This is the 2nd draft of Ep. 18. I released a raw 1st draft because there was no other way to do so. I recommend you re-read it, as new information has been added, and some of Gendou's thoughts have been changed. Also, this 2nd draft will be the first episode to be titled "Dreams, a Continuation of Reality" rather than the old title "Variations Upon a Theme". The change was made because the title "Variations Upon a Theme" is currently in use as the title of a Rei/Shinji romance fanfic. -----------------------------

Opening - Kokoro no Genshi ni Modore

-----------------------------

CENTRAL DOGMA - 999TH PASSAGE

Shinji walked through the hallway, footsteps echoing against the floor, and reverberating against the walls. He made his way through the bare hallway, devoid of doors except one at the very end. It had a label, painted in hard black letters.

NERV 4th BRANCH COMMANDER'S OFFICE IKARI GENDOU

Well, here we go. Now or never, Shinji thought. And plus. I know he won't reject me this time.

On the short expanse of wall beside the door, there was a panel. The panel had a small LCD screen, a keycard slot, a speaker, and three buttons, one button marked "CHIME", and another marked "TALK" on one row, and another marked "OPEN" on the bottom one. Shaking, Shinji reached the chime and pressed it, leaning to the speaker, anxiously awaiting an answer.

None came. He reached again, his right arm shaking in small circles in the air. He hit the chime, and again, no answer came. He reached to the OPEN button, and nervously depressed it. The LCD screen displayed the word "LOCK" in hard red letters. Shinji sighed, the tension released.

Came all this way for nothing. I wonder what's going on with him?

He turned down the hallway, too wrapped up in his own thoughts to hear the sharp clicking sounds echoing from the far end of the hallway. ------------------------------- The most powerful man in Tokyo-3 walked down the hallway with short, measured steps, in his own thoughts but still looking forward through his shaded glasses.

I always questioned the wisdom of having my office at the end of this long winding hallway. It's entirely possible that I could be jumped and killed here. But that's Intelligence's job, to make sure that doesn't happen, thought Gendou.

And they are doing their jobs well. All in this building is going well. The Fourth has agreed to pilot, and the First and Second as well as their EVAs are in fine working order. And Shinji's rescue was a success, although it's a mystery why it happened.

Shinji. He is the only variable. Whatever he saw in that Dirac Sea, he is still a necessary component. He is also a weakness. Coming here as soon as I learned of his predicament was entirely unprofessional. That weakness could work against the tide of my project, and Shinji himself.

But. I feel glad that he did not die. No. I can't devote any of my thoughts to it any more. I must continue with the project. I must dedicate myself to it. I can't spend time with him. It will only hurt him in the long run. Besides, it is inappropriate for any of the officers to see me cry.

He was buried so deep in his own thoughts that he did not hear the dull tapping coming ever closer to him. He opened his eyes wide when he saw a person enter his field of vision, and stopped abruptly.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. ----------------------------------

Episode 18 - More and Less than an Angel

---------------------------------- Shinji gulped, drowning away all his nervous impulses in one shallow gulp. "I want to talk to you about something."

Gendou looked at him through his sunglasses, inspecting his face. "What is it? Make it brief. I have work to do."

A small nervousness began to invade the back of Shinji's mind again. See? He has no time for you. He can spare no time for his own son. Just walk past him. You don't want to put yourself through this. He gulped again, pushing all his thoughts down his gullet with the image of tears rolling underneath a pair of shaded glasses. "I. I don't think you hate me."

What? thought Gendou. "Of course not. I do not hate you. Is that all?"

Shinji stared at his father, the scene he clearly envisioned in his mind on the monorail slipping out of his head. "No. I think. you still love me. That you still want me."

.Perhaps this is what he saw. Perhaps this is what he saw inside Leliel. Gendou looked down at Shinji. "Meaning what?"

Confidence building, Shinji locked eyes with Gendou, at just the right angle to see through his glasses, the impenetrable wall he surrounded himself with. "Just after I was being removed from the plug, after Misato and Asuka left. I saw something. Something that stuck in my memory."

Through his glasses, Shinji could see Gendou's eyes look uncertain for a second, and then the eyebrows crease a bit. So this is how he hides himself. Shinji thought. "Get on with it." Gendou barked.

Knowing he had him, Shinji continued. "I saw. tears rolling out from under a pair of shaded glasses. They rolled down a cheek, and dropped onto a pressed uniform."

He. saw? Gendou thought. He was taken aback.

"Throughout all of your walls you set up. you really love me, don't you?" Shinji asked. "You still care about me, even though you left me on your brother's doorstep 11 years ago. What's more, you're proud of me, aren't you?"

.Of course. He must have thought I hated him. Perhaps keeping him at a distance hurt him as well. If only he knew why. Maybe he would even help me. He's. gotten through. I really am proud of him. A tear glistened in his eye. "Yes."

Shinji saw through the shading of the glasses, saw the small glistening drop. ".Can I stay here?" he said, and opened his arms.

After all this time. after all the pain I caused him. he still can bring himself to love me, Gendou thought. But should I do this? What about the project. What about him? I'm unworthy of such love, and I'll only end up hurting him. Yui? What should I do? He stood there.

He won't do it. a small voice said in the back of Shinji's head. But seeing the look of uncertainty on Gendou's face made him persist, and wait longer.

Underneath the glove on Gendou's right hand, a presence pulsed.

For Shinji's sake, Gendou heard in his mind, in Yui's voice. Not knowing where it came from, Gendou took that as an answer, and stepped into Shinji's embrace. In the first time Shinji had ever heard anything other than a baritone come out of his mouth, Gendou spoke, voice cracking. "I really do."

Feeling his father's tears on his shoulder, Shinji smiled and looked into Gendou's face. "I know."

Gendou smiled, feeling the salt of his own tears running through the corner of his mouth.

Shinji broke the hug and looked at Gendou. "Didn't you say you had work to do?"

"Yes. This talk was. very necessary." Gendou wiped his face, straightened up, and walked forward. He stopped, and said "Goodbye."

Fuyutsuki walked towards them. Seeing Ikari's back turned, and the smile on Shinji's face, he didn't say anything.

The two men left, and Shinji heard a beep of the card reader, and the hydraulic hiss that marked the doors opening. As soon as they closed, he collapsed against the wall, spent. Salty tears of joy sped down his face. He stayed that way for 10 minutes, and then left for home. I did it. and again. running back proves better than running away.

Again, he went to sleep with a smile on his face. ---------------------------------- Half an hour later, Asuka barged through the door. "I'm home! Misato?" She looked in Shinji's room. "Stupid sleeping idiot. I wish I got to sleep for a week." She cooked herself one of Misato's curry-flavored instant ramen packs and ate it. I've been having way too much curry lately. She walked into the living room and watched a few movies, but couldn't really keep her mind on them. She headed back into her room, collapsed on her bed, and stared at the ceiling.

"Then why are you so negative?"

Stupid doll. What right does she have to be talking about emotions. but is she right? Do people think I don't care if I complain? Do people think I really hate them? She shook her head. Who cares what people think? I don't need them anyway.

She curled up in her bed and went to sleep, a nagging at the back of her mind lasting all the way. ----------------------------------- Gendou walked in the door of his Spartan apartment. It wasn't anything you could tell apart from a one-bed hotel room; the plain blue blankets were smooth on the bed, and apart from a computer sitting in the corner and the dresser against one wall, there wasn't any thing else in the room.

.This is what I rid myself of him for. but I had to, and I still have to. I still have to stay at a distance, to avoid hurting him, and to complete the project. Unless I succeed. I can never be loved again.

Gendou changed into white shirts and light pants, and slipped into bed, silently. ----------------------------------- Misato walked in the door of her house, staggering a bit. "Hello? Shinji? Asuka?" She got no response from the sleeping 14-year olds. "Okay, Kaji, you can come in now." -----------------------------------

NEON GENESIS

EVANGELION --------------------------------- DREAMS, A CONTINUATION OF REALITY

EPISODE:18

History favors the bold. --------------------------------- Asuka rolled over in bed, trying to keep the shining rays of the morning sun from entering her eyes, and failed. Yawning, she stood up and scratched an annoying itch just barely in reach of her left arm on her right side. Plodding out of the door without changing her clothes from last night, she smells the aroma of eggs wafting through the house. .Misato's cooking? Maybe I'll just have a granola bar.

She walked into the kitchen, and saw Shinji in an apron, with three plates of fried eggs and bacon steaming into the air. A plate of grilled fish was already sitting in front of the fridge near the living room.

"Feeling better, are we?" growled Asuka.

Shinji smiled, surprising Asuka. "Yes, much better, actually. I made a better lunch for you today. thought you might be getting sick of curry." He pointed to a plastic bag with the "A" hiragana on it sitting next to one with the "Shi" hiragana on it.

Asuka gasped. "How did you- Ach, no matter. So, is the Invincible Shinji planning on joining the rest of us mere mortals in school today?"

The sincere smile stayed on Shinji's face. "Yes, I plan on it. Would you like some coffee? It looks like you need some." He handed a full cup to Asuka.

"Of course I do!" she snarled, grabbing the cup and her plate of eggs from him and plopping herself down at the table. What's with him today? It makes me so mad! It's worse than when he ignores me!

Shinji left the room for a second, and put the eggs on a table inside Misato's door after knocking. He returned and began to dig into his own plate. With out any more words, they got fully dressed and headed out the door before Misato even emerged from her room.

The walk to school was oddly silent, and Shinji noticed Asuka looking perturbed. When they got to school, he sat through the girls' roll call, this being one of the odd days Ayanami showed up. As the male roll call started, he noticed that Kensuke was absent. When it got to him, he called his name when he was asked. He went back to answering the homework left on his terminal from the last week, and tuned out the teacher.

"Mr. Sakurazuka? Mr. Shimizu? Mr. Suzuhara isn't here today. Mr. Tachibana? Mr. Tsurumaki?" ---------------------------------- Touji sat in the test plug, decked out in a black plug suit.

A small window appeared with Ritsuko appearing on it. "For the purposes of this test, Touji, we're going to connect you to Unit One, as it's proved the most cross-compatible so far."

"Okay." Said Touji. S'not like I'd know the difference anyway.

"Filling the plug with L.C.L." Ritsuko said. The sticky orange liquid flowed into the plug, all the way to the top.

Touji grabbed a breath of the last air in the plug before the L.C.L. went over his head. He appeared like a fish out of water. "Don't worry. When laced with a harmless electric charge, the L.C.L. can provide oxygen directly. But you need to fill your lungs with it."

Touji loosed his last breath, filling his lungs with the liquid. His eyes watered, the salty liquid mixing with the orange sticky one he was immersed in. Ugh! Now I get to sample this wonderful liquid first hand. I should feel proud. He thought to himself sarcastically.

"Filling completed. Commence first stage connections. Confirmed. Commence second stage connections. Confirmed. Connect the A10 nerve. Confirmed. Commence third stage connections. Confirmed. Harmonics level: Normal. Synchronization: 29.5%."

29.5? That's not bad, thought Ritsuko. "Prepare to generate A.T. Field in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1-"

An explosion issued from above Central Dogma. Lights and consoles flickered briefly, and sirens broke out throughout the entire building. "We're losing connection to Unit One!" a technical operator said.

"Give it up! Cut synchronization! Get the pilot out of the plug!" called out Ritsuko.

"27th squad, deploy to the Central Command Center via Route 027." called out the loudspeaker.

Inside the test plug, colorful flashes of light signaled the disconnection. "Draining the plug of L.C.L. Retrieving the pilot." The test plug chair slid up the tube and into the docking room.

"Drain the pilot's lungs!" Ritsuko said. The sputtering and hacking Touji was handed a probe, and told to stick it down his throat, like he was breathing it in. He did so. "Commencing retrieval charge, NOW!" called Ritsuko. A flash of light sped down the probe, into Touji's lungs. "Touji, pull out the probe quickly!" He did as he was told, and not a moment too soon, as 1 and a half litres of L.C.L. forced their way out of his lungs. The orange liquid ran on the floor, and made it sticky to the touch.

"Touji, get changed, and take Route 026 out of here!" called Ritsuko He was tossed a NERV uniform. "Never mind your clothes, they'll be retrieved!" she said. Touji ran to the changing room, and threw on the uniform. As he ran out the door, he reached into his locker, empty except his clothes, and grabbed a small radiophone walkie-talkie. Kensuke had souped it up so they could communicate over long distances.

Touji turned and ran out of the room with a group of uniformed people. Okay. Where'd she tell me to go.? Route twenty something. Five? Six? Seven? Yeah! Seven! He followed them to the Route 027 elevator and stepped in. The atmosphere inside the elevator was electric, and silent apart from the click issuing from the meter above the door.

The doors opened, and half the squad loaded an equipment elevator to the upper deck. Confused and lost, Touji followed them. As he ran onto the upper deck of the command center, he recognized Ritsuko.

"You? What are you doing here? I told you to take Route 026, not 027!" she said.

Oh no. I knew I was in the wrong place. Touji thought. "Sorry! I got confused in the midst of all the hurry!"

"No matter! Just don't get in our way!" she yelled back.

A small personnel platform rose to the deck, discharging the commanders and Kaji. The commanders went to the commander's box, while Kaji stood by Touji. Misato ran in through a connecting tunnel at the same time.

"Status report!" yelled Gendou.

"We have no idea what's going on!" replied Makoto. "An explosion was registered at one of the Tokyo-3 Geo-Front entrances! All external sensors and internal sensors up to the 187th passage have been shut down!"

"All of them?" Ritsuko asked. "No-one knows the entire grid to shut them down that easily beneath assistant department heads of the concerned areas!"

"Except for someone who watched them be set up," muttered Fuyutsuki.

"Indeed," Gendou concurred.

"An incoming transmission has been detected on the radio frequency. It's directed towards someone here, in the Command Center! Upper Deck! Tapping into it and playing it over the loudspeaker!" Shigeru reported. "There's no sound being relayed!"

A beeping noise went off in Touji's pocket. All eyes stared at him as he drew his small radiophone walkie-talkie from his pocket, and raised it to his ears. "Suzuhara here. Kensuke, I'm a little bit busy right now."

The answer was broadcast throughout the Center. "Touji! You gotta call Shinji or Misato or one of our dad's or someone! I just saw a bunch of people in black blow apart one of the NERV gates! They paused for five seconds and hacked into the terminal first! They left about two minutes ago!"

"Two minutes? Then they're here!" Fuyutsuki exclaimed.

Misato grabbed the radiophone from Touji. "Kensuke, what did they have with them?"

"Miss Misato? How did you get on this private line? Well, I suppose it's not that important. They were all carrying large B-22 model heavy machine guns and some other weapons too, it looked like!" he responded.

Makoto craned his neck towards Misato. "Sensors back online! Penetration of HQ 1st level confirmed! Transmission traced to just outside the 707 area entrance!"

"Bring him in. He may be of use to us. Dispatch units near the intrusion." Gendou said.

"Send a topside officer to get him and bring him through the Emergency Personnel Transport Elevator! Take him here!" Misato ordered.

"Confirmed. He has been found. He is being transported through the 7th EPTE. Dispatched units have encountered enemy," reported Makoto.

"As soon as the EPTE is within accepted depth, go to Defense Stations, Level One!" Misato barked.

Maya looked at her panel and widened her eyes. "Every Geo-Front entrance topside has been breached! These terrorists are very numerous!"

Gendou frowned. "Whoever it is, must have a lot of resources."

Maya turned to face the commander. "Sir, due to the extensive knowledge of the NERV systems and structure locations, I submit that the party responsible was also behind the incident involving the 9th Angel, sir."

Gendou slightly nodded. "Agreed."

"Enemy has penetrated to within the 2nd level. EPTE retrieval confirmed! He's being brought here!" reported Makoto.

The loudspeaker announced, "Defense Stations, Level One. All Personnel, Defense Stations, Level One."

"Commencing procedures! Non-Combatant personnel through the fifth level, retreat! Releasing Bakelite from the enemy's current position to corridor 389! Cutting power to first through fourth levels!" Makoto stated.

"There's a problem! None of the squad commanders have arrived yet! They're all housed in the First Level! Bakelite confirmed to have stopped 30% of invasion! We still have a large intrusion, and we're not at full sensor operation yet! The five main divisions are leaderless!"

Two guards escorted in Kensuke. Misato turned to him. "Kensuke, what are their numbers?"

"Well, I can't tell for sure, but I saw at least 30 vans and heavy trucks around the entrance. I thought you guys were having maintenance or something do a major overhaul!"

Fuyutsuki turned to the upper decksmen. "We need five of you to command groups."

Shigeru and Makoto stood up. "We are prepared to go, ma'am!" Makoto said.

"Very good. Anyone else?" he asked.

"I am ready to do my duty as well." Kaji said.

"Accepted. Anyone else?" he asked.

"I will go." Gendou said from beside Fuyutsuki.

"But I was going to go. There's no need to risk yourself, Ikari," the old man said.

"I will go. You must stay here in my stead, Professor." Gendou proclaimed. At the touch of a button, the commander's box sank to the upper deck's level.

"But who will command the fifth division?" Fuyutsuki asked.

Gendou frowned for a second. "Mr. Suzuhara, you will do it."

Touji straightened up. "M-Me?" he asked.

"Correct." Gendou responded.

"I can't do this alone! Can I have Kensuke as a co-commander? He probably knows more about strategy than most of your high-level commanders!" he asked. Kensuke's face brightened supremely.

"Very well. Supply Mr. Aida with a uniform." Gendou said. "Give all commanders temporary rank of Captain if it exceeds their own."

"Do you think they'll be able to pull it off? They're many years younger than some of the men they're commanding," asked Fuyutsuki.

Kaji leaned over, and said in a low voice, "Of course. One of them is the Fourth Child. Our troops are so dedicated to duty that they would die for them in a non-combat situation."

"I suppose you're right." Fuyutsuki said.

Kensuke finished pulling the uniform over his clothes, and had a Captain's pin and a gun thrust at him. "The Fifth Division is waiting for you and Capt. Suzuhara, sir."

With a huge grin, Kensuke said. "Thank you, sir!"

The lieutenant who handed it to him said, "You're welcome, sir, but you're the man of authority here. You don't have to call me sir."

Gendou checked his gun was loaded and said, "All captains, dispatch now!"

Kaji, Shigeru, Makoto, Kensuke, Touji, and Gendou all left the floor. Fuyutsuki walked out of the commander's box, moving to the operation's command location. Maya shoved over into Shigeru's Communications terminal, leaving her usual Science station to Ritsuko. Misato took the Combat Operations terminal.

Maya turned to Ritsuko. "Ma'am, do you really think they can succeed?" she asked.

"Of course," Ritsuko interjected. "We have no other hope."

"If we are defeated, will we have to self-destruct?" Maya asked.

"Yes." Fuyutsuki responded. "We have too many secrets here, and elements that can threaten the human race if they are mixed. In event of defeat, detonate the entire Geo-Front, not just Headquarters."

"But wouldn't that destroy the city?" Misato asked.

"A small price." Ritsuko interjected.

Misato frowned. What secrets? What's so important to them?

"And what about the EVAs?" Maya asked.

"Evacuate the Cage and tell all personnel not to enter it by way of secure lines. Insert Dummy Plugs, and set them to attack any hostiles in the Cage." Fuyutsuki ordered. "Make sure they stop as soon as the targets disappear."

"But we can't use the Dummies yet, they're nowhere near ready!" Ritsuko protested.

"Can they follow those orders?" the Vice-Commander asked.

Ritsuko looked away. "Yes," she said reluctantly.

"Then insert them. Release enough restraints so they can move when activated." Fuyutsuki ordered.

Ritsuko turned to her board. "Yes, sir."

Misato perked up. "They have penetrated all the way to the fourth layer!"

"Cut power through to Level Six. As soon as the troops have arrived, close all armoured shutters outside Central Dogma through to Level One. They must be stopped from infiltrating Central Dogma!" Fuyutsuki replied. --------------------------------------- As the six captains were being shuttled to their units, each was harboring thoughts about the battle in their mind, as the orders from Central Dogma filtered in through lightweight headsets they were wearing.

They must be stopped from infiltrating Central Dogma, thought Shigeru, as he loaded a B-32 heavy machine gun. They're all depending on me! I have to do this. Or else there'll be nothing to defend with when the next Angel comes.

Well, here's my chance to show that those kids aren't the only ones who risk their lives around here, thought Makoto. If we can deter creatures like Angels, terrorists should be no problem. I know the troops I'm getting assigned well. This should be no problem.

This might be my last "go with the team" before my other job is found out, remarked Kaji. Must leave a good impression, it could be told of in my funeral.

I question my own logic in doing this, but I know it must be done. Gendou thought. If they aren't stopped, there will be no way to complete the Project.

I'll just do what I'm asked, thought Touji. I could think of no one better than Kensuke to help me here. I've got nothing to worry about, as the hospital isn't in Geo-Front.

I don't believe this! I've never even seen the Geo-Front and now I'm a temporary Captain! This is so-o COOL! Kensuke gushed.

Maya's voice filtered through the headsets. "Attention, you will be arriving in 10 seconds with your units. Spread out to confront the enemy. You will make contact in 120 seconds. Once you arrive, your combat situation will be expressed to you. From all of us here, good luck." ---------------------------------------

To Be Continued.

------------------------------------- Ending: J.S. Bach - Jesu, Bleiblet Meine Freuden

Mechanical Designs: Yamashita Ikuto

GAAAH. this was too long, and finished around 1:00 in the morning. I found this one harder to write than the last one, but better, in my opinion.

I released the first draft at a summer camp where it was difficult to even access the A drive. I shouldn't have, and never will again. I like the series' new title a little better than the old one, and am happy there will be no more confusion.

In addition, this will be the first episode that the ending has changed to Jesu, Bleiblet Meine Freuden. (the piano song that plays during the real- life images in Ep. 26' of the End of Evangelion movie) As the title has changed, I thought this theme befitted it more. Also, I don't think Vorspier was that good as an ending theme. Next episode is probably going to be very long, as I want to resolve the terrorist situation next epiosde. Hope you enjoy it! ---------------------------------------- NEXT EPISODE: The terrorist situation is resolved; leaving the entire staff of NERV exhausted. Shinji keeps up his newfound good spirits, and tries to use them in to bolster Asuka in the next episode, Easier Said Than Done!