Chapter 13: Adam
Shinji was at first too shocked to do anything but stare. Evans then nudged him and he snapped out of it.
"What did you say?"
"What? That my daughter gave birth to many humans?"
"Lilith?"
"Of course. It's your move."
Shinji shook his head. He just couldn't concentrate on all this so he tried to focus on the game. He saw the danger to his queen and moved it into position to take the knight with backup. Then he looked up at Evans.
"But doesn't that make you Adam?"
"More or less. I've gone by different names before."
"But why are you here?"
"I wanted to talk to you. And get in a nice game of chess. Kaworu was the only one of my children that knew how to play well. But you humans did invent the game, so it is fitting."
"So you killed me so you could talk to me? Wasn't that unnecessary?"
"Shinji, if I talked to you in the real world, time would pass normally, and neither of us have that time. You needed to protect Asuka and I have my objectives as well. But in this plane, time is of no consequence. Therefore, we have the time to talk over things in detail."
Shinji closed his eyes for a few seconds. He opened them and spoke again.
"What about Maya? Is she one of your objectives?"
Shinji almost didn't catch the twitch in Evans' eyes. A normal person would have never caught it, but Shinji doubted he was normal anymore.
"Maya is the reason I even came to Earth."
He then maneuvered his rook into position to take the knight.
"Why is she so special to you?"
"Why is Asuka special to you," Evans countered, "Love isn't just a human emotion Shinji. But then again, I really can't say it's an emotion either."
"Why not?"
"Because love is beyond mere emotions. Love can control destinies. It can halt fate itself. That is why I can't say that love is an emotion. It is a power."
Shinji had to retreat his knight to keep it from being taken.
"Why is it a power?" Shinji asked.
"That is something you have to figure out. I'm sure Asuka would help you."
Shinji's face fell. The thought of Asuka being so far away was tearing him apart inside.
"I know you want to help her," said Evans, "but we have much to discuss before I can let you go back. This is rather important so do have some patience."
"Patience? Would you be patient if the person you loved was in danger?"
"Asuka won't get killed. Not if you don't let it happen. Now, just trust me on this and let's get on with the game."
He suddenly took Shinji's knight with his bishop.
"You must pay closer attention to what is happening."
"What is the point of this game?" Shinji demanded, "Why are we playing it!"
"We're certainly not playing it for my sake. Your mind contains your soul and your body contains your mind. The sharper your mind, the more powerful the holy light of the soul will be."
"The AT-Field."
"Mine is the strongest of any Angel. But will it be the strongest of any human? That I am here to see."
"But the AT-Field can't help me in the real world."
"Really? Well, the EVA units magnify the AT-Field of their pilots, so if your AT-Field can manifest physically, I would think that when you are in an EVA, you would be unstoppable."
Shinji moved his queen into position to take the rook and bishop.
"There is still the power supply."
"Two solutions," said Evans, "One, if your EVA goes berserk, but I doubt you want that. Two, the S-2 Engine."
"The one that Unit 01 consumed?"
"Yes. You certainly did a good job in defeating my son."
"I didn't mean to kill him," Shinji said.
"No worries. He isn't dead, though he was slightly disappointed to be defeated by a human."
Evans moved his bishop into a trap for Shinji if he took the rook.
"Now, let's talk about Asuka."
"Why?"
"Because you love her."
"Why don't we talk about Maya?"
"We can if you wish, but after we've talked about Asuka."
Shinji sighed. He moved a pawn into position to take the rook if he wished.
"What about her?"
"Asuka is a rather stunning girl," said Evans, "though she certainly has a temper."
"That's because she's been through hell."
"Kind of like you," he commented, "Though through varying degrees."
"She lost her mother and her father abandoned her as well," said Shinji.
"But she has you. I was surprised she took so long to realize she wasn't alone."
"Pride can do horrible things to people."
"Yes. There is that," Evans admitted, "Now, regarding Asuka. She hides even more pain and uncertainty than even you realize. Of course, when she found love in you, she also found fear of abandonment again."
"I would never abandon her," Shinji stated.
"I know you won't," said Evans, "but she still fears it and that fear can destroy all that you two have."
"Why are you saying this?"
"Because I am trying to help you. Both of you do deserve more than the world has given you and I think it is time that you got some reward for all your troubles."
"I don't need a reward."
"That is why you deserve one. Now, you said you wanted to talk about Maya?"
"Why did you come for her?" Shinji asked.
"Simply because I fell in love with her soul."
"Her soul?"
"You think I fell in love with her body?" said Evans, "No. It was the mind and soul that I admired and loved, though I'm not sure how she would react if she knew I was an Angel. Or if she found out I shot you."
"We can keep that between us," said Shinji.
"I'm afraid it's a little too late," said Evans, "But we'll get to that obstacle when we arrive."
"Why can't you predict how she will react?" asked Shinji.
"Because love can blind you, and love has blinded me thoroughly."
Evans took the queen with one suddenly stroke.
"We can keep playing this game or we can return and finish our jobs."
Shinji nodded. The two stood. Evans extended his hand and Shinji took it.
"A pleasure talking with you, Mr. Ikari."
"I hope that the next time you call me that I can be proud of that name."
"You will be more than proud," said Evans, "You will carry that name as a symbol of greatness and generosity. But first you must save the ones you love, as must I."
End of Chapter 13
That ought to explain some things to all of you. Now how many of you want to kill me? Thanks to my prereader RagnarokZ.
Z98
Shinji was at first too shocked to do anything but stare. Evans then nudged him and he snapped out of it.
"What did you say?"
"What? That my daughter gave birth to many humans?"
"Lilith?"
"Of course. It's your move."
Shinji shook his head. He just couldn't concentrate on all this so he tried to focus on the game. He saw the danger to his queen and moved it into position to take the knight with backup. Then he looked up at Evans.
"But doesn't that make you Adam?"
"More or less. I've gone by different names before."
"But why are you here?"
"I wanted to talk to you. And get in a nice game of chess. Kaworu was the only one of my children that knew how to play well. But you humans did invent the game, so it is fitting."
"So you killed me so you could talk to me? Wasn't that unnecessary?"
"Shinji, if I talked to you in the real world, time would pass normally, and neither of us have that time. You needed to protect Asuka and I have my objectives as well. But in this plane, time is of no consequence. Therefore, we have the time to talk over things in detail."
Shinji closed his eyes for a few seconds. He opened them and spoke again.
"What about Maya? Is she one of your objectives?"
Shinji almost didn't catch the twitch in Evans' eyes. A normal person would have never caught it, but Shinji doubted he was normal anymore.
"Maya is the reason I even came to Earth."
He then maneuvered his rook into position to take the knight.
"Why is she so special to you?"
"Why is Asuka special to you," Evans countered, "Love isn't just a human emotion Shinji. But then again, I really can't say it's an emotion either."
"Why not?"
"Because love is beyond mere emotions. Love can control destinies. It can halt fate itself. That is why I can't say that love is an emotion. It is a power."
Shinji had to retreat his knight to keep it from being taken.
"Why is it a power?" Shinji asked.
"That is something you have to figure out. I'm sure Asuka would help you."
Shinji's face fell. The thought of Asuka being so far away was tearing him apart inside.
"I know you want to help her," said Evans, "but we have much to discuss before I can let you go back. This is rather important so do have some patience."
"Patience? Would you be patient if the person you loved was in danger?"
"Asuka won't get killed. Not if you don't let it happen. Now, just trust me on this and let's get on with the game."
He suddenly took Shinji's knight with his bishop.
"You must pay closer attention to what is happening."
"What is the point of this game?" Shinji demanded, "Why are we playing it!"
"We're certainly not playing it for my sake. Your mind contains your soul and your body contains your mind. The sharper your mind, the more powerful the holy light of the soul will be."
"The AT-Field."
"Mine is the strongest of any Angel. But will it be the strongest of any human? That I am here to see."
"But the AT-Field can't help me in the real world."
"Really? Well, the EVA units magnify the AT-Field of their pilots, so if your AT-Field can manifest physically, I would think that when you are in an EVA, you would be unstoppable."
Shinji moved his queen into position to take the rook and bishop.
"There is still the power supply."
"Two solutions," said Evans, "One, if your EVA goes berserk, but I doubt you want that. Two, the S-2 Engine."
"The one that Unit 01 consumed?"
"Yes. You certainly did a good job in defeating my son."
"I didn't mean to kill him," Shinji said.
"No worries. He isn't dead, though he was slightly disappointed to be defeated by a human."
Evans moved his bishop into a trap for Shinji if he took the rook.
"Now, let's talk about Asuka."
"Why?"
"Because you love her."
"Why don't we talk about Maya?"
"We can if you wish, but after we've talked about Asuka."
Shinji sighed. He moved a pawn into position to take the rook if he wished.
"What about her?"
"Asuka is a rather stunning girl," said Evans, "though she certainly has a temper."
"That's because she's been through hell."
"Kind of like you," he commented, "Though through varying degrees."
"She lost her mother and her father abandoned her as well," said Shinji.
"But she has you. I was surprised she took so long to realize she wasn't alone."
"Pride can do horrible things to people."
"Yes. There is that," Evans admitted, "Now, regarding Asuka. She hides even more pain and uncertainty than even you realize. Of course, when she found love in you, she also found fear of abandonment again."
"I would never abandon her," Shinji stated.
"I know you won't," said Evans, "but she still fears it and that fear can destroy all that you two have."
"Why are you saying this?"
"Because I am trying to help you. Both of you do deserve more than the world has given you and I think it is time that you got some reward for all your troubles."
"I don't need a reward."
"That is why you deserve one. Now, you said you wanted to talk about Maya?"
"Why did you come for her?" Shinji asked.
"Simply because I fell in love with her soul."
"Her soul?"
"You think I fell in love with her body?" said Evans, "No. It was the mind and soul that I admired and loved, though I'm not sure how she would react if she knew I was an Angel. Or if she found out I shot you."
"We can keep that between us," said Shinji.
"I'm afraid it's a little too late," said Evans, "But we'll get to that obstacle when we arrive."
"Why can't you predict how she will react?" asked Shinji.
"Because love can blind you, and love has blinded me thoroughly."
Evans took the queen with one suddenly stroke.
"We can keep playing this game or we can return and finish our jobs."
Shinji nodded. The two stood. Evans extended his hand and Shinji took it.
"A pleasure talking with you, Mr. Ikari."
"I hope that the next time you call me that I can be proud of that name."
"You will be more than proud," said Evans, "You will carry that name as a symbol of greatness and generosity. But first you must save the ones you love, as must I."
End of Chapter 13
That ought to explain some things to all of you. Now how many of you want to kill me? Thanks to my prereader RagnarokZ.
Z98