The same scene, the same dark room, the same stoic figure.
At the center of his office, Gendo stood firm, listening to the SEELEE's executives talking.
"So the eleventh is finally dead, only two more and the Dead Sea Scrolls prophecy will be completed."
Every time, those voices talked about the same things every time.
"I think it's time you begin the final preparations for the Instrumentality Project Gendo. The time is nigh, and after the Thirteenth demise, we expect results."
Minds that cheated themselves, thinking they were superior to mankind itself, because they knew about the project to evolve the species, while the world suffered in silence, under the weight of their choices.
One after another the lights turned off, leaving Gendo alone in the room. This time SEELEE had nothing to complain about the Angel's attack. They were not worried about the 01's awakening anymore. Not only that, now that the project was nearing it's completion, they weren't even worried about the last Angels. They just worried about the final result. The fleeting dream of becoming as gods was blinding their eyes. Gendo knew how to gain from that. And as the puppeteer behind the scenes for the whole show, he knew how ironic was the reality of the Instrumentality Project. The ones who would sacrifice everything to feel superior, will become part of the same being, not superior nor inferior to others. Without fields to separate people, without barriers called consciousness, Gendo wondered if they knew what would they become.
But without a word, the greatest enemy of reality, the greatest victim of reality, stood there, waiting for the time to come.
—
The same scene, the same blue ceiling, the same frail girl
Waking up on the hospital bed was now becoming a routine for Rei.
Beside her bed she could see two figures, two young girls, arguing.
"I specifically told you to not destroy my EVA! Are you doing this on purpose?"
"Sorry Princess, but the fight demanded it"
It seemed like Asuka was not nearing full recovery, as she was up yelling at Mari.
"You can see the situation like this. If I didn't break your EVA, little doll there would be dead!"
Mari pointed to Rei, noticing she was awake and using her as a scapegoat for Asuka's fury.
"Rei! Are you well?"
Rei wasn't expecting that reaction from Asuka. She usually was one that would make you go through lot of troubles before admitting that she was worried for you. But in that moment Rei saw in Asuka a sincere smile, so sincere that Asuka actually went red after a bit, as she understood what kind of expression she had.
"I think I can let it go for this time…again. But a true pilot should be able to win without having to compromise."
In an attempt to regain some kind of seriousness Asuka shifted her attention again to Mari, that just shrugged away the girls complaint and hugged Rei, hurting her a bit even.
"So you're well little doll. I'm happy you didn't get destroyed by that ray or something like that."
Mari was hugging and shaking Rei, so much that Asuka didn't know how to react. After another 5 minutes of Asuka yelling at Mari, the american girl ran away, leaving Rei and Asuka alone.
"I swear, that girl is just so stupid. If I had to choose which stupid to keep, I would definitively choose Shinji."
In all that time Rei didn't say anything, something was bothering her. Asuka was growing more and more annoyed by the girl silence, but when she had enough and was starting to give up talking to her, something happened. Asuka watched Rei and saw something that was amiss sometime before. She saw a troubled expression, one of a girl that was caged in her thoughts, one of a human that didn't know what to do. For some time, Asuka was annoyed in seeing Rei being neutral to everything, so much that she actually helped her when she tried to do something on her own, cooking for Shinji and Gendo. And now, that faint light of human-like feelings she saw in Rei at the time was brimming. But it was not a positive light. Being human is not easy, and Rei was not facing the downside of developing feelings.
Asuka saw that same expression in the previous days, every day since her awakening in the hospital. That expression was the same Misato has every time she walks through the door. The expression of one who lost everything. And in seeing that, Asuka tried to do something different. She didn't yell about how they were supposed to go on, she tried to create hope in Rei's heart. Just like she was the spark of light for Misato the day she woke up, just like she embraced the painful Rei that same day, she now wanted to help her. To continue being that light
"You're worried for that stupid right? Have you felt him while riding the EVA? Misato told me he's supposed to be trapped on there somewhere."
Rei watched Asuka, she was indirectly and unconsciously begging for someone to ask her about that.
"Yes, I…No, maybe felt him is not correct. I actually met him."
"What? You mean his inside the cockpit?"
"No, it was…on a train. After the Angel's rose exploded, I found myself on a train. And beside me, was Shinji. He was to one to give me the ticket to leave that place, but he was left there as a result. He cannot escape"
"I'm…not following you. But if you said you felt him, then it's ok."
Asuka smiled toward Rei, with a beatiful, sincere smile
"He'll be safe. I'm certain of it"
She didn't really believe it. She had no idea on what to think of the situation. She just wanted to abide to the roel she was choosing to herself. She was the spark of light for Rei and Misato, she chose to continue in being it. Aside from the EVA, she chose this other role, to help giving her life meaning.
To find a meaning in supporting other outside the EVA, to make this meaning strong by protecting the world inside the EVA.
A noble feeling, something more akin to her age. More akin to what the others want to be when fourteen. A hero.
But in that world there were no heroes
Just people who entitled themselves to feel like one.
There's something noble on being the hero, on helping other.
But can that be said on those who only act like this to run away from their reality?
For Asuka, being the light to Rei and Misato, was a way to cope with reality.
To run away from it.
Like the ones who ought to feel superior to the weak
In the end, the ones with the power to change the world, were to ones that couldn't cope with it
The ones that embraced escapism.