The setting sun was bathing everything in an orange hue. Eva Unit 01 was slouched next to a small mountain in order to preserve its power. Having deployed the Evas this far of Tokyo-3 meant that the city would most likely be safe, but it caused logistics problems when it came to powering the humanoid weapons. Numerous rows of huge generators were installed next to power lines to provide the necessary electricity. Unit 01 was facing west, giving Shinji a beautiful view of the sunset over the mountain range. However, he wasn't interested in sightseeing at the moment.
"An accident in Matsushiro ?! No way ! What happened to Misato and Toji ?" He exclaimed with worry.
"Contact hasn't been restored yet." Rei replied only through her radio, which puzzled Shinji a little.
"But then, what will we do ?" He was clearly scared. Every time he went to battle, Misato had always been there to guide him. Even if he had disobeyed her orders at times, he always trusted her to have his best interest in mind during those encounters. The only exception was against the ninth Angel, Matarael, but even then, Asuka had told him what to do. She was too far away from him today to be able to come up with a plan that would help them defeat this new Angel.
"Stop whining !" Asuka scolded him as she opened a direct video channel between them both. "There's nothing else we can do now !"
"But how can we fight Angels by ourselves ?" She shot him a look of a mix between disbelief and annoyance. There were three of them against only one, and among them was a trained soldier, a genius who had learned about combat strategies. She discussed with herself whether she should answer or just ignore him when Rei took the decision for her.
"Commander Ikari will take command now." Rei's face appeared next to Asuka's, in her own video feed. Had he thought about it, he would have found it strange that the camera from Unit 00 would be behind the pilot, but what he just learned was far more important.
"My father will..." He trailed off, on the one hand reassured to have someone in command of this operation, and on the other, upset that this someone happened to be his father.
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Shinji had waited for what seemed like hours for something to happen, but the reality was that it was closer to only one if the position of the sun was to be any indication. His introspection and moping were interrupted when Shigeru spoke. "Target is approaching."
"All units prepare for ground combat." Makoto chimed in through the pilots' radios as well.
Shinji raised his head and squinted his eyes in a vain attempt to shield them from the light of the setting sun. A black silhouette was approaching slowly just between Unit 01 and the sun. Activating his Eva's built in zoom, he managed to identify the black shape better. "No way ! An Angel ? Is this an Angel ?" He asked.
"Is this my birthday ?" Asuka exclaimed ecstatically, unaware that she had just interrupted NERV's Supreme Commander. "I get to beat up Jock Stooge today ?"
"Correct, this is the target." replied said Supreme Commander.
"But this is an Eva ! Toji's piloting it !"
"That's all the more reason !" Asuka said as she willed her Eva to stand. "Unit 02, engaging !"
"Asuka ! You can't !"
"Watch me !" She answered cheerily, raising her rocket launcher. "Fire !" A gigantic rocket shot out of her weapon, then another, and another. They flew rapidly towards their target before exploding against the familiar octagonal orange shield. "It's an Eva, idiot ! And an Angel ! It has an AT-field, don't worry about him !" She kept on firing her rocket launcher with a smile on her face. It quickly vanished however when her target jumped at an impossible height. Her combat training allowed her not to be too disoriented when the targeting system of her Eva made it move on its own accord, following the enemy while still shooting rockets until the magazine was empty. She had raised her AT-field as she had kept unloading her weapon at Unit 03. It didn't help, however, when the black behemoth pierced through the smoke, and her AT-field, and landed directly on her with an ear-piercing noise which Shinji heard through the comm window before it turned to static. He still heard Asuka scream from the top of her lungs over the sound of metal crashing against metal, of what sounded like giant fists bludgeoning something metallic before the communication became completely silent.
He had watched the scene from afar, he mainly saw explosions moving very slowly towards him, then in the air, like inverted fireworks. Black explosions which stood out against the red sun. He could see Unit 03 fall from the sky and saw that the last shots managed to make it deviate slightly from its trajectory.
"Asuka !" Shinji shouted at the comm window, but he received no answer. "Unit 01, moving to engage !" He shouted with determination and urgency.
"No." This lone word was enough to freeze his blood in his veins and his Eva at the same time. "You shall remain at your current location. You are the last line of defense in case Rei fails."
Shinji wanted to disagree. Every muscle in his body screamed for him to run and go help Asuka. His father's voice carried far too much authority over him. He reluctantly went back to his initial position. 'What are you doing ?' He asked his father in his mind only. Now was not the time for a father and son discussion. He heard one of the techs saying that Asuka was alive in her entry-plug. It would have to be enough for the time being.
A little further away, Rei was waiting behind a mountain which provided her cover and concealment from the Angel. She could hear its steps as it came closer.
"Rei, avoid close range combat and stop the target. I'm sending Unit 01 in now." Commander Ikari said. It was a lie of course, but it wasn't important. Rei wouldn't doubt his words, she would do what she was meant to do. What she was born for.
"Roger." Rei simply answered, trying to focus on the battle. She was struggling, however. One of her fellow pilot was down. A second was imprisoned inside an Angel, maybe he was conscious. Forced to watch as his Eva was attacking the people he knew. The third pilot was upset because of what was happening. It was the main reason why she couldn't fully concentrate on the task at hand. She knew that Shinji was attached to the other two pilots, and that them being hurt was hurting him as well. She also knew that he wouldn't be able to destroy this Angel if it meant injuring his friend in the process. Or worse. She had to do something. She had to help him. She had to be the one to destroy this Angel so that Shinji wouldn't have to. Maybe he would hate her for that, but it was according to her the best alternative.
The Eva walked on her left side, a few dozen meters away, seemingly unaware of her presence and continued on its way. It looked like an animal. It walked without coordination. Its arms hanging on its sides, not moving with the steps it took. Its mouth was opened and shown red teeth. Its eyes looked like Unit 01's, the same menacing shape and white light. It took a few more steps before abruptly stopping and convulsing on its legs as if the pilot was fighting inside to regain control over it. It hunched forward before jumping again and landing on Unit 00, pinning it face first to the ground, its right arm squeezing its neck.
The impact made Rei dizzy for a second before the pain in her cheek made her come to her sense. The first thing she realized was that she couldn't move. The whole weight of Unit 03 was enough to prevent her Eva from any useful movement. 'I can't let him face this by himself.' Rei thought as she started wriggling under her enemy. Her Eva's right arm tried to grab onto something to help her pry herself free. The Angel let go of Unit 00's neck, only to punch the back of its head with uncanny violence in order to keep its enemy in place. Rei didn't feel the impacts as much as if she had received them directly, but it had been enough to make her head spin. Her fading consciousness made each blow a little bit less painful than the one preceding it. Her vision was getting darker and darker, the pain was becoming fainter and fainter. When the black Eva was satisfied with Unit 00's lack of movement, it released a pinkish ooze from its left arm, which poured in heavy drops on Unit 00's arm. Rei barely registered the pain in her numbness and didn't try to fight back. She could only faintly ear what sounded like the Commander's voice giving an order through her ringing ears before she jumped and screamed when an exploding pain ran through her left arm before her Eva was remotely deactivated. She grabbed her left shoulder with her right hand and reluctantly turned her head with greeted teeth, expecting to see her arm severed from her body as it had been the case for her Eva.
The Angel was now back up, looking down on its fallen prey for a few seconds before resuming its journey towards its mission.
Shinji heard everything through the comm system in awe, refusing to believe what was happening.
"Unit 00 is severely damaged. The pilot is wounded." Maya had just said.
"No way..."
"The target is approaching you. It will contact you in T-minus 20. You must destroy it." His father said as stoically as always.
"But this target is... Toji's in there, isn't he ?" Shinji stated coolly. "Another friend of mine." He had his pallet rifle raised and pointing at the rogue Eva, but the conflict in his mind at the moment stopped him from pulling the trigger. Unit 03 roared devilishly before jumping at Unit 01 feet first, shattering the latter's weapon in the process. Unit 01 landed on its back as the 13th Angel landed on all fours, which made it possible for Shinji to see the Entry-plug protruding from the former Eva's back. "An Entry-plug. Toji's in there, just as I thought." He said as he made his Eva stand up. Unit 03 launched its right arm which extended impossibly until it took a hold of Unit 01's neck, then the left arm, strangling Shinji in the process. It pinned down its enemy against a hill, its hands firmly grasping the other's neck and squeezing. Shinji was struggling to get air into his lungs, refusing to pass out, yet not doing anything to remove the appendages obstructing his throat.
"Shinji, why don't you fight ?" His father's brought him back to reality and helped him focus on something else than his current lack of oxygen.
"Toji's in there, Father !" he answered with ragged breath.
"Irrelevant ! It is an Angel ! Our enemy !" Gendo growled, losing his calm against his disobedient son.
"But... But I can't !" He was getting desperate, facing this Cornelian choice. "I must help him ! I can't kill !"
"If you don't, you will die."
"I'd rather die !" He said, his choice made. "Two of my friends have already been hurt. I won't be responsible for another one !"
"Cut all synchronization between the pilot and Unit 01. Do it now." Was the only answer his father gave.
"Cut it ?" Maya interjected disbelievingly.
"Correct. Switch the control circuit to the dummy plug."
"But the dummy plug still isn't functioning properly." Maya tried, and failed, to reason. "Without Dr Akagi's approval..."
"It's still better than the pilot. Do It !"
"Yes, Sir." Maya caved in.
Shinji had heard all of the exchange through the comm link, but couldn't pay it very much attention. He was trying his best to keep breathing until the inside of his entry-plug turned black and he finally was able to breathe unhindered. The view from the outside world came back quickly though, with a red hue when the dummy system activated. "What is it ?.. What in the hell are you doing, Father ?!" He shouted, not wanting to believe what he was imagining. The only answer he got was his Eva's hands moving on their own, getting higher and higher until finally they reached Unit 03's neck and tightened. Unit 01 barely struggled before overpowering its foe, gaining the upper ground and applying more and more force on its hold until finally, the Angel's neck gave in and broke under the pressure, its limbs going limp while it let out a final growl of agony.
The purple Eva wasn't finished however. It threw its now silent enemy on the ground and punched its head with such incredible strength that it exploded in a fountain of blood and bones, splattering everything around it. It then grabbed onto its breastplate and tore it, throwing it away before keeping its assault.
"Stop this !" Shinji screamed over the comm as its Eva was keeping on pummeling the lifeless Eva Unit 03. "Father, no ! Stop doing this now !" He was shaking the butterfly handles frantically in a vain hope to regain control of his behemoth.
He watched powerlessly as his friend was getting destroyed with his own hands until something hit his Eva from the side and sent it crashing several meters away from the bloodbath. When he regained enough of his senses, he saw through the cockpit the silhouette of Unit 02 standing before it "What are you doing idiot ? It's dead !"
Asuka was indeed alive. She had been knocked out by Unit 03 but came to with the noises of destruction made by Unit 01. Her Eva was standing victoriously before it as it struggled to stand up. "Asuka ! Go away ! I'm not controlling anything !" Shinji just had time to say before his Eva threw a vicious punch in Unit 02's midsection. It was enough to make the red Eva flinch, but it didn't go down. On the contrary, it used its new position to lunge at Unit 01 head first, tackling it to the ground. Asuka didn't stop there. She stood back up and tried to reach the umbilical cable. She managed to grab it, but Unit 01 used Asuka's lack of focus to its advantage, elbowing Unit 02 on the back of the head then punching it violently in the ribs several times. Asuka shouted in pain at each blow while Shinji was still maniacally shaking the butterfly handles. It then seized it by the torso before lifting it face down, then threw it with inhuman strength as far as it could. Asuka cursed in German before crashing against the mountainside. She had always hated falling in her Eva, not only because falling is seldom an enjoyable experience, but also because her inner ear and brain never managed to understand what was happening. She always felt dizzy and a little sick when it happened. As if it weren't already enough, her spine felt like it broke at the impact. Seeing Unit 02 not standing back up, Unit 01 returned to its original target.
It turned it over and grabbed the Entry-plug with its right hand and started squeezing it. The massive purple hand was shaking with the effort. "Damn ! Stop ! Stop it ! Stop it ! Stop it ! Stop it ! Stop it !" Shinji begged as the metal of the Entry-plug was starting to bend under the pressure.
"Arschloch !" Asuka shouted as Unit 02 stabbed Shinji's Eva's forearm with its Progressive Knife and twisted the vibrating blade inside the wound, making it release the cylinder which fell on the ground in a loud ringing noise. "This stupid autopilot should make sure its target is really done before turning its back on it ! By the way, idiot, when I'll tell this story, I'll make sure to tell your friends that you were going to kill Jock Stooge ! They'll ditch your ass and I'll be the hero !" Asuka badmouthed him in order to give her courage, and also because she wanted revenge for Unit 01's last move ! She knew he wasn't responsible for what was happening and she also understood rather quickly what the dummy plug was capable of. She had to stay focused and not expose any weaknesses if she was to win this fight. She pulled out her knife from Unit 01's arm and took a defensive stance a few steps away, making the knife pivot in her Eva's hand so that the blade was facing downward and putting her left hand opened in front of her, ready for a counterattack. Which never came. The purple giant stood still, as if paralyzed. Shinji was back in the darkness, the dummy plug had been deactivated.
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Two days later, Shinji woke up in a hospital bed. His injuries were not really serious, even if a case could have been made for his larynx. The doctors had decided to keep him sedated for some time in order to help his recovery. The first thing he noticed was as a consequence a familiar ceiling which he had learned to hate. He then noticed someone on the bed next to his. "Toji ?.." He silently stood up and left the room, not daring to look, out of shame and self-loathing, at his friend who was lying in this hospital bed because of him. He couldn't bare the idea of having hurt him. He thus went to the reception desk. "Uhm... Sorry... Could you please tell me in which room Asuka Langley Soryu is ?" He asked hesitantly, almost too scared to go and see for himself what he had done to her as well. What gave him the courage to ask was what he had told her that night. That he would always be there for her.
The nurse, a woman in her mid forties with black hair tied in a bun raised her gaze from her computer screen and studied him for a few seconds before answering. "Oh, mister Ikari. I'm afraid she hasn't been checked in the hospital after the fight." She looked at her watch. "She must be home then !" She said with a smile, then added awkwardly after a pause. "I've always wanted to say thank you... You know, for saving us all, battle after battle..."
She was still talking but Shinji couldn't pay attention to her. He knew he wanted to see Asuka, but that was it. He was still hazy after waking up from what must have been anesthetics induced slumber. He just nodded when he didn't hear the nurse's voice anymore.
"Can I help you with something else ?" She added warmly when she saw him still standing there.
He shook his head to clear his mind. "Are my clothes here ?"
"I'm really sorry. But we can have them brought from your locker. We have received orders from Major Katsuragi, you can leave as soon as they arrive."
"Can I use your phone then ?" Clearly he didn't care about leaving the hospital.
Realizing her mistake, she replied too enthusiastically. "Oh ! Sure ! Anything for you, mister Ikari !" She handed him the wireless phone. He walked a few feet away towards the exit before dialing the number of the apartment. He waited until he heard the beginning of the recorded message of the answering machine. He hung the phone up and gave it back to the nurse. "Is Rei Ayanami here ?"
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"Disobeying orders, personal occupation of an Eva, attack on one of your fellow Pilots, partial destruction of an Eva... These are all criminal offenses. Do you have anything to say ?"
Asuka had spent the last two days in a cell in the depths of NERV. They at least had the decency to bring her fresh clothes. So she was there, in the Commander's gigantic office, clad in her school uniform and her wrists restrained with triple cuffs. Her hair was a mess, she had not been allowed to take a shower so they were sticky because of the dried LCL. She had taken down her hair clips and rearranged it in a ponytail to make it look at least presentable enough. Her lower ribcage was bandaged under her uniform. It was uncomfortable for her to breathe, and the lingering pain didn't help either. She was frowning, and was probably just about to explode. "My actions were necessary. I saved a Pilot and his Eva. I don't think Pilot Ikari has been injured because of what I did." She hadn't heard him scream when she stabbed his Eva. "I think this small cut is not important compared to having another Unit at our disposal."
"Not important ?" Gendo was really displeased upon hearing that the Second Child's lack of regret. Of course, she could not know that she had injured his precious Yui, but he couldn't accept that. "Effective immediately, you are relieved of duty. You are not the Second Child anymore." He didn't raise his voice nor show any emotion, but he wanted to make her suffer as much as possible for what she had done. So he took his time explaining his decision. "We will arrange for you to be sent back to Germany."
"You can't do that ! I am the Second Child ! I'm Asuka Langley Soryu ! Designated Pilot of Eva Unit 02 ! You need me !" She screamed in rage and denial.
"As you said, Miss Soryu. You have saved an Eva and its Pilot. And since we have only needed three Evangelions to repel the Angels so far, your service will no longer be needed." He said, a slight smirk on his lips, hidden behind his hands. "Dismissed."
'They don't need me.' She was stunned, the impact of what had just happened too much for her. She had lost everything. She had been training her whole life for this single purpose and now it was taken from her. What was she to do now ? She did not even react when two Section 2 agents grabbed her by the arms and dragged her out of the office.
"Are you really sure this was what had to be done ?" Fuyutsuki asked once they were alone.
"Positive. She attacked Yui intentionally."
"According to the Dead Sea Scrolls, the next Angel will be the most powerful."
"That's irrelevant. You know how violent and dangerous the Third Child can be given the circumstances. I just gave him those circumstances. Of course the Second could have been kept as decoy, or cannon fodder, yet it will not be necessary. She still could have been useful to us, however now we can replace her with the Fourth in the Scenario." Gendo stated.
"He might not be as easily manipulated."
"He is more stable than the Second." He paused for a second. "I should have known that Dr Soryu would be a mistake. It is good to finally be rid of its consequences. I wasn't expecting her to be able to save both Unit 03 and its Pilot, maybe I should have thanked her for giving us the possibility to get rid of her."
"Your son will probably hate you for this. Even more so if there was indeed something between them." Fuyutsuki said, maybe to give him a chance to change his mind.
"It does not matter as long as he carries out with our plan. Furthermore, the more isolated he is, the less he will have to distract him from this mission." Gendo answered coldly. Fuyutsuki winced behind his interlocutor's back but said nothing. However, it didn't mean that he agreed with his superior.
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Shinji shyly entered the room where Rei was according to the nurse, slightly opening the door at first and whispering "Ayanami, I'm coming in." The room she was in was smaller than the one he used to occupy, it was only big enough for one bed. "Hi, Ayanami." he said just as shyly.
"Hello, Pilot Ikari." She was half sitting, half lying on her bed in her hospital gown. The pillows had been rearranged to allow her to have something to rest her back on. Her head was bandaged, not unlike the first time he had met her all those months ago. However, none of her eyes were covered this time. She also had her left arm in a sling. "What can I do for you ?"
"How are you ?"
"I am well, thank you. I have just been kept here under observation. I went to see you yesterday. You were still unconscious."
"I'm glad you're okay, Ayanami." At least one of his friends was alright. "Do you know where Asuka is ? She's not at the hospital."
"I was unconscious when I have been extracted from my entry-plug. I am not aware of her whereabouts as a consequence." Rei simply stated. It wasn't much, but Shinji was still surprised to hear that many words coming from her.
"I'm scared about her. I saw everything that happened during the fight. I'm afraid I might have hurt her." As much as Shinji was interested in Rei's condition, he was more interested in Asuka's. "She isn't home, and she isn't in the hospital. It's too late for her to still be in school. I'm really worried."
"I cannot help you." was Rei's only answer.
"Sorry." He said automatically, his mind still focused on Asuka. "Bye." he said as he left the room, not even waiting for an answer.
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He didn't feel like going home. He wanted to go and look for Asuka, but he didn't know where to start, so he decided it would be better to wait for her there. When he entered the apartment, he heard steps coming towards him and saw her rushing in the entryway. She tackled him in a desperate hug. "Where were you ?" She mumbled in his neck as she squeezed him tighter. She had fought against it as much as she could have, but in the end, she had to admit that she needed Shinji after what happened to her. So the time she had waited for him felt like torturous hours. She was a nervous wreck, her eyes were burning, she didn't care anymore about the pain in her chest or the fact that she was still coated in dried LCL.
"I was at the hospital. I wanted to go and see you but you weren't there so I went to see Ayanami bef..."
"Are you kidding me ?!" This was the last straw for her. Having him go see Rei reminded her too much of what her father had done all those years ago. When he had left her mother when she lost her mind, when she became useless. "I have spent the last two days in a goddamn cell ! That's where I was ! For saving your stupid friend's ass ! And when I was locked up you jumped at the opportunity and went to see Wondergirl ?!" She shouted as she pushed him away, allowing him to see her blood injected eyes.
"I hoped she knew where you were !" Shinji tried to plea.
"I can't believe it ! When I arrived here, I expected to be able to talk to my boyfriend !" Neither she nor Shinji realized which word she had just used. "I was naively thinking that you'd be there for me, as you promised me ! But you were too busy trying to have your way with that freaking doll !" She had tears in her eyes and her fists were clenched. Her whole body was tense.
"You don't understand !" he tried to interject.
"Don't worry, I won't stand in your way for too much longer ! Just... Leave me alone." She said in a tone Shinji had never heard coming from her before. As if she had just given up. She then turned around and started walking towards her room.
He didn't understand what she had meant by that but he wasn't about to abandon her nor run away. He thus quickly caught up to her and grabbed her hand. "Asuka, please..." He couldn't finish his sentence as Asuka's other hand connected with his face in a slap which felt more like a punch.
"I hate you !" She screamed, her voice cracking and tears threatening to fall from her eyes. She stormed out of the apartment leaving a shocked Third Child behind her.
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She ran as fast as she could in her injured state until her chest was too painful for her to continue. She had quickly realized what had just happened. She had lost patience yet again. And yet again Shinji had been her victim. And this time she didn't hold back. She wanted to convince herself that it didn't matter since she was being sent back to Germany. But it proved too hard for her. She had thrown away one of the too few good things in her life because of her temper. She wanted to collapse and disappear, but the remnants of her pride made her keep going until she reached her destination.
Hikari opened the front door and was horrified when she saw her friend's sorry state. She invited her in and took care of her as much as she could. However, Asuka never talked about the things that were obviously upsetting her. As a matter of fact, she didn't talk much at all during her stay. Hikari wanted to help, to alleviate her burden but couldn't find any way to do so. It was especially painful when she could hear her friend cry when she thought no one could. She wanted to reach out to her, but she had no idea what to say. She knew that with Asuka, one wrong step would only make things worse. So she decided to be there. To be present for her at any time. When Asuka woke up because she was having a nightmare, Hikari stayed awake with her in silence, hoping that it would be, if not enough, at least helpful.
One day, when Hikari came home from school, she found out that Asuka wasn't there anymore. She left without saying goodbye, it was better that way. She was now waiting for the train which would bring her to the airport, which would in turn bring her back to Germany. At the same time to a former life and to a completely new and unknown one.
She had been waiting there for hours, having left early to be sure not to stumble upon Hikari or anyone else, sitting uncomfortably on the floor, cursing Japan for its lack of benches in train stations. Misato came to talk to her. It felt nice, even if she would rather have had Kaji come bid her farewell. It lifted her spirits a little, until Misato spoke about Shinji. Just hearing his name brought memories and feelings that she didn't want to have, so she shouted for Misato to shut up and leave her alone. It was harsh, and she regretted it too, but she just couldn't have this discussion.
She was wondering what she would do in Germany. What she could do now that she was a nobody, and that nobody cared about her anymore. Not Kaji, who didn't come see her one last time. Did he even know ? Did he even care ? Not Hikari, who didn't even try to talk to her. Not Misato, who didn't pull any strings to have her reinstated. Not Shinji... Especially not Shinji. She probably would have just shouted at him again just to hate herself even more afterwards.
And it was the same in Germany. None of her guardians had liked her back then. Her father didn't care. She was alone. Desperately, crushingly alone. She had always prided herself on living for herself, on not needing anyone. But now, knowing what it felt like to have someone she could count on, she felt she couldn't live like she used to anymore, yet she would never be so dumb as to allow someone close to her ever again. Because she knew that she would eventually mess everything up, just like she did with Shinji. She wanted to cry, again, on the dirty floor of this empty train station, but managed to swallow back the tears and the lump in her throat after clenching her eyes shut and taking a few deep breaths.
"I can't blame him from running away. I know I would have." She said to the emptiness around her. "Who would want to be with someone as worthless as me ?" She chuckled humorlessly. "I didn't even have to tell him I got fired for him to figure out he would be much better without me... I lost everything. And it's all my fault." A single tear that she couldn't hold back escaped her left eye.
A special state of emergency is declared for the Tokai region. All citizens must evacuate to their designated shelters immediately. Repeating...
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A/N : This chapter was really interesting to write. My first real battle ! I hope I did a good job ! On that note, I've always felt like this battle was kinda lazy in canon. Asuka gets punched once or twice and ejects. I understand that the scenario needed Shinji to be alone but hey ! It's Asuka we're talking about. She dived into a volcano to prove everyone that she was the best (among other reasons) and she charged an Angel head first after both her arms had been severed. She doesn't run away from a fight !
I would have loved to add some more German here and there, but I don't speak German at all and I didn't want to make any mistakes.
As always, if you have anything to say, advice or anything, don't hesitate ! And most importantly, thanks for reading !