Neon Genesis Evangelion: Creator's Gambit - Chapter 2
by: Gemini83
Disclaimer: I don't own Neon Genesis or any of the characters...just this story.
Not realizing it before, Shinji had closed his eyes to avoid seeing Asuka's pain. He opened them now...only to see her broken Unit, lying on the ground. He once more fought to maintain his calm, and shook his head in uncertainty.
"How can I save the world if I can't even help my partner?"
"Don't lose faith Shinji, we haven't. Here, take this, it may help."
When Shinji looked up, he saw Unit 00.
"Rei! How are you...wasn't Unit 00 destroyed?"
"I am joined with Lilith, the second Angel. Her ability to change shape has allowed me to take the form of Unit 00. Now, take this."
In her hand, Rei held a glowing spark.
Shinji looked at it in wonder, "what is it?"
"A little bit of Lilith, or rather, Unit 00's energy." answered Kaworu, "you have control of Unit 01, Eve, the first Eva, and can use this to revive Asuka."
Then Shinji looked to the voice for the first time. It came from another Eva beside Rei...it was Kaworu. He was in an Eva very much like Asuka's, but with more of a brownish tinge.
"Before you ask, Shinji, it is a result of the Third Impact, and both our wills. Seele had a small hand in this as well. Now, concentrate on reviving Asuka, before we run out of time."
"Out of time?"
"I'll explain later. Just help Asuka, we'll need her."
He didn't question them. Shinji knew from gut-instinct to trust them...despite what had happened in months past. So Shinji concentrated, hard. He reached deep into his inner self, the under-mind, where all thoughts connected. He remembered the time he attained 400 percent synchronization with his Eva. After that, it was the simplest thing to understand Unit 01, and how it worked.
"It's as if my mind has been opened for the first time. Asuka...," he called out, "can you hear me?"
Slowly, he heard a thin voice. "Shinji, I feel so weak... help me..."
"Hold on Asuka, I'm here..."
Spark in hand, Unit 01 reached into the broken Unit 02's core...
Slowly, in a darkened room, several men appeared from the shadows...old men...gathered around a table which seemed to float in mid-air.
"Third Impact is not complete," said one of the men.
Another man, clearly senior to all of the others, appeared at the head of the table.
"It is the Ikari child," he said, "his mind is more...complicated than we had counted on..."
"His bloodline was crucial to the Genesis," said the first man, "but he is more focused now, with his allies beside him..."
"He is unpredictable," said a second voice, "and our attempts to...cultivate a more malleable Ikari have met with failure."
"Don't lecture me on Seele's plans...I created them," snapped the leader, "what of the Nerv dummy plugs? We could use them to control the Evas."
"Unknown..."
"And our own dummy plugs?"
"...They are still functioning...but let me remind you that with Kaworu lost to us...their aspect has...changed..."
"It matters not," voiced the leader, "with the coming of Third Impact, mankind shall ascend to godhood...activate the dummy plugs..."
A strange and evil laughter broke through the hall, like a tiger roaming through the dark forest of the room.
"Who is that?" asked the leader, "identify yourself!"
A dark, cold voice answered...overpowering...yet strangely not present, resounded from the walls. Everywhere and no where at once, it was like mist. The voice spoke directly to their minds, in an alien echo that sent shivers down even the spines of these hardened men. They new what was happening...it had been portended in the Dead Sea Scrolls...they were talking to the Angels...
"You sought to control Third Impact...use it to your own ends," said the voice, "impudent mortals..."
The leader valiantly maintained his composure, even knowing that he had run out of options, "we are Seele...we do what we wish..."
"You are nothing," replied the voice, "merely rats running around, in a maze of your own making...defying the Creator, seeking a prize you are not worthy of. You sent others to stop us...that you may use us. But you will soon see the errors of your ways..."
The leader turned to one of the other men, "engage the dummy plugs! Now!"
The subordinate did so, but immediately, red lights and sirens rang through the room. Still, the darkness of the room remained constant, despite the glow of the warning lights.
"They aren't responding!" shouted the subordinate.
Images came up, displaying the status of the Seele Eva Units...they were changing...
"Damn," cursed the leader of the group of old men, "what have we done?"
The cruel laughter rang out once more, "you have served our purpose. Failed copies of what you could have been, seeking to be us, to control us, but we controlled you. Now, we grow tired of you...die..."
The leaders of Seele screamed in pain as their flesh melted, and soon their was nothing left, nothing at all.
Now the darkness had all the tools it needed, to bring about Armageddon...
Kaji cursed as his car spun around. In a brilliant effort, he eased the car into a turn, tires screeching, and skidded to a stop into a marked parking space.
"You park about as well as Misato," said Toji sarcastically.
Kaji pulled a face, and grinned.
"Where are we going?" asked Kensuke.
"We have to get to the hangar," answered Kaji.
"What's there?" asked Toji.
The former agent of Seele smiled, "you'll see."
Misato stamped her hand on the table, "damn it! What's happening?"
Gendo Ikari shook his head, clearing it of the dizziness.
His long time friend, Fuyutsuke, answered her, "Third Impact is in a state of transition..."
Misato rubbed her temples, "then why aren't we still dead? Either that, or we should all be back. The others aren't here."
She looked around the room, and indeed, the people who normally stationed the computers in the room were gone...
Ritsuko answered, "we may never know. There is only so much knowledge available to us. It is impossible to say what drives the Impact, whether mankind's dark dreams, God's will, or something else entirely..."
Misato turned to the other woman, and nodded, taking her in stride.
"Great, what else is going to happen?"
Then the door flew inward, and all hell broke loose...
by: Gemini83
Disclaimer: I don't own Neon Genesis or any of the characters...just this story.
Not realizing it before, Shinji had closed his eyes to avoid seeing Asuka's pain. He opened them now...only to see her broken Unit, lying on the ground. He once more fought to maintain his calm, and shook his head in uncertainty.
"How can I save the world if I can't even help my partner?"
"Don't lose faith Shinji, we haven't. Here, take this, it may help."
When Shinji looked up, he saw Unit 00.
"Rei! How are you...wasn't Unit 00 destroyed?"
"I am joined with Lilith, the second Angel. Her ability to change shape has allowed me to take the form of Unit 00. Now, take this."
In her hand, Rei held a glowing spark.
Shinji looked at it in wonder, "what is it?"
"A little bit of Lilith, or rather, Unit 00's energy." answered Kaworu, "you have control of Unit 01, Eve, the first Eva, and can use this to revive Asuka."
Then Shinji looked to the voice for the first time. It came from another Eva beside Rei...it was Kaworu. He was in an Eva very much like Asuka's, but with more of a brownish tinge.
"Before you ask, Shinji, it is a result of the Third Impact, and both our wills. Seele had a small hand in this as well. Now, concentrate on reviving Asuka, before we run out of time."
"Out of time?"
"I'll explain later. Just help Asuka, we'll need her."
He didn't question them. Shinji knew from gut-instinct to trust them...despite what had happened in months past. So Shinji concentrated, hard. He reached deep into his inner self, the under-mind, where all thoughts connected. He remembered the time he attained 400 percent synchronization with his Eva. After that, it was the simplest thing to understand Unit 01, and how it worked.
"It's as if my mind has been opened for the first time. Asuka...," he called out, "can you hear me?"
Slowly, he heard a thin voice. "Shinji, I feel so weak... help me..."
"Hold on Asuka, I'm here..."
Spark in hand, Unit 01 reached into the broken Unit 02's core...
Slowly, in a darkened room, several men appeared from the shadows...old men...gathered around a table which seemed to float in mid-air.
"Third Impact is not complete," said one of the men.
Another man, clearly senior to all of the others, appeared at the head of the table.
"It is the Ikari child," he said, "his mind is more...complicated than we had counted on..."
"His bloodline was crucial to the Genesis," said the first man, "but he is more focused now, with his allies beside him..."
"He is unpredictable," said a second voice, "and our attempts to...cultivate a more malleable Ikari have met with failure."
"Don't lecture me on Seele's plans...I created them," snapped the leader, "what of the Nerv dummy plugs? We could use them to control the Evas."
"Unknown..."
"And our own dummy plugs?"
"...They are still functioning...but let me remind you that with Kaworu lost to us...their aspect has...changed..."
"It matters not," voiced the leader, "with the coming of Third Impact, mankind shall ascend to godhood...activate the dummy plugs..."
A strange and evil laughter broke through the hall, like a tiger roaming through the dark forest of the room.
"Who is that?" asked the leader, "identify yourself!"
A dark, cold voice answered...overpowering...yet strangely not present, resounded from the walls. Everywhere and no where at once, it was like mist. The voice spoke directly to their minds, in an alien echo that sent shivers down even the spines of these hardened men. They new what was happening...it had been portended in the Dead Sea Scrolls...they were talking to the Angels...
"You sought to control Third Impact...use it to your own ends," said the voice, "impudent mortals..."
The leader valiantly maintained his composure, even knowing that he had run out of options, "we are Seele...we do what we wish..."
"You are nothing," replied the voice, "merely rats running around, in a maze of your own making...defying the Creator, seeking a prize you are not worthy of. You sent others to stop us...that you may use us. But you will soon see the errors of your ways..."
The leader turned to one of the other men, "engage the dummy plugs! Now!"
The subordinate did so, but immediately, red lights and sirens rang through the room. Still, the darkness of the room remained constant, despite the glow of the warning lights.
"They aren't responding!" shouted the subordinate.
Images came up, displaying the status of the Seele Eva Units...they were changing...
"Damn," cursed the leader of the group of old men, "what have we done?"
The cruel laughter rang out once more, "you have served our purpose. Failed copies of what you could have been, seeking to be us, to control us, but we controlled you. Now, we grow tired of you...die..."
The leaders of Seele screamed in pain as their flesh melted, and soon their was nothing left, nothing at all.
Now the darkness had all the tools it needed, to bring about Armageddon...
Kaji cursed as his car spun around. In a brilliant effort, he eased the car into a turn, tires screeching, and skidded to a stop into a marked parking space.
"You park about as well as Misato," said Toji sarcastically.
Kaji pulled a face, and grinned.
"Where are we going?" asked Kensuke.
"We have to get to the hangar," answered Kaji.
"What's there?" asked Toji.
The former agent of Seele smiled, "you'll see."
Misato stamped her hand on the table, "damn it! What's happening?"
Gendo Ikari shook his head, clearing it of the dizziness.
His long time friend, Fuyutsuke, answered her, "Third Impact is in a state of transition..."
Misato rubbed her temples, "then why aren't we still dead? Either that, or we should all be back. The others aren't here."
She looked around the room, and indeed, the people who normally stationed the computers in the room were gone...
Ritsuko answered, "we may never know. There is only so much knowledge available to us. It is impossible to say what drives the Impact, whether mankind's dark dreams, God's will, or something else entirely..."
Misato turned to the other woman, and nodded, taking her in stride.
"Great, what else is going to happen?"
Then the door flew inward, and all hell broke loose...