Chapter 58: The Crayon World

"…it…swallowed him?" Ritsuko said with a shocked face. The crew looked at the footage with an equal expression.

"…no…damn it!" Misato shouted in frustration and sadness. Picking up a monitor phone, she routed the call to the Section-2 leader she sent there. Trying to hold back the tears that were building, the call went through. Maya transferred it to loudspeaker.

[Major, we have secured the exterior. We are going down the access hatch to the facility.]

"Cancel that. The Third Child has been swallowed by the Angel in the facility. Abort the mission and get out of there."

'…what…what the hell just happened?' Asuka thought still flabbergasted from what was shown through the video feeds.

The ladder to the access hatch showed three Section-2 agents come down to the top floor of the underground laboratory. Two looked forward with the Captain faced the other direction. Ignoring the gore around them, they noticed the giant monstrosity that was in the main facility space. About to ask their Captain for orders, the two looking forward saw something standing in the middle of the walkway. It made the hairs on the back of their neck stand on end.

[Uh…captain?] one Section-2 agent said with an alarmed tone. [We got a situation here!]

'…!?' Rei said still in a locked gaze of shock and a growing distraught. It was festering quickly and trying to take over her logical side.

"Angel has ceased movement and is remaining stationary," Makoto stated from one of the many read outs on his monitor.

'Wait,' Ayanami thought squinting at the video feeds. '…something…is not right…why hasn't it noticed them? It is remaining in its spot…the agents are staring at something that isn't there…that means…'

"What's going on over there?!" Misato said wiping her eyes quickly and controlling her voice from stammering.

[…uh…Major…the Third Child…is on the top floor with my men…] the Section-2 captain said in a bewildered voice looking behind him. It was as if he saw an odd wonder.

"What!?…he's on the top level!?" Misato said with shock.

"Its the same as...refresh the video feeds!" Ritsuko stated quickly.

The crew saw the video feeds turn off then back on. True to what the agent said, the male pilot was standing in front of them. He was a meter or two away from agents near the hatch access. There was a lost look on his face before many expressions came and went. His hand was clasped on a foot as he dragged a young adult female who was unconscious.

"W-W-Wha? W-Wait a minute!?" Asuka stated flabbergasted and taking a step back. "How…how did he do that?!"

[WhAt-w-w-w-w-w-haaaaaaatttttttt…YeSyEsYeS…OF COURSE I UNDERSTAND!] a familiar voice was heard from over the line. It matched up with Shinji lifting and lower his head several times and twitching.

[IhEaRdYoU…l…o…u…dLOUD!LOUD!] he shouted then immediately crouched to form himself into a ball. Letting go of the woman's foot, he covered his head with his arms and hands.

[I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY! Wait…I see…MmM-hMmmmmmmmmm…that's how…yEsYeS!…heh heh. THAT'SSOFUNNY!]

"…?" everyone on the bridge and the Section-2 squad said staring at the insane Third Child. A small amount of grimace came to everyone's faces see the deranged look in his eyes as he shot up and jumped a few times. The unconscious female was nearby and remained unharmed still.

[Continue with the mission Major?] the captain asked in a neutral tone.

"…yes…go ahead," Misato said crossing her arms over to hold herself. The crew saw the Section-2 agents pull out their tranquilizer pistols and fired three shots at him.

[AH!AHHHH!ITBURNSITBURNS! DoN't cooommmeeeee…n…e…a…r-r-r-r-r-rrrrrrrrrrrrrrr…how did that happen-HaPpEn…are you there…aRe ThEy ThErE…AM I THERE!? ANSWER ME!] Shinji roared in different voices looking around him frantically and holding his head. He started grunting and drooling from the mouth. Suddenly, red lights were turned on followed by an alarm.

[Self-Destruct has been engaged. Self-Destruction in…three minutes…in counting. I repeat. Self-Destruct has been engaged. Self-Destruction in…three minutes…in counting] a loud automated voice announced.

"…!?" the bridge crew expressed as they became startled and shocked.

"They wouldn't?!" Misato shouted in shock and trepidation. "Get out of there. Pump him with more to knock him out and take the unconscious officer as well!"

[Roger! Move! Move! Move!] the Section-2 captain said. The video feed showed the three agents fire a few more tranquilizers at the Third Child. By the ninth one, Shinji was calming down and not being as hyper and sporadic with his movements. However, he still wasn't going down.

[God damn…this is enough to put out an elephant or two] one agent said shooting the twelfth one.

[That's enough! Grabbing them and move!]

[T-minus 90 seconds in counting. Evacuate the facility. I repeat. T-minus 90 second in counting. Evacuate the facility] the automated message said over the loudspeakers.

The NERV crew watched with tense suspension as Section-2 agents scrambled quickly. Getting the agents, the male pilot, and officer up the ladder took many seconds. To everyone's surprise, Shinji was still conscious. He was slurring his words and squirming weakly. Getting out of the manhole, the agent above assisted with pulling everyone out of the manhole quickly. The four agents double teamed carrying the two. Running quickly through the vegetation, the men could hear the countdown in their ear pieces.

[Self-Destruction in…10]

[…9…]

[Start the cars!] the captain shouted.

[…8…]

[…7…] two vehicles roared to life with their side doors already opened.

[…6…]

[…5…] the Section-2 agents reached the cars and threw themselves in the backseats.

[…4…] both cars accelerated quickly forward.

'…' the Angel thought blinking slowly.

[…3…]

'…' the Angel looked up at where it knew its child was.

[…2…]

'…good…bye…'

[…1…] both black sedans hit asphalt and continued speeding away.

'…my…baby…'

[…0…]

The NERV crew saw the underground facility erupted with rapid and violent series of explosions that engulfed everything inside. Equipment and machines from inside was swallowed by flares and smoke. When the interior cameras became disabled, the exterior ones showed that a massive sinkhole occurred. Vegetation, wild life, and earth were being sucked down into the underground facility. The exterior cameras went off-line immediately.

Getting a satellite image of that same area, the new window magnified a bird's eye view of the location. After a series of zooming in, the screen showed the aftermath of the large sinkhole. Looking more like a crater, enough earth and vegetation had fallen in to stop more from going in. Zooming out, two GPS indicators showed on the screen of two black sedans. Seeing the ID number, it was Section-2. A large sigh of relief sounded from the bridge crew.

"Thank god," Misato stated slumping to the ground then on her back. "They made it just in time."

"How did you know where to send Section-2?" Ritsuko asked looking at her.

"Can you take a raincheck? I am passed exhausted right now," the Major said rubbing her eyes tiredly. Hearing the heel clicks of the scientist, she looked up to see a hand extend to her.

"I accept them with high processing fee," Ritsuko said with a smirk. Misato snorted and grabbed her hand to get back on her feet.

"Go take the children home and sleep. I'll take command and get the Third Child and the other situated when they get here."

"Thanks," Misato said with another relieved sigh and turned to both female pilots. "Okay…let's go back and get some shut eye."

"This has to be a crazy dream…just has to be," Asuka said out loud scratching her head.

"Ditto on that," the Major said feeling drained.

"…" Rei said watching both Misato walk toward the hallway with Asuka following beside her. Looking back at the main screen of the two GPS indicators, a tightened feeling in her chest occurred.

'…Ikari…' she thought turning toward them to follow.

Swimming in a sea of subconscious thoughts, memories, and sensations, Rayne was trying to figure out what happened and transpired. Distant unfamiliar voices were heard in the background. Sounds of a squeaky wheel would come and go from time to time. The surrounding scenery was blurry and not something she recognized.

A familiar voice was speaking at a low volume and getting louder slowly. As it sounded closer and closer, the environment morphed into the corpse field of cybernetic giants. One of them came alive with a zombie like texture and structure with several tentacles floating out of its body. A crude mouth opened as it spoke to her.

"…I…see…you…I…sEe…YoU…iSeEyOu-ISEEYOU!-ISEEYOU!-I&^%*SEE^$%&YOU!"

"GAH!…ah…ah…ah…" Rayne gasped. She jolted up awake from the vivid nightmare that occurred. Beads of sweat were dripping down her face as her skin felt clammy all over. Rubbing her face with her hands, she tried to calm down her nerves that felt rattled.

"…that nightmare…was different from before,' she pondered still remembering some of the images. '…it felt surreal.'

Suddenly, her senses were picking up sounds. Something close to her was beeping rather quickly next to her. As she started to relax, the beeping slowed its pace. Looking down, she was on a bed and in its sheets. A hospital gown replaced the clothes she wore. Looking at her left arm, an I.V. was hooked up to it. Glancing around the room, her vision became less foggy and saw that she was in a hospital room.

'…how did I get here?' she thought.

Moving around, she felt a little groggy but could move. Slowing getting out of the bed on her left side, her feet touched the floor. The coldness of it sent a shiver up her legs making her feel more awake. Slowly taking the I.V. out and setting it aside, the officer used the bed for support. Feeling blood and strength slowly flow back into her legs, she stood up without leaning on the bed.

Taking a couple of steps forward and backwards, she felt her stability quickly coming back. After feeling ready, Rayne headed toward the hospital room door. Placing her ear next to the door, she heard footsteps with people talking outside. Staying put, she listened quietly.

"…yes…amazingly, she was not physically harmed throughout the ordeal," a man's voice stated from the other side of the door.

"You say physically…did she have psychological affects?" a woman asked.

"Based on the CAT screening, her brain scans are identical to one's in her medical record."

"That's a good sign."

'Who are they? Who were they talking about?' the officer wondered.

She felt disoriented from not knowing what happened between going to the underground lab to the present. The two individuals outside of the room walked away. Until she heard no more footsteps, Rayne quietly opened the door. Looking down to her left and right, it was a hospital hallway. Something in her mind made her blink and look down the hallway to her left.

'…?' she stated in her mind. Not sure why, her intuition was telling her to go that way. Slowly stepping out into the hallway, she quietly closed the door to her hospital room. Scanning around herself, she didn't see any cameras in sight. Slowly going down the left hallway, she tried to figure which medical facility she was in.

Arriving back to NERV HQ, both Commander Gendo and Sub-Commander Kozo got a detailed report about what transpired during their trip away from the base. Shortly after finishing all the reading, they were notified of an immediate conference meeting with many representatives of SEELE. After studying on all that he needed to look at, both commanders traveled to the conference room. Once there, both men took their usual spots during these meetings.

Gendo was sitting at the end of the table in his infamous pose. Waiting for the meeting to start, he recalled the video feeds of what happened in the past 24 hours. From when the previous Angel was destroyed to the defeat of the current one, the Third Child was the center of it. He had cause more problems in a short amount of time than the Commander had anticipated. The thought of his grand plan being halted because of the male pilot made him frown and narrow his eyes.

Another glaring aspect was that now the male pilot was unusable. Being that his mind was lost in itself, he couldn't pilot Eva-01 effectively. Though the display of power that the purple Unit produced was noteworthy, he couldn't use it either. Gendo could slowly feel his arms tightening up from anger and frustration. Not being in control of the current situations made him edgy. Thinking of what he could implement to regain control, he heard the Sub-Commander's voice that it was time.

Slowly, holograms of the SEELE representatives appeared. Gendo didn't move from his position and mentally identified each person that digitally appeared. At the end of the conference table, the remaining hologram came on. It was the head of the SEELE committee.

[Let us begin] the representative with the eye visor stated. The beginning of the meeting was a recap of what NERV has been doing so far. A monitors turned on around them. The head figure opposite of where the Commander sat began giving summaries of a timeline from when the resurgence of Angel attacks began.

Footage from when the Third Angel attack appeared first. After a brief description, the next slides would show footage of the following Angel battle. In each case up to the recent one, a few representatives frowned. NERV had overall been in control of dealing with the Angels. Public relations, in regards to NERV's conduct as a private organization, were fair amongst citizens. Expenses from public and property damage were manageable. On paper, such as reports and descriptions, NERV has been sustaining itself with what has occurred so far.

"…" Gendo said not reacting or saying anything from the head's monologue of recapping.

[Given this track record, your command at the NERV branch of Neo-Tokyo is favorable Commander.]

"Of course."

[Now then…onto the next business matter at hand Commander Gendo. It is about the Third Child.]

"What about him?"

[He has been mentally unstable before he started piloting. Is that correct?]

"Yes."

[Why would you entrust deranged boy to controlling and handling a war machine?] one of the representatives spoke.

"The Dead Sea Scrolls dictated that the Third Child would be the instrument to pilot Eva-01," he stated evenly.

[Maybe so. However, they didn't predict that the pilot would be mentally ill] another spoke with a European accent.

[What kind of judgment were you thinking in getting him to pilot? He could have destroyed everything] a third rep stated with an American accent.

"Based on brainwave scans, data from fights with Angels, and the interactions with NERV employees, the Third Child was adaptive to the environment given."

[An adaptive schizophrenic? Preposterous!]

"From continuous synchronization with Eva-01, the pilot showed neurological progress and development. Reports from Dr. Akagi research are in the files given."

[Recovery of schizophrenia from being put into a war machine? Is that what you say Commander?] one representative stated unconvinced.

"I did not state that. The Third Child stated it and showed it during the Jet Alone conference event."

[…] a majority of the representatives stated looking at the Commander with narrow eyes. Behind his hands, Gendo smirked at their expressions.

'If the committee believes they can use the Third Child as their pawn…they have already lost this battle,' he thought in his head going back to a neutral expression.

[It is true that the reports show that the Third Child has sustained progression of his mental disorder through piloting] the SEELE member with the eye visor stated. [However, could you explain the events of the last 24 hours and how the Third Child is now a full schizophrenic?]

"…" Gendo said pushing up his glasses and put his hands back in his infamous pose. Recalling his strategy in explaining, he began. While he spoke in a calm and controlled manner, the Commander observed the holographic images of the committee members. All gave a skeptical look with a couple of interruptions. They were silenced by their committee leader.

"With the mental stress from the Angel battle prior, the Third Child's condition accelerated to become unstable from being in personal contact with the following Angel afterwards."

[…] the committee said. Looking at them from his spot, a majority of the representatives looked at him neutrally. Strangely, the European representative fidgeted a little but remained calm. The head rep on the opposite side of the conference table turned his head a little to look at the fidgeting member. Not saying anything, he turned back to the Commander.

[Hmm] the eye visor representative stated to get everyone's attention. [This is a bit of information for a 24 hour period. Regardless, we must decide now about how we go forward based on the information given to us today. Any objections?]

[…] the other representatives said looking at him.

[Very well. Commander?]

"Yes?"

[Will the Third Child be able to continue piloting given his condition now?]

"In due time, he will."

[Very well. Now, we shall vote] the representative stated. The vote garner around which NERV branch to be the center strong hold of housing two important possessions. It was either continuing to let the Neo-Tokyo branch be the center or choose another branch around the world. After a silent vote, the head member read the tallies.

[Commander Gendo]

"Yes?"

[You and your branch will continue to be the strong hold center of NERV operations.]

"Very well."

[This meeting is concluded] the SEELE chairman stated. When all the representatives went off-line, only the head SEELE representative was remaining.

[Let me be clear Commander. I will not take any more trespassing of that pilot into our properties or the assaults of SEELE employees and agents. We will be arriving today to pick up OUR specimen subject. I trust you will cooperate] he said before logging out. Remaining in his pose, the room lights slowly turned back on to dully illuminate the conference room.

"They seemed displeased that they chose our branch to continue our title holding," the Sub-Commander stated walking toward him.

"The old men don't have power or leverage over the situations that transpired currently," Gendo said standing up.

"Can the Third Child even pilot with his current state?"

"If he can still breathe and crawl, it will suffice," the Commander stated coldly as both left the room.

Back in the medical facility, Rayne kept walking down hallways. She had avoided contact with anyone by hiding and evading through rooms. Reaching the end of one hallway, it was a dead end. Turning around, she kept feeling that something was nearby. Back tracking, doctors were heard coming down the hallway. Looking around quickly, there was only one room close by without having to run.

Going to it, the door was unlocked. Quietly, Rayne opened the door and closed it slowly after entering. Putting her ear next to the door, the volume of the doctors grew slowly. They walked pass the door and became quieter as they continued. She opened the door a little and saw the two medical personnel going into a room that was further down the hallway.

Releasing the air that she was holding, she heard faint sounds. It sounded like a heart and pulse monitor along with other medical equipment. She slowly turning around, she felt her eyes widen.

"…!?" she said looking around blinking. "…what…is all this?"

The hospital room was larger than a single patient's room. It could house three or four patient beds; however, it had been makeshift to something else. Where she was standing was a staging area. There was two full on contamination suits with enclosing helmets and breathing apparatuses. Surrounding the staging area was two sets of blinds with one being clear and the other a blue color. There was a stand next to the suits that had a clipboard on it. Going toward it, she read it to herself.

'Quarantine?!' Rayne thought recoiling a little. 'Shoot…I better leave…wait a…he's here!?'

The patient in the room was the male pilot. She read through the clipboard as quickly as possible. It didn't state that he had a disease other than his mental disorder. There was an inputted warning label that stated all personnel be advised of possible hallucinations when getting near the patient. Also, it mentioned to only stay for a short while. It would lower the possibility of getting contaminated if the patient was not disturbed.

'Beginning to wonder if that story the Commander told us was a fabricated one about Shinji's upbringing…unless he and the scientists here are sick in the head to be doing experimentations on children,' she thought then pondered about what to do.

'…' Rayne voiced in her head while looking at the curtains in front of her. 'I'll just peek through and see if he is okay.'

Parting a section slowly, she stuck her head through. Startled, there were large amounts of monitoring and medical equipment with tanks. Each one was filled with some clear liquid that feed through lines leading to a patient bed. Hearing the machines sound that they were working, she turned toward the person lying on the bunk. Blinking in surprise, there were various contraptions on him and around him.

Surrounding the patient bed was another set of clear curtains. There were five large and thick leather straps that went over him and were anchored to the floor. He was lying on top of the bed sheets with a heavy duty strait jacket. Instead of a torso piece, it was a full body size one with all the belts and straps securing him in place. He wore what looked like a complex gas mask with a glass face cover. A breathing apparatus was attached at where the air filters would be placed. Four I.V. units were hooked up into him. The pouches were connected to the tanks on the far wall of the room. There were also neural pads attached to his temples that connected to a monitor behind and above his head.

"…" Rayne said speechless at the sight.

Pressing her lips inward and clenching her teeth together, she stepped through the curtains. Slowly moving forward, she made her way to the male pilot. Despite the fact that he appeared to be sleeping calmly, there was a "do not disturb" sign at the end of his bed. Silently walking to his right, she got close to his bedside without moving the curtains around him. The gas mask completely covered his face. The face shield had a dark tint to it where she couldn't see his face. The breathing apparatus gave sounds of him breathing in and out. It made his inhale and exhale sounded deeper, airy, and amplified.

'…you…you are really gone now…aren't you?' she thought biting her tongue to not get emotional.

'At least…you are in medical facility to take care of you…despite them being the probable culprits of doing this to you?' Rana continued looking at him with a saddened face. Even though she felt responsible and wanting to make up for her selfishness, the officer felt there was nothing she could do for him.

'I could at least talk to him a little…there are some things I'd like to tell him,' she thought. However, seeing that he was incapable of responding back to her made talking seem harder. Shaking her head and putting on a determined face, she decided to just talk to him. Kneeling to the floor and looking at his covered face, she opened her mouth.

"…" Rayne said hearing no words come out. Blinking and shaking her head a little, she tried again.

"…" the female teen spoke and felt her voice caught in her throat.

Closing her mouth, her lips quivered a little as her head became downcast. Sitting on the floor, Rana pulled her knees to her chest. Hugging them with her arms, she placed her forehead on top of her knees. Feeling pathetic, she stayed in that position trying to recollect herself. Keeping an open ear for his movements and possibly if he needed someone, she stayed put. Slowly, tiredness was overtaking her as she felt her tense grip on herself lessening. Trying to lift her head, it felt very heavy. Sleep instantly came to her.

"…" Shinji said moving his eyes tiredly and lethargically to his right.

Everything was drawn from a child's perspective and art form with crayons. Jagged edges and wrong proportions were seen of figures, objects, and things. People were drawn in various forms as well as monster like images. The current figure on the floor near him was a simplistic drawing of a medusa like individual. It was staring at him wide eye with its green blocky hair snapping at him.

"…" he said attempting to speak but felt a contraption in his mouth.

It prevented him from opening or closing his mouth. Trying to move around, his limbs didn't respond. Feeling the numerous straps holding him down, he looked the other way at a snail's pace. As he slowly looked to the left, he tried to ignore the sounds of snaps, hisses, and low growling. It seemed that the figure was slowly getting closer and closer to him in which he tried moving his head. Again, he was constrained.

"…" the Third Child said hearing his voices laugh hysterically at him in the background.

They sounded muffled as if they were underwater. The two voices that stayed silent were both Rana and the demented one. Feeling beyond tired from just moving his eyeballs and breathing, he tried going to sleep. Closing his eyelids, they didn't respond. Straining his mind, he was forcing his eyes to close. They were closing at a snail's pace.

Just about to get his eyes shut to go to sleep, he heard earthquakes go off. Everything in the room was lightly rattling causing the small tremors to go through him. Feeling the floor shakes get stronger, he strained himself to open his eyelids and look in the corner of his eyes at the door. Despite everything being in crayon, each earthquake scattered the outlines of everything. The only object that didn't rattle was the paper thin door in the room.

Hearing only the door open with rusty hinges, two silhouettes entered the room that had a blue tint to them. Unable to concentrate, they appeared as two outline individuals with a hollow body. It was like the outline of a murdered person at a crime scene. Each step they took would caused stronger earthquakes with the floor web cracking. The two stopped near his side of the bed where the medusa figure was sitting. Its hair started snapping and hissing at the outline figures. One of the blue silhouettes slowly approached the snake-haired individual. It put its block hand on the medusa's arm.

Slowly, the snapping hair serpents calmed down till they were still. The female creature slowly closed its eyes to stop staring. One of the two blue outlines looked at the other and nodded. Each of them got on one end of the snake haired individual and lifted her up. Carrying her to the door, the earthquakes and rumbling slowly became quieter and less intense. Opening the paper door again, the two left the room. When the door closed, Shinji saw a part of his hospital room fracture off and fall out of sight.

"…" he said blinking freely without needing to strain himself.

Slowly turning to the part of the room that was gone, a swirl of red and black could be seen ahead. Memories could be seen swimming in that violent whirlpool. Straining his eyes to move back to the ceiling, he tried pondering who the individuals were supposed to represent. With his mind pulsating painfully, he gave up. Doing anything that requires him from moving or thinking about anything was beyond exhausting. Straining his eyes to close, he could feel his body sweating from how hard it was to just do a simple task as closing his eyes. Once closed, he tried voiding out what his mind was throwing at him. Eventually, he fell asleep.