Chapter 11 - Rei
NERV, Gendo Ikari´s bereau:
"Rei, why did you give the Lance to Asuka?"
"It was necessary."
"Why?"
"She needed a victory."
"Rei... how did you know this?"
"I know her."
"You ignored a direct order."
"It had to be to save the Second Child."
"..." Ikari looked at her, tried to read her red eyes.
"Rei, you´ve changed since Shinji´s arrival. What shall I do know?"
"I am replacable."
"..."
"May I leave?"
He nodded.
***
This very afternoon he had yet another visitor, it was his son who entered his bureau for
the first time without being ordered to.
"Father,... can... can I talk to you?"
At first he wanted to tell him that he had no time, but then he remembered his promise,
the promise given at the shore of a bloodred sea...
"Yes. Come in, what do you want to talk about?"
"I wanted to thank you."
"Why?"
"Because you let me help Asuka, because you had trust."
The older Ikari nodded.
"Good."
He looked at his filed, notices after about a minute, that Shinji was still standing in
front of the desk.
"What else?"
"Father... Mother´s inside of EVA-01, isn´t she?"
He swallowed.
"Shinji, how..."
"I met her when I was part of EVA-01... And today I was reminded of the accident..."
"Yes... That´s the reason I gave you unit one, to make sure that you will be protected..."
"Father, when EVA-01 went berserk... That was..."
"Your mother, trying to protect you, yes."
"So we have to get her out of it!"
The emotions Shinji suddenly showed surprised even his father.
Gendo shook his head.
"That´s impossible. Until a few days ago I believed otherwise but I was in error. Do you
undestand? She´ll never come back..."
"Father..."
Gendo felt wetness on his cheeks.
"Father, you are crying..."
Shinji walked around the mighty desk and gave his father an handkerchief.
"Here..."
"Thanks... Shinji, I didn´t want to abandon you... but I had to free your mother... And
now I´ve lost everything... friends... family... my own soul... even you..."
"Father..."
Shinji´s eyes were wet.
"Could you forgive me?"
Shinji swallowed.
He remembered his mother death, remembered the day his father left him with his sensei,
the day they finally met again after all the years, the day he was forced to pilot EVA-01
for the first time, remembered the badly hurt Rei who would have piloted if he had
refused...
He took a step backwards.
"I do not know."
Gendo nodded.
"What ever happens, I won´t leave you alone a second time."
"I wished that I could believe you. But after all you´ve done to me, Rei and Asuka...
You knew about Asuka, didn´t you? And Rei who´s ready to die by for command..."
"She means much to you, doesn´t she? Both mean a lot to you..."
"Yes..."
"We will have to fight two angel still, we don´t know, where, when and how they will attack
and then... then it will be over, one way or the other. And maybe the two of us will be able
to talk then."
"Yes, father, maybe..."
"You´ve changed..."
"You forced me to."
"Yes..."
***
Misato´s apartment, evening:
Misato wasn´t at home. Asuka and Shinji were not really unhappy about that fact since it
had been Misato´s turn to cook dinner.
Asuka was very silent while Shinji cooked the dinner she sat at the table and watched him.
When he place the meal on the table she ate in silence.
"Asuka, what´s up with you?"
"Hm?"
"You haven´t said a word..."
Not that I wish for you screaming at me, but that makes me afraid...
"It´s just... the angel..."
"I see."
She looked at him, the fork she used instead of chopsticks halfway between plate and mouth.
Asuka remembered the blurry visions she had had just before the angel aborted the attack to
concentrate upon Larsen.
"You lost your mother, too..."
"Yes."
"And you saw how she..."
"As you did, Asuka. You are not alone. If you need a friend I will be there for you."
She blinked.
"After all? After me treating you badly and shouting at you and...?"
She got up, stepped to his side, inspected him thoroughly.
"Asuka...?"
"What did happen to you? Were you kidnapped by aliens and exchanged for one of them?
Did Ritstuko implant a spine?"
Shinji laughted.
"No. That happens when one starts to understand the results of his own actions."
"Ha, you are an idiot!"
"That´s the Asuka I´m used to."
She smiled.
"She have a lovely smile."
"Argh! Don´t push it too far!"
"Okay, okay! I talked to my father today, he thinks that only two angels will still
attack and that it´ll be over afterwards."
"Really? But... but then there wouldn´t be any reasons left to pilot EVA..."
"I know that it is very important for you."
"Important? I´ve been trained my whole life to pilot!"
"That´s what I mean. They won´t destroy the EVAs, maybe they will give them to the peace-
keeping forces to support the PALADIN-squad or something like this. There will always be
a way if it is that important."
"You spend way too much time with the old man... hm, he´d only need a mountain, so he
would be the old man of the mountain..."
She giggled.
"Ah, that´s so stupid!"
Shinji raised his hands to signal that he didn´t want to comment on this.
"Good, so say nothing and stay silent. In germany we say: ´Speaking is silver, but being
silent is gold.´... But there´s something else..."
"What?"
"You told me that you were there if I needed a friend..."
"Yes, just a moment ago."
"After the mission I was at the infirmary... and there was this doctor..."
"Hm?"
"A psychiatrist... it seems that Commander Ikari gave him my file with the informations
about... about... the death..."
"Yes."
"He wants to see me tomorrow... You know, therapy... heavens, as if I was mad... It´s
been more than ten years and I did not need a therapy for all the time and then comes
that cursed angel along and start digging up all the stuff I wanted to forget... I only
hope that the Lance hit it where it hurt!"
"You killed it... I guess that hurt."
"Ha! Exactly! Well... would you accompany me tomorrow?"
"..."
"Please?"
She looked at him with her blue puppy eyes, he couldn´t have resisted even if she had
just him in the worst way imaginable.
"Okay, I´ll accompany you."
"Thank you."
She bent down and place a kiss on his cheek.
"A... Asuka..."
"Don´t let it get to your head, Shinji! And if you tell somebody... like Touji or Kensuke..."
She made with one hand scissor-like movement while pointing with the other one at a certain
part of human, or better male, physignomy.
"Understood?"
gulp
"Understood."
"Good."
***
NERV, Gendo Ikari´s bureau, the next evening:
The commander brwosed the NERV´s own psychiatrist´s report about his first meeting with
the Second Child.
What... Shinji did accompany her... grouptherapy... conversation with both of them about
the loss of the mother and the relationship with the father... a request to have the
First Child join them...
A large sweat drop formed on his brow.
***
EVA-hangar:
Within the room the remains of EVA-04 had been brought something moved.
One of the four eyes flared for a moment, then cables shot out of the torso into all
directions, closing connections with other parts, dragging the limbs towards the torso.
The finger of one hand twitched, clenched a fist, unclenched again...
With each part connected to the whole the capacities of the redundand second computer
grew until it was enough to initiate the main protocols for self repair.
From within the mecha a stream of spiderlike robot came the size of a hand to start
repairs.
Within the semi-assembled entryplug the controls returned one after one until the main
screen activated.
System-Upload: 24%. Re-Installation: 09%
"Wow", Ritsuko Akagi just said.
***
Three days later the MAGI noticed a blue pattern, an angel...
The angel resembled a mobiusloop made of energy, slowly moving around several ankles at
the some time.
Gendo Ikari turned his eyes from the picture on the screen.
"Unit zero will intercept. Unit two will backup with a positronrifle."
This time Asuka gave no protests but nodded.
"Unit one stays in reserve."
"Father?"
"You know the reason."
"Yes."
Behind Ikari Fuyutsuki and Larsen stood, each at one of the commander´s sides.
"How long will EVA-04 need for self-repairs?"
"Thanks to doctor Akagi´s help about four days. The angel has hit us quite badly, and
fact that the plug had had an emergency evacuation doesn´t make it easier."
"The target just passed the Gora-line of defense. It´s now above Owakudani-valley, AT-
field still active."
Hyuga frowned.
"Pattern changes from blue to orange and back cyclingly."
"What does this mean?"
"The MAGI are analysing, Major. Answer: Data insufficient."
"Hm, the form..." Ritsuko mumbled. "I think it´s pure energy."
"That doesn´t make it any easier" Katsuragi answered. "Rei, just watch, understood? We
are still collecting data."
"No! It´s approaching!" within Rei´s usually calm voice was a hint of terror when the
angel suddenly descended.
"Rei! Open fire!"
"Target´s too close!" Makoto shouted. "Target made physical contact to unit zero!"
The mobiusloop had embraced EVA-00.
"The AT-field?"
"Develloping, but penetrated, Major!"
"The angel is trying to establish contact to unit zero... does it want to unite with it?"
Ritsuko asked, speaking her thoughts.
"Danger! Target invades biological components of unit zero!"
"Unit two! Asuka, help her!"
"Understood, Misato... If I fire I´ll hit EVA-00!"
"Angel invades further! 5% are already bio-fused!"
"Asuka! Approach! AT-field on maximum! We´ll send you the data about its weaknesses where
it has no contact with unit zero, so you can fire at it! - Ritsuko, decrease the synch
between Rei and EVA-00, but slowly!"
"I´m already at it!"
"Understood. Damned, the thing´s moving too fast for the targetting systems! Hang on,
Wondergirl, I´ll get you out!" Asuka explained at the same time.
EVA-02 get go of the rifle, stormed at the angel, grabbed the energy form and pulled.
The next moment Asuka screamed.
"My hands!"
"Heavy damages at the interiors of EVA-02´s hands... heavy burns. Pilot´s suffering the
same injuries!"
"Asuka, retreat! You mustn´t come into contact with the angel!"
Asuka stared at her hands. The material of her plugsuit was burned.
"But what shall I do? I can´t fire and close combat is not possible! I´d need a big lever
or even better a pair of progressive scissors..."
Ikari opened a com-link to the hangar.
"Start unit one."
Shinji opened a video link.
"Father, can I..."
Gendo nodded.
"Yes, do your best!"
***
Rei:
Where? Where am I? I am inside of EVA, unit zero. No, there´s someone else... Who are
you? An angel? One of those being we call angels?
Don´t you want to unite with me? she heard a voice. It was her own voice and at the
same time it wasn´t.
No. I am myself. Rei Ayanami.
Hm... You should think about it... to late... we are already sharing a common part, an
emotion... pain... your soul´s full of pain... no, something else, similiar... lonelyness...
Lonelyness? I do not understand?!
You don´t like to be alone? But you keep your distance to other people... we are many...
but you hate it to be alone. To be alone, that´s lonelyness. Your heart is full of sadness...
"It´s right..."
Tears rolled down her cheeks.
"I am lonely..."
***
"It´s right... I am lonely..." Rei´s voice whispered from the loudspeakers.
"Rei! Answer!" Misato shouted.
"Unit one arrives at the surface!"
"Shinji! AT-field at maximum! Save Rei!"
"Understood."
"Asuka, help him! Think!"
"What how?" Asuka shouted.
Then she looked down at her injured hands.
Whatever... it doesn´t matter that I do not like Wondergirl... she´s part of the team.
And probably she´s just like Shinji and myself... I am used to pain...
***
Rei:
Ikari... Shinji... Shin-chan...
Ah...
I want to be with him...
Why not? This would be the end to your lonelyness.
The suggestion was tempting.
No... He has to live...
***
NERV-control center
Shinji made EVA-01 ran to unit zero, grabbed the angel with one hand, that had coiled
around unit zero like a snake, while attacking with the progressive knife in the other
hand. He knew what to expect but screamed with pain the next moment non the less.
Gendo clenched his fists harder with each the scream kept coming until his fingernails
had dug through his gloves and into the flesh of his hands.
"AT-field polarity of unit zero reversed!" Maya reported.
"To bind the angel?" Ritsuko supposed.
"Rei, leave unit zero at once! Shinji will take care of the angel!" Misato shouted.
"No" Rei whispered full of pain. "If I... leave... the AT-field will... disappear... I am
replaceable..."
The video-link to her entryplug was restablished.
Rei was writhing in the pilot´s seat under heavy cramps, her hand groping for the self-
destruction mechanism, her face wet with the tears she cried.
Ikari entered the radio link.
"You are not replaceable! Rei, fight it! - Shinji, if she truely means something to you..."
Shinji´s answer was an angry scream, interrupting the scream of pain when started pulling
at the angel with new vigor, started to cut its connection with unit zero.
"I won´t allow it! Rei, do you listen? I won´t allow you to die this way!"
"Unit one´s hands are suffering heavy damage. Similiar injuries with the pilot!" -
"Synchrate´s increasing!" - "EVA-01 goes berserk!" - "EVA-02 enters the fray!"
Asuka´s red EVA hold its progressive knife with both hands.
Within the entryplug Asuka sat with lips bitten bloody to move her attention away from
her hands.
The progressive knife cut down again and again, while unit one was removing further parts
of the angel from unit zero.
EVA-01´s hands were smoking.
"Synchrate approaches 100%"
"Yui... protect him... but don´t take him away again..." Gendo whispered praying.
Larsen turned around.
"I´ll go up with the medics."
"Angel removed from EVA-00 completly! Core identified. Datas are transmitted!"
"Rei, reverse polarity! Prepare for the explosion!"
For a moment the explosion´s bright flash blurred the video-transmitting.
EVA-00 hung in unit one´s arms that lifted it up and carried it towards the launching shafts.
***
He suffers... he´s suffering for you... Why are you humans doing something like this?
Where did you got such a potential?
The voice of the angel, using Rei´s voice, got lower and lower until it went silent.
***
EVA-hangar:
Larsen pulled Shinji out of the entryplug. His eyes widened when he saw the boy´s burned
hands.
"Don´t move your hands, don´t touch anything, understood?"
"How is Rei?"
"I will look after her. Stay here!"
He ran to the next bay.
A group of techs stood around a half ejected plug.
"What´s going on?"
"The plug´s been damaged by heat, we are waiting for the right tool to open the hatch."
"Nonsense, damaged hatches are my specialty!"
He let his progressive claws plop out of his cyberarms...
Asuka sat on the catwalk next to her EVA, back to the railing, while a doctor was treating
her hands.
Shinji walked up to her, ignoring the pulsating pain within his hands.
"Ah, come, sit down, young man, you are next", the doctor greeted him. "Well done."
"What?"
"Well, the angel´s destroyed, the city´s saved and you protected your fellow pilot from
the beast."
"Uhm..."
"Come, show me your hands... doesn´t look nice, no, really not... so, some of the paste,
it´s quite cooling, eh? Well, the three of you are having quite a few fans at the staff."
"Is this true?"
Shinji blushed.
"Why should I lie to you? You are our last line of defense. We all count on you, fever
with you when you launch, pray for you..."
"Oh."
Suddenly the pain seemed to lessen.
"Hey, Shinji, let go of your biggest fan and give me some of your attention." Asuka teased.
Her hands were bandaged.
He looks really sweet when he´s blushing. Au, shit, bloody hands...
"Are you okay, Asuka?"
"My hand do look better than yours if that´s what you wanted to know."
"That calms me."
He looked across the hangar where Wolf Larsen was opening the hatch of Rei´s entryplug
really unconventionally, while his hands were bandaged by the doctor.
"I have to see if she´s alright."
"She means much to you, doesn´t she...?!"
He blushed even more.
"Yes..."
"More than I do?"
Shinji looked her into the eyes.
"You two, Rei and you, are the most important people in my life."
Each of you in a very special way... you are some kind of sister... and Rei is...
He got up and walked away.
"Hm, so I still have chances..." Asuka smiled thinking.
Larsen was just lifting the unconscious Rei out of the plug and handing her over to two
medics.
"Wolf, how is she?"
"Ah, Shinji! Rei is still unconscious, but there are no visible injuries, the spine seems
to be intact as does the head. And she hasn´t spit blood, what deems to be a good sign
thinking about possible interior injuries. The medics went care for her."
Shinji started breathing again.
"I am happy that she hasn´t been hurt."
"Well, I don´t know what the angel might have done to her mind. When she wakes up a friend
should be there for her."
"Yes, thanks, Wolf."
"How are your hands?"
"That will heal. If we hadn´t saved Rei, there wouldn´t have been anything left to heal."
Larsen nodded.
"Your father will like this, you are quite sensible for a boy your age."
"My father..."
´Can you forgive me?´ - ´If she truely means something to you...´
"I should better go to the infirmary."
"Yes, do this. Next time I will be part of the team again."
Shinji wasn´t listening to him anymore.
"Children..."
He thought of his own daughter and smiled.
***
NERV-infirmary
Shinji knew the room, the ceiling was familiar.
Just a few days ago he had woken up laying on the same bed. Now Rei was laying on it.
But this times role had been reversed, this time he guarded her sleep.
Rei woke up about an hour later, sat up with eyes wide open like awakening from a nightmare.
"Rei..."
She blinked, looked at him.
"Shinji, you are here."
Rei took his bandaged hand, squeezed it, pulled him toward her at the same time.
He winched, what made her let him go.
"That... I am sorry... I didn´t want to hurt you..."
"It´s okay." he say with a crooked smile while fighting against the tears of pain.
"No, nothing is okay... You could have been killed when you came to my aid."
"That didn´t matter to me that moment. You were in danger. We are a team, you would have
done the same for me."
"Yes..."
She remembered fighting the fifth angel when she had protected unit one from the angel´s
energy ray.
"Yes. That´s what´s expected of..." she frowned, an unusual view, "... brothers-in-arms.
But you have done more for me."
"Rei... how do you mean this?"
"Do you remember being at my apartment with Suzuhara-kun and... cleaning?"
"Yes, but how was that important?"
"You did something for me nobody had done before."
"Cleaning?"
A simple gesture, meaning that I wasn´t alone, that you cared for me... that I mean
something to you... And just now... You said, you wouldn´t allow me to die by the angel´s
hands... no one cared before if I lived or died... I was always replaceable..."
"..."
"Do I mean something to you?"
"Yes... a lot..."
"Thank you."
Carefully she embraced him.
"I was afraid."
"Afraid?"
"Afraid of the lonelyness. Please stay, stay with me."
"Uhm... Rei, surely you still need rest. I´ll stay until you fall asleep, okay?"
"Yes. Just don´t go."
"Ah... and I will still be here, when you´ll wake up again, promised."
next: Rei dies... really... and a pact with the devil is sealed...
NERV, Gendo Ikari´s bereau:
"Rei, why did you give the Lance to Asuka?"
"It was necessary."
"Why?"
"She needed a victory."
"Rei... how did you know this?"
"I know her."
"You ignored a direct order."
"It had to be to save the Second Child."
"..." Ikari looked at her, tried to read her red eyes.
"Rei, you´ve changed since Shinji´s arrival. What shall I do know?"
"I am replacable."
"..."
"May I leave?"
He nodded.
***
This very afternoon he had yet another visitor, it was his son who entered his bureau for
the first time without being ordered to.
"Father,... can... can I talk to you?"
At first he wanted to tell him that he had no time, but then he remembered his promise,
the promise given at the shore of a bloodred sea...
"Yes. Come in, what do you want to talk about?"
"I wanted to thank you."
"Why?"
"Because you let me help Asuka, because you had trust."
The older Ikari nodded.
"Good."
He looked at his filed, notices after about a minute, that Shinji was still standing in
front of the desk.
"What else?"
"Father... Mother´s inside of EVA-01, isn´t she?"
He swallowed.
"Shinji, how..."
"I met her when I was part of EVA-01... And today I was reminded of the accident..."
"Yes... That´s the reason I gave you unit one, to make sure that you will be protected..."
"Father, when EVA-01 went berserk... That was..."
"Your mother, trying to protect you, yes."
"So we have to get her out of it!"
The emotions Shinji suddenly showed surprised even his father.
Gendo shook his head.
"That´s impossible. Until a few days ago I believed otherwise but I was in error. Do you
undestand? She´ll never come back..."
"Father..."
Gendo felt wetness on his cheeks.
"Father, you are crying..."
Shinji walked around the mighty desk and gave his father an handkerchief.
"Here..."
"Thanks... Shinji, I didn´t want to abandon you... but I had to free your mother... And
now I´ve lost everything... friends... family... my own soul... even you..."
"Father..."
Shinji´s eyes were wet.
"Could you forgive me?"
Shinji swallowed.
He remembered his mother death, remembered the day his father left him with his sensei,
the day they finally met again after all the years, the day he was forced to pilot EVA-01
for the first time, remembered the badly hurt Rei who would have piloted if he had
refused...
He took a step backwards.
"I do not know."
Gendo nodded.
"What ever happens, I won´t leave you alone a second time."
"I wished that I could believe you. But after all you´ve done to me, Rei and Asuka...
You knew about Asuka, didn´t you? And Rei who´s ready to die by for command..."
"She means much to you, doesn´t she? Both mean a lot to you..."
"Yes..."
"We will have to fight two angel still, we don´t know, where, when and how they will attack
and then... then it will be over, one way or the other. And maybe the two of us will be able
to talk then."
"Yes, father, maybe..."
"You´ve changed..."
"You forced me to."
"Yes..."
***
Misato´s apartment, evening:
Misato wasn´t at home. Asuka and Shinji were not really unhappy about that fact since it
had been Misato´s turn to cook dinner.
Asuka was very silent while Shinji cooked the dinner she sat at the table and watched him.
When he place the meal on the table she ate in silence.
"Asuka, what´s up with you?"
"Hm?"
"You haven´t said a word..."
Not that I wish for you screaming at me, but that makes me afraid...
"It´s just... the angel..."
"I see."
She looked at him, the fork she used instead of chopsticks halfway between plate and mouth.
Asuka remembered the blurry visions she had had just before the angel aborted the attack to
concentrate upon Larsen.
"You lost your mother, too..."
"Yes."
"And you saw how she..."
"As you did, Asuka. You are not alone. If you need a friend I will be there for you."
She blinked.
"After all? After me treating you badly and shouting at you and...?"
She got up, stepped to his side, inspected him thoroughly.
"Asuka...?"
"What did happen to you? Were you kidnapped by aliens and exchanged for one of them?
Did Ritstuko implant a spine?"
Shinji laughted.
"No. That happens when one starts to understand the results of his own actions."
"Ha, you are an idiot!"
"That´s the Asuka I´m used to."
She smiled.
"She have a lovely smile."
"Argh! Don´t push it too far!"
"Okay, okay! I talked to my father today, he thinks that only two angels will still
attack and that it´ll be over afterwards."
"Really? But... but then there wouldn´t be any reasons left to pilot EVA..."
"I know that it is very important for you."
"Important? I´ve been trained my whole life to pilot!"
"That´s what I mean. They won´t destroy the EVAs, maybe they will give them to the peace-
keeping forces to support the PALADIN-squad or something like this. There will always be
a way if it is that important."
"You spend way too much time with the old man... hm, he´d only need a mountain, so he
would be the old man of the mountain..."
She giggled.
"Ah, that´s so stupid!"
Shinji raised his hands to signal that he didn´t want to comment on this.
"Good, so say nothing and stay silent. In germany we say: ´Speaking is silver, but being
silent is gold.´... But there´s something else..."
"What?"
"You told me that you were there if I needed a friend..."
"Yes, just a moment ago."
"After the mission I was at the infirmary... and there was this doctor..."
"Hm?"
"A psychiatrist... it seems that Commander Ikari gave him my file with the informations
about... about... the death..."
"Yes."
"He wants to see me tomorrow... You know, therapy... heavens, as if I was mad... It´s
been more than ten years and I did not need a therapy for all the time and then comes
that cursed angel along and start digging up all the stuff I wanted to forget... I only
hope that the Lance hit it where it hurt!"
"You killed it... I guess that hurt."
"Ha! Exactly! Well... would you accompany me tomorrow?"
"..."
"Please?"
She looked at him with her blue puppy eyes, he couldn´t have resisted even if she had
just him in the worst way imaginable.
"Okay, I´ll accompany you."
"Thank you."
She bent down and place a kiss on his cheek.
"A... Asuka..."
"Don´t let it get to your head, Shinji! And if you tell somebody... like Touji or Kensuke..."
She made with one hand scissor-like movement while pointing with the other one at a certain
part of human, or better male, physignomy.
"Understood?"
gulp
"Understood."
"Good."
***
NERV, Gendo Ikari´s bureau, the next evening:
The commander brwosed the NERV´s own psychiatrist´s report about his first meeting with
the Second Child.
What... Shinji did accompany her... grouptherapy... conversation with both of them about
the loss of the mother and the relationship with the father... a request to have the
First Child join them...
A large sweat drop formed on his brow.
***
EVA-hangar:
Within the room the remains of EVA-04 had been brought something moved.
One of the four eyes flared for a moment, then cables shot out of the torso into all
directions, closing connections with other parts, dragging the limbs towards the torso.
The finger of one hand twitched, clenched a fist, unclenched again...
With each part connected to the whole the capacities of the redundand second computer
grew until it was enough to initiate the main protocols for self repair.
From within the mecha a stream of spiderlike robot came the size of a hand to start
repairs.
Within the semi-assembled entryplug the controls returned one after one until the main
screen activated.
System-Upload: 24%. Re-Installation: 09%
"Wow", Ritsuko Akagi just said.
***
Three days later the MAGI noticed a blue pattern, an angel...
The angel resembled a mobiusloop made of energy, slowly moving around several ankles at
the some time.
Gendo Ikari turned his eyes from the picture on the screen.
"Unit zero will intercept. Unit two will backup with a positronrifle."
This time Asuka gave no protests but nodded.
"Unit one stays in reserve."
"Father?"
"You know the reason."
"Yes."
Behind Ikari Fuyutsuki and Larsen stood, each at one of the commander´s sides.
"How long will EVA-04 need for self-repairs?"
"Thanks to doctor Akagi´s help about four days. The angel has hit us quite badly, and
fact that the plug had had an emergency evacuation doesn´t make it easier."
"The target just passed the Gora-line of defense. It´s now above Owakudani-valley, AT-
field still active."
Hyuga frowned.
"Pattern changes from blue to orange and back cyclingly."
"What does this mean?"
"The MAGI are analysing, Major. Answer: Data insufficient."
"Hm, the form..." Ritsuko mumbled. "I think it´s pure energy."
"That doesn´t make it any easier" Katsuragi answered. "Rei, just watch, understood? We
are still collecting data."
"No! It´s approaching!" within Rei´s usually calm voice was a hint of terror when the
angel suddenly descended.
"Rei! Open fire!"
"Target´s too close!" Makoto shouted. "Target made physical contact to unit zero!"
The mobiusloop had embraced EVA-00.
"The AT-field?"
"Develloping, but penetrated, Major!"
"The angel is trying to establish contact to unit zero... does it want to unite with it?"
Ritsuko asked, speaking her thoughts.
"Danger! Target invades biological components of unit zero!"
"Unit two! Asuka, help her!"
"Understood, Misato... If I fire I´ll hit EVA-00!"
"Angel invades further! 5% are already bio-fused!"
"Asuka! Approach! AT-field on maximum! We´ll send you the data about its weaknesses where
it has no contact with unit zero, so you can fire at it! - Ritsuko, decrease the synch
between Rei and EVA-00, but slowly!"
"I´m already at it!"
"Understood. Damned, the thing´s moving too fast for the targetting systems! Hang on,
Wondergirl, I´ll get you out!" Asuka explained at the same time.
EVA-02 get go of the rifle, stormed at the angel, grabbed the energy form and pulled.
The next moment Asuka screamed.
"My hands!"
"Heavy damages at the interiors of EVA-02´s hands... heavy burns. Pilot´s suffering the
same injuries!"
"Asuka, retreat! You mustn´t come into contact with the angel!"
Asuka stared at her hands. The material of her plugsuit was burned.
"But what shall I do? I can´t fire and close combat is not possible! I´d need a big lever
or even better a pair of progressive scissors..."
Ikari opened a com-link to the hangar.
"Start unit one."
Shinji opened a video link.
"Father, can I..."
Gendo nodded.
"Yes, do your best!"
***
Rei:
Where? Where am I? I am inside of EVA, unit zero. No, there´s someone else... Who are
you? An angel? One of those being we call angels?
Don´t you want to unite with me? she heard a voice. It was her own voice and at the
same time it wasn´t.
No. I am myself. Rei Ayanami.
Hm... You should think about it... to late... we are already sharing a common part, an
emotion... pain... your soul´s full of pain... no, something else, similiar... lonelyness...
Lonelyness? I do not understand?!
You don´t like to be alone? But you keep your distance to other people... we are many...
but you hate it to be alone. To be alone, that´s lonelyness. Your heart is full of sadness...
"It´s right..."
Tears rolled down her cheeks.
"I am lonely..."
***
"It´s right... I am lonely..." Rei´s voice whispered from the loudspeakers.
"Rei! Answer!" Misato shouted.
"Unit one arrives at the surface!"
"Shinji! AT-field at maximum! Save Rei!"
"Understood."
"Asuka, help him! Think!"
"What how?" Asuka shouted.
Then she looked down at her injured hands.
Whatever... it doesn´t matter that I do not like Wondergirl... she´s part of the team.
And probably she´s just like Shinji and myself... I am used to pain...
***
Rei:
Ikari... Shinji... Shin-chan...
Ah...
I want to be with him...
Why not? This would be the end to your lonelyness.
The suggestion was tempting.
No... He has to live...
***
NERV-control center
Shinji made EVA-01 ran to unit zero, grabbed the angel with one hand, that had coiled
around unit zero like a snake, while attacking with the progressive knife in the other
hand. He knew what to expect but screamed with pain the next moment non the less.
Gendo clenched his fists harder with each the scream kept coming until his fingernails
had dug through his gloves and into the flesh of his hands.
"AT-field polarity of unit zero reversed!" Maya reported.
"To bind the angel?" Ritsuko supposed.
"Rei, leave unit zero at once! Shinji will take care of the angel!" Misato shouted.
"No" Rei whispered full of pain. "If I... leave... the AT-field will... disappear... I am
replaceable..."
The video-link to her entryplug was restablished.
Rei was writhing in the pilot´s seat under heavy cramps, her hand groping for the self-
destruction mechanism, her face wet with the tears she cried.
Ikari entered the radio link.
"You are not replaceable! Rei, fight it! - Shinji, if she truely means something to you..."
Shinji´s answer was an angry scream, interrupting the scream of pain when started pulling
at the angel with new vigor, started to cut its connection with unit zero.
"I won´t allow it! Rei, do you listen? I won´t allow you to die this way!"
"Unit one´s hands are suffering heavy damage. Similiar injuries with the pilot!" -
"Synchrate´s increasing!" - "EVA-01 goes berserk!" - "EVA-02 enters the fray!"
Asuka´s red EVA hold its progressive knife with both hands.
Within the entryplug Asuka sat with lips bitten bloody to move her attention away from
her hands.
The progressive knife cut down again and again, while unit one was removing further parts
of the angel from unit zero.
EVA-01´s hands were smoking.
"Synchrate approaches 100%"
"Yui... protect him... but don´t take him away again..." Gendo whispered praying.
Larsen turned around.
"I´ll go up with the medics."
"Angel removed from EVA-00 completly! Core identified. Datas are transmitted!"
"Rei, reverse polarity! Prepare for the explosion!"
For a moment the explosion´s bright flash blurred the video-transmitting.
EVA-00 hung in unit one´s arms that lifted it up and carried it towards the launching shafts.
***
He suffers... he´s suffering for you... Why are you humans doing something like this?
Where did you got such a potential?
The voice of the angel, using Rei´s voice, got lower and lower until it went silent.
***
EVA-hangar:
Larsen pulled Shinji out of the entryplug. His eyes widened when he saw the boy´s burned
hands.
"Don´t move your hands, don´t touch anything, understood?"
"How is Rei?"
"I will look after her. Stay here!"
He ran to the next bay.
A group of techs stood around a half ejected plug.
"What´s going on?"
"The plug´s been damaged by heat, we are waiting for the right tool to open the hatch."
"Nonsense, damaged hatches are my specialty!"
He let his progressive claws plop out of his cyberarms...
Asuka sat on the catwalk next to her EVA, back to the railing, while a doctor was treating
her hands.
Shinji walked up to her, ignoring the pulsating pain within his hands.
"Ah, come, sit down, young man, you are next", the doctor greeted him. "Well done."
"What?"
"Well, the angel´s destroyed, the city´s saved and you protected your fellow pilot from
the beast."
"Uhm..."
"Come, show me your hands... doesn´t look nice, no, really not... so, some of the paste,
it´s quite cooling, eh? Well, the three of you are having quite a few fans at the staff."
"Is this true?"
Shinji blushed.
"Why should I lie to you? You are our last line of defense. We all count on you, fever
with you when you launch, pray for you..."
"Oh."
Suddenly the pain seemed to lessen.
"Hey, Shinji, let go of your biggest fan and give me some of your attention." Asuka teased.
Her hands were bandaged.
He looks really sweet when he´s blushing. Au, shit, bloody hands...
"Are you okay, Asuka?"
"My hand do look better than yours if that´s what you wanted to know."
"That calms me."
He looked across the hangar where Wolf Larsen was opening the hatch of Rei´s entryplug
really unconventionally, while his hands were bandaged by the doctor.
"I have to see if she´s alright."
"She means much to you, doesn´t she...?!"
He blushed even more.
"Yes..."
"More than I do?"
Shinji looked her into the eyes.
"You two, Rei and you, are the most important people in my life."
Each of you in a very special way... you are some kind of sister... and Rei is...
He got up and walked away.
"Hm, so I still have chances..." Asuka smiled thinking.
Larsen was just lifting the unconscious Rei out of the plug and handing her over to two
medics.
"Wolf, how is she?"
"Ah, Shinji! Rei is still unconscious, but there are no visible injuries, the spine seems
to be intact as does the head. And she hasn´t spit blood, what deems to be a good sign
thinking about possible interior injuries. The medics went care for her."
Shinji started breathing again.
"I am happy that she hasn´t been hurt."
"Well, I don´t know what the angel might have done to her mind. When she wakes up a friend
should be there for her."
"Yes, thanks, Wolf."
"How are your hands?"
"That will heal. If we hadn´t saved Rei, there wouldn´t have been anything left to heal."
Larsen nodded.
"Your father will like this, you are quite sensible for a boy your age."
"My father..."
´Can you forgive me?´ - ´If she truely means something to you...´
"I should better go to the infirmary."
"Yes, do this. Next time I will be part of the team again."
Shinji wasn´t listening to him anymore.
"Children..."
He thought of his own daughter and smiled.
***
NERV-infirmary
Shinji knew the room, the ceiling was familiar.
Just a few days ago he had woken up laying on the same bed. Now Rei was laying on it.
But this times role had been reversed, this time he guarded her sleep.
Rei woke up about an hour later, sat up with eyes wide open like awakening from a nightmare.
"Rei..."
She blinked, looked at him.
"Shinji, you are here."
Rei took his bandaged hand, squeezed it, pulled him toward her at the same time.
He winched, what made her let him go.
"That... I am sorry... I didn´t want to hurt you..."
"It´s okay." he say with a crooked smile while fighting against the tears of pain.
"No, nothing is okay... You could have been killed when you came to my aid."
"That didn´t matter to me that moment. You were in danger. We are a team, you would have
done the same for me."
"Yes..."
She remembered fighting the fifth angel when she had protected unit one from the angel´s
energy ray.
"Yes. That´s what´s expected of..." she frowned, an unusual view, "... brothers-in-arms.
But you have done more for me."
"Rei... how do you mean this?"
"Do you remember being at my apartment with Suzuhara-kun and... cleaning?"
"Yes, but how was that important?"
"You did something for me nobody had done before."
"Cleaning?"
A simple gesture, meaning that I wasn´t alone, that you cared for me... that I mean
something to you... And just now... You said, you wouldn´t allow me to die by the angel´s
hands... no one cared before if I lived or died... I was always replaceable..."
"..."
"Do I mean something to you?"
"Yes... a lot..."
"Thank you."
Carefully she embraced him.
"I was afraid."
"Afraid?"
"Afraid of the lonelyness. Please stay, stay with me."
"Uhm... Rei, surely you still need rest. I´ll stay until you fall asleep, okay?"
"Yes. Just don´t go."
"Ah... and I will still be here, when you´ll wake up again, promised."
next: Rei dies... really... and a pact with the devil is sealed...