-Chapter 16-
With a swift punch of my Eva's massive fist, the metal grate shot into the sky. I pulled my Eva out from the subterranean tunnel. I was standing in the center of the city, somewhere near the edge of the city the sounds of the Angel approached. I needed to find an external power cord before I battled the Angel. Two of the storage buildings opened and I quickly grabbed the rifle and plugged the power cord into my Eva's back. The battery ceased its countdown.
Now it was time to deal with the Angel. I crept through the sheltered city, listening to the sounds of the Angel as it continued on its way to Nerv despite the bullets and missiles. There it was, walking towards Nerv headquarters.
It looked like a giant, hairless monkey with broad shoulders and arms that dangled around its knees. Its body had an odd wet sheen, like the sweat gleaming off of a runner's forehead. It was black, as though it had walked through a great fire. Its core was placed in its sternum, guarded by what appeared to be a second jaw of jagged teeth. Large streaks of red passed over its left eye, like freshly made scars received by a giant claw.
It didn't seem to notice me peeking out from behind the armory building. I pulled the rifle close to my Eva's chest.
As I prepared to dart out and confront the angel I heard the major's voice.
"Rei. Shinji's getting suited up now. Don't engage the angel in close quarters unless you have to. We're sending Shinji in Unit One to assist."
"Understood."
I brought my Eva's head back behind the building and closed my eyes for a moment, trying to focus my thoughts.
Be rational.
I had almost done something very foolish. I let my guard down and allowed myself to be weakened and diluted by emotion, drunk from the intoxication and heady feeling of despair.
Please hurry Shinji-kun.
I felt a tingling sensation along my hands. It was as though a thin trail of spiders were crawling along my wrists, dragging behind them their silken threads to bind me once more to his command.
My eyes snapped open, hands instantly picking up the slack of my rifle. Nothing was around. I looked around the corner to where I had last seen the Angel, but it was gone. Anxiously I stepped out from behind the building, rifle ready but saw nothing.
Suddenly I felt a presence beside me. I hurried to swivel my rifle around, but it was too late. The Angel grabbed the barrel of my rifle and shoved my unit into the buildings behind it. As I fell to the ground I managed to pull out my progressive knife from its storage in my unit's right shoulder blade. I used the momentum from the Angel to roll my unit onto its back and propel itself back on its feet, narrowly escaping the Angel's massive hand that smashed through the pavement.
My unit was crouched down, one hand on the ground, the other holding the knife out toward the Angel, not unlike a cornered animal. I saw my chance to strike as the Angel was slowly pulling its fist out from the ground. With a great push, I launched my unit at the Angel, the knife drawn back and ready to be plunged into the vulnerable core. The Angel raised its Absolute Terror field, but I was ready.
"A.T. field to maximum," I said, raising its power until it was strong enough to allow me to punch through the Angel's A.T. field.
With the sound of a snapping of ropes, my unit broke through the Angel's barrier. I thrust the progressive knife at the Angel's core, but it managed to evade my attack and grab my unit from behind. It became a battle of strength as it attempted to keep my unit's arm pinned to its sides, while I attempted to free myself from its deathly grip. I strained desperately with the controls, hoping to break away from the Angel.
"Shinji! Rei's in trouble," I heard the major say over the communication line. "Get out there and take some of that heat off."
"Hai."
I saw one of the lift buildings open up and Unit One step out, its eyes were narrow beams of light that burned of hatred. Its mouth opened, revealing huge teeth that seemed to waiting to devour the Angel.
From somewhere above my head, a long beam of white light shot out at Unit One, hitting the ground and plowing up many yards of city pavement. Unit One jumped aside and hid behind some buildings until the beam passed.
I must protect Shinji-kun.
I braced myself, lowering my Eva's body to gain more leverage. Gritting my teeth, I struggled as hard as I could to escape. I could feel the Angel's grip giving way, but I could not gain enough of an advantage to completely get away.
Shinji had brought his unit out again, keeping the long rifle trained on the Angel.
"Ayanami!" he said over the intercom. "I can't get a shot until you get out of the way."
I flexed my unit's arms higher, slowly getting them unpinned. The sweat beaded up on my forehead, and mixed with the LCL that began stinging my eyes. My forearms ached and I could feel a pulsing in my temples, as though something might snap or explode at any moment. I felt tears welling in my eyes from the exertion.
The Angel shifted, clamping its long arms around me tighter. Somehow, through the womb-like and sound dampening LCL, I could hear a soft whining. It sounded like a weak light bulb struggling to light up. The Angel was preparing to shoot another beam.
Shinji!
I pushed my unit fully into the Angel, knocking it back into a large building. With a quick flip of a button, the back of my unit's shoulder blades slid open and the burners hidden inside activated. A deep roar erupted from behind me and the Angel's ropy arms released me.
My unit was propelled away for a few seconds from the burners, but I quickly shut them off and wheeled around to face the Angel. I was turned around with my knife ready, my unit already crouched low to dive into the Angel.
"Ayanami!" Shinji shouted, and I became aware of what he saw.
Although half embedded into the building, the Angel was still free to move its head to aim its beam towards me. The eyes were already glowing a hot white. The light in its eyes suddenly flared up, blinding me.
I covered my eyes with one forearm as my other hand instinctively went to raise my unit's A.T. field.
A horrible heat wave surrounded me. It started somewhat slowly. First an itching, growing stronger, more undeniable. This soon melted into a terrible burning that enveloped my body. It felt as if my skin was turning to flakes and peeling away. I screamed, and the A.T. field around my unit pulsed brightly and then faded and disappeared.
The beam shot through my unit's chest, leaving a gaping hole. And the pain. The pain was transferred, channeled directly to me. The pain of a missing heart.
My hands pulled away from the controls, and leapt to my ribcage, resting between my breasts. I could feel something warm and sticky slip out of my lips. Blood? I coughed, gagged, choked, my body arching uncontrollably. The entry plug shook, once, twice, as my unit stumbled back on unsteady feet. I felt the knife slip out of my hand and smash into the pavement a second before my unit followed suit.
The LCL turned cloudy. I could do nothing but lay there, a doll with nothing inside. It felt like something had been lanced deep in my heart, punched through my back, and that something on the other end was slowly twisting it side to side, delighting in my pain.
Through the cloudy LCL, I could see a light. A sun, blazing and burning. I heard voices, calling and beckoning. The light pierced through the dark and cold clouds.
"Shinji," I whispered, barely loud enough for my own ears to perceive. "Good-bye, Shinji."
I closed my eyes. The voices reached an intolerable pitch, but I could scarcely hear them anymore. I felt the LCL grow cold, and the light disappear, leaving me in complete darkness.
I am home.
With a swift punch of my Eva's massive fist, the metal grate shot into the sky. I pulled my Eva out from the subterranean tunnel. I was standing in the center of the city, somewhere near the edge of the city the sounds of the Angel approached. I needed to find an external power cord before I battled the Angel. Two of the storage buildings opened and I quickly grabbed the rifle and plugged the power cord into my Eva's back. The battery ceased its countdown.
Now it was time to deal with the Angel. I crept through the sheltered city, listening to the sounds of the Angel as it continued on its way to Nerv despite the bullets and missiles. There it was, walking towards Nerv headquarters.
It looked like a giant, hairless monkey with broad shoulders and arms that dangled around its knees. Its body had an odd wet sheen, like the sweat gleaming off of a runner's forehead. It was black, as though it had walked through a great fire. Its core was placed in its sternum, guarded by what appeared to be a second jaw of jagged teeth. Large streaks of red passed over its left eye, like freshly made scars received by a giant claw.
It didn't seem to notice me peeking out from behind the armory building. I pulled the rifle close to my Eva's chest.
As I prepared to dart out and confront the angel I heard the major's voice.
"Rei. Shinji's getting suited up now. Don't engage the angel in close quarters unless you have to. We're sending Shinji in Unit One to assist."
"Understood."
I brought my Eva's head back behind the building and closed my eyes for a moment, trying to focus my thoughts.
Be rational.
I had almost done something very foolish. I let my guard down and allowed myself to be weakened and diluted by emotion, drunk from the intoxication and heady feeling of despair.
Please hurry Shinji-kun.
I felt a tingling sensation along my hands. It was as though a thin trail of spiders were crawling along my wrists, dragging behind them their silken threads to bind me once more to his command.
My eyes snapped open, hands instantly picking up the slack of my rifle. Nothing was around. I looked around the corner to where I had last seen the Angel, but it was gone. Anxiously I stepped out from behind the building, rifle ready but saw nothing.
Suddenly I felt a presence beside me. I hurried to swivel my rifle around, but it was too late. The Angel grabbed the barrel of my rifle and shoved my unit into the buildings behind it. As I fell to the ground I managed to pull out my progressive knife from its storage in my unit's right shoulder blade. I used the momentum from the Angel to roll my unit onto its back and propel itself back on its feet, narrowly escaping the Angel's massive hand that smashed through the pavement.
My unit was crouched down, one hand on the ground, the other holding the knife out toward the Angel, not unlike a cornered animal. I saw my chance to strike as the Angel was slowly pulling its fist out from the ground. With a great push, I launched my unit at the Angel, the knife drawn back and ready to be plunged into the vulnerable core. The Angel raised its Absolute Terror field, but I was ready.
"A.T. field to maximum," I said, raising its power until it was strong enough to allow me to punch through the Angel's A.T. field.
With the sound of a snapping of ropes, my unit broke through the Angel's barrier. I thrust the progressive knife at the Angel's core, but it managed to evade my attack and grab my unit from behind. It became a battle of strength as it attempted to keep my unit's arm pinned to its sides, while I attempted to free myself from its deathly grip. I strained desperately with the controls, hoping to break away from the Angel.
"Shinji! Rei's in trouble," I heard the major say over the communication line. "Get out there and take some of that heat off."
"Hai."
I saw one of the lift buildings open up and Unit One step out, its eyes were narrow beams of light that burned of hatred. Its mouth opened, revealing huge teeth that seemed to waiting to devour the Angel.
From somewhere above my head, a long beam of white light shot out at Unit One, hitting the ground and plowing up many yards of city pavement. Unit One jumped aside and hid behind some buildings until the beam passed.
I must protect Shinji-kun.
I braced myself, lowering my Eva's body to gain more leverage. Gritting my teeth, I struggled as hard as I could to escape. I could feel the Angel's grip giving way, but I could not gain enough of an advantage to completely get away.
Shinji had brought his unit out again, keeping the long rifle trained on the Angel.
"Ayanami!" he said over the intercom. "I can't get a shot until you get out of the way."
I flexed my unit's arms higher, slowly getting them unpinned. The sweat beaded up on my forehead, and mixed with the LCL that began stinging my eyes. My forearms ached and I could feel a pulsing in my temples, as though something might snap or explode at any moment. I felt tears welling in my eyes from the exertion.
The Angel shifted, clamping its long arms around me tighter. Somehow, through the womb-like and sound dampening LCL, I could hear a soft whining. It sounded like a weak light bulb struggling to light up. The Angel was preparing to shoot another beam.
Shinji!
I pushed my unit fully into the Angel, knocking it back into a large building. With a quick flip of a button, the back of my unit's shoulder blades slid open and the burners hidden inside activated. A deep roar erupted from behind me and the Angel's ropy arms released me.
My unit was propelled away for a few seconds from the burners, but I quickly shut them off and wheeled around to face the Angel. I was turned around with my knife ready, my unit already crouched low to dive into the Angel.
"Ayanami!" Shinji shouted, and I became aware of what he saw.
Although half embedded into the building, the Angel was still free to move its head to aim its beam towards me. The eyes were already glowing a hot white. The light in its eyes suddenly flared up, blinding me.
I covered my eyes with one forearm as my other hand instinctively went to raise my unit's A.T. field.
A horrible heat wave surrounded me. It started somewhat slowly. First an itching, growing stronger, more undeniable. This soon melted into a terrible burning that enveloped my body. It felt as if my skin was turning to flakes and peeling away. I screamed, and the A.T. field around my unit pulsed brightly and then faded and disappeared.
The beam shot through my unit's chest, leaving a gaping hole. And the pain. The pain was transferred, channeled directly to me. The pain of a missing heart.
My hands pulled away from the controls, and leapt to my ribcage, resting between my breasts. I could feel something warm and sticky slip out of my lips. Blood? I coughed, gagged, choked, my body arching uncontrollably. The entry plug shook, once, twice, as my unit stumbled back on unsteady feet. I felt the knife slip out of my hand and smash into the pavement a second before my unit followed suit.
The LCL turned cloudy. I could do nothing but lay there, a doll with nothing inside. It felt like something had been lanced deep in my heart, punched through my back, and that something on the other end was slowly twisting it side to side, delighting in my pain.
Through the cloudy LCL, I could see a light. A sun, blazing and burning. I heard voices, calling and beckoning. The light pierced through the dark and cold clouds.
"Shinji," I whispered, barely loud enough for my own ears to perceive. "Good-bye, Shinji."
I closed my eyes. The voices reached an intolerable pitch, but I could scarcely hear them anymore. I felt the LCL grow cold, and the light disappear, leaving me in complete darkness.
I am home.