CHAPTER 12
The day after Shinji met his father and Asuka's date. It was Shinji's turn to cook breakfast.
Misato was sculling beer and as she tasted the soup she wriggled her nose.
"Shinji, did you change this soups flavour somehow?" she asked and Mia looked up from her book and breakfast. This time she was reading the NERV manual for the first time since she had gotten to Tokyo-3.
"Yeah it is dried fish flavour from Ritsuko" Shinji said smiling. Mia kept eating toast before getting up.
"It was still delicious" Mia said as a loud scream came fro the bathroom.
"IT IS TOO HOT!" Asuka screamed as she opened the door.
"I am sorry" Shinji said quickly.
"Stop apologizing, do you really think it is your fault!" she asked whilst still screaming. "Apologies are you conditional reflex to any kind of confrontation"
"I am sorry"
"There you go again! Why do you have to punish yourself for everything!" Asuka shouted and Misato waved her hand.
"Yeah you know that is just Shinji's way" Misato explained.
"It is just so easy for you to accept his stupid habits isn't it?" Asuka pointed at her. "Haven't you been just a little to easy on him lately!"
"Have I?" Misato asked and Shinji just looked on while Mia tried to ignore everything.
"Maybe you and Kaji have hooked up again, but just because you are happy doesn't mean you can ignore us!" Asuka screamed and Mia smiled while drinking.
"There is nothing between Kaji and I" Misato denied untruthfully.
The phone rang three times before the message bank got it. 'Hey Katsuragi I found a bar for tonight that serves a decent drink, how bout tonight, bye' Kaji left a message and Mia excused herself before she erupted in laughter while Misato sat awkwardly on the chair.
"I have never known anyone involved in such and indecent relationship!" Asuka snapped with her hands on her hips. "And you're supposed to be our guardian! What a hypocrite!" Asuka slammed the bathroom door.
"So are the tests this morning?" Shinji asked and Misato nodded.
* * * * *
Later at Nerv HQ the harmonics test was being performed again much to Asuka and Mia's dismay, as both were sick of doing the same routine over and over again.
"B type harmonica, all systems green"
"Projected adjustment values have been cleared"
"You look tired Misato"
"Yes for a lot of private reasons" Misato said smiling innocently.
"Kaji?" Ritsuko said spitefully.
"SHUT YOUR FACE!" Misato snapped. "How is the third child doing?"
"Take a look" Maya said smiling. Misato bent down to look at the computer screens.
"Wow I hope knowing this will boost his confidence" Misato smiled. "Can you hear me Shinji?"
"Misato how were my scores!" Shinji called out.
"Great you're number one!" Misato said smiling and Mia smiled as well.
"You deserve it," she muttered under her breath.
"Lower the graph depth on unit 03 to 0.2" Ritsuko instructed looking at the previous test scores.
"But ma'am she is already at border line"
"Trust me, I want to try something" Ritsuko said and he lowered it. Mia's eye widened and she concentrated breathing hard. The bar breached going red and the alarms went off.
"We need to heighten it!"
"Just wait!" Ritsuko ordered and Mia clenched her fists as the bar sustained.
"I knew it" Ritsuko smiled.
"What?" Misato asked.
"Mia changes herself to suit the Eva" Ritsuko smiled. "She is above unit 00 and 02 but below 01"
"So what?" Misato asked perplexed.
"She changes her mind to that of the Eva. She is like a mirror, you move you hand she copies you. However if you move to much to quickly she cant keep up until she has learned how" Ritsuko said excited.
"So she can handle up to 0.89 contamination because she has learn how to cope with it?" Misato asked.
"I believe she can push to 0.92 because she learns within a 0.3 depth rate," Ritsuko answered.
* * * * *
"Five minutes until the evacuation of the western district is completed"
"The target is advancing slowly at approximately 5 km/h"
"You're late major Katsuragi!" Ritsuko snapped.
"Sorry!"
"No excuse"
"What is going on? The observation center in Fuji."
"Didn't detect it, it just appeared above us"
"Pattern orange no AT field detected"
"What is this?" Misato asked mystified.
"A new kind of Angel?" Ritsuko wondered aloud.
"The magi are withholding their judgment on that," Maya stated.
"Damn it, another situation like this and commander Ikari isn't here again" Misato snapped almost under her breath as she stared on at the gigantic circle in the air that was covered in white and black patterns. "Get the Eva's launched around a safe perimeter. They can advance from there," Misato ordered.
"Yes Ma'am" Maya and the other personnel replied as the four Eva's were launched.
"Can you all hear me?" Misato asked. I have sent you all of the target's data. That is literally all we know right now. You will have to rely on nit 03's sense mechanism when you approach the angel. Do not attack until you know its limits" Misato ordered. "Unit Mia is close enough you are to approach it carefully and observe its reactions and if possible try to lure it out of the city. I want you all to back up each other"
"Yes ma'am but don't you think that Shinji ought to be taking the point position?" Asuka said coldly and Mia stopped her Eva waiting to hear this. "Well this IS the job for the highest rated, bravest, synch ratio holder shouldn't it? Or don't you feel up to it Shinji?"
"I can do it" Shinji snapped back at her. "In fact I'll show you how it ought to be done Asuka!" he said with all the confidence he had in him.
"What was that!?" Asuka yelped.
"Hey will the two of you cut it out!" Misato snapped.
"But Misato wasn't that what you said 'you're number one'" Shinji said quoting her.
"Well that was." Misato was lost for a comeback.
"And after all combat is a man's job" Shinji said holding up his thumb before closing the window. Mia and Rei rolled their eyes as Mia kept proceeding cautiously.
"Unit 2 will back up" Asuka said unhappily"
"Unit 00 will back up to" Rei said quietly.
"Unit 03 will back up also" Mia added.
Mia could tell by her sense mechanism that Shinji was proceeding faster than the rest of them toward the angel. She searched for more information but wasn't close enough to the angel.
"Ayanami, Asuka, Mia are you in position yet?" Shinji asked quietly.
"Not yet" Rei replied.
"You know and Eva cant move that fast" Asuka snapped as her power supply cord held her back. She quickly unplugged it grabbing another from a building near her.
"Are you there?" Shinji asked getting agitated. "Mia where are you?"
"I am still trying to get close enough to it" Mia whispered getting slightly irritated herself with not being able to find the data she needed.
'I'll have to stop it myself' Shinji thought to himself. He dived out from behind the building and shot at the angel.
"Shinji don't!" Mia screamed at him as the angle disappeared. A dark shadow appeared under Shinji and his heart skipped a beat.
"What is this? A shadow?" Shinji shouted shooting down and the dark ground that was consuming him. "What the hell is this?! This can't be happening!" he screamed as the Eva sank deeper into the shadow. The angel appeared above him as a giant sphere.
"Shinji get out of there!" Misato shouted.
"Ikari!" Rei screamed.
"You idiot what are you doing!" Asuka cried out.
"Misato help me!" Shinji screamed as he sank deeper to his shoulder unable to pull hi arms out. "What's going on? HELP ME! Can you hear me Misato? MISATO!" The Eva sank below it's jaw as Shinji screamed for help more.
"Unit, 00 02 and 03 where are you?" she shouted as Shinji's feedback became crackled as he sank up to the Eva's eyes in the shadow.
"Coming!" Mia shouted sliding near the shadow grabbing unit 01 but the top of its head armor. She clutched onto it pulling as hard as she could.
"Rei, Asuka help her!" Misato ordered as unit 03 grabbed onto unit 01 arm trying to pull the arm out first. She could still hear Shinji screaming as her Eva's foot got caught in the shadow.
"Oh no! It's got me," Mia screamed as her Eva's foot got caught in the shadow pulling her into it. "ASUKA!" Mia called out for her grabbing her power supply and holding onto it as unit 01 went completely under.
"Shinji!" Misato screamed. "Asuka, Rei help them!"
"That idiot! He can get an A on a test but not in the real world!" Asuka cursed as she bolted toward unit 03. Rei fired at the Angel but it disappeared.
"Asuka be careful!" Ritsuko called out.
"A shadow!" Asuka shrieked as it appeared under her. She quickly jumped onto a building climbing up it. "AHH!" she screamed using her progression knife and axe to climb up the building. "The whole city is sinking"
"Asuka Rei pull back" Misato instructed.
"What?" Mia cried out as her Eva sank deeper into the shadow. All that she could rely on was that she continued holding onto Shinji and the power cord.
"Wait!" Asuka shouted at Misato.
"But unit 01 and 03 are still going under" Rei protested.
"This is an order retreat," Misato said sternly,
"NO!" Mia screamed as her Eva went completely under shrouded in darkness.
* * * * *
"Oh well taking matters into his own hands, defying operations. I guess he got what he was asking for," Asuka said superiorly. "Just because he got a little better score than mine, why id he have to go and show me how it was done?" she rambled and Rei just glared at her. "What a dumpkoff" she said in German as Rei strode up to her standing an inch from her face.
"What re my comments about Shinji pissing you off?" Asuka snapped.
"I wonder, do you pilot the Eva's just for the praise of others?" Rei asked her icily.
"NO! I don't need anybodies approval but my own," Asuka snapped back at her.
"Cut it out you two" Misato said hardheartedly. "Asuka is right he acted arbitrarily and without consultation. I will just have to punish him when he gets back" she said staring into the deep sea of Durak.
"What about Mia?" Asuka asked.
"She is holding onto unit 01 and the umbilical cord as far as we know. She is doing a good job but unfortunately we can pull them out because of the weight. We will just have to wait for the cranes from Tokyo-2" Misato answered.
"Will they make it for that long?" Asuka asked.
"Shinji will live for 16 hours at the minimal life support level, but Mia can only live up to 12-14 hours because she is exerting too much energy from the Eva holding on to the umbilical cord and Eva unit 01" Ritsuko answered sneaking up behind them.
"Will you get them out by then?" Rei asked and Ritsuko didn't answer.
* * *
"I never thought sleeping could be so exhausting" Shinji muttered to himself looking at his wrist. He could feel something holding it but nothing was. 'Were they pulling him out?' He pulled the rigger as colours appeared around him.
"Still nothing but white noise. No radar or sonar reflections at all. This space must be too big" he said alone. "It has been 10 hours since I switched to life support mode. My life will end in four or five hours." he looked back at hi wrist.
"What is holding onto me.or who." he asked thinking back to when he was sinking. What colour was the Eva? What did it look like?
A three eyed dragon. black Prussian blue and gold. Mia.
"I am hungry" he sighed relaxing.
* * *
"Am I still here? Am I still holding onto Ikari? Am I still holding onto the world above us?" Mia asked herself opening her eyes. The LCL around her was cloudy and she was finding it hard to breath.
"Why am I in shadow?" she asked herself remembering grabbing onto Shinji and sinking down. "Why did I risk my own life for him? Is it because I am so pitiful that I don't care about myself.no I already know that.does he mean something to me.is his life more important than mine?" she asked herself these questions over and over again and again.
* * *
Shinji opened his eyes and panicked. He was surrounded in cloudy LCL with specks all around him.
"The water is getting cloudy!" he stuttered waving his hand in front of him. "The purification system is breaking down!" He suddenly found himself covering his nose and mouth. A disgusting taste was in his mouth and making him want to vomit. "It smells in here! BLOOD! This place smells like blood!" He grabbed the opening to the Entry plug and pulled frantically trying to open it.
"No, I hate this place, let me out! Why can't I open this lock? Open up! Let me out!" he said punching it. "Misato tell me what's going on. Asuka, Mia, Rei, Ritsuko.father.please someone help me." he begged looking a his arm. He could feel whatever was holding him weakening in its grip.
"Who.oh no Mia let go!" he shouted realizing that she was going to die before him because she was holding onto him and using just the plain life support system. ""Let go!" He screamed at his arm as it tingled.
* * *
"I am so tired, but I am doing nothing.it is so cold in here." Mia whispered to no one. "I mustn't let go to unit 01 or Shinji dies. I mustn't let go of the power cord or we both die.it is so cold in here..." she whispered shivering. Darkness filled her mind as she tried to shake it away.
"No go away. I am not listening to you and I can't see you either!" She screamed quietly at herself referring to visions in her mind. "Someone help me.I don't want to be alone.I don't want to be left by myself with myself." she said pulling at the controls before almost fainting. She leant back and tried to keep her eyes open.
* * *
Shinji found himself sitting in a train carriage staring blankly ahead at the red coloured grate.
"Who's that?" he asked as a beeping noise drew nearer and nearer. "Who."
"Shinji Ikari" a voice answered and he felt puzzled.
"That's me"
"I am you, this self incorporates another self. This self has always been composed of 2 selves," the voice said.
"Two?" Shinji asked.
"Yes, the self that is observed and the self that observes itself" the voice answered rationally. "To elaborate, the Shinji Ikari which exists in your mind, the Shinji Ikari which exists in Misato Katsuragi's mind, the Shinji Ikari in Rei Ayanami's mind, the Shinji Ikari in Asuka Langley's mind, the Shinji Ikari in Mia Zaharia's mind and the Shinji Ikari in Gendo Ikari's mind" it answered simply and Shinji felt that he was just going crazy. "All are different Shinji Ikari's, but each of them is a true Shinji Ikari. You fear the Shinji Ikari's that exists in other people's minds.
"I am just afraid of being hated." Shinji told the voice.
"You're afraid of being hurt" it corrected him.
"Who is bad?" Shinji asked.
"Father is. The father who deserted us" the voice declared.
"No I am the one who is bad," Shinji snapped. Memories snapped into his mind of people trying to fix his answer in which it wasn't him who was at fault.
"Will you spend the rest of your life remembering things that people have said even though you are deceiving yourself?"
"If I trust their words I can go on living," Shinji answered getting frustrated with this voice. He didn't want to hear this.
"Unless you allow yourself to change you will be unable to continue" the voice said coldly.
"I don't want to her this!"
"See you are running away from reality again" it said in a mocking tone.
"LEAVE ME ALONE!" he screamed opening his eyes to find and even cloudier cockpit. He shivered holding his arm that had pins and needles in it.
"The heating system and the oxygen are running out." he muttered shivering. "I am cold" he balled up as his suit began to beep quietly. "Even the suit is giving up.this is the end. I am so tired of everything." he said closing his eyes and allowing darkness o consume him.
A few visions faded and appeared in his mind. Rei smiling at him for the first time after the battle against the diamond shaped angel. Asuka and him defeating an angel together on their first meeting.Misato's kindness even though she has to put up with his cowardice and sneakiness.His father praising him.Mia, how she wanted to listen and pointed out the good bits of life even though she said that she was hurting.how he longed to see them all one more time.
His arm tingled again and the feeling that something was holding onto him disappeared. A soft touch caressed his face and he opened his eyes to find his mother's soul holding him.
"Mother?" he asked astounded.
* * *
"Both Eva's are standing by ready to spread there AT fields"
"T-60 seconds till mine drop" As this was said the shadow ball in the sky ripped open and blood poured out everywhere.
"What the?" Asuka stuttered as an arm reached out pulling at the shadow. The sea of Dirak suddenly erupted like a volcano as blood poured out of its darkness. Suddenly the dark sea waved up and down like a furious storm as the head of unit 01 pushed its way out of the angel. A low roaring voice came from within the Eva as everyone looked on amazed and mystified. 'How did the Eva move by itself?'
"My god.is that what I am piloting?" Asuka asked as Rei looked on speechless. Unit 01 jumped from the shadow landing on it's to feet below it as unit 03 fell down with it still clutching the arm of unit 01.
"She is still holding unit 01!" Ritsuko shouted bewildered. The Eva stood with its arms clenched staring coldly at Nerv. Asuka was unable to breathe.
"SHINJI? SHINJI? SHINJI?" Misato screamed opening the capsule and shaking him by his shoulders. "Shinji are you alright?" he opened his eyes a little bit and she bust out in tears hugging him.
"I just wanted to see them again," he muttered as she sobbed on his shoulder.
"Didn't you say you were going to punish him?" Asuka asked callously.
* * * * *
Shinji opened his eyes and looked around the hospital room. Beside him Rei was dressed in her school uniform.
"You can rest today," she said. "We'll take care of everything" she stood up and walked towards the door.
"But I feel fine now" Shinji said.
"Well that's good for you then" Rei smiled and Shinji's heart thudded in his chest.mother.
As Rei opened the door he said Asuka peer in before pulling back hoping that she wasn't noticed. Shinji laughed uncontrollably to himself before looking across the room where Mia was sleeping. He got up a little wobbly at first before walking over to her bed.
He smiled at her looking at how her long wavy brown hair was covering the pillow completely. She opened her eyes slowly and sat up.
"Hey" he said as something caught in his throat.
"Hey" she smiled back.
"Thanks for before" he said quickly.
"What?" she asked looking around.
"For trying to save me when I got swallowed by the sea of Dirak" he answered and she nodded.
"I tried and obviously failed. I was hoping the Asuka would help me pull you out but I guess I had a bit of bad luck," she said tiredly.
"You could have die holding onto me.they said you let go of the umbilical cord after 10 hours but you held onto unit 01 the whole time" he said timidly.
"Did I? I wasn't sure whether I was holding onto the umbilical cable then, I wasn't sure of anything except not to let go," she answered and he felt grateful.
"Yeah, thanks again though. I knew you were holding onto me" he said and nearly kicked himself for it.
"How?" she asked.
"Well I knew something was holding onto me because my arm had pins and needles and then I remembered that it was your Eva that grabbed 01's Armour" Shinji answered cracking his knuckles.
"I guess mine being black with three eyes also gives it way from 02 and 0 as they are red and white" Mia told him.
"Hey, this may sound strange but did you see things when you were inside the Eva?" he asked and she bit her lip.
"Kind of" she answered tentatively.
"What things?" he asked and she scratched her head.
"Just memories of before, there not good ones and I don't want to burden you with them" she warned. "Did you see anything?"
"A bit, mostly of what I have already spoken to you before of" he answered and she nodded.
"Oh yes no school!" she said looking at the clock.
"Yeah no school" Shinji said puzzled by the way she changed the subject to get out of telling him her past again.
The day after Shinji met his father and Asuka's date. It was Shinji's turn to cook breakfast.
Misato was sculling beer and as she tasted the soup she wriggled her nose.
"Shinji, did you change this soups flavour somehow?" she asked and Mia looked up from her book and breakfast. This time she was reading the NERV manual for the first time since she had gotten to Tokyo-3.
"Yeah it is dried fish flavour from Ritsuko" Shinji said smiling. Mia kept eating toast before getting up.
"It was still delicious" Mia said as a loud scream came fro the bathroom.
"IT IS TOO HOT!" Asuka screamed as she opened the door.
"I am sorry" Shinji said quickly.
"Stop apologizing, do you really think it is your fault!" she asked whilst still screaming. "Apologies are you conditional reflex to any kind of confrontation"
"I am sorry"
"There you go again! Why do you have to punish yourself for everything!" Asuka shouted and Misato waved her hand.
"Yeah you know that is just Shinji's way" Misato explained.
"It is just so easy for you to accept his stupid habits isn't it?" Asuka pointed at her. "Haven't you been just a little to easy on him lately!"
"Have I?" Misato asked and Shinji just looked on while Mia tried to ignore everything.
"Maybe you and Kaji have hooked up again, but just because you are happy doesn't mean you can ignore us!" Asuka screamed and Mia smiled while drinking.
"There is nothing between Kaji and I" Misato denied untruthfully.
The phone rang three times before the message bank got it. 'Hey Katsuragi I found a bar for tonight that serves a decent drink, how bout tonight, bye' Kaji left a message and Mia excused herself before she erupted in laughter while Misato sat awkwardly on the chair.
"I have never known anyone involved in such and indecent relationship!" Asuka snapped with her hands on her hips. "And you're supposed to be our guardian! What a hypocrite!" Asuka slammed the bathroom door.
"So are the tests this morning?" Shinji asked and Misato nodded.
* * * * *
Later at Nerv HQ the harmonics test was being performed again much to Asuka and Mia's dismay, as both were sick of doing the same routine over and over again.
"B type harmonica, all systems green"
"Projected adjustment values have been cleared"
"You look tired Misato"
"Yes for a lot of private reasons" Misato said smiling innocently.
"Kaji?" Ritsuko said spitefully.
"SHUT YOUR FACE!" Misato snapped. "How is the third child doing?"
"Take a look" Maya said smiling. Misato bent down to look at the computer screens.
"Wow I hope knowing this will boost his confidence" Misato smiled. "Can you hear me Shinji?"
"Misato how were my scores!" Shinji called out.
"Great you're number one!" Misato said smiling and Mia smiled as well.
"You deserve it," she muttered under her breath.
"Lower the graph depth on unit 03 to 0.2" Ritsuko instructed looking at the previous test scores.
"But ma'am she is already at border line"
"Trust me, I want to try something" Ritsuko said and he lowered it. Mia's eye widened and she concentrated breathing hard. The bar breached going red and the alarms went off.
"We need to heighten it!"
"Just wait!" Ritsuko ordered and Mia clenched her fists as the bar sustained.
"I knew it" Ritsuko smiled.
"What?" Misato asked.
"Mia changes herself to suit the Eva" Ritsuko smiled. "She is above unit 00 and 02 but below 01"
"So what?" Misato asked perplexed.
"She changes her mind to that of the Eva. She is like a mirror, you move you hand she copies you. However if you move to much to quickly she cant keep up until she has learned how" Ritsuko said excited.
"So she can handle up to 0.89 contamination because she has learn how to cope with it?" Misato asked.
"I believe she can push to 0.92 because she learns within a 0.3 depth rate," Ritsuko answered.
* * * * *
"Five minutes until the evacuation of the western district is completed"
"The target is advancing slowly at approximately 5 km/h"
"You're late major Katsuragi!" Ritsuko snapped.
"Sorry!"
"No excuse"
"What is going on? The observation center in Fuji."
"Didn't detect it, it just appeared above us"
"Pattern orange no AT field detected"
"What is this?" Misato asked mystified.
"A new kind of Angel?" Ritsuko wondered aloud.
"The magi are withholding their judgment on that," Maya stated.
"Damn it, another situation like this and commander Ikari isn't here again" Misato snapped almost under her breath as she stared on at the gigantic circle in the air that was covered in white and black patterns. "Get the Eva's launched around a safe perimeter. They can advance from there," Misato ordered.
"Yes Ma'am" Maya and the other personnel replied as the four Eva's were launched.
"Can you all hear me?" Misato asked. I have sent you all of the target's data. That is literally all we know right now. You will have to rely on nit 03's sense mechanism when you approach the angel. Do not attack until you know its limits" Misato ordered. "Unit Mia is close enough you are to approach it carefully and observe its reactions and if possible try to lure it out of the city. I want you all to back up each other"
"Yes ma'am but don't you think that Shinji ought to be taking the point position?" Asuka said coldly and Mia stopped her Eva waiting to hear this. "Well this IS the job for the highest rated, bravest, synch ratio holder shouldn't it? Or don't you feel up to it Shinji?"
"I can do it" Shinji snapped back at her. "In fact I'll show you how it ought to be done Asuka!" he said with all the confidence he had in him.
"What was that!?" Asuka yelped.
"Hey will the two of you cut it out!" Misato snapped.
"But Misato wasn't that what you said 'you're number one'" Shinji said quoting her.
"Well that was." Misato was lost for a comeback.
"And after all combat is a man's job" Shinji said holding up his thumb before closing the window. Mia and Rei rolled their eyes as Mia kept proceeding cautiously.
"Unit 2 will back up" Asuka said unhappily"
"Unit 00 will back up to" Rei said quietly.
"Unit 03 will back up also" Mia added.
Mia could tell by her sense mechanism that Shinji was proceeding faster than the rest of them toward the angel. She searched for more information but wasn't close enough to the angel.
"Ayanami, Asuka, Mia are you in position yet?" Shinji asked quietly.
"Not yet" Rei replied.
"You know and Eva cant move that fast" Asuka snapped as her power supply cord held her back. She quickly unplugged it grabbing another from a building near her.
"Are you there?" Shinji asked getting agitated. "Mia where are you?"
"I am still trying to get close enough to it" Mia whispered getting slightly irritated herself with not being able to find the data she needed.
'I'll have to stop it myself' Shinji thought to himself. He dived out from behind the building and shot at the angel.
"Shinji don't!" Mia screamed at him as the angle disappeared. A dark shadow appeared under Shinji and his heart skipped a beat.
"What is this? A shadow?" Shinji shouted shooting down and the dark ground that was consuming him. "What the hell is this?! This can't be happening!" he screamed as the Eva sank deeper into the shadow. The angel appeared above him as a giant sphere.
"Shinji get out of there!" Misato shouted.
"Ikari!" Rei screamed.
"You idiot what are you doing!" Asuka cried out.
"Misato help me!" Shinji screamed as he sank deeper to his shoulder unable to pull hi arms out. "What's going on? HELP ME! Can you hear me Misato? MISATO!" The Eva sank below it's jaw as Shinji screamed for help more.
"Unit, 00 02 and 03 where are you?" she shouted as Shinji's feedback became crackled as he sank up to the Eva's eyes in the shadow.
"Coming!" Mia shouted sliding near the shadow grabbing unit 01 but the top of its head armor. She clutched onto it pulling as hard as she could.
"Rei, Asuka help her!" Misato ordered as unit 03 grabbed onto unit 01 arm trying to pull the arm out first. She could still hear Shinji screaming as her Eva's foot got caught in the shadow.
"Oh no! It's got me," Mia screamed as her Eva's foot got caught in the shadow pulling her into it. "ASUKA!" Mia called out for her grabbing her power supply and holding onto it as unit 01 went completely under.
"Shinji!" Misato screamed. "Asuka, Rei help them!"
"That idiot! He can get an A on a test but not in the real world!" Asuka cursed as she bolted toward unit 03. Rei fired at the Angel but it disappeared.
"Asuka be careful!" Ritsuko called out.
"A shadow!" Asuka shrieked as it appeared under her. She quickly jumped onto a building climbing up it. "AHH!" she screamed using her progression knife and axe to climb up the building. "The whole city is sinking"
"Asuka Rei pull back" Misato instructed.
"What?" Mia cried out as her Eva sank deeper into the shadow. All that she could rely on was that she continued holding onto Shinji and the power cord.
"Wait!" Asuka shouted at Misato.
"But unit 01 and 03 are still going under" Rei protested.
"This is an order retreat," Misato said sternly,
"NO!" Mia screamed as her Eva went completely under shrouded in darkness.
* * * * *
"Oh well taking matters into his own hands, defying operations. I guess he got what he was asking for," Asuka said superiorly. "Just because he got a little better score than mine, why id he have to go and show me how it was done?" she rambled and Rei just glared at her. "What a dumpkoff" she said in German as Rei strode up to her standing an inch from her face.
"What re my comments about Shinji pissing you off?" Asuka snapped.
"I wonder, do you pilot the Eva's just for the praise of others?" Rei asked her icily.
"NO! I don't need anybodies approval but my own," Asuka snapped back at her.
"Cut it out you two" Misato said hardheartedly. "Asuka is right he acted arbitrarily and without consultation. I will just have to punish him when he gets back" she said staring into the deep sea of Durak.
"What about Mia?" Asuka asked.
"She is holding onto unit 01 and the umbilical cord as far as we know. She is doing a good job but unfortunately we can pull them out because of the weight. We will just have to wait for the cranes from Tokyo-2" Misato answered.
"Will they make it for that long?" Asuka asked.
"Shinji will live for 16 hours at the minimal life support level, but Mia can only live up to 12-14 hours because she is exerting too much energy from the Eva holding on to the umbilical cord and Eva unit 01" Ritsuko answered sneaking up behind them.
"Will you get them out by then?" Rei asked and Ritsuko didn't answer.
* * *
"I never thought sleeping could be so exhausting" Shinji muttered to himself looking at his wrist. He could feel something holding it but nothing was. 'Were they pulling him out?' He pulled the rigger as colours appeared around him.
"Still nothing but white noise. No radar or sonar reflections at all. This space must be too big" he said alone. "It has been 10 hours since I switched to life support mode. My life will end in four or five hours." he looked back at hi wrist.
"What is holding onto me.or who." he asked thinking back to when he was sinking. What colour was the Eva? What did it look like?
A three eyed dragon. black Prussian blue and gold. Mia.
"I am hungry" he sighed relaxing.
* * *
"Am I still here? Am I still holding onto Ikari? Am I still holding onto the world above us?" Mia asked herself opening her eyes. The LCL around her was cloudy and she was finding it hard to breath.
"Why am I in shadow?" she asked herself remembering grabbing onto Shinji and sinking down. "Why did I risk my own life for him? Is it because I am so pitiful that I don't care about myself.no I already know that.does he mean something to me.is his life more important than mine?" she asked herself these questions over and over again and again.
* * *
Shinji opened his eyes and panicked. He was surrounded in cloudy LCL with specks all around him.
"The water is getting cloudy!" he stuttered waving his hand in front of him. "The purification system is breaking down!" He suddenly found himself covering his nose and mouth. A disgusting taste was in his mouth and making him want to vomit. "It smells in here! BLOOD! This place smells like blood!" He grabbed the opening to the Entry plug and pulled frantically trying to open it.
"No, I hate this place, let me out! Why can't I open this lock? Open up! Let me out!" he said punching it. "Misato tell me what's going on. Asuka, Mia, Rei, Ritsuko.father.please someone help me." he begged looking a his arm. He could feel whatever was holding him weakening in its grip.
"Who.oh no Mia let go!" he shouted realizing that she was going to die before him because she was holding onto him and using just the plain life support system. ""Let go!" He screamed at his arm as it tingled.
* * *
"I am so tired, but I am doing nothing.it is so cold in here." Mia whispered to no one. "I mustn't let go to unit 01 or Shinji dies. I mustn't let go of the power cord or we both die.it is so cold in here..." she whispered shivering. Darkness filled her mind as she tried to shake it away.
"No go away. I am not listening to you and I can't see you either!" She screamed quietly at herself referring to visions in her mind. "Someone help me.I don't want to be alone.I don't want to be left by myself with myself." she said pulling at the controls before almost fainting. She leant back and tried to keep her eyes open.
* * *
Shinji found himself sitting in a train carriage staring blankly ahead at the red coloured grate.
"Who's that?" he asked as a beeping noise drew nearer and nearer. "Who."
"Shinji Ikari" a voice answered and he felt puzzled.
"That's me"
"I am you, this self incorporates another self. This self has always been composed of 2 selves," the voice said.
"Two?" Shinji asked.
"Yes, the self that is observed and the self that observes itself" the voice answered rationally. "To elaborate, the Shinji Ikari which exists in your mind, the Shinji Ikari which exists in Misato Katsuragi's mind, the Shinji Ikari in Rei Ayanami's mind, the Shinji Ikari in Asuka Langley's mind, the Shinji Ikari in Mia Zaharia's mind and the Shinji Ikari in Gendo Ikari's mind" it answered simply and Shinji felt that he was just going crazy. "All are different Shinji Ikari's, but each of them is a true Shinji Ikari. You fear the Shinji Ikari's that exists in other people's minds.
"I am just afraid of being hated." Shinji told the voice.
"You're afraid of being hurt" it corrected him.
"Who is bad?" Shinji asked.
"Father is. The father who deserted us" the voice declared.
"No I am the one who is bad," Shinji snapped. Memories snapped into his mind of people trying to fix his answer in which it wasn't him who was at fault.
"Will you spend the rest of your life remembering things that people have said even though you are deceiving yourself?"
"If I trust their words I can go on living," Shinji answered getting frustrated with this voice. He didn't want to hear this.
"Unless you allow yourself to change you will be unable to continue" the voice said coldly.
"I don't want to her this!"
"See you are running away from reality again" it said in a mocking tone.
"LEAVE ME ALONE!" he screamed opening his eyes to find and even cloudier cockpit. He shivered holding his arm that had pins and needles in it.
"The heating system and the oxygen are running out." he muttered shivering. "I am cold" he balled up as his suit began to beep quietly. "Even the suit is giving up.this is the end. I am so tired of everything." he said closing his eyes and allowing darkness o consume him.
A few visions faded and appeared in his mind. Rei smiling at him for the first time after the battle against the diamond shaped angel. Asuka and him defeating an angel together on their first meeting.Misato's kindness even though she has to put up with his cowardice and sneakiness.His father praising him.Mia, how she wanted to listen and pointed out the good bits of life even though she said that she was hurting.how he longed to see them all one more time.
His arm tingled again and the feeling that something was holding onto him disappeared. A soft touch caressed his face and he opened his eyes to find his mother's soul holding him.
"Mother?" he asked astounded.
* * *
"Both Eva's are standing by ready to spread there AT fields"
"T-60 seconds till mine drop" As this was said the shadow ball in the sky ripped open and blood poured out everywhere.
"What the?" Asuka stuttered as an arm reached out pulling at the shadow. The sea of Dirak suddenly erupted like a volcano as blood poured out of its darkness. Suddenly the dark sea waved up and down like a furious storm as the head of unit 01 pushed its way out of the angel. A low roaring voice came from within the Eva as everyone looked on amazed and mystified. 'How did the Eva move by itself?'
"My god.is that what I am piloting?" Asuka asked as Rei looked on speechless. Unit 01 jumped from the shadow landing on it's to feet below it as unit 03 fell down with it still clutching the arm of unit 01.
"She is still holding unit 01!" Ritsuko shouted bewildered. The Eva stood with its arms clenched staring coldly at Nerv. Asuka was unable to breathe.
"SHINJI? SHINJI? SHINJI?" Misato screamed opening the capsule and shaking him by his shoulders. "Shinji are you alright?" he opened his eyes a little bit and she bust out in tears hugging him.
"I just wanted to see them again," he muttered as she sobbed on his shoulder.
"Didn't you say you were going to punish him?" Asuka asked callously.
* * * * *
Shinji opened his eyes and looked around the hospital room. Beside him Rei was dressed in her school uniform.
"You can rest today," she said. "We'll take care of everything" she stood up and walked towards the door.
"But I feel fine now" Shinji said.
"Well that's good for you then" Rei smiled and Shinji's heart thudded in his chest.mother.
As Rei opened the door he said Asuka peer in before pulling back hoping that she wasn't noticed. Shinji laughed uncontrollably to himself before looking across the room where Mia was sleeping. He got up a little wobbly at first before walking over to her bed.
He smiled at her looking at how her long wavy brown hair was covering the pillow completely. She opened her eyes slowly and sat up.
"Hey" he said as something caught in his throat.
"Hey" she smiled back.
"Thanks for before" he said quickly.
"What?" she asked looking around.
"For trying to save me when I got swallowed by the sea of Dirak" he answered and she nodded.
"I tried and obviously failed. I was hoping the Asuka would help me pull you out but I guess I had a bit of bad luck," she said tiredly.
"You could have die holding onto me.they said you let go of the umbilical cord after 10 hours but you held onto unit 01 the whole time" he said timidly.
"Did I? I wasn't sure whether I was holding onto the umbilical cable then, I wasn't sure of anything except not to let go," she answered and he felt grateful.
"Yeah, thanks again though. I knew you were holding onto me" he said and nearly kicked himself for it.
"How?" she asked.
"Well I knew something was holding onto me because my arm had pins and needles and then I remembered that it was your Eva that grabbed 01's Armour" Shinji answered cracking his knuckles.
"I guess mine being black with three eyes also gives it way from 02 and 0 as they are red and white" Mia told him.
"Hey, this may sound strange but did you see things when you were inside the Eva?" he asked and she bit her lip.
"Kind of" she answered tentatively.
"What things?" he asked and she scratched her head.
"Just memories of before, there not good ones and I don't want to burden you with them" she warned. "Did you see anything?"
"A bit, mostly of what I have already spoken to you before of" he answered and she nodded.
"Oh yes no school!" she said looking at the clock.
"Yeah no school" Shinji said puzzled by the way she changed the subject to get out of telling him her past again.