Chapter 2: Death's and Life's Hybrid
Shinji got in the entry-plug and waited for instructions. The NERV bridge crew did their procedures and lock down as he listened over the communication link.
[Inject LCL fluid] Ritsuko said.
[Flooding Entry Plug] a female technician named Maya said.
"..." the male pilot said. Looking down at his feet, orange liquid started building up from the bottom. He just blinked and went back to his previous forward gaze. As the LCL filled the plug, the teen breathed in the liquid.
"How is he?" Misato asked.
"Body functions are responding normally; he isn't affected by the LCL," Maya replied.
"Start neural sequence," Ritsuko ordered.
Inside the plug, Shinji parted his mouth. Tasting the liquid that filled his lungs, it seemed familiar.
'Blood…people here are pretty rotten and generous,' a dark voice echoed through his head.
Then the screen inside the cockpit went through a computer sequence till he could see what the Eva saw. The Unit's eyes glowed signaling it was activated. Gates holding the massive robot were removed and Unit-01 was moved to a launch bay.
"What is his sync ratio?" the Captain asked.
"...?" Maya said. Staring at the readings, she was confused by them.
"The Third Child's ratios are varying from 30% to 60% randomly."
"What?" Ritsuko said as she walked over to Maya's screen. Misato walked over as well and stared at the display. The ratio readings were at 55.5% then went to 42% then to 31.7% then jumped back to 60%. The changes stayed between 50%-60% till slowly steadying out at 55%. All three women were perplexed by this.
"Why would his ratio do that?" the lavender haired woman asked.
"..." Ritsuko said. Looking a little confused, she pushed it aside.
"We will see what we can find. Go back to the procedure Captain."
Misato nodded. Getting back to her position on the second level of the command center, she turned around. Asking the Commander on the third level to proceed, he nodded. Turning back around, she gave the order.
"EVA LAUNCH!"
The war machine's restraints were lifted and then ascended quickly to the surface. Shinji felt the sudden G-force force his body down. Stopping himself immediately, he prevented his head from getting whiplash and headbutting the controls. Meanwhile, when Shinji synchronized with Unit-01, the human spirit also connected to his mind. She didn't dig through it but tried to see memories of him. Instead, she appeared in a dark lit hallway. It gave the appearance of a hospital with doors on either side.
'...' the spirit thought. Feeling strange, she tried hovering forward. Falling to the ground, she caught herself with her hands and arms.
'...!?' she said in bewilderment. Blinking, she slowly stood back up. Looking down at herself, her body had become whole again. The amorphous form she had was gone. Looking up in bewilderment, she walked a little till she noticed a large mirror at a wall.
'So this is what I look like…it has been so long that I haven't remembered…I still have my looks which I guess is a good thing,' she thought looking at herself in the mirror.
She still had her brown hair, ocean blue eyes, and figure that had not changed from long ago. Though not having any cloths on, it didn't matter that much being in this environment. Turning toward the long and empty hallway, she continued walking further. Door after door came passing by on both sides of her. The only sound down the passageway was still her footsteps.
In observing the doors, none of the doors were marked with any description except for numbers. When the numbers grew in count, they started to turn into blood. Apprehension started to develop in her as she continued. Soon the doors had blood on them starting with drops and spots. Continuing further, they became splatters and large streaks going down them.
The spirit felt her heart beating faster with worry and fear as to what had happen to the child. Reaching two doors opposite of each other, she froze with fright. Looking at the one on her right, it was coated and pooling with crimson. The doorknob was dripping with the iron liquid to the floor. She started to tremble of what was behind the door when she shook herself. Turning to the other door, there was no blood on it. However, it appeared like a smashed window still intact.
'Shinji…what happen to-!?'
Her thought was cut off by a small child giggling. Turning around, she looked down both ways of the hallway. The giggle was from the way she came. Taking a cautious step back, another giggle emitted. Sounding a year or two older, it came from the same direction.
'...' the spirit thought.
Feeling her insides tightening, she took another step back. Without warning, five chilling screams came in quickly. One after another, each got closer and closer to her. Tremble violently, she did not remember being this frighten in her life. What sent icy chills through her was hearing the boy's death screams.
The last scream was a screech of pure insanity and pain. Shaking uncontrollably and glancing to her left, it was the blood drenched door. She slowly turned toward it and saw the door pump like a heart. It got faster and louder shaking the door's bolts. Without a pause, the spirit turned around and bolted as fast as she could down the hall.
She didn't dare to look back fearing what unknown thing would occur. As she ran, she saw doors continuing but none had blood on them. Despite that, all seemed very dead. They were cold and lifeless in there state of existence. Her attention shifted from hearing a door burst opened in the distance behind her.
A sixth scream erupted that was louder and more terrify than the last. She thought of what door that blew open and bolted faster. Her heart beat was reaching new rates, lungs heaving for oxygen, and cold sweats dripping down her body. At the end of the hallway, there was a light. Getting closer, it was coming from a door that was opened a little.
Bursting the door open, she entered the room. Turning around, she slammed it close with her back holding it shut. Looking for a lock handle, there wasn't any. Starting to panic, a loud metal clang was heard. Flinching, cold sweat was felt dripping down her face. Pressing her lips together, she slowly turned around. Her eyes widen from the sight.
'Shinji's consciousness…'
Topside on the surface, a huge intersection of a street suddenly lifted up. A split down the middle was seen as gears activated. Sliding away from the gap, a huge drop was shown. Two railings extended out from there and stopped at the height of a large tower. Within a second or two, the Eva made it to the surface and completely stopped. A loud clang was heard as a result from the immediate halt of ascension. With the sound of mechanical locks opening, the restraints were released and the Eva stood.
[Shinji, try concentrating on walking first] Ritsuko asked.
Only nodded, the male pilot thought about walking. The battle robot lifted one of its legs and proceeded to take a step forward. At the same time, both Shinji and the spirit of Unit-01 heard multiple voices go off in his head. Some rambled in a void while others stated things with evil intensions. It hindered the concentration resulting the Unit to fall forward flat on its face.
[What happened?! Shinji get up!] Misato shouted.
"His sync ratio is going random again," Maya replied.
"Bring up a scan of his neural brain waves," Ritsuko ordered.
A few types on the terminal and a window appeared on the large projected screen up ahead. It showed Shinji's brain waves. Ritsuko and Maya were the only persons who paled, close to Rei's albino color. Misato saw both of them and saw how bridge technician began to tremble.
"H-Hey...what does it mean?" the Captain asked.
Seeing something appear on the surface camera feed, the Angel appeared around a nearby building. Seeing it blink, it looked down at the struggling to get up humanoid mega-robot. In Shinji's consciousness, the female gasped in horror seeing what his current condition was. The enemy walked over to the Unit and picked up the Eva's left forearm. Holding the whole war machine up in the air, it grabbed it with the other hand. The large monstrosity started to squeeze and bend it.
"Ritsuko, what's wrong with Shinji?!" Misato shouted in fear.
"T-t-the…third child…has…has…has…" Maya stated. She tried to speak but she couldn't finish her statement as she began to let fear get to her. Ritsuko regained some composer and finished Maya's statement bluntly.
"The Third Child has the first stage of schizophrenia."
Gasps went throughout the bridge terminal. The sub-commander dropped his jaw in shock and horror. He looked at the Commander and was surprised to see that he was the same as him with little expression that he had.
In the cockpit, Shinji was staring expressionlessly at his left arm. It was being affected by the the Eva's arm being twisted. From the observation, he made a conclusion.
'I feel what it feels; its pain is my pain,' Shinji thought with a blink.
With one last squeeze, the Unit's arm gave in and twisted. A large crack was heard but nothing else. The boy didn't flinch from the pain that he felt in his arm and proceeded to repeal the Angel. The large crack seemed to get people back to their senses.
"…dislocation of the left elbow and muscle tears! Synchronization of the pilot is returning to 55%!" Maya stated.
"How is that possible?" Ritsuko said in disbelief. Everyone looked back the screen.
A few moments after the crack, the Eva swung a right hook across the flat face of the Angel. Then drove its elbow in the same location making it let go of the left arm of Unit-01. As the feet hit the ground, Shinji got it into a weaver stance with the right foot forward. Taking a forward lunge, he made the war machine do a lunging side kick with hi right leg. Impacting with the center mass of the Angel, it got repealed.
Sliding back several street blocks, it crashing into a building. The Angel now had three new dents and it was getting angry. Standing up, it moaned in pain starring at the sky-scrapper humanoid walking towards it. Not understand how the other giant wasn't in pain, the Angel decided to charge at it.
When the Angel was getting closer, Shinji's mind was acting up again. The voices were making a riot and became unbearable. Despite the pilot not giving an expression to it, the Eva responded by having slight spasms. The Angel couldn't make what the other being was doing and kept charging. Getting close, it grabbed the Eva's head with it left hand.
Seeing that Unit was not fighting back, it lifted the war machine up in the air again. The elbow area had a spike that suddenly started to glow. It retracted out of its arm, then thrust forward. Impacting into the right eye of the robot, a loud clang erupted. NERV personnel could only watch in horror as the Angel began to repetitively pound Unit-01's head.
Every thrust that came, Shinji's voices started to quite down. Seeing that helped his concentration, He let the Angel continue its attack. His right eye twitched to every pound, but kept his face stoic. When the last thrust came, it shot through the Eva's eye and sent the Unit flying back. The male pilot recovered quickly and slide on the street with two feet.
Screeching to halt, he nearly bashed into the building behind him. Slowly standing the Eva up, he stared at the Angel a few street blocks away. Blinking, something happened violently. Blood spewed out of the gapping hole in the Eva's head. Commotion exploded at the NERV Bridge with several warning windows and alarms.
"Degree of cranial damage unknown," Maya shouted. About to list of the damages, she stopped in looking at the readings. Ritsuko was about to execute a procedure, but didn't. Instead, a baffled look came upon her. Misato feared what happened to Shinji.
"What about Shinji?!" she asked. Maya blinked and brought up a comm-link of the cockpit. Another wave of gasps went about on the bridge.
"Impossible…" Ritsuko said in utter amazement and horror.
The Eva was still functional and stood there active. In the cockpit, the male pilot sat calmly seemingly not affected by the brutish attack. However, his right eye was bleeding tears rather fluidly for one second then slowed down. When the blood spewed out of the Eva, so did Shinji's right eye. It stung painfully but he gave it no heed. The voices inside his head had become silent. Blinking, he then noticed the one that appeared when the robot was activated.
'A human spirit lives here…' he thought and closed his eyes.
The voice became clearer but he didn't react to it. He felt the spirit filled with rage but didn't let it take his conscious. He closed his eyes and told the spirit to wait. It stopped then looked at him. Reopening his eyes, he stared at the Angel in front of him again. Calmly, he re-grabbed the controls.
The remaining eye of Unit-01 glowed oddly feeling like a time bomb going off slowly. The right hand moved to the left broken left forearm and grasped it. With a shift twist, loud gruesome pops and gurgling sounds emitted. Relining its broken arm, it brought its arms back to its side. Standing for a second, the Unit burst forward with tremendous speed toward the Angel. It became surprised from how the mammoth creature was able to move with severe wounds.
The Eva threw a left jab and right cross making the Angel spin 720 degrees. The two blows hurt multiple times more than the previous attacks earlier. The enemy considered raising it's AT field, but couldn't make it. An unleashing of consecutive punches came making contact with every upper waist part of the Angel. After fifteen seconds of the brutish punching, the Angel put up its AT Field to try to recover. It looked like a car coming back from a destruction derby arena.
"..." Shinji said.
Blinking at the appearance of a field, a voice whispered something quickly at him. Nodding, he leaped back a couple of street blocks. Landing and crouching into a sprinter position, he launched the Eva forward. Running faster than before, he used the momentum and leaped forward. Quickly moving the war machine's feet forward, he thrust its feet into the Angel.
Making solid impact, the force behind the Eva's kick was powerful enough to disrupt the AT field. Surprising the Angel again, it got launched back a couple of street blocks back again. Not waiting for the Angel to recover again, Shinji burst forward after the behemoth creature. When he reached it, the male pilot unloaded a brutal beat down. Repeated stomps, knees, punches, and ripping pieces of the Angel off erupted. Blood and parts of the giant started to fly off as the onslaught continued.
Back in the NERV Bridge, the entire personnel was dead quiet. Nobody was doing anything but staring at what was on the screen. Of the two screens shown, one was of the surface feed showing the Eva and the Angel. The other still showed Shinji in the cockpit. What he was doing terrified everyone. Even the Commander became startled still bewildered from what was occurring.
But what added to everyone's fear was what the Third Child was doing. He didn't express anything from his onslaught. He was emotionless, calm, and quiet. Ritsuko forgot that she dropped her clipboard. Maya wasn't paying attention to the readings that were showing the synchronization ratio. Even inside his conscious, the female spirit watched in horror and amazement from what he was making the Eva do. She felt several presences around her which she concluded were his "audience", but forgot about them continuing to watch the brutality.
The beating up session continued for minute when something happened. Stopping pounding, the male pilot stared at the half-beaten and ripped apart Angel. The organic behemoth felt like a puddle of rotten flesh. It thought its only chance to beat the savage humanoid robot was to latch on to it and self-destruct. Moaning loudly in sheer pain and suffering, it leaped at the purple war machine.
Never reaching its last thought, the war machine stepped forward and shoved its hands through the core grabbing its spine. Slamming the Angel onto the street, Shinji placed the robot's feet on the Angel's legs. The NERV bridge felt the hairs on the back of their neck stand on end seeing the Eva slowly pulled up on the monster's spine. The Angel did continuous blaring screeches that people in the shelters could hear it. Skin and bone started to tear, break, and buckle till the flesh and bone gave.
Sounding like a buckling and popping suction cup, the Eva lifted the half-ripped apart Angel. Blood poured out like a waterfall filling the empty streets below with its fowl stench of blue. The mammoth size enemy had violent spasms to get free, but slowly stopped. Hanging limp in the war machines grasp, it died shortly from the massive blood loss and loss of its core.
Felling the Angel become deceased, Shinji dropped the lifeless corpse on the street. Impacting with the blue blood soaked streets, a wet boom sounded and echoed. Looking at what was done, the boy expressed nothing. Turning around, he walked back to the elevator. Standing on the lift platform, nothing happened. He opened a communication link to NERV base.
[Angel is dead...Returning to base] he said in a stoic tone.
Everyone, including the human spirit, snapped with a jerk from hearing the young boy's voice. Maya franticly typed the keys and the elevator moved. When she finished, her hands were still trembling from what she saw and hugged herself to self assure she was still here.
"Unbelievable," Ritsuko said with a distant tone. Misato looked at her friend and she looked back.
"We have someone to fight the Angels…but…"
"But…" she asked shaking a little.
"…we have someone who is more dangerous than them," she stated feeling an intense urge for her cigarettes.
The Captain nodded. Turning around to tell the Commander something, she stopped. Looking in surprise, the Commander's face showed an emotion of shock. She recomposed herself while also wishing for a camera.
"Commander, may I be excused to pick up the Third Child?"
"..." he said. The question brought the Commander back to reality and he just nodded. With that, Misato walked off to the Eva cages pondering how to handle what she was going to see. The rest of the NERV crew came back to reality when they heard the Commander's voice.
Going down the huge elevator, Shinji continued to look forward with his gaze. He then closed his eyes and looked for the spirit that was fading away in his conscious. He caught up with it and spoke.
'Greetings, I believe I have not heard you before.'
'...?' she said. Stopping in her tracks, the human spirit looked where she was. Finding herself walking down the hallway, she didn't know she was. Slowly turning around, the boy with dark magenta eyes bore back at her. His eyes were not comforting to her. Remembering what she saw, she took a step back before he spoke again.
'My I inquire who you are Miss?'
'...' the spirit said. She couldn't think straight. Shinji was talking to her, but she couldn't think of anything to say.
'What's wrong with me…' she thought nervously.
She looked at him more closely and saw that his right eye was bleeding tears of red. His left arm seemed to have been sprained. An urge wanting to nurture him went through her, but she couldn't move forward just backwards. After a long silence and staring contest, she noticed that his face had a calming affect on her. Feeling a little more at ease. Knowing that her imprisonment was pulling her back, she wanted to talk to him. However, a tremendous sense of guilt overwhelmed her. Opening her mouth, she couldn't produce words.
'How could I tell him? It has been so long and I had given up hope…what worth am I?' she thought as she felt tears starting to build up.
Falling to her knees, the spirit began to weep uncontrollably. She was about to give into the force pulling her. The darkness that she stayed in for so many years when she felt something soft. A tissue was wiping the tears away. Looking up slowly, she saw the boy looking back at her. He was sitting on his knees in front of her.
'Forgive me if I have caused any pain to you. If you do not wish to tell me, then I won't ask again,' he said calmly. The woman's tears slowed down as she fought the force pulling her to stay and listen to him talk. Shinji saw that she was fine and continue by turning and motioning to some of the doors down the hallway.
'These doors are doorways to events in my past life. If you wish to venture in them, you may do so at your own cost,' he said. Turning back to the figure's face, the spirit seemed to resemble someone he just met. Blinking, he shook his head internally.
'My name is Shinji Ikari,' the male pilot stated. The woman looked back at him and felt a new beginning arise. She thought about being optimistic about it, but guilt grabbed her heart tightly. She smiled sadly.
'My name is Yui Ikari,' the woman said softly. She was expecting a surprise of some sort, but nothing was expressed from him.
'Until we meet again Miss Ikari...is there anything that you wish to tell me before departing?'
'No…well not at the moment.'
'Very well. Until we meet again Miss Ikari...good day,' he said with a bow.
'...' Yui said. Waving goodbye at him, both disappeared from the subconscious realm.
In the Eva cages, Misato stood on the main catwalk. Teething her thumb, she was trying to figure out what to say or do about the Third Child. With the new development of information about him, she didn't know what to do. All she knew was one thing.
'I need a beer soon.' Misato thought desperately.
Hearing large mechanical gears sound, the large elevator carrying the Eva came into view. Descending from the other side of the room, harness arms engaged to grab onto the Unit. After a few moments, the transporter moved the war machine and docked it into a port a few moments later. Procedures were executed and the back of the Eva's neck opened up.
The entry plug came out as a catwalk was moving to be at the hatch. Once in place, technicians got into position and the hatch opened with a hiss. A few moments later, Shinji came out covered with LCL fluid and a bloody right eye. Bowing to the employees, he walked down the catwalk toward the Captain. As he continued, he put his arms behind him to seemingly support his back. Stopping nearby where Misato, she seemed to be deep in thought.
"..." he said. Waiting till she was done thinking or noticed him, a minute or so went by.
"Miss Misato?"
"...!?" she said startled. Recoiling, she tripped and fell on her bottom. Not hurt, the Captain slowly looked up at him. Shinji was looking back at her with the same stoic expression. The blood from his right eye made his aura seem gloomier.
"Y-yes Shinji?"
"Am I supposed to swallow the excess LCL fluid in my lungs or am I supposed to spit it out?"
"..." Misato said. Blinking, she stood up and patted the dust off of her.
"You didn't swallow it did you?"
He shook his head and Misato felt her stomach un-turn a little. She motioned to the pool of LCL and Shinji bowed. Watching him go to the edge, a combination of LCL and blood came out of his mouth. Grimacing a little from the sight, he turned back to her. No expression was on his face as he came to her.
"Is there anything that needs to be done?" he asked.
"...?" she said blinking. Looking up to think, nothing in particular came to mind.
"Hmm…no, not that I am aware of."
"If that is the case, could you direct me to the nearest medical kit please?" he asked. The Captain felt her mind click and went immediately to a nearby wall phone. Picking it up, she called for the medical staff to pick up the Third Child. When she put the phone back and turned around, the boy was nowhere to be seen.
"Shinji?...Shinji!" Misato called out.
After minutes of not finding where he went to, the medical team came into the Eva cages. Going to where the Captain was, she told the medic staff the symptoms that he had. All agreed to help find him as quickly as possible fearing that he might hurt himself or someone. Misato picked up a wall phone and called security for the location of the Third Child. The responder stated that their location monitoring equipment was damage in the Angel attack making it un-operational currently. On the loud speaker, an official told personnel to contact and contain the Third Child.
'...I don't know if he is acting up or not...I have a bad feeling something is going to happen if we can't find him,' Misato thought with a foreboding feeling.
Shinji left when he heard Misato's call to the medical staff. If his answer wasn't going to be given, he would look for medical supplies himself. A series of hallways came and went, not getting much luck in finding his medical need. The company in his head came back and did their activity of voices and thoughts to interfere. While walking, a little boy voice told him directions to a medical kit. He bowed internally to the boy that went on screaming in pain from past memories.
He took a few more turns and found his destination, a medical room. Knocking a couple of times, he opened the door after no answer. Flicking the light switch, the med-kit was easily found on inside. He took off the neural clips as well as his button up shirt and undershirt. Opening the med-kit, grabbed wrapping cloth and bandaged it around his stomach to mid-chest and back. Securing them to hold, he covered it in strands of white cloth.
Moving to his left forearm, he tested it a little. It was pulled a little, nothing too serious. Grabbing cotton patch, he poured a little medicine solution on it. Spreading it a little, he placed it on his closed right eye. Holding it there, he took gaze and wrapped it around his head to secure the pressure. Finishing with his bandages, he placed the kit back where he found it. Putting the shirts back on and washing his hands again, he killed the lights and left.
Back into the endless amounts of hallways, no one seemed to be around. Since nothing was left to do, he decided to retire for the day until early morning. Walking a few hallways down, he spotted a few NERV personnel. Seeing them not turn to him, they didn't notice him. Another voice that sounded like a madman told him directions for the bunks in the building.
'Thank you sir,' Shinji thought. Bowing internally, the voice giggled violently and shouted into his ear.
'They are coming for you…to eat you…to…to…rape you…to screw you…HAHAHAHAHAHA!' it stated before suddenly becoming silent.
After a few more turns he found a door and knocked. Hearing no response, he opened the door and looked inside. There were several unoccupied beds as well as lockers. Wondering where his back pack was, he opened the nearest one. Funny enough, it was inside the locker. Picking it up, he turned and walked to a bunk in the farthest corner away from the door.
In front of it, he took off his first shirt and pants. Whipping the clothes a little, he folded them and placed them underneath the bunk. Slipping into the bed, he rested his head on the pillow. He remembered how the first time he had voices he couldn't sleep at all. Now, he became use to the chaos and distortion they brought. Given what he just experience and the pain he still had, sleep came within five minutes.
NERV security and other officials couldn't locate the Third Child for the past hour. Security cameras weren't much help either for a portion of the system got damaged from some of the support beams falling earlier. They were only able to spot him where he went to first but lost him after that. A restless night came over the light number of security and they still didn't find him.
Misato was ordered to head home for rest before returning. Ritsuko stayed and worked on the information gathered from the fight with the Third Angel. One last person that would stay up all night was the Commander. He was brooding on how the new development from the Third Child would affect his scenario. He didn't think it would, but debated that maybe the Third Child was an Angel as well.