Episode 16 was…different. And so in honour of that weird episode I tried to do this differently as well. also i noticed that on mobile it tends to push and move sentences together and idk why it does that, is it like an indentation issue, i use word but default indentations and spacing, and it makes no difference when i edit the document of , i don't really know how to fix that issue, i'm kinda working on it.
Always I Appreciate you for even so much as looking at what I wrote, appreciate every review or comment, thank you.
BEGIN
High above the ground levitated the spherical entity of an Angel. The children were positioned within the city, each of them taking cover behind one of the many buildings of Tokyo-3.
In the command centre:
"What's going on?" Misato asked, "the observation centre has never detected it before, it just suddenly appeared right above us." Aoba replied
"the pattern is orange, no A.T field detected " Makoto added
"What is that thing?" Misato inquired, "Maybe a new kind of Angel." Ritsuko suggested
"Unknow." Maya said, "the Magi are withholding their Judgement."
"This isn't good." Misato countered, "We have another Angel attack on our hands and the Commander isn't here again."
Outside of Nerv HQ:
Far off in the distance stood Mari and Asuka(Shikinami). With Shikinami staring at the Angel using a pair of binoculars and Mari, working onto a laptop with wires attached to a router device.
"What the hell is that thing?" Shikinami asked
"An Angel probably." Mari replied, "although this one, is definitely one of a kind."
"Did it even attack in our world?" Shikinami asked once more
"I don't think so" Mari responded
"Damn, then just how the hell are they gonna beat that thing"
"It seems like none of us really know." Mari said typing onto the laptop, "I guess we'll just have to leave it up to chance."
It was then that Shikinami began to feel a familiar sharp sensation building within her head, that pain had returned.
"You okay?" Mari asked, but Shikinami groaned in response, "Something…something's wr-wrong."
"Of course somethings wrong, there's nothing keeping that infection of yours at bay."
"No, that's not it" Shikinami panted, "Can you get me connected to Shinji's radio comm."
"I can try." Mari replied, "Please do it." Shikinami said, sounding desperate.
Back in Tokyo-3:
"Can you all hear me." Misato said, "I've sent you all of the know target data, approach it carefully and observe the angels reactions, and if possible lure it out of the city. I want you all to back each other up. Is that understood."
"Yes ma'am." They all responded.
Asuka(Soryu) was just about to say something when a strange frequency rang through their intercoms.
"What's going on?" Shinji asked. The frequency stopped and Shikinami's voice came through.
"listen to me. Don't go near the angel. do not attack the angel-" she was interfered but then came back
"Keep" *interference* "Shinji…" *interference*
"Do not engage." The message was now completely cut off. The children now stood in their respective EVA's unsure of what to do. "Was she even Authorised to do that?" Soryu asked, with which Ayanami replied "I do not know."
The EVA's communication system was restored and Misato's voice came through.
"Guys what happened? Why aren't you getting into formation?" she asked.
The three pilots all looked to each other, and Misato eyed them suspiciously.
"What aren't you telling me?"
But without warning, the Angel's sphere disappeared and reappeared near Shinji, through Shinji's intercom Shikinami's voice came through, "Shinji run!" she yelled
Upon hearing this he redirected his Eva in the opposite direction, but before he could make way, the neural connections of the Eva were severed and he lost control, causing the system to shut down.
"Wait what- what's happening. Misato? Asuka?" he said pushing the controls forward, struggling to pilot the eva. He felt the LCL ascending upwards, yet the entire structure felt to be descending, "Dammit dammit dammit! Move!" he said, but no matter how many times he tried, the Eva refused to co-operate. Eventually the LCL stopped swirling in motion and all was perfectly still. After spending quite some time in the dark, the connections were restored and he finally turned on the viewer. Upon looking he saw nothing but endless white noise.
A little while earlier:
"Shinji! What's happening! Shinji" Misato screamed as Evangelion Unit-01 sunk into the shadow.
And so all around the city, buildings and objects descended, almost as if they were sinking into a black sea.
Asuka(Soryu) and Rei manoeuvred their way around the shadow, climbing and jumping unto buildings until they reached the shore. The Angels shadow spanned 600 meters/ 1968 feet in diameter, covering a good portion of the city.
All the while Shikinami's migraine had gotten so severe she collapsed onto the ground and fainted, with the sclera in her left eye consumed by black. Mari took her in to Nerv hospital to receive treatment.
Time had passed since Shinji and Unit-01 sunk into the shadow, and it was now near evening. Asuka and Rei stood at one of Nerv's military installations, with the Evangelion units being recharged. Misato had now come out of the base to where Asuka and Rei are. Soryu who was frustrated and worried harried over to Misato.
"What happened to Shinji?" She asked.
"He…" Misato sighed, "He fell into the shadow."
"How did that even happen?"
"I don't know Asuka, something happened whilst he was trying to escape. The Eva it-" Misato shook her head, "it doesn't matter now, what matters now is finding a way to defeat the Angel and recovering the Eva"
"Really is that it? Did you even try to-"
"We did all could to help Shinji Asuka, defeating the Angel is first priority, you know that."
Asuka conceded, Misato disheartened left them to their vices as she went back into the base to monitor the angel. Asuka and Rei remained outside near their respective Eva's.
Asuka thought back to when they were inside the EVA, "Shikinami she…was she trying to warn us?" but how could she have known.
"Hey wonder girl" She said calling Rei, "Do you by any chance know what Shikinami was on about?" Rei remained silent for a while before answering back to her
"It would seem that Shikinami knew more about the angel, and informed us before we could get into any perceivable danger."
"But how?"
"I do not know." Rei responded.
"What do you know?"
"I know that in the past few days you have grown closer to the pilot Ikari, hence your frustration at his absence."
A slight blush emerged on Asuka's face and "oh yeah well…" but before she could respond
Misato returned and she wasn't very pleased.
"The system shows there was an interference within your intercoms." She said "After I gave you your commands, you all delayed on the approach, why did you do that?" she asked sternly
Neither Asuka or Rei responded.
"Asuka, Rei, why did you disobey a direct order." Misato commanded.
Asuka looked away, refusing to face Misato, Rei was seemingly unaffected.
"What is it exactly that happened out there Asuka?"
"We got a…tip." Soryu finally replied,
"From who." Misato demanded pressurizing Asuka, but Asuka refused to co-operate
"It was the pilot Shikinami." Rei responded, Misato looked to Rei, "That's impossible, how could she have done that?"
"I do not know. But she knew the nature of the Angel and was perhaps trying to warn us."
"Where is Shikinami now?" Misato asked Ritsuko
"She's in intensive care." Ritsuko replied, "her migraines have worsened and I guess she went unconscious from the pain."
"How long do you think she'll be out?"
"Hard to say, I give her a day at worst, and a few lengthy hours at best."
Misato clicked her tongue, "Dammit.".
Later gathering all the soldiers and teams Ritsuko explains how and what the Angel is:
"So the shadow is actually the angels body?" they asked.
"Correct." Ritsuko replies "Its six-hundred and eighty meters in diameter with a thickness of 3 nanometres. Sustained within that ultra-thin space is an inverted at field, and inside that field is a region of space that can only be defined by Abstract mathematics, A Sea of Dirac if you will, it could even be another universe." She finished
"And what about the sphere?"
"It disappears when the imaginary circuit of the body closes, this implies that the sphere is a kind of shadow, the actual shadow."
"So the black sea that swallowed unit-01 is the real target?" Misato asked
"Yes." Ritsuko replied
"Then there's no way we can fight it." Asuka said.
"Actually" Mari spoke appearing out of the darkness, "We can."
"How?" Misato asked, "And who are you?" Mari looked to Ritsuko explain
"She's a friend." Ritsuko answered, "I gave her clearance"
"Really now?" Misato inquired
"That's right." Mari responded winking at her.
"As I was saying, we can fight the Angel, it's as easy as dropping bombs into the shadow and letting them explode from within."
"And what about Shinji." Asuka asked
"Puppy boy will be fine" she responded
"How can you be so sure of that?" Misato asked, "Assuming the puppy is Shinji"
Mari shrugged, "Call it a hunch, but the Evangelion can take a beating, especially unit one."
Misato unsure took Ritsuko to other the side of the facility to talk in private.
"You sure you trust this girl."
"She may be too ecstatic for my own liking, but so far she's given no reason not to."
"Just how long have you known this girl?" Misato inquired
"Long enough." Ritsuko finished, "Plus I was thinking along the same path either."
"You're willing to murder one of our best pilots instead of-"
"Shinji will be fine." Ritsuko said, interrupting her.
"I'm sorry but I can't just trust the opinion of-"
"Okay listen, she's as much a mystery to you as she is to me, but this girl knows a lot, more than should be possible for someone her age, she even has classified knowledge and I don't know how."
"And Did you report this to the commander?" Misato asked suspicious of Ritsuko.
"No, not yet."
"Why?"
"Listen." Ritsuko pleaded, "I'm asking you to hold on to this, just for a little while until-"
"Until what?"
"Until I figure it out." Ritsuko murmured
"Figure what out?"
"This, all this, everything. Nothing adds up anymore and I don't know what to think. I just…I just need time. Please Misato."
"Fine." Misato conceded, "but In exchange for my silence, I want to know Everything."
"I can agree to that." Ritsuko said, "and I mean Everything Rits, no holding anything out." She said seriously
Ritsuko reluctantly agreed, "Fine. now can we please get rid of this angel."
Misato came back to the forefront with Ritsuko.
"Asuka, Rei." Misato commanded, "Yes ma'am" they both said.
"Ready yourselves into position once you're in the EVA, things might go south so you are our backup."
"Yes ma'am." They both replied once more, although Asuka less emphatically.
Misato went back into the station leaving Asuka, Rei and Mari outside.
"Don't worry." Mari said to Soryu, "He'll be just fine."
"Whatever" Soryu said to Mari.
"You know." Mari said mischievously "I was in a similar situation with Shikinami once, you see Shinji was gone for a very long time and I asked her, what are you gonna do if you see him again."
"What did she say?" Soryu asked rather seriously.
"She said, and I quote:" Mari cleared her throat preparing to imitate Asuka's voice
"I'm going to belt him one!" giggling after uttering the sentence, but Soryu was not amused, Rei's mouth twitched a little.
"wow tough crowd." Mari said, "Anyway I want to ask you the same question, what are you gonna do WHEN you see him again?"
"I-" Soryu struggled to find the words. She thought on it for a while, "How long was Shinji gone?", "A really long time." Mari played coy, Soryu rolled her eyes at her. But suddenly Soryu began to laugh a little and even show a genuine smile. This came as a surprise to both Rei and Mari.
"I guess I'll just have to see how that idiot is doing" she said holding that smile. The sirens rang, indicating that Soryu and Rei enter their Eva's. Soryu left and Mari was left standing with Rei.
"her bonding with Ikari has somewhat changed her." Rei said, "it would seem so" Mari agreed, even she began to smile a little. But then Rei looked directly toward her.
"You are also similar to Shikinami." Mari's smile left almost instantly.
"Should you or her be a danger."
"I know." Mari said cutting rei off, then she sighed to calm herself down. "You are one scary lady." She said leaving the vicinity.
Rei now went towards her Eva, once her and Asuka were synched and ready they headed to the shore awaiting for the dropping of the bombs.
Meanwhile inside the Sea of Dirac:
Shinji had fallen asleep amidst the endless white noise that was the Angel and found himself inside a familiar train, with that same orange sunset that never truly goes past the horizon. The orange light radiating on him through the window, he looked around and saw that he was not alone, in the past whenever he came here, he was always with alone with himself, but now there were at least four other people on the train with him.
Here in this abstract world of thought and consciousness, another Shinji similar to him spoke:
"Hey." He said, "Hello." Shinji responded
This other Shinji was different, he couldn't properly see him as the whole encounter felt like a dream, but he could envision him.
"It looks like we have company." He said letting out a little laugh,
"Yeah, normally when I come here, it's not this full." Shinji replied
"Funny that you say that. I've never been here before."
"Really?"
"Yeah." He responded.
Shinji swore he could see Asuka and Rei in here too, but before he could properly look, the other Shinji called out to him once more.
"Hey Shinji" he said
"Yeah?"
"Do me a favour and look after Asuka for me." He said handing him a DSS Choker
"What's this?" Shinji asked, and there was no response.
Looking up the other Shinji was gone, in fact they were all gone, he was alone once more and the choker in his hands, also gone.
He felt a strange sensation around his neck, "what's going on, what's happening?" he asked feeling the collar around his neck. He tried taking it off, but the harder he pulled the tighter it held. It began beeping and flashing almost as if it was counting down to something, strange prisms came out of it and then suddenly-
Back In Tokyo-3:
The ground shook, cracking and splitting in two. The angels sphere was morphing, tearing almost as if it were rapturing.
"What's going on?" Misato asked
"We don't know" Makoto said, "All of our meters and gauges are going of the scale."
"But we haven't even dropped the mines." Ritsuko yelled
"You think it could be Shinji?" Misato asked her
"No, Unit-01's power level must be at zero at this point."
The sphere lost all presence of its pattern and a hand emerged out of it, followed by spewing blood, another hand appeared tearing and splitting the sphere in two, opening and gab as blood and guts fall out of the sphere, with Unit-01 standing and roaring from the wreckage.
Asuka was horrified at the sight, Rei remained unphased. Finally Unit-01 came out of the bloody wreckage and stood firm unto the ground triumphant.
Mari positioned her glasses fascinated, "Thinks do just work out for him don't they?"
"You're right about that." Kaji said.
Nerv Hospital:
Shinji opened his eyes and found himself in a familiar room, staring at that same familiar roof. Next to him sat Ayanami, who upon noticing that he had awoken, stood up, "You can rest for today, we'll take care of everything."
"But I'm feeling just fine." He quickly responded
"That's good for you." She said
"Wait Ayanami." He said getting up to reach for her. "Yes." She responded.
"You wouldn't happen to know what happened to Asuka would you?
The last thing I heard was her voice telling me to run before I found myself in the middle of nowhere." He said "I'd at least like to thank her."
"Pilot Soryu is beyond this door and Shikinami is in medical care."
"Why? Did she help fight the Angel?"
"No, I do not know the reason for needing treatment, but it was Evangelion Unit-01 that defeated the Angel from within."
"Oh, okay…thanks Ayanami."
Rei opened the door revealing a peeping Asuka, who quickly took cover behind the wall. Rei left the door open as she exited the medical ward and Shinji let out a little laugh amused by Asuka. He choked up a bit and felt the brim of his neck. "What was that thing?" he asked himself.
"what was what?" Soryu asked him as she entered the room with a slight blush.
"Oh it's nothing I-" Shinji stopped mid-sentence and felt that choke on his neck again.
"What is it?" Soryu asked once more
"I had this dream. We were all there: you, me and rei but there was a strange guy and another me."
"Another you?"
"Yeah, like Shikinami is to you, but he told me to-" Shinji stopped himself and reconsidered
"Told you to what?" Soryu said
"I can't remember. But he gave me this collar thingy and it just wouldn't get off of my neck, the last thing I saw were strange prisms or shapes floating around me…and then my mom she-"
Shinji began to feel a headache coming on.
"It's okay." Soryu said giving him a smile, "I-" she hesitated but, "I kind of understand."
"Thanks Asuka." He said.
"and thanks for helping me out there."
"You're welcome…" Soryu hesitantly said, taking credit for Shikinami's work. "Idiot Shinji" she smirked.
"There she is." Shinji melodramatically said
"Oh whatever." She said leaving the room in her pompous manner, sticking her tongue at him before leaving the room.
Shinji chuckled once more, but now he was alone once more he thought back to what that other Shinji
Look after Asuka? I wonder what he meant.
Shikinami opened her eyes and awoke with a tear falling down her cheek. She groaned as he got up and wiped the tear. Mari sat next to her still typing away on her laptop.
"That idiot." She said
"What, did he dumb you in your dream or something?" Mari asked
Shikinami didn't respond.
"You okay?" Mari asked once more
"No." she said, "I feel like I've been hit in the head by an axe."
"I'm sorry about that princess, but I'm afraid I have some more bad news."
"Hit me."
"The fourth child to pilot Evangelion unit-03 has been selected." Mari responded
"and is it Soryu?" Shikinami asked
"No." Mari said, "Its Toji Suzuhara."
END