemy, just an opponent." Asuka agreed. "Maybe he just wanted the title of Final Boss."
"Which is cool, I guess." Shinji said. "At least he's being straightforward about things."
"As one such as he can be." Asuka added with a hum. "I don't mind it, it's kind of nice."
"The real bullshit starts once this is over." Shinji said, but he smiled despite the harsh words. "But that's fine, because it means everything will finally end."
"Looking forward to it." Asuka gave a little grin. "Especially the vacation afterwards." She wiggled her eyebrows at him through the vid-line.
Annnd now he's audio only, got 'im. "Same." Shinji had to cover up the fact he was about as red Unit-02.
"Alright, we're exiting the tunnel." Asuka backed off the embarrassing emotional stuff. "Be ready."
"Roger." Shinji answered, waiting for the moment their automatic motion stopped. With practiced ease, he brought Unit-01 into its familiar loping gait. A lot had happened since the first time he had piloted Unit-01 and to think this might be the last time...
"Ah," Armisael said as he beheld the two Evangelion come to a stop opposite him. "It is good you have finally come. I might complain of boredom, but I have been waiting centuries for this moment, a couple hours is nothing."
If not for Iruel and Leliel, that would have been weird. Knowing full well the sapience behind the star traversing race, however, it came across as intriguing. Whatever, at least respond back right? "Would have been here sooner but protocols and such." Shinji assured the Angel.
"There was always an order of battle we held as well," Armisael said, unfolding his arms-after making them visible first-and stretching them out. "We are different in a myriad number of ways that the similarities will feel the strangest."
"Similar doesn't mean the same, after all." Asuka said, keeping a cool front. Rei wasn't here to be the cold bitch and they'd have to wait for Kaworu before they could settle into proper bantering routines. "And that suits us both just fine right?"
"Mm, indeed." Armisael said, giving a rumbling chuckle. "It certainly is not anything to be mad over." He craned his head a little, first to the right and then the left. "So, do you wish the first swing? Or shall I go? Maybe we both just go?"
"I'll engage first." Shinji announced, making Unit-01 crack its knuckles before settling into a loose fighting stance that seemed some kind of martial arts. "But don't wait on me big guy, let's just thrown down a bit."
"Good spirit!" Armisael complimented, shifting around into his own fighting stance, somewhat mirroring Shinji's. "Ready?"
"All set here." Shinji said, flexing his fingers against the controls.
"Then, here we go, boya." Armisael vanished at the end of his sentence and appeared right in front ot Unit-01.
Fist met fist with a bang, followed swiftly by seven more. The two titans broke apart, clashing their AT-fields against each other to see if that could be an avenue to purchase an opening. Unit-01 skidded to a stop and shifted into a sweeping left uppercut, putting the full weight of the Evangelion behind it.
Armisael's AT-field stopped it long enough for him to move, allowing the Evangelion to harmlessly finish its punch. "Good good!" He hollered, rushing in with a right cross the moment Shinji fully recovered the machine.
Much the same as Armisael, Shinji blocked and dodged using his own AT-field. "Nice." He managed to grind out through his concentration, the Evangelion flowing into an overhand right of its own.
Asuka watched impassively, but was silently impressed. "He is playing around but he isn't going to roll over for us huh?" She turned Unit-02's head up to watch the various AT-field constructs clashing in the sky, shattering into motes of light and kicking up a thunderous storm of sound. "I can dig it."
"We will follow the paths as we were meant to take them, " Armisael said, as he continued to trade blows with Unit-01. "Whether we swim with destiny's tide or push back against it, we still made a choice in some fashion even when it appeared we didn't."
Hm, a bit of philosophy between the bare knuckles? Cool. "The concept of destiny is too cold to be comforting and too vague to be taken seriously." Shinji countered, both verbally and physically, crossing fist against fist dozens of time. "Anything can be called destiny, even radom acts of capricious providence some think of as divine."
"Keh, but if you can recognize there's a greater sense to actions of this world, what's the harm in believing in destiny?" Armisael pushed back-literally, with his AT-field to create separation to skid back before launching an eye laser that missed Unit-01. "Surely there is no harm is such minor belief."
"The belief itself is not what is to be scorned, it's the people who abandon responsibility and agency before doing great evil." Shinji constructed a spear from his AT-field and hurled it at Armisael, missing by a couple inches. "Just because it is destiny doesn't mean you are free from judgment of your crimes."
"Many do seem to misunderstand even if they were fated to do something, they did not seek a way around it." Armisael agreed, laughing as he threw a series of AT-field knives at Unit-01, just barely missing it. "Destiny isn't so hard and rigid, less like a stream and more like a darkened path illuminated by choice. If you blindly follow the path under your feet, does it not stand to reason you are at fault should you stumble into a pit?"
"So what are you trying to say?" Shinji pulled back and lashed his AT-field against Armisael eight times in a second. "That you can see the future and thus you understand that there is some laughable concept people call destiny."
"Anyone could see the future if they let go of their fear of it." Armisael said with a laugh as he posed opposite Unit-01. "The point of destiny is not to let go of your responsibility but embrace your resolve! You made the choices you did and maybe you were guided by a force you do not comprehend but you must own up to those choices. No one in this world or any other will let you get away with them except cowards who want to escape their own sins."
"That sounds pretty prideful." Shinji noted.
"Should we not be, O Champion of Man? I who have lived for millenia and seen much of this galaxy, been through the stars with my brethren?" Armisael responded. "To stand across you, who rose up from despair to stand as an Ace Amongst Aces, who saved so many time and time again? Your compassion saved Leliel from the grave after all, is that not something to be proud of?"
"Arrogance and pride, though cousins, are not the same thing." Asuka butted in. "Arrogance is an unfounded sense of superiority and pride is simply contentment in your accomplishment. It only becomes a sin when you let it consume you."
"Correct!" Armisael congratulated. "Is this a tag?"
Unit-01 slid back and Unit-02 now stood across from Armisael. "I can't let him have all the fun." Asuka confirmed. "Wouldn't be a satisfying Last Boss if I did."
"Very good!" Armisael chortled. "Shall we go?"
"Move and I will follow." Asuka said with a smirk. "It may not be Mozart's Waltz but let us dance, King of Angels!"
Shinji stood back and watched Unit-02 clash with Armisael, a thoughtful expression on his face. "For a fight with the fate of the world in the balance, it's pretty casual."
Kaworu and Unit-04 had emerged from his tunnel and came over to stand-by Unit-01. "Hey, seems like the party is kicking off."
"Just a little." Shinji said, seeing Asuka and Armisael testing one another's punching ability. "No fireworks yet."
"Shame." Kaworu said, taking a deep breath to steady himself.
"Calm down, Kaworu." The voice of Tabris bubbled in the back of his mind. "You're letting her code talk get to you."
"It's grating to hear it," Kaworu mentally complained back. "Even if she doesn't mean it, it still hurts."
"Save your anger for SEELE and Keel Lorenz." Tabris reminded his host. "They infected you with that virus after all." The virus that made Kaworu obsess with Shinji, breaking down his sanity over how the world would deny him what he wants. No longer caring if humanity lived, he would bring about Third Impact as revenge. That was his duty as their ace in the hole.
"I know!" Kaworu thought, gritting his teeth. "Even with you and the medicine I can feel it gnawing at my brain, trying to fuck with my mind and all of this is not helping!" It didn't make sense but the point was to either break Shinji through giving him a close companion like Kaworu only to cruelly rip him away. Or send Kaworu on a madness induced rampage trying to destroy humanity. But why Shinji?
"Because such a thing can only end in tragedy in this world." Tabris replied to the internal monologue. "Another world, another place, you might be able to find an earnest rapport with Ikari Shinji that could approach romantic. Maybe you'd be an exception, repaying your kindness and affection with his body?"
And yet in that world... Kaworu would die. Maybe the commander would do it, maybe Kaworu could come to the conclusion that dying by Shinji's hand was the only way to truly 'have' him. But he would leave that Shinji alone and vulnerable again.
"But it's not me. He has my face and my voice but that is not me." Kaworu reprimanded himself, trying to keep himself together. "I am Kaworu Nagisa, I am no one's trump card."
"Just focus on being calm." Tabris reminded him. "You might not get to fight."
Unit-02 suddenly filled his view, wrestling with Armisael.
"Asuka!" Kaworu blurted out.
"Heya kid!" Asuka still wasn't calling him by his name. "Might wanna move back a little, you're in the splash zone."
"The hell does that mean?" Kaworu demanded.
"It means, 'danger close'." Shinji called, far behind Kaworu and Unit-04 now. "Explosives on both sides are about to hit down."
"Oh." Kaworu nodded.
"You need to move back in-line with him or you're going to get hurt." Tabris chided him. "You can't deploy your field because you're too close to Asuka and Armisael."
"Oh!" Kaworu shook his head. "Right." He slid back away from the grappling pair and stood next to Shinji. "This is my first Earth battle, sorry."
"Don't worry new guy," Shinji said. "Not too many people expect much outta you."
"Stay calm." Tabris said, again trying to keep Kaworu under control. "You're letting your inexperience get to you."
"Easy for you to say." Kaworu thought back, feeling Unit-04 shake as Asuka rained missiles down onto Armisael. "You're not the one in control here."
"If you're that eager to die, I can be." Tabris sneered back. "Your personality won't survive me having the floor for more than a couple minutes at best."
"Right, sorry." Kaworu apologised, moving out of the way as Unit-02 and Armisael came flying through trading punches.
"Is it satisfying?" Armisael asked, pushing back and dancing lightly on his feet. "I do hope I am putting up an enjoyable resistance."
Asuka actually laughed. "Yeah, it's fine." It was, wasn't it? Knowing this was the Last Angel, the Final Boss of them all took the worry out of it. And hell, he was quipping and snarking with them like a friend.
"Good good!" Armisael laughed. "I'd rather this be a spirited affair, a contest of wills without the pointless symbolism and posturing. Just your strength and mine."
"Mm, I can dig it." Asuka said with a short snort. "Your warm up done?"
"Indeed!" Armisael sprinted forward, slamming his fist into Unit-02's AT-field. "I hope you are as well!"
Fist met fist, field met field, along with the occasional missile or two crashing the party. They were moving at a high pace, matching attack for attack while laughing all the same. In fact, if not for the lethality inherent to their attacks, it could just be two friends horsing around.
"Good good," Shinji muttered. "Keep it going, Asuka."
"I can barely keep up with the Magi." Kaworu muttered in shock. "So this is what an experienced pilot can do!"
"And she's just getting started." Shinji said, as the air warped with every punch.
The fields collided and shattered, kicking up dirt and dust, further setting the stage of this clash between Titans. Armisael flew in with a kick, which Asuka push blocked and knocked him back. The Angel flipped and landed, staking out into a run to dodge four missiles flying in from the sky.
"So how do you see the shape of this world?" Armisael asked, firing off a few eye lasers. "Anything you hate about it?"
"Hmph," Asuka slid by the beams and chased her foe with fire from a support gunship belonging to the Krieger Suite. "This world is still a place inhabited by humans, its shape is hardly relevant. Nor worthy of hate, really."
"Oh?" Armisael asked, forming shields on his arms to help protect himself. "Why do you say that?"
"Wasting time hating something locks you into obsessing about the thing you hate. So even if it changes or ceases to be, you're still poisoned by your hatred and obsession with it. Even if this is a rundown world that barely turns anymore, things change too fast to remain locked in place."
"Ho, what an enlightened answer." Armisael complimented her. "How did you come to this conclusion?"
"Fighting Zeruel." Asuka admitted after a moment to think. "I was furious with him, angry beyond reason that I locked myself into destroying him because he was such a wasted opportunity. The catharsis lasted half an hour before I was upset with myself for not being crueller. Not making him hurt more and after an hour of crawling around in my skin I stopped because it was so pointless and stupid."
"Felt better did you?" Armisael laughed. "I bet you did! Certainly, the times I conversed with him myself were unpleasant to say the least."
"Sibling rivalry?" Asuka guessed.
"Mmm, he was the eldest, followed by Arael and Matariel." Armisael confirmed. "I am fourth born."
Two weapon silos popped up, passing Asuka two sub-machine guns designed after the standard pallet rifle. "Fascinating." She chuckled. "I'll hold this heat segment a little longer, the new guy still hasn't gotten used to his machine."
"I imagine Arael proved insufficient fodder for grinding." Armisael nodded. "Let's resume."
A spray of SMG fire was his only answer.
/-\ /-\ /-\
Ritsuko stared in muted awe. "They're singing."
"Yes, Sinatra I believe." Rei said with nod, completely naked for this. "They know what is to come. They always know me better than I do."
"That was Mother..." Ritsuko frowned and shook her head clear of dark thoughts. "Are you ready?"
"No, but I can fake it." Rei joked.
"Rei..." Ritsuko gave a warning tone and look, apprehension building.
"I am scared, Doctor." Rei bit out. "The results will be what they will be but there's no way of knowing if I'll like the results until I have achieved them." She looked vulnerable, even more so being naked.
"Sorry, I forget that not everything you say is a joke to make fun of everyone else." Ritsuko apologized, if for no other reason than it felt appropriate.
"It is fine." Rei paused, and shook her head. "Maybe it isn't, but I want to believe it is so. I like who I am now, I want to be who I am now. But... if this changes me and I lose this contentment, can I say it was worth it?"
"Don't worry about it, you will find whatever changes will be minor." Ritsuko said, nodding a little as the words formed firmly in her mind. "You will be Rei Ayanami no matter what and this can't change it."
"Thank you, Doctor." Rei strode to the tank. "Everyone, it is time. Let us become one."
All the Reis smiled and nodded. "Yes, let's." They answered as one, surprisingly not as loud as you might think.
Before Rei, the familiar hexagonal shape of an AT-field shone to life. This repeated with all the Reis in the tank, over a hundred AT-fields, humming as one. Once they were in sync, Rei fully entered the aquarium.
Slowly, but surely, the barriers between them broke down, filling the aquarium with a golden orange glow. The voices of the Reis unified as one, not even singing anything distinct beyond keeping a note. Gradually, the voices begin to decrease in number, as one took the lead and increased in both clarity and volume.
Images danced before her eyes, a hundred lives she never lived. A hundred fragments of who she might have been if she was a different Rei. The hopes, dreams and fears of each clone who only knew a world cast in orange. These other hers, who never knew what was out there beyond the times she would dangle the carrot of knowledge over them.
Mm, maybe they would live on in her. They were her but on some level they weren't. How was she supposed to feel as another voice blended in with hers? How was she supposed to deal with this lingering scent of greed? She stole the dream of freedom from them, their chance to be free.
Yet she was also setting them free in another way. They had all longed to be one again, the fleeting few moments of the First as the only before the Commander broke her into pieces again and again. They would keep the only name they ever knew, the only signifier of their existence. They were Rei Ayanami as much as she was.
Regrets for this would do nothing, what was started could not stop. There was no way back on this road, you must advance towards the finish. You've thought about this for years, dreamed about it, yearned for it. How many times had your tears been completely alien to you? How often had you been sick with the sorrow of a heart not quite your own but feeling as though it was?
Don't over think it, just accept it and move forward. Carry their dreams, their hopes, their fears, their pride as yours. They were Rei Ayanami too after all.
So are you though.
"Is anything even happening?" Ritsuko's voice tickled Rei's ears, bringing her awareness of the world beyond this aquarium.
"I am going to leave this aquarium." A foreign feeling of excitement bubbled in her breast even as memories of doing so popped up in confusion. "Everything has already finished, Doctor." Rei's voice sounded firmer, clearer, as if projected upon the world itself. "Uhihihihi! What a curious contradiction!"
"Are you alright?" Ritsuko asked, wondering what she was supposed to do if the answer was no.
One single Rei-her gait matching the one who had walked into the aquarium-strode forth with a swagger more like Asuka. Her lips twinged into a smirk like Shinji before she broke out laughing again. "Dehihihihihi! For the first time, I can say that I am." She gazed over her body and felt content.
Ritsuko nodded. "You've... matured in there I take it?"
"Eh?" Rei asked, before glancing down again and seeing it for herself. "Huh, my boobs got bigger."
"Take your time to adjust, but Armisael is here." Ritsuko informed her.
"I can feel him." Rei said, acknowledging the remark for what it was. "Can you bring me my plugsuit? Oh and please adjust it if you can." She grinned sheepishly. "Growth spurts, right?"
"Hips and chest right?" Ritsuko inquired, with a questioning eyebrow.
"Probably for the best." Rei blushed, not wanting to confirm it.
The doctor left, and Rei was alone in the technical sense.
"In a way, they're all still here." Rei clenched her right hand into a fist. "But I am Rei Ayanami, the one and only. This name is mine and I carry it for those who never got the chance to... and yes, even for the one who fell too soon before she could do it proud."
She thrust her fist to the heavens. "Yes, I am that idiot who ran her mouth, I am she who was once a doll and lived to obey. And yet still I am all those who lived in this aquarium. I was once one of many and now I am many in one. My name is Rei Ayanami and I am... whole."
Damn it felt good.
/-\ /-\ /-\
Kaworu stood nervously. "We're doing what?"
"Rei is late, so you're getting the tag for now." Asuka said with a nod.
"You can decline, but you're staying New Guy forever then." Shinji added. "Not that it wouldn't be fun to throwdown again, but then why are you even here again?"
"You can do it," Tabris encouraged his host. "Armi won't reveal anything, just keep your guard up so you don't job."
"Fine." Kaworu said, holding up Unit-04's hand to take the tag. "But I'll get you if still call me New Guy."
"Shut up New Guy." Asuka made Unit-02 make the tag and stomped past him to stand next to Shinji.
"You asked for that." Tabris noted.
"Don't you start sassing me too!" Kaworu sent Unit-04 towards Armisael.
"Trouble?" Armisael asked, almost sound amused.
"Just the FNG!" Shinji called out.
"Fuck you man!" Kaworu blurted.
"Oh, a newbie huh?" Armisael nodded. "I will take it easy on him then."
"Really?" Asuka asked.
"I'd rather the tag not be pointless so quickly, so I will hold back on the techniques used against you." Armisael paused. "Unless he earns it."
"Why are you all giving me shit?" Kaworu demanded.
"Because it bothers you." Asuka said plainly.
"Of course it bothers me!" Kaworu shook a fist at Unit-02. "I never asked for this! You think you can just refuse this summons?"
"I was raised to do this." Asuka said, turning Unit-02 to look at Unit-01.
"I'm related to the head of the org who carries a gun marked 'in case of insubordination' in his pocket." Shinji said, making Unit-01 shrug. "You don't say no to that guy, even when he offers to let you."
Armisael just shrugged. "I'm just reading the room, don't take it so personally."
Unit-04 slumped. "Goddamnit, why couldn't this be normal?"
"How could giant robots fighting a giant monster be normal?" Asuka asked after five very long seconds of silence.
"...SHUT UP!" Kaworu blurted and the sound of him shutting off his comms actually managed to sound out.
"Sorry, you two go ahead." Shinji said, holding back a laugh. "I keep forgetting he hasn't been around long enough to be used to things."
"What a shame." Armisael said, before charging Unit-04.
"Hey, uh, you there Kaworu?" Tabris asked nervously. "The bantering is over, seems the match is resumed."
"Shit!" Kaworu managed to swing on the Angel, trading punches with him. It wasn't quite to the level the others had, but this was his second sortie with a machine that shouldn't be here. To his credit, he had something resembling CQC training so he wasn't just trying to swing like some rando brawler.
Armisael pushed Unit-04 around, chasing the silver and white machine around with ease. Still, the Evangelion's defense wasn't easily defeated which meant he had yet to land a blow. It even managed an AT-field or two the scamp!
"Ho, this might be even more fun." Armisael noted.
"How?" Kaworu asked, turning back on his comms for this.
"Being able to control how this fight goes and if you'll rise to the occasion are certainly intriguing prospects." Armisael admitted. "Plus most everyone else got steamrolled so even if I'm padding my highlight reel against a newbie, it's better than Zeruel."
"Preach." The other pilots chorused in agreement.
"You two be quiet!" Kaworu snapped, before throwing a head kick at Armisael.
It was blocked, naturally. "Hmm, not bad not bad. You're not quite up to my weight class though." Armisael said, just to tweak him.
Unit-04 spun and delivered another kick.
"Good spirit, young warrior." Armisael complimented after blocking the kick. "Not enough time in the saddle huh?"
"Unit-04 wasn't supposed to be finished because NERV America were a bunch of idiots who hadn't even finished it before they decided to try and harvest bits from one of the other Angels." Kaworu said flatly.
"How foolish of them." Armisael chuckled as he pressured Unit-04 with some light jabs.
"Yeah and then they just foist it off to NERV Japan because someone somehow convinced them to do so and I'm stuck with this." Kaworu continued, throwing hands back to try and keep himself from getting clobbered.
"I suppose they didn't bother to make a simulator for this unit since it wasn't even finished huh?" Armisael asked, curious about this tangent now.
"Yeah, so I had some time with Unit-02 and while I could make it work, Asuka still smoked me like a cheap cigar." Kaworu shook his head. "Then again, she's had years of direct contact with it, a computer not the Magi can't be expected to counter that."
"How fortunate for you there will be no more Angels then, eh boy?" Armisael asked.
"That only goes so far." Kaworu groused. "I mean, I'm barely above something they might have stepped on by accident."
"That's rough." Armisael said with genuine sympathy. "Still, you're managing quite well."
"I have my pride but it's only so much me and more you holding back." Kaworu retorted.
"Mm, I suppose so." Armisael body checked the Evangelion back, giving them space. "Still, you should focus on what you can do, not what you might have been able to do in some other life."
"I guess." Kaworu felt a little awkward. "Are you really giving me life advice?"
"I could kill you instead." Armisael said with a nonchalant tone.
"Ah, um..." Kaworu had honestly forgot this was the final battle for the world here.
"Thus, why he is New Guy." Shinji called out.
"Seriously, shut up!" Kaworu complained.
"So." Armisael said, with a leading tone.
"Yeah?" Kaworu asked.
"Care to grab a weapon? Might give you more even footing." Armisael suggested.
"...what even are the weapons for this?" Kaworu hadn't gotten to talk to the weapons people yet, come to think of it.
"Hey." Maya popped on to the call. "You wanna ask for something?"
"Can you give me a list or a suggestion?" Kaworu asked, feeling like he was gonna be made fun of for this. "I, uh, don't know the loadout for this mission."
"You have a pallet rifle and a hand-me-down shotgun from Unit-00." Maya informed him. "As far as melee is concerned, you have a choice between this Lance Ron made last week and a remodeled Maglock."
"Remodeled how exactly?" Kaworu was curious.
"It shoots electricity in execution mode." Maya informed him all cheery like.
"...gimme the Lance, please." Kaworu asked after careful deliberation. "I don't do well with swords."
"You'll need to wait two and a half minutes for it." Maya said. "Good luck, Kaworu-kun."
"Great." Kaworu muttered.
"Well?" Armisael asked.
"I ordered a weapon but it apparently wasn't already ready so they need to deliver it." Kaworu said.
"Ah. Well, I guess you'll just have to fend me off until then." Armisael said with a nod.
"This is gonna suck.' Kaworu thought.
/-\ /-\ /-\
"Rei is out of the lab and headed to the Cages." Aoba reported five minutes later.
"Unit-00 will launch once she's in." Hyuuga added.
"Good because Unit-04 is doing well but only so much." Maya reported. "He's being given a breather."
"Admirable performance from him, wouldn't you say?" Fuyutsuki asked.
"It's too bad for him that Bardiel did end up taking Unit-03." Gendo said. "He might be a smidge better."
"But only so much," Leliel said with a small smile. "Still, Nagisa does well despite all odds." She couldn't comment on him being Adam's soul vessel or hosting Tabris, naturally.
"Perfectly fine for a total amateur who just so happened to get chosen to pilot, right?" Misato rolled her eyes at the covert speak.
"About what you'd want out of someone with such suspicious luck." Fuyutsuki agreed.
"Status?" Gendo asked.
"This is Rei, Commander." Rei said over comms from inside Unit-00. "I am going forth to provide a lifeline to the New Guy."
"Hot tag is incoming." Maya noted for posterity.
Gendo smiled, a rare, genuine kind of thing from him. "Good to hear." He paused. "Don't kill the Angel if you can avoid it."
"Understood." Rei laughed. "There is no need for such things. He will join us without too much effort put into the convince."
"Ready?" Misato asked.
"More than ever." Rei answered.
"Launch Unit-00!" Misato ordered.
Away, the blue machine rocketed and a quiet settled in.
"Hey, does this mean we finally won?" Hyuuga asked.
"I think so." Aoba answered, uncertain.
"They were waiting for Rei to end the fight." Maya said.
Aoba gave a fist pump. "Awright!"
"Finally." Hyuuga breathed a sigh of relief.
"Unit-04 is still holding firm but it's clear he's outmatched." Maya reported. "He's doing well with the lance but he can't score any significant offense."
Indeed, that was the crux of the issue here. Kaworu had indeed put up a significant defense both in the wait for the weapon and once it had arrived. But he was only really using it in that capacity, because...
"Ah goddamnit!" Kaworu swore as he stumbled while trying to charge Armisael. The Lance was nothing to special beyond using sonic amplitude to cause cellular destruction in the target. Really, the only downside it was actually a lance and not a spear being called a lance for sake of pedantic theme naming. Long and short? Really good for thrusting and charging, kinda sucked for most everything else.
"Ho!" Armisael stepped out of the path of the rumblin' stumblin' Evangelion. "Hard to mind your feet huh?"
"Ragh!" Kaworu just growled in frustration and got up. "This sucks!"
"Hey New Guy!" Shinji called.
"Don't-rrr... what?!" Kaworu answered.
"The hot tag is coming." Shinji said.
Unit-04 looked confused.
"Rei is coming to tag in." Asuka translated it since it seemed his frustration made the lingo bounce off his head.
"Oh sweet mercy yes." Kaworu slumped in his seat.
"You're still up until she gets here." Asuka reminded him. "You got like a minute and a half or so."
"...Fuck me running." Kaworu muttered.
"Just a little bit more." Armisael said. "Might as well put down the lance before you hurt yourself."
"Keep your cool, you're almost there." Tabris coached him.
"This shouldn't be happening." Kaworu mentally grumped as he got Unit-04 back to its feet and charged back into a clash with Armisael.
"Hm?" Tabris was curious about this outburst.
"The scenario has been off the rails for this long and they have no idea." Kaworu ranted silently. "How long has the Commander been against them? Did he join them just to ruin them? Was that why he broke Adam's containment and started Second Impact?!"
"That's..." Tabris had no response for that.
"Unit-04 was supposed to be destroyed, Asuka was supposed to be an attention whore, Rei II was supposed to be a doll and Shinji was supposed to be so emotionally devastated he would die for the first person to truly give him any genuine affection." Kaworu continued, slugging it out with Armisael and only just holding back his punches. "The Scenario was written by him, his wife and Keel! Was he against Keel then? Did he blame Keel for his wife dying even though it was predicted in the Scenario?! What caused this?!"
"You could ask." Tabris suggested.
"Ha! He happily put a gun to my head and told me that he had the excuse form for my accidental death written up and ready to be signed. He dared me to stick my head in the guillotine." Kaworu scoffed, being pushed back. "Remember Mari?"
"From your dreams if nothing else." Tabris said.
"She's Evangelion Unit-05 and easily able to kill me despite what power I can harness from you or Adam's soul." Kaworu revealed.
"That's...wow." Tabris answered. "Be careful!"
"Huh?" Kaworu reacted a little too slow and only partially blocked a right hand, causing Unit-04 to take it right on the jaw. "HWOF!"
Armisael watched the Evangelion fall but stepped back instead of pressing the attack. "So, you're here." He said, looking to a figure looming behind the fallen Evangelion.
"Ah, yeah." Rei said, not feeling awkward in the least. "I had some personal business to take care of."
"Can't be helped then." Armisael said with a chuckle. "Not that things need to be that serious here."
"Mah, I suppose you're right." Rei stepped over Unit-04 to perfectly stand across from the Angel. "You've been having fun huh?"
"Yeah, it's been better than my dreams." Armisael admitted. "Though you in particular surprise me."
"Oh?" Rei decided to humor him.
"I only forsaw you taking the path you have taken one time, centuries ago." Armisael said, before laughing. "I'm glad because you seem a lot better now."
"Seen it all before huh?" Rei felt a bit of surprise at that. "Is that why you're so relaxed?"
"Naturally, this battle is just for our mutual vanity." Armisael stretched his arms out wide. "Just so we can mark it down we had a final battle in this war between us. The end of our journey, this world that is our grave and you who live on top of the corpses." He gave a dark chuckle. "Victory is meaningless for either of us unless we change the circumstances. I get to have an entertaining battle and you get a victory lap for your win that you sealed with Arael's death."
"True, I don't feel like killing you." Rei looked back to Unit-01 and 02. "You two?"
"He didn't kill the New Guy when he had ample opportunity so he's okay in my book." Shinji said.
"Honestly, we would have killed him already if we wanted him dead." Asuka admitted. "But he seems like someone who would be nice to have around."
"Well, there you have it." Rei said, bringing up Unit-00's hands and cracking their knuckles. "You wanna tussle a bit before we declare it a draw or whatever?"
"Sounds like a fantastic idea." Armisael nodded. "Just a little more eh?"
"There is a certain sense of ceremony to be had, yes." Rei agreed.
"Kaworu?" Tabris asked. "You ok?"
"I'll be ok when this is over." Kaworu's tone made it clear he didn't mean this fight.
/-\ /-\ /-\
Armisael was laid sprawled out on his back, looking up at the sky.
Unit-00 was sitting next to his downed body, with 01 and 02 sitting close by. Unit-04 was sitting a bit further away, for some reason. It mattered little, there was no point in quibbling about things.
With the Angel War finished, now began the real conflict: Mankind's own selfish, self destructive and stupid nature against its need to grow, survive and thrive.
"Nice right." Armisael congratulated.
"Thanks." Rei said. "You pack a wallop yourself."
"Man, this is nice." Shinji declared. "Being able to have this kind of moment."
"Mm, ja, it seems like it." Asuka agreed. "Bit better than some of our fights."
"Don't look at me," Kaworu said when it seemed like they were leaving a spot for him. "I missed most of the action."
"Has he been pouting the entire time?" Rei asked.
"Just a bit, but we have been tweaking him." Asuka admitted.
"You know how it is, he was supposed to ride in on a horse of white and win the day with a bright smile." Shinji gave his opinion. "Being a shitty n00b who was mostly unprepared and then wholly unnecessary just got under his skin."
"I can hear you." Kaworu made sure to point out.
"You're supposed to." Shinji said with cheer. "After all, half the fun is in tweaking you."
"The other half is coming up with creative ways to remind you that you suck." Asuka added.
"These three... fuck, he's been rubbing my face in it hasn't he?" Kaworu silently seethed. "Very funny."
"I like to think so." Shinji countered. "And I rate my own opinion a lot higher than yours."
Unit-04's comm line went dead, which meant Kaworu had taken the L on the conversation.
"You four get on well." Armisael noted.
"We try but some of us haven't gotten over themselves yet." Rei said. "He's very much a Zeruel; lots of confidence, unable to deal with not being as awesome as he hypes himself up to be."
"Lacking the seniority to have his way eh?" Armisael chuckled and sat up. "I'm glad it ended like this. Being able to sit here with you, feeling proud of what has occurred."
"Oh?" Shinji found that fascinating.
"In so many visions, in so many worlds that never were, I saw myself dying as an unintelligible foe." Armisael said, taking a somber tone. "That neither of our sides had advanced far enough to understand the other. That we progressed enough to be able to exchange words is immense."
"Yeah." Shinji made Uni-01 nod. "Yeah, I get that. I was always able to read the emotion underneath the other Angels."
"And then it progressed to the point where we could communicate." Rei said, recalling Iruel.
"Such wonderful bonds, yes?" Armisael smiled, or something close enough to it that wasn't immediately horrifying. "This world is strangely beautiful."
"Even though this is technically after the end of the world," Asuka said, before laughing off the incidental rebuke. "No, you're right. There's something really nice about things."
"People are continuing on, even after everything." Rei added. "It's continued to spin in its own fashion."
"Just one more hurdle to go huh?" Armisael chuckled. "I suppose I can stick around help with that."
"Be great to have you." Rei said, for all of them really. "It'd be a waste for you to just go away."
Armisael looked towards the horizon. "I'm not ready to cross that horizon."
Rei gave a laugh, to the confusion of the other two. "I suppose not."
"Let's go back?" Shinji asked. "The mission is over."
"Yeah, I guess we should." Asuka added.
"Don't worry, I'll take care of making myself more manageable right now." Armisael said, before he began glowing white. Soon, his giant imposing form broke into little motes of light which then gathered onto the shoulder of Unit-00. They reformed into a tall older man with stern features, dressed in black with a red long coat. His hair was a short but messy black and his eyes were a golden yellow. "Better?"
"Lots." Rei agreed. "Let's go back."
/-\ /-\ /-\
Ritsuko found Bardiel waiting in her lab dutifully. "I see Miss Litner didn't disappoint us."
"Yup." Bardiel agreed. "Are you ready Doctor?"
Ritsuko reached into her labcoat and pulled the handgun she kept for emergencies from it. With practiced ease, she made sure it was loaded and in working order before clicking the safety back on, putting it back in her coat pocket. "I am now. Move, towards the garage. Do not talk to anyone and do not react to what I do."
"They've made their move huh?" Bardiel asked, turning to lead the way out of the lab. He took brisk, mindful steps.
"It started before we touched down but they dare not get too close or the Sub-Commander would find and slaughter them all." Ritsuko replied, following with a purpose. "Were he a decade younger, the Sub-Commander's presence alone would be considered a war crime. He is a genius in many fields, but his science is the messy art of murdering the hell out of people. The Commander's wife was very taken towards him because his dispassionate stance towards those he considered targets and her general misanthropy."
"And the Commander?" Bardiel was curious about how Gendo fit in.
"He isn't someone of particular skill or talent, he just suffocates everything with his presence." Ritsuko said with a nonchalant tone. "His greatest skill is that he terrifies people to the point they have delusional episodes from it. I suppose the late Ms. Ikari found the lout charming somehow."
"I mean, he does seem barely human so if she hated people..." Bardiel made the leading comment, weaving past those milling about.
"There is that I suppose." Ritsuko allowed. "Get in the elevator, we need to get down there before any further movements can be made against us."
"Yes, Doctor." Bardiel obeyed, rushing forward to get the elevator.
The two entered, silent for a moment, allowing the hum of the lift to settle the atmosphere.
"This is gonna be chaotic, but only because we're stepping out into the teeth of the rats gathering around us." Ritsuko warned. "If we could have culled them before now, there wouldn't need to be the veil of secrecy around us."
"I understand." Bardiel said. "It's natural for opportunists to try and do something like this. Adam told us once that this was what ended our race in the first place."
"The universe loves a good cycle huh?" Ritsuko asked, amusement dancing from her lips.
Bardiel just smiled and said nothing, the elevator stopped on the garage's floor and the door opened.
Out into the garage they stepped, keeping a clear purpose to their steps.
"The red car is mine, just past that blue hunk of scrap Misato insists is a car." Ritsuko said, keeping focus.
"Roger." Bardiel paused. "I don't have records for those two gentlemen milling about ahead."
"Be ready to kill them if they aren't JSSDF who have clearance." Ritsuko pulled her gun out and undid the safety, hiding it behind her back. "I'll talk, you keep ready to protect me."
"Mm!" Bardiel confirmed.
"Okay, you two!" Ritsuko called out once close enough to talk but still enough distance to waste them if she had to. "This isn't some place for you two to be standing around. I need your names, and why the hell you're trespassing."
"Akagi!" One of the men yelled, taking a stance as if to draw a weapon.
A gunshot to the chest dropped his friend. "Ugh!"
For the would-be gunman, he was wrapped in an AT-field. "What the hell?"
"Before I kill you, you will answer me." Ritsuko said, keeping her gun on him. "Tighten it a little."
"Hghk!" The man snarled in pain. "Don't play dumb Akagi, the Scenario calls for NERV to be annihilated, no matter how well you lot did."
Bardiel's head craned. "Scenario?"
"He's referring to a plan that was compiled by a misanthrope, her beast of a husband and a German tinpot who was afraid of death so much he wished to be God." Ritsuko explained, very casually. "That was originally the goal and purpose of NERV. We were supposed to be barely competent enough to prevent you guys from achieving Third Impact so we could start it ourselves. Some believed it would weed out the weak and leave the strong in a godlike form to rule the ashes of the world."
"O... originally?" The man asked, confused.
"Don't play stupid man, I just shot your partner despite allegedly being your ally." Ritsuko said smoothly. "The Scenario was scrapped by the Commander long ago."
The man's eyes widened.
"Crush him." Ritsuko ordered.
"Gladly." Bardiel closed a hand, causing the man to pop like a zit when the field collapsed on him with crushing force.
"Get in the back seat and lie down." Ritsuko used a remote to unlock the doors. "We're not going out any official exits and I want them to assume I'm alone."
"Yes." Bardiel agreed. "This means..."
"Indeed, once we leave HQ, Operation Death and Rebirth will officially begin." Ritsuko said with a certain ominous flair.
End Chapter 27
Preview for Chapter 28 "They're Talking About You Boy":
Who exactly was Gendo Rokubungi and how had he managed to just stumble into so many influential people's lives to the point he had his finger in every secret pie on the planet? Being a student of Kouzo Fuyutsuki was just a coincidence, but how would someone who was described as dull witted and angry at everything capture someone who seemed very much the picture of intellectualism? To say nothing of being able to keep the attention of a fireball known as Yui Ikari, a woman so angry that things existed she seemed delighted at the mere act of destruction.
In many respects, it is less who he is and more just how he is. Gendo was just an ordinary young man from unremarkable backgrounds who was just good at stuff enough to enter the tail end of the fast track to success. But key to his success was being able to lower expectations of him by everyone else.
Or, to put it another way, he was not as stupid and oafish as he appeared.
Many were surprised to find him an engaging person to converse with, others found his formidable appearance made him perfect for things that required you to scare the shit out of people without cheap horror. Existential dread of being broken open and devoured by this ogre sure seemed an effective negotiation tactic.
He is, to a fault, a man who learned early on to keep his mouth shut unless he had to talk. And if he was given the floor, say something with enough oomph and impact to leave an impression. Silent but not too stoic, dark but not quite evil, giving off just the right amount of moral ambiguity that made him easy to conspire with.
And all this before Lilith crammed the approximate knowledge of both mankind and every other world into his head to try and drive him insane.
Some would call it a short drive, others would argue there was no need to drive when you're already there. Yes, indeed, even now at the apex of power, people still found it easy to underestimate him. He was just too stupid and dogmatic to betray anyone.
Perhaps, that was precisely why he had.
Author note: Two chapters left, gonna get fat around here. Stay tuned for further updates!